Following on from Advantages post yesterday, here is a video of Ukrainian soldiers singing their national anthem on the eve of their successful Kharkiv offensive.
What to make of this? Who would have thought that in 2022 we would see such things. We've been taught patriotism, dying for your country, fighting for freedom is all so much blather. The shadow of Passchendaele has sat over us all as a dark warning for over a century. The ideals encapsulated by this image are almost an anathema to 21st century liberal sensibilities.
I've seen other images like this, grainy black and white photos from the Great War, or world war 2. You know that many of those in the grainy phtographs, like many of these men, will soon be dead. What a waste. You want to weep, at the loss of life and in fury and anger that one man – Putin – could cause so many men to sternly take up arms and willingly die in service of abstract and unfashionable ideals like patriotism and freedom.
Yet every man watching this would have to have a heart of stone if a lump didn't form in their throat watching men on the eve of battle display their belief in and determination and willingness to die for their cause. These are men on their St. Crispen's day.
Anyway, if you need to know why war is so awful and yet why it is so necessary sometimes to fight just look at these men. And remember all they want from us is to be the arsenal of freedom.
He actually means the Business OWNERS. Who want BAU. Cheap Immigrant workers….who they can then resume bullying….and paying the absolute minimum they can get away with.
Southland MP Joseph Mooney is keen to hear hospitality workers' experiences.
"Cruel" ? fucks sake! Cry me a river of crocodile tears you jerk.
Cmon Mooney…talk to the actual low paid WORKERS ! You of course wont want to hear.
And imagine ..trying to actually live in Qtown/wanaka ….on the “pay” !
Mmmmm. Not dissing your interpretation of what Mooney is concerned over.
But many of the front-line workers I know (both personally, and through dining out, shopping, etc.) are under a huge amount of pressure.
When there are not enough staff to cover, when new staff are thrown into the job with no training, when people leave (because of a better offer), when customers are ratty, rude or even violent (Covid, lower grade service, general stress themselves), it's the existing staff – not (in general) the business owner – who have to step up and be stretched thinner to cover.
We've seen this in the nursing workforce (friends who are nurses, as well as media reports).
And, if you think that pay is the only stressor for workers, then we'll just have to disagree.
Working in a business which is short of staff (for whatever reason) is stressful for the staff.
Labour has continuously raised the minimum wage through this term in government. Are you saying that it's not enough? And, actually, most of the businesses locally (Auckland, as it happens) are paying over minimum wage rates right now.
Yanno, if you perceive that every issue I comment on is "concerntrolling" – then you can't really have a debate. I suggest that's got more to do with your bias, than mine.
lol..as usual..you see what you want. WHERE did I say that Hospo staff are NOT Stressed? Pressured? Abused? I'm sure that your "hospo friends" (and 'Nurse friends" : ) will tell you what you want to hear. To suit your Bias….view….
But many of the front-line workers I know (both personally, and through dining out, shopping, etc.) are under a huge amount of pressure.
You..will say its because something something Labour. Pays are up!! BS. They wont pay any ACTUAL Living Wage . Hospo has always been underpaid and overworked..and bullied. As I said, Businesses want BAU….cheap Immigrants…to pay min wage they can GET AWAY with. Noted that you sidled past that. I wont respond to you again.
Their user name says it all really. Anything National does / suggests is bad. Anything Labour does / suggests is great. The facts and results are ignored.
It'll get worse towards election time, Belladonna. That goes for political diehards of all persuasions. I'm guessing the upcoming election will be the dirtiest in New Zealand's political history. Labour will do anything to keep the lifestyle they have become accustomed to. National will do anything to get out of the lifestyle they aren't accustomed to.
Belladonna is a "respectful centrist". Once upon a time their politics may have been more compatible with The Standard's 'flavour' – beware 'the drift'!
lol…"respectful centrist" that is actually pretty good. I'll just add… No spring chicken am I…but can relate to the New. I like Labour…but would really like More Green : ) Still, one thing that aint gonna change : me PsyclingLeft.Always : )
Tony and DMK…Solid as . We gotta keep on . I REALLY dont want those nact jerks back screwing NZ again.
And even the ODT Political reckons Jacinda…
spending a day with the prime minister is a salient reminder that she by far and away remains the Labour Party’s strongest asset and the best — and the way things are going at the moment possibly the only — hope of it winning next year’s election.
The wages are so low that no locals want to work ungodly hours for less than the cost of living . Accommodation is a nightmare cost and availability then heating costs in the likes of Queenstown means working is slavery in the hospitality sector. freedom campers were able to work but that sector has dried up and won't ever provide the numbers required again. This has exposed the National parties economic strategy of fixing labour shortages by importing cheap labour and allowing them to be enslaved.Time after Time we see many of these workers tied into bonded labour ripped off and put into slavery with employers charging exorbitant accommodation fees, not paying wages ,wage theft abuse etc migrant workers not able to change jobs. National defunded labour dept (MOBIE) inspectors and rarely prosecuted offenders. Grant Robertson needs to front foot this Tory propaganda.
And Aye ..Tricledrown. Qtown in particular…a rich rats nest of that kind of Worker exploitation. And indeed. ..Labour does need to Pushback hard on Mp Mooney..and the other nat disingenuous BS.
Support our Workers…Business owners are never going to vote..other than nact. Its in their DNA
Actually, I just remembered: In Shakespeare's day (or at least in the language of his characters) they referred to a Commonweal. That's much more accurate.
Costs a hell of a lot to keep electing/appointing a new head of government. Not to mention the divisiveness of the campaigns (try looking at the US or France for examples).
And, for what benefit? A figurehead which some may perceive as 'ours'….
When NZ becomes a republic I suspect we will not change our whole system so the process need not be costly. Our first president will likely be head of state while the PM will remain head of government.
As the link says – which I've just backed up from an Irish newspaper – the office of the president of Ireland costs an equivalent of just under $8million, including $2.9million for centenarian "bounties".
The president of Ireland (with about the same population as ours) serves for seven years. So we'd have got three terms of presidents or 21 years for one Shonkey flag referendum.
Unless our GG is being wildly extravagant (which doesn't seem to be the case from the attached expenditure) – it's difficult to see how having an elected head of state would cost less. Costs of travel, salary and government building maintenance aren't going to decrease – because someone is elected rather than appointed.
I note, that there is no amount in the blog for the cost of running an election (with election expenses of 200,000 euros per candidate being able to be claimed back). It's not clear whether this presidential election is held at the same time as other elections. If not, the cost of simply holding the election would be substantial.
But, setting aside money. The element that I don't want to see is the divisive nature of the elections. As seen in the US and France (for example) – or even in the 2018 Irish election campaign.
Unless our GG is being wildly extravagant (which doesn't seem to be the case from the attached expenditure) – it's difficult to see how having an elected head of state would cost less.
Ah.. No. As I said based on official figures having a G-G costs NZ more than the Irish presidency costs Ireland.
The element that I don't want to see is the divisive nature of the elections.
So you won't be a fan of general elections either then. They're pretty divisive.
I can't see any parallel to France or the US anyway. They have totally different systems of government than we do and still would, I'd be confident, once we finally cut ties with the British monarchy and become a republic which I believe we inevitably will.
There are 56 countries in the Commonwealth and we’re part of a small minority who cling on the British monarch as their head of state.
Now Elizabeth II is gone, hopefully the pace towards a republic will gain more momentum.
The element which appears to be included with the budget for the NZ GG, but not with the Irish President is the capital and depreciation costs associated with Government House.
A different view today from Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University and author of "New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World."
"As the world waited for confirmation of the queen's death on Thursday, and as family members sped to hear royal vacation residence in Scotland, social media posts began going viral demanding that no one speak ill of the queen, out of respect for her loyal subjects. But the queen had many subjects, and they do not all mourn equally." …
"Millions of people are mourning Queen Elizabeth II this weekend, as is their right. But millions more are hoping her death marks the end of the monarchy — and you need only to open a history book to understand why."
There is a well informed and well considered debate going on around the world at this time. One of the English Queens’s roles at the time of here accession was to continue the benefits and influence they had as a colonial power. The Commonwealth Org is part of that. It is still a colonial tool. If Kiwis can’t have a debate about the past they will miss opportunities to build a better future.
Apparently NZ is unique, the UK and Australia have no economic problems at all.
Personally I'm not that bothered, but it really does expose the grief-performing for the fraud that it is. Looking forward to the furious "how dare they!" editorials … but of course they are only for the disloyal lefties. Is Hosking sobbing at Business NZ?
Newshub has a Mickey Mouse non-poll, and it's noticeable that they don't offer a "no holiday" option. Of course I voted for the whole week off, you might as well troll this kind of nonsense.
Every now and again the CANZUK idea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CANZUK_International) re-emerges on social media, usually as a form of white privilege where the people proposing it haven't thought through the explicit racism of the remnant white parts of the Empire pulling up the drawbridge and forming their own cosy club – without the inconvenience of having to include Nigerians and Indians and Pakistanis in their little schemes for free movement.
As an idea it is pretty racist, but it is a reminder that the white Commonwealth retains a great degree of usefulness to it's members. Until that changes, we will all keep the monarchy in some form or another.
'That seems to be what is so very, very different about the worldview shared by the likes of Liz Truss, Christopher Luxon and David Seymour. Wealth tends to be seen by them as personal property, and thus devoid of any sense of social obligation, or of even a basic recognition that this wealth may have been gained – partly at least – through the advantages of privilege and patronage. Today’s wealthy elites have little compunction about engaging in conspicuous consumption, since they believe their own spin that this wealth has been the byproduct of individual effort, innate ability and divine provenance. Generally speaking, it has been no such thing.(my bold)
I view our displays of wealth as more akin to the Danish; subtle and few and far between. Our networked intermarriages, family trusts, and extreme narrowness of wealth leave very little room for ostentation. The truly rich keep it tight and out of sight mostly.
If you want to observe them like birdwatchers, you are most likely to find such elites at Moore Wilson's at 11am on a Saturday morning, deep in wintry alpine retreats around Queenstown, or simply lolling far from shore in substantial pleasure craft in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Islands, way out of sight or scrutiny.
Don't know about that…NZ's richest man has a huge 'toy' .He has more wealth than the next 3 or 4 combined.
'M/Y Ulysses. Ulysses is a 116-meter expedition yacht, delivered by Kleven to New Zealand-based billionaire Graeme Richard Hart.She is the largest expedition yacht in the world, taking over the position from Luna.'
Luxon trumpets his 'success'.
Bob Jones is not known for modesty.
The NBR List top 10
1. Graeme Hart – $11b
2. Todd family – $4.3b
3. Goodman family – $3.1b
4. Mowbray family – $2.5b
5. Michael Friedlander – $2b
6. Rod Drury – $1.95b
7. Talley family – $1.2b
8. Bob Jones – $1.1b
9. Bruce Plested – $1.02b
10. Jim and Rosemari Delegat – $1.01b
It is very difficult to ever see Graeme Hart in public. The yacht keeps him well out of sight.
The Talley's main houses are very hard to find deep outside of Nelson. You have to work hard to find them.
Jones after the 2018 petition is pretty quiet these days, generally enjoying his 80s.
A good few of our 1-per-centers popped out of the woodwork for the Webbs BNZ collection auction preview last Saturday, and the auction next Sunday in Auckland will be a moment for them to emerge out beyond their drawbridges and rattle their jewellery in unison.
Yes, I agree Ad. Any rich lister flaunting wealth in NZ has a death wish. Most know the prevailing attitude towards wealth many NZers hold, so they arrange their life to be under the radar as much as possible. I think that’s the beauty of wealth – you can configure your life to the way you want it, and not have someone else telling you ‘ how it’s going to be.’
Great discussion on CC in relation to airline CC offsets just heard on RNZ-see link below. University of Otago Professor James Higham rips apart the current offset schemes.
(Only 7% of customers of AirNZ opted into the ineffective “FlyNeutral” scheme anyway)
At one point he says that in order to offset the number of tourists annually COMING to NZ (this excludes Kiwi's leaving) prior to Covid, NZ would have to plant an area the size of Stewart Island EVERY YEAR.
He says we have to fly less often and stay at the destination flown to much longer and he is keen on Simon Upston's CC tax to be paid by people both coming into NZ and leaving NZ. (I don't know what the level of tax he is proposing but I'm guessing it would be $200-300 per person) The money raised would be ringfenced for CC initiatives.
There has been so much self-serving rubbish talked about offsetting airline CC effects in the media that to hear someone who knew what he was talking about telling it as it is was refreshing and informative.
I flew from Queenstown to Wellington to watch Midnight Oil this week. I simply will not do this type of trip any more.
The rich here are different, you can unknowingly be speaking to one of them anywhere and not be aware of the wealth they hold. I once had an unpretentious restaurant’s door held open for the two of us who had been perusing the menu, it was Michael Fay and wife who asked if we were going in as they didn’t want to jump the queue. Impressed by Colin Giltraps reaction while waiting in a lunch bar who replied to the young woman at the counter when he indicated that I was next to be served.. probably because I stunk in my fiberglassiing work gear, but maybe not. When as delivery driver delivering a large chair to Lady Todd, was offered a cup of tea and a tour of the house, all built around the view of the Kelburn cricket club. The first one I saw was when I was about 5 or 6 and I must have said something to dad about an old gentleman in a old suit with the trousers held up with binder twine and Dad told me he was the richest man in the South Island. Pretentious.. yeah, nah. I’m sure there are a few others I didn’t recognise along the way. This is the NZ way and we should be thankful we have it. There are of course exceptions but as Thomasin McKenzie said on Colbert’s Tonight show when he asked about the tall poppies in NZ and she said “ We are just not that keen on arseholes “.
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Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Haere Mai ki te whanau o te wiki o te Maori.
Here's a task Lynn: Te Reo macrons in text
Like this?
Māori
Hold your key down, and a choice of macrons and the like for that letter pops up.
Chur nūi, KJT
Does that work on Windows computers as well? Know it does on Apples.
No, only on Macs.
I did it on a windows PC.
Never been an Apple fashion victim!
Here you go
https://kupu.maori.nz/about/macrons-keyboard-setup
Following on from Advantages post yesterday, here is a video of Ukrainian soldiers singing their national anthem on the eve of their successful Kharkiv offensive.
What to make of this? Who would have thought that in 2022 we would see such things. We've been taught patriotism, dying for your country, fighting for freedom is all so much blather. The shadow of Passchendaele has sat over us all as a dark warning for over a century. The ideals encapsulated by this image are almost an anathema to 21st century liberal sensibilities.
I've seen other images like this, grainy black and white photos from the Great War, or world war 2. You know that many of those in the grainy phtographs, like many of these men, will soon be dead. What a waste. You want to weep, at the loss of life and in fury and anger that one man – Putin – could cause so many men to sternly take up arms and willingly die in service of abstract and unfashionable ideals like patriotism and freedom.
Yet every man watching this would have to have a heart of stone if a lump didn't form in their throat watching men on the eve of battle display their belief in and determination and willingness to die for their cause. These are men on their St. Crispen's day.
Anyway, if you need to know why war is so awful and yet why it is so necessary sometimes to fight just look at these men. And remember all they want from us is to be the arsenal of freedom.
https://twitter.com/uasupport999/status/1568343354563231744
nat MP Joseph Mooney. And his "concern" about Hospitality Workers. Yeah right….
He actually means the Business OWNERS. Who want BAU. Cheap Immigrant workers….who they can then resume bullying….and paying the absolute minimum they can get away with.
"Cruel" ? fucks sake! Cry me a river of crocodile tears you jerk.
Cmon Mooney…talk to the actual low paid WORKERS ! You of course wont want to hear.
And imagine ..trying to actually live in Qtown/wanaka ….on the “pay” !
Alliteration for the day.
NZ media – The trotting out of Tory twats tearfully traumatised over trivia.
Awesome. I'd put some Mooney on that…..: )
Mmmmm. Not dissing your interpretation of what Mooney is concerned over.
But many of the front-line workers I know (both personally, and through dining out, shopping, etc.) are under a huge amount of pressure.
When there are not enough staff to cover, when new staff are thrown into the job with no training, when people leave (because of a better offer), when customers are ratty, rude or even violent (Covid, lower grade service, general stress themselves), it's the existing staff – not (in general) the business owner – who have to step up and be stretched thinner to cover.
We've seen this in the nursing workforce (friends who are nurses, as well as media reports).
Yea had you here..before. Concerntrolling. Howsabout respond…to what I actually stated.
And..Wellington..or Auckland !
And see you sidle Nurse workforce into it. Ha. Read you like a book.
Housing is unaffordable everywhere.
And, if you think that pay is the only stressor for workers, then we'll just have to disagree.
Working in a business which is short of staff (for whatever reason) is stressful for the staff.
Labour has continuously raised the minimum wage through this term in government. Are you saying that it's not enough? And, actually, most of the businesses locally (Auckland, as it happens) are paying over minimum wage rates right now.
Yanno, if you perceive that every issue I comment on is "concerntrolling" – then you can't really have a debate. I suggest that's got more to do with your bias, than mine.
lol..as usual..you see what you want. WHERE did I say that Hospo staff are NOT Stressed? Pressured? Abused? I'm sure that your "hospo friends" (and 'Nurse friends" : ) will tell you what you want to hear. To suit your Bias….view….
You..will say its because something something Labour. Pays are up!! BS. They wont pay any ACTUAL Living Wage . Hospo has always been underpaid and overworked..and bullied. As I said, Businesses want BAU….cheap Immigrants…to pay min wage they can GET AWAY with. Noted that you sidled past that. I wont respond to you again.
Pot. Kettle.
It must be fun being in your echo chamber – only people who agree with you unconditionally get through.
Their user name says it all really. Anything National does / suggests is bad. Anything Labour does / suggests is great. The facts and results are ignored.
Yeah…"Jimmy". Not sure what your user name says. : )
It'll get worse towards election time, Belladonna. That goes for political diehards of all persuasions. I'm guessing the upcoming election will be the dirtiest in New Zealand's political history. Labour will do anything to keep the lifestyle they have become accustomed to. National will do anything to get out of the lifestyle they aren't accustomed to.
Belladonna is a "respectful centrist". Once upon a time their politics may have been more compatible with The Standard's 'flavour' – beware 'the drift'!
Just a bit of speculative fun Jiminy, on the other hand… no hope for him.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/03/do-we-become-more-conservative-with-age-young-old-politics
lol…"respectful centrist" that is actually pretty good. I'll just add… No spring chicken am I…but can relate to the New. I like Labour…but would really like More Green : ) Still, one thing that aint gonna change : me PsyclingLeft.Always : )
Proud to be of The Left.
….. …..
Tony and DMK…Solid as . We gotta keep on . I REALLY dont want those nact jerks back screwing NZ again.
And even the ODT Political reckons Jacinda…
Just get some more Green 💚 in there..and I'll be Happy .
The wages are so low that no locals want to work ungodly hours for less than the cost of living . Accommodation is a nightmare cost and availability then heating costs in the likes of Queenstown means working is slavery in the hospitality sector. freedom campers were able to work but that sector has dried up and won't ever provide the numbers required again. This has exposed the National parties economic strategy of fixing labour shortages by importing cheap labour and allowing them to be enslaved.Time after Time we see many of these workers tied into bonded labour ripped off and put into slavery with employers charging exorbitant accommodation fees, not paying wages ,wage theft abuse etc migrant workers not able to change jobs. National defunded labour dept (MOBIE) inspectors and rarely prosecuted offenders. Grant Robertson needs to front foot this Tory propaganda.
And Aye ..Tricledrown. Qtown in particular…a rich rats nest of that kind of Worker exploitation. And indeed. ..Labour does need to Pushback hard on Mp Mooney..and the other nat disingenuous BS.
Support our Workers…Business owners are never going to vote..other than nact. Its in their DNA
As Peter Frazer said: "they walked to the polls in 1935 to vote us in, and drove to the polls in 1949 to vote us out."
He was referring to farmers, but the same applies to business-people.
The Commonwealth. A term used a lot in the coverage of the monarchy change.
Up to now I viewed it as a silly pretendy thing.
I now see it as a pernicious tool to whitewash colonial history and to frame racism as benign behaviour. Aotearoa must now exit the Commonwealth.
The name is deceptive. The wealth is taken from the commoners.
Actually, I just remembered: In Shakespeare's day (or at least in the language of his characters) they referred to a Commonweal. That's much more accurate.
whip scars
So why haven't countries such as South Africa and India left the Commonwealth?
https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries
Devil-you-know maybe? Ditch the monarch as head of state, stay in the CW?
The Commonwealth org has a budget smaller than that of Invercargill council! What to we do through that org that we can’t do better directly?
Costs a hell of a lot to keep electing/appointing a new head of government. Not to mention the divisiveness of the campaigns (try looking at the US or France for examples).
And, for what benefit? A figurehead which some may perceive as 'ours'….
South Africa and India have been republics for a long time.
Yes, sorry. That was intended to be a response to another poster – about the costs of becoming a republic.
False equivalence. It will likely be less than the Governor-General costs.
http://www.republic.org.nz/latestblog/2022/5/20/budget-2022-cost-of-the-governor-general
When NZ becomes a republic I suspect we will not change our whole system so the process need not be costly. Our first president will likely be head of state while the PM will remain head of government.
As the link says – which I've just backed up from an Irish newspaper – the office of the president of Ireland costs an equivalent of just under $8million, including $2.9million for centenarian "bounties".
The president of Ireland (with about the same population as ours) serves for seven years. So we'd have got three terms of presidents or 21 years for one Shonkey flag referendum.
Would have been good value I reckon.
Unless our GG is being wildly extravagant (which doesn't seem to be the case from the attached expenditure) – it's difficult to see how having an elected head of state would cost less. Costs of travel, salary and government building maintenance aren't going to decrease – because someone is elected rather than appointed.
I note, that there is no amount in the blog for the cost of running an election (with election expenses of 200,000 euros per candidate being able to be claimed back). It's not clear whether this presidential election is held at the same time as other elections. If not, the cost of simply holding the election would be substantial.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_presidential_election
But, setting aside money. The element that I don't want to see is the divisive nature of the elections. As seen in the US and France (for example) – or even in the 2018 Irish election campaign.
Unless our GG is being wildly extravagant (which doesn't seem to be the case from the attached expenditure) – it's difficult to see how having an elected head of state would cost less.
Ah.. No. As I said based on official figures having a G-G costs NZ more than the Irish presidency costs Ireland.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/cost-running-office-president-increase-25307025
The element that I don't want to see is the divisive nature of the elections.
So you won't be a fan of general elections either then. They're pretty divisive.
I can't see any parallel to France or the US anyway. They have totally different systems of government than we do and still would, I'd be confident, once we finally cut ties with the British monarchy and become a republic which I believe we inevitably will.
There are 56 countries in the Commonwealth and we’re part of a small minority who cling on the British monarch as their head of state.
Now Elizabeth II is gone, hopefully the pace towards a republic will gain more momentum.
Time to
"Ah.. No. As I said based on official figures having a G-G costs NZ more than the Irish presidency costs Ireland."
So looking at the actual expenditure figures from the NZ GG – what do you think would be cut, if this were an elected rather than appointed position?
Because, looking at this list of expenditure, I don't see any obvious areas which would no longer be needed.
http://www.republic.org.nz/latestblog/2022/5/20/budget-2022-cost-of-the-governor-general
The element which appears to be included with the budget for the NZ GG, but not with the Irish President is the capital and depreciation costs associated with Government House.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/cost-running-office-president-increase-25307025
I’m assuming that the official residence of the Irish president is paid for out of a different budget – by the Office of Works
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81ras_an_Uachtar%C3%A1in
The successful HoS model that is most often suggested for New Zealand is that of Ireland.
Look it up on wiki.
In fact countries have actually joined the Commonwealth, even those with minimal links to the UK (Mozambique, Cameroon).
It has no effect at all on their own governance. They get to do a bit more sport though.
A different view today from Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University and author of "New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World."
"As the world waited for confirmation of the queen's death on Thursday, and as family members sped to hear royal vacation residence in Scotland, social media posts began going viral demanding that no one speak ill of the queen, out of respect for her loyal subjects. But the queen had many subjects, and they do not all mourn equally." …
"Millions of people are mourning Queen Elizabeth II this weekend, as is their right. But millions more are hoping her death marks the end of the monarchy — and you need only to open a history book to understand why."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/queen-elizabeth-dead-charles-king-fox-news-wrong-rcna47060
Thank you for that posting, Peter.
There is a well informed and well considered debate going on around the world at this time. One of the English Queens’s roles at the time of here accession was to continue the benefits and influence they had as a colonial power. The Commonwealth Org is part of that. It is still a colonial tool. If Kiwis can’t have a debate about the past they will miss opportunities to build a better future.
I thought I was joking yesterday. But it turns out …
Business opposes public holiday even when Head of State dies after 70 years
Apparently NZ is unique, the UK and Australia have no economic problems at all.
Personally I'm not that bothered, but it really does expose the grief-performing for the fraud that it is. Looking forward to the furious "how dare they!" editorials … but of course they are only for the disloyal lefties. Is Hosking sobbing at Business NZ?
Newshub has a Mickey Mouse non-poll, and it's noticeable that they don't offer a "no holiday" option. Of course I voted for the whole week off, you might as well troll this kind of nonsense.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/09/have-your-say-when-should-new-zealand-have-a-public-holiday-to-mark-queen-s-death.html
Best chance this government has of getting back to power is throwing more free stuff out the back of the truck, and this is another of them.
Again: Australia, UK, probably Canada shortly.
I know people love pretending NZ is so unique that everything on earth is about our petty parish politics, but it isn't.
Every now and again the CANZUK idea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CANZUK_International) re-emerges on social media, usually as a form of white privilege where the people proposing it haven't thought through the explicit racism of the remnant white parts of the Empire pulling up the drawbridge and forming their own cosy club – without the inconvenience of having to include Nigerians and Indians and Pakistanis in their little schemes for free movement.
As an idea it is pretty racist, but it is a reminder that the white Commonwealth retains a great degree of usefulness to it's members. Until that changes, we will all keep the monarchy in some form or another.
I guess Business NZ must be uniquely incompetent.
'That seems to be what is so very, very different about the worldview shared by the likes of Liz Truss, Christopher Luxon and David Seymour. Wealth tends to be seen by them as personal property, and thus devoid of any sense of social obligation, or of even a basic recognition that this wealth may have been gained – partly at least – through the advantages of privilege and patronage. Today’s wealthy elites have little compunction about engaging in conspicuous consumption, since they believe their own spin that this wealth has been the byproduct of individual effort, innate ability and divine provenance. Generally speaking, it has been no such thing.(my bold)
Gorden Campbell in fine form.
On What The Rise Of Liz Truss Signals For Us | Scoop News
I don't share his interpretation.
I view our displays of wealth as more akin to the Danish; subtle and few and far between. Our networked intermarriages, family trusts, and extreme narrowness of wealth leave very little room for ostentation. The truly rich keep it tight and out of sight mostly.
If you want to observe them like birdwatchers, you are most likely to find such elites at Moore Wilson's at 11am on a Saturday morning, deep in wintry alpine retreats around Queenstown, or simply lolling far from shore in substantial pleasure craft in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Islands, way out of sight or scrutiny.
It's only sensible.
Don't know about that…NZ's richest man has a huge 'toy' .He has more wealth than the next 3 or 4 combined.
'M/Y Ulysses. Ulysses is a 116-meter expedition yacht, delivered by Kleven to New Zealand-based billionaire Graeme Richard Hart.She is the largest expedition yacht in the world, taking over the position from Luna.'
Luxon trumpets his 'success'.
Bob Jones is not known for modesty.
The NBR List top 10
1. Graeme Hart – $11b
2. Todd family – $4.3b
3. Goodman family – $3.1b
4. Mowbray family – $2.5b
5. Michael Friedlander – $2b
6. Rod Drury – $1.95b
7. Talley family – $1.2b
8. Bob Jones – $1.1b
9. Bruce Plested – $1.02b
10. Jim and Rosemari Delegat – $1.01b
2,3,5,10-keep a low profile.
It is very difficult to ever see Graeme Hart in public. The yacht keeps him well out of sight.
The Talley's main houses are very hard to find deep outside of Nelson. You have to work hard to find them.
Jones after the 2018 petition is pretty quiet these days, generally enjoying his 80s.
A good few of our 1-per-centers popped out of the woodwork for the Webbs BNZ collection auction preview last Saturday, and the auction next Sunday in Auckland will be a moment for them to emerge out beyond their drawbridges and rattle their jewellery in unison.
Graeme Hart keeps a pretty low profile too. He is occasionally seen out in public.
He's done pretty well for someone who left school at 16.
Yes, I agree Ad. Any rich lister flaunting wealth in NZ has a death wish. Most know the prevailing attitude towards wealth many NZers hold, so they arrange their life to be under the radar as much as possible. I think that’s the beauty of wealth – you can configure your life to the way you want it, and not have someone else telling you ‘ how it’s going to be.’
Great discussion on CC in relation to airline CC offsets just heard on RNZ-see link below. University of Otago Professor James Higham rips apart the current offset schemes.
(Only 7% of customers of AirNZ opted into the ineffective “FlyNeutral” scheme anyway)
At one point he says that in order to offset the number of tourists annually COMING to NZ (this excludes Kiwi's leaving) prior to Covid, NZ would have to plant an area the size of Stewart Island EVERY YEAR.
He says we have to fly less often and stay at the destination flown to much longer and he is keen on Simon Upston's CC tax to be paid by people both coming into NZ and leaving NZ. (I don't know what the level of tax he is proposing but I'm guessing it would be $200-300 per person) The money raised would be ringfenced for CC initiatives.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018858378/are-airline-offsetting-schemes-all-they-re-cracked-up-to-be
I found that discussion depressing.
get used to it aj-I found it realistic.
There has been so much self-serving rubbish talked about offsetting airline CC effects in the media that to hear someone who knew what he was talking about telling it as it is was refreshing and informative.
I flew from Queenstown to Wellington to watch Midnight Oil this week. I simply will not do this type of trip any more.
I'm not disagreeing with you. The truth can be depressing.
Swedish right take lead in elections,with a focus on gang crime,immigration and energy constraints,
Similar with Italy's right leading in polls in runup to election.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/swedes-head-polls-close-run-election-marked-by-crime-energy-crisis-2022-09-10/
It is touch and go and too close to call at this stage.
With 5.63% still to count the seats are:
To the Right groups: 176 seats
To the Left groups : 173 seats
If, as in NZ, the late/overseas votes favour the Left it is possible that two seats will change hands and the Left will scrape back in.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Swedish_general_election
The rich here are different, you can unknowingly be speaking to one of them anywhere and not be aware of the wealth they hold. I once had an unpretentious restaurant’s door held open for the two of us who had been perusing the menu, it was Michael Fay and wife who asked if we were going in as they didn’t want to jump the queue. Impressed by Colin Giltraps reaction while waiting in a lunch bar who replied to the young woman at the counter when he indicated that I was next to be served.. probably because I stunk in my fiberglassiing work gear, but maybe not. When as delivery driver delivering a large chair to Lady Todd, was offered a cup of tea and a tour of the house, all built around the view of the Kelburn cricket club. The first one I saw was when I was about 5 or 6 and I must have said something to dad about an old gentleman in a old suit with the trousers held up with binder twine and Dad told me he was the richest man in the South Island. Pretentious.. yeah, nah. I’m sure there are a few others I didn’t recognise along the way. This is the NZ way and we should be thankful we have it. There are of course exceptions but as Thomasin McKenzie said on Colbert’s Tonight show when he asked about the tall poppies in NZ and she said “ We are just not that keen on arseholes “.