Open mike 12/09/2024
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6:00 am, September 12th, 2024 - 48 comments
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- Real Kiwis Say Welcome
One day there will come a timeWhen the person you are named after diesAnd all of a sudden, you're the only one leftSong: The Smith Street BandThis headline jumped out at me yesterday: Racism fallout at North Shore Hospital after patient request to avoid Asian staff.The article is sparse in ...2 hours ago - A better way of living
Nicola Willis and her boss have been peddling a fake short history of the previous government that runs as follows:They spent and spent, they had nothing to show for it and that is not how you grow the economy, because You can't tax yourself to prosperity.There is a sort of ...7 hours ago - The End of the Beginning of a Curate’s Egg: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 8...
There’s a bad taste in my mouth. And it has nothing to do with dinner. The Rings of Power season two – undoubtedly a massive improvement on season one – has concluded on a mixed note. It’s not season one bitterness, in that parts of this episode were indeed excellent, ...11 hours ago - Join the Protest 23-October
This is a live page and will be updated with updates and resources.Facebook page: No to Privatisation by StealthSigns ...17 hours ago - If the Rain Comes
If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.They might as well be dead,If the rain comes, if the rain comes…Can you hear me that when it rains and shines,It's just a state of mind,Can you hear me, can you hear me?Song: Lennon-McCartneyIt’s been quite a week for Dunedin ...1 day ago - Up and down
1 day ago - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head: Dunedin Flooding
I noted a few days ago that the Hospital protest happened to coincide with favourable weather. Well, it was a very happy coincidence, because the past twenty-four hours have been rather wet in this part of the world. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/weather-pictures-dunedin-flooded-as-state-of-local-emergency-declared/HNOB5YIEWFCUXNWXYIWGICZ6ZU/ In terms of sheer amount of rain, it’s one of those ...2 days ago - Is the New Zealand’s Retirement Strategy Sustainable?
Today’s mañana strategy will lead to a crisis for the oldest elderly.It is said that the only certainties are death and taxes, but a lack of each causes uncertainties. As longevity increases, the pressures on state spending increase. A reluctance to increase taxation means the pressures on the elderly increase.The ...2 days ago - Taking the piss
When cancer minister Casey Costello convinced Cabinet to give her mates at Philip Morris a $216 million tax cut, she did so in the face of departmental advice that there would be no benefits and that Philip Morris' "heated tobacco products" were more cancerous and toxic than cigarettes. But she ...2 days ago - National’s democratic suppression fails
Last week, National rammed its destructive offshore gas-drilling legislation through to select committee under urgency, and then gave submitters only four working days to have a say on it. The goal was clearly to stifle opposition, but it appears to have failed spectacularly: Despite being given only 3½ working ...2 days ago
- Deep-dive: What does an ageing population mean for Aotearoa?
Long story short: Treasury has warned again public debt will rise exponentially in the decades to come because of the rising costs of our ageing population, unless we change one or more of our New Zealand Superannuation promises, publicly-funded healthcare or tax settings. The current Government isn’t planning any changes, ...2 days ago - Extreme weather events coming for us all
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:“Why does everywhere seem to be flooding right now, Vox asks, as a new study predicts that 70% of ...2 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 4-October-2024
Welcome to the first week of October, which brings longer days and (we hope) lighter spirits. Despite the state of things, there are still abundant reasons to feel encouraged. On we roll! This roundup is brought to you by our largely volunteer crew. If you’d like to support our work ...2 days ago - One Heartbeat or Two?
Morning all, this is just a quick note from me this morning: I’m off for a scan shortly. I’m sure you know the drill, especially if you’re a mum: a squeeze of surprisingly cold gel straight on your front, which the radiologist then uses the ultrasound machine to try and ...2 days ago - The Hoon around the week to October 4
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including another extreme climate event in the United States; on the escalating conflict between Israel, Iran ...2 days ago
- Govt to underwrite new private house-building
With housing construction stalled, the Government has come up with a plan to underwrite new developments. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, October 4:The Government is set to ...2 days ago - “We Have The Money For Health”
Yesterday, there was an excellent interview on 1News Breakfast with Former Health NZ Chair Rob Campbell. He was being interviewed in response to the government signalling to privatising our hospitals.Campbell confirmed what this publication and its readers have long talked about. One: We have the money for Health. Two: The ...2 days ago
- The new winning face of the Government
Yesterday’s NZME “Mood of the Boardroom” survey should be a wake-up call for the Government. This annual survey polls a wide range of private and public sector business leaders. Respondents to the survey rated their confidence in the New Zealand economy at 3.23 out of five, the highest score for optimism ...2 days ago
- The Farcical Casey Costello Saga
Do you want to hear a joke?One day a government Minister fought very hard to help out mates with tax cuts She scored them - a massive NZ $106 billion multinational tobacco company with shares trading at $192 each - $216 million worth of tax cuts on their star product ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #40 2024
Open access notables Sloth metabolism may make survival untenable under climate change scenarios, Cliffe et al., PeerJ: Sloths are limited by the rate at which they can acquire energy and are unable to regulate core body temperature (Tb) to the extent seen in most mammals. Therefore, the metabolic impacts of climate change ...3 days ago - cancer 🙁
I have been outside this week, replacing spouting. Although this involves ladders and sharp tools, I am pleased to say there have been no cuts, no falls, no disasters. I mention this because from some of the comments some of you have made, I'm getting the feeling I may have ...3 days ago - Breakfast with Nicola and Barbara
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It’s very exciting to be getting a new medical school. It would be more exciting if the hospitals needed to train them weren’t on the verge of losing their licenses due to understaffing issues, and if the cost of such a school wasn’t coming at the expense of the health ...3 days ago - The unsung heroes of India’s extreme weather disasters
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sanket Jain Noushadbi Mujawar has created a community health model that helps people in India build resilience amid the rising climate disasters. (Photo credit: Sanket Jain) Community health care worker Noushadbi Mujawar safely evacuated everyone from Rajapur, an isolated ...3 days ago
- Throwback Thursday: a Low Traffic Neighbourhood by any other name…
This time three years ago – as described in this Thursday throwback post by Jolisa – Auckland was deep into experiencing another prolonged shift in perspective around how a city can look and feel. . A lot has changed since then; and a lot hasn’t. As a recent guest ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the perils of Israel’s war fever
Israel seems on the brink of achieving the war with Iran that Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying all year to provoke. Until now, Iran had not taken the bait. It had not replied in kind to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, and its assassinations ...4 days ago
- A Glitch in the Matrix: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 7 (Season 2)
This is the tardiest review I have yet done for The Rings of Power – but, alas, real-life gets in the way sometimes. It has been a busy few days, and it became a matter of finding the time to sit down and express my thoughts. Also, it took a ...4 days ago - Welcome to the end of neoliberalism: privatisation
4 days ago - A private matter
Boy oh boy, are you as excited as I am for a fresh wave of privatisation? You only need to reflect for a moment on how much better off privatisation has made us these past few decades to see that more of that would be a very good thing.The paragraph ...4 days ago - National wants to loot the health system
Hot on the heels of their cancellation of Dunedin hospital (meaning a cut to health services in half the south Island), National has revealed the next part of their agenda: the outright privatisation of the health system: The health agency is suggesting the Government to consider allowing private companies ...4 days ago
- Public Health Funding For Private Profit
I've had enough of scheming and messing around with jerksMy car is parked outside, I'm afraid it doesn't workI'm looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixedAsk yourself this question, do you want to be rich?I've got the brains, you've got the looksLet's make lots of moneyYou've got the ...4 days ago - How will Auckland Council address the cycling budget shortfall?
This is a very timely post from Bike Auckland, re-published here with kind permission. See also yesterday’s post by Patrick on the abundantly clear case for funding cycling as the powerful “stealth mode” for easy access to and around our city. The short version The central Government’s transport ...4 days ago
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Neoliberalism will defend itself. It must, because it has amassed power and wealth in those who are most invested in it.Take John Key, for instance, who has taken the unusual and controversial move of quietly endorsing Donald Trump as a former NZ PM, claiming that not only is Trump likely ...4 days ago - Luxon escapes having to pay $70,000 in ‘brightline’ capital gains taxes
The timing was fortuitous for Luxon, saving him over $70,000. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, October 2:PM Christopher Luxon was able to escape having to pay ‘brightline’ ...4 days ago - A Podcast Direct From Hell
Hi,I will explain the horrifying painting of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shortly.But first, I got a text from my friend Aaron over the weekend:In short, Aaron had loaded about a year’s worth of our text history into Google’s AI (privacy, what privacy?) — and instructed the AI to ...4 days ago - Where is National’s care and concern for the South Island? Probably off having dinner with the CCP...
National has a representation issue. Not in terms of gender, or race, or disability, or socio-economic background (though they do also have a lack of all of those), but with its representation for the South Island. Is it any surprise we’re the ones getting shafted when there’s only a single ...4 days ago - Government Moves To Privatise Health
Often when folks ask me what we can do about this government’s short sighted and often dubious policies1, I frequently veer to a similar answer:Share information, stay aware, act locally where you can, stay positive, and wait.Wait - for what?Well tonight it became clear.On 1News tonight, it was revealed Health ...5 days ago - Luxon just became a poster boy for taxing the rich
Whenever our politicians are caught with their hand in the till, they loudly proclaim that their theft from the public was "within the rules". The problem is that they are the ones writing the rules, and there's a certain suspicion that they write them to suit themselves. And so their ...5 days ago
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One of the arguments against National's gas fantasy is that it breaches our environmental commitments under various free trade agreements, including the NZ-EU FTA, which requires us to meet our Paris commitments and not weaken our environmental protections. And it turns out that MFAT agrees: Legal advice from the ...5 days ago
- ‘I don’t know what the point of the questioning is.’
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, October 1:PM Christopher Luxon has made $460,000 in tax-free income this year from capital gains on the sale of two of his rental properties, almost as much ...5 days ago - In the Waiting Line
Do you believeIn what you seeMotionless wheelNothing is realWasting my timeIn the waiting lineDo you believe inWhat you seeSongwriters: Henry Binns, Sam Hardaker, Sophie Alexandra Jessica BarkerOctober already. This year feels like it’s going quickly, provided you don’t count it out in WTF moments from the coalition. Before we know ...5 days ago - Land of The Bullies
Kāinga Ora When Chris Bishop asked Bill English to help him do an “independent review” of Kāinga Ora last year, who here could guess that English’s report said exactly what Bishop already indicated?A reminder of how it went down:For the modest payday of $500,000, Bill English was paid from the ...5 days ago - Stealth mode: the surprisingly powerful city centre access hack
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel and a candidate in this months Entrust election It might surprise you to learn that in Auckland, our harbour city, wrapped around the shores of the beautiful Waitemata, bikes bring as many people to the city centre in the ...5 days ago
- How many people did the Beryl blackout kill?
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler link You should probably learn the term compound climate event. It refers to the occurrence of multiple weather- or climate-related hazards happening simultaneously or in close succession, leading to amplified impacts. One of the most feared compound events is ...5 days ago
- The Right Are Furious That Abuse Doesn’t Work
We must have sympathy for the right.After all, it’s difficult being a conservative these days. Progressive politics are proceeding at a rapid pace. World leaders preaching kindness and compassion are lavished with praise and acclamations. You can’t hit your kids anymore, you can’t hit your dog, you can’t hit your ...5 days ago - The Dunedin hospital crisis may be about more than just a hospital
The news that the University of Waikato med school proposal has passed its cost-benefit analysis just two days after the Dunedin Hospital funding crisis announcement may not be linked, but one certainly impacts the other. POLITIK understands that ACT opposes the Waikato proposal and NZ First is lukewarm, but somehow, ...5 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Dunedin hospital fiasco
The word “blow-out” is such a politically loaded term. It carries a strong whiff of extravagance and incompetence. In fact, and with public health budgets in particular, going “over budget” is a sign that reality has finally caught up with what – from the outset – was always a budget ...6 days ago
- 2024 Reading Summary: September (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for September: Old English Genesis A & B (poetry), by Anonymous Old English Exodus (poetry), by Anonymous The Life of St Guthlac of Crowland (poetry), by Anonymous The Death of St Guthlac (poetry), by Anonymous Maxims I [The Exeter Book Maxims] (poetry), by Anonymous Maxims II [The ...6 days ago - Hayden Donnell raises my ‘grim’ Hamish to ‘furious’ Hamish
Delightful piece from Hayden Donnell at The Spinoff (how did I miss it?) — Huge opportunity: Could you be the guy standing behind the PM looking furious? OK, so I thought ‘grim’, right? But Hayden has brought receipts, as the saying goes… and his view is ‘absolutely ropeable’. Lol. “Usually ...6 days ago - The problem, and the solution
Reader Pete Hodgson was in touch after Saturday’s edition to offer his speech notes from the Dunedin rally. They are excellent, they deserve the widest audience. My name is Pete Hodgson, and I chaired or served on the governance group of the new hospital for 6 years until last Xmas. ...6 days ago - Climate Change: The end of coal in the UK
It's official: coal has been eliminated from the UK's electricity system: Britain’s only remaining coal power plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire will generate electricity for the last time on Monday after powering the UK for 57 years. The power plant will come to the end of its life in ...6 days ago
- The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Broken Promises, An Angry Country, and a Govt on Life S...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.National Party leader (current), Christopher Luxon, speaking at a public meeting in Gore, in January last year:“Now lets be clear, Dunedin Hospital, started under a National Government, mucked around under a Labour Government for ...6 days ago - A tipping point?
The National Party has been promising Dunedin - and the lower South Island - a new hospital since 2008. Despite those promises, the Key government did nothing during its nine years in office, and it was left to Labour to actually start the process in 2017. National promptly criticised them ...6 days ago
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Cartoon: Guy BodySam Sharpe Studio brought “Wrecking Ball Luxon” to the marchPlease consider supporting my work and subscribing. Thanks, Tui.Oliver Mould provided an exciting statistic yesterday.He wrote in the comments:Source: Why Civil Resistance Works The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent ConflictAnd I paused…It was exciting to read that. Thanks, OM. A ...6 days ago - Is this our least worldly Minister of Transport?
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Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, September 30:Over 35,000 people marched in Dunedin on Saturday to protest against the Government’s plans to downgrade the new hospital being built there.In the scoop of the ...6 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #39
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But what a fool believes, he seesNo wise man has the power to reason awayWhat seems to beIs always better than nothingThan nothing at allSongwriters: Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonaldWe begin.“Welcome to Q&A, I’m Jack Tame. Today, for a government that says it’s fixated on waste, what’s the point in a ...7 days ago - Kiwi Power !
35,000 strong march in Dunedin to protest Government hospital cuts - showing us how it’s done. Thank you Dunedin!IN PICTURES Photo Credits : RNZ, ODT, Debunking Conspiracies Aotearoa, BHN, NZH, Stuff Related Reading:Bye Bye Health Verrall to Levy: "Health NZ NDAs are North Korean - Get rid of it."Lester Levy ...1 week ago - Stranded in paradise
Oh, you should have seen Reefton in 1888. It glowed. It was illuminated by the future.In August of that year — and I am confident I have my facts right because I am quoting directly from the town's own website — Reefton became the first place in New Zealand and ...1 week ago - Dunedin Protests Against Hospital Cuts
Dunedin is not a happy city at the moment. We are used to being ignored in the nationwide New Zealand media – wrong end of the country and all – but the Government’s recent announcement on the Dunedin Hospital rebuild has got people motivated. How motivated? Well, I couldn’t make ...1 week ago - The One Who Saw Too Much: accepted
A nice bit of news. I can report that I have had a short story success – my 3,600 word gothic horror piece, The One Who Saw Too Much, has been accepted ... 1 week ago - Broken Stone
And another pitch shattersAnother little bit gets lostTell me what else really mattersOh, such a costLike pebbles on a beachKicked around, displaced by feetOh, like broken stonesThey're all trying to get homeSong by Paul WellerDoes it feel as though your country has been hijacked? That terrible people have taken the ...1 week ago - I’m Glad The Right Wing Coalition Won
Dame Jacinda Adern would not accept “acceptable death rates” during Covid. But in the UK the Tory government said “Let them die”.Additions belowYesterday, when I saw the news that a Timaru factory with hundreds of jobs on the line was going to close, I couldn't help but think:"I'm so glad ...1 week ago - We will never give you up, let you down, or Rickroll you
1. What did the National party promise Dunedin last election?a. We will build the hospital you needb. We will never give you up, let you down, or Rickroll you c. We will bring back John Keyd. Pandas2. What is the National party promising Dunedin now?a. A sawn-off half-pint watery version of ...1 week ago - The 48 Hours Leading Up To An Execution
Note: This is obviously a very heavy topic — it took me three days to manage to write it — so please read with care. In saying that, in amongst the awfulness I think this piece also contains some hope, and plenty of humanity. Thanks to those of you who ...1 week ago - Remembering our friend John Mason
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- How has the New Zealand economy been doing?
Stagnation and ContractionIn this column I use the less familiar measure of GDP per capita instead of the GDP measure favoured by the commentariat. I became familiar with it when I began doing international comparisons because of the population differences between countries, while I depended upon the measure while working ...1 week ago - Luxon taking his cues from Amazon
This is embarrassing: I just had to google who Andrew Jassy is.I come to substack to learn terrible thingsIn my defence, they promoted him during the pandemic and I had other things on my mind. Also watching Amazon injure their workers at a rate of over four times the US ...1 week ago - The Hoon around the week to Sept 27
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including research suggesting a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could trigger 8° of warming ...1 week ago
- Could a doubling of Co2 trigger 8° of warming?
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A seventh planetary boundary, for ocean acidification will soon be breached, and may have already done so, according to ...1 week ago
- Release: The question remains… will schools get their classrooms?
Education Minister Erica Stanford still can’t confirm when the Government will deliver the $2 billion worth school upgrades she cut earlier this year. ...2 days ago - Release: Govt failing NZ’s manufacturing sector
Labour acknowledges the hundreds of workers today losing their jobs as the Winstone Pulp mill closes and what it will mean for their families and community. ...3 days ago
- Tell National what their $216m tobacco tax cut could have funded instead
In Budget '24, the National Government put aside $216 million to pay for a tax cut which mainly benefitted one company: global tobacco giant Philip Morris. Instead of giving hundreds of millions to big tobacco, National could have spent the money sensibly, on New Zealand. ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt has made up a cost crisis to justify cuts
Te Whatu Ora’s financials from the last year show the Government has manufactured a financial crisis to justify making cuts that are already affecting patient care. ...3 days ago
- Speech: Why Kiwi businesses are the best in the world
The New Zealand business community is unique. It has always punched well above its weight on the world stage. ...3 days ago
- Te Pāti Māori Statement on Israel & Iran
Over 41,000 Palestinian’s have been murdered by Israel in the last 12 months. At the same time, Israel have launched attacks against at least four other countries in the Middle East including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. “You cannot play the aggressor and the victim at the same time,” said ...4 days ago
- Release: Costello makes a fool of the PM
Associate health minister Casey Costello has made a fool of the Prime Minister, because the product she’s been fighting to get a tax cut for and he’s been backing her on is now illegal – and he doesn’t seem to know it. ...4 days ago
- Work to do on climate adaptation
The Finance and Expenditure Committee’s inquiry into climate adaptation is something that must be built on for an enduring framework to manage climate risk. ...5 days ago - End of free RAT tests means more exposure to virus
The end of free Rapid Antigen Tests today is another sign the Government is giving up on the challenge of protecting the community from Covid-19. ...6 days ago
- Release: Government breaks promise on ferry plan
Time has run out for Nicola Willis who has failed to keep her promise to deliver a solution to replace the Interislander ferries by today. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour supports marches for better health
Labour supports Buller and Dunedin communities who are marching today and calling on the Government to act urgently to fix the health crisis. ...6 days ago
- Raising speed limits will cost our communities
The Government’s move to disregard all evidence and increase speed limits will result in serious harm. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Buller community
The Green Party stands in solidarity with the Buller community in its silent protest for better healthcare. ...1 week ago
- Release: Proposed job losses devastating for Timaru
News that the Smithfield meatworks could close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region. ...1 week ago
- Release: Question mark over financial sustainability of Polytechs
The Government is taking tertiary education down a worrying path with new reporting finding that fourteen of the country’s sixteen polytechnics couldn’t survive on their own,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell says. ...1 week ago
- TPM issues warning to Govt: Back down or prepare for the wrath of the million Māori
Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. ...1 week ago
- Govt set to break promise on Dunedin Hospital
The Green Party is calling on the Government to honour its promise to Dunedin and build its new hospital to full capacity. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dunedin Hospital d-listed by Government
The non-announcement in Dunedin today had Ministers leaving broken promises and a likely severely diluted hospital build in their wake. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour welcomes UAE trade deal
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed today with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ...1 week ago
- Release: Hundreds more jobs cuts on housing frontline
The Government has shown its true intentions for the public service and economy – it’s not to get more public servants back to the office, it’s more job losses. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt not addressing health workforce crisis
The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government cuts fair pay for bus drivers
The Government has cut funding for bus drivers to get paid fairly for the work they do, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...1 week ago
- Crown Minerals Bill Advances Colonisation
Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have ...2 weeks ago
- Landlord govt finds new way to undermine public housing
Proposed cuts to Kāinga Ora reflect a failure to fully commit to fixing the housing crisis. ...2 weeks ago
- Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must urgently help whanau in Lebanon
The Government must immediately help evacuate New Zealanders and Lebanese whanau caught up in the current conflict unfolding across south Lebanon. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Government will revoke oil and gas permits
The Green Party vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke permits when it returns to government following the coalition’s introduction of legislation to reopen offshore oil and gas exploration this afternoon. ...2 weeks ago
- Government introduces controversial MACA legislation
The Government’s introduction of its interventions in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act threatens to throw relations between Māori and Crown into deeper disharmony. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Gun lobby bill removes regulation at ranges
Gun lobbyist Nicole McKee and her conflict of interest has struck again, this time removing safety regulations from shooting clubs and ranges in New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt forgetting the 6000 jobs they’ve cut
The real problem in the public sector is ongoing job losses and cuts to the front line. ...2 weeks ago
- Government undermines public service with WFH crackdown
The Green Party says the Government’s retrograde move to tighten up on Work from Home arrangements is the latest in a series of blows to the Public Service. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families
The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Public service set up to fail under National
Nicola Willis has set up the public service to fail to pay for reckless tax cuts for landlords and the tobacco industry. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Coalition cooking up costly RMA replacement
National continues to dismantle environmental protections in the interests of rushing through unsustainable development that will ultimately cost communities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National red-faced as benefit numbers skyrocket
The economy has stagnated and the National Government is having to face the consequences of its atrocious lawmaking, as beneficiary numbers skyrocket past even Treasury’s predictions. ...2 weeks ago
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David Seymour really is a flea. On RNZ this morning he attacked unions and gloated about sinking Fair Pay Agreements. The NZCTU economists cost analysis has got under his skin that's for sure.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018955219/david-seymour-dismisses-costs-of-progressing-treaty-principles-bill
David Seymore still doesn't have the guts to be interviewed (live or not) by the hosts of Morning report. Cowardly little git.
Why would he its a given that it would be somewhat hostile and RNZ is hardly his target audience. No different than Jacinda not doing the slot on Newstalk with Hosking
See my reply at 1.1.2.1 Preaching to the friendly choir is not the point.
But Hoskins says he isn't a journalist. Isn't that his schtick? I think politicians can say "yay" or "nay" to being interviewed by entertainers.
I did think Ben Strang, went well in interviewing Seymour.
Pushed back firmer and more effectively than I Hipkiss manages.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/527744/extremely-conservative-estimate-suggests-4m-cost-to-progress-treaty-principles-bill
Ben Strang did fine. But I do object to any Minister of any stripe being able to pick and choose who they are interviewed by. They're only there because of the voters, so they are obligated to defend their policies to ALL the voters, not just with media who they think is going to give them an easy ride, or an audience who might 'feel' hostile.
I agree.
I also think he would be receiving the similar levels of passionate push back as our previous PM.
Which made her decision not to appear on Hiskings show a recent precedent.
Agree gsays….Strang stuck to his guns….Hipkiss seldom does thus…though there have been a couple of interviews where she was a little better recently.
Seymour will be wetting his pants over the Treaty Bill, he ACT and SirAllan Gibbs will be over the moon they are getting these Maori Issues aired in Public muddying the waters on all the dirty land deals the Europeans have been involved in since the signing of the TOW.
Seymour's a strange one, but he's not stupid – follow the money.
Weak gutted little worm IMHO. All piss and wind.
Will be interesting how much it will all cost along with Sir Simeon’s Bill to have a vote on the Maori Ward’s, these guys really want to put Maaori’s back in the gutter. Meanwhile the gutless Baldrick let’s his children run wild?
Stealmore the .000000001 % fake "Maori " is doing Luxons dirty work for him.
The Treaty claims process granted every Maori 25 cents per week for life.
Every White person is required to pay 5 cents per week toward this settlement.
Now Stealmore wants a discussion about the excess pay out to Maori and the
crushing impost White people are reeling under.
Its just not fair says Stealmore.
Stealmore believes a pay out of 5 cents per week is appropriate for Maori as a
consequence of the White invasion , the murder of thousands of innocent Maori
Men, Women and Children, the blatent theft of millions of hectares of land
the flagrant defaulting on the Treaty Principles for 150 years
and for a 150 years of deliberate ethnic cleansing.
Stealmore believes for such minor errors White peoples should be taxed no more
than 1 cent per week and with the ryder that White people earning under 300k per
week should be exempt,
Oh, so it's now legitimate to discuss blood quantum? Really, you want to start that debate?
@Belladonna.
Its legitimate to discuss the White British invasion,
the White British mass murder of innocent Maori men women and children
the theft of millions of acres of land and resources, flagrant abuses of the Treaty Principles and ethnic cleansing for a 150 years.
Start a debate on these points when ever your ready.
That is not, however, how you started. Want to revise your intro?
It's probably relevant in seymours case due to the fact that he will use it as a shield to be a shit stirring little twerp.
So we are therefore able to discount other Maori based on their 'blood quantum'? It's a stupid point to legitimate.
Who, or what is Stealmore?
Māori Wards extend local democracy, and increase participation of a group that largely avoided District Council affairs like the plague–and who could blame them, white coots in suits representing local business. A number of pākehā Councillors have now had a glimpse into the Māori world and seen the positive features and actually met names they had just feared or been suspicious of before.
Non Māori could learn from this and get involved in local Govt. also, that is the only way better funding and all the other needs will happen.
It will be a joy to watch this Rebellion of Councils against Central Govt.
Not the "Mayor Of Kaipara" entrenched in the KKK Principles.
FYI I live in the Far North on Karikari Peninsula–Ngati Kahu whenua–and am well aware of that fat bastard in Kaipara who could hardly wait his chance to Māori bash.
Something else to think about, there is a logical flaw in all this attacking Māori wards…
Dump–no vote (referendum) required
Keep–vote (referendum) required
the point being Councils view is fine for dump, but not for keep which switches to central Govt. control.
Good point TM – either all local councils that currently have Māori wards should be forced to hold a referendum, or (my preference) none should be forced to do so. Currently the legislation applies only to the many councils that rejected this component of our CoC govt's frankly racist anti-Māori agenda.
That twisted ego is going to be "Deputy Prime Minister". Now if he sings nasty and is not pulled up by PM Luxon, guess what? They are birds of a feather, singing from the same racist no help here and decimate services 'till we replace them with "User Pays" song sheet.
In our increasingly Surveilled Society…..NZ will now to allow this?
NZTA denies…..Ah. Sure.
Trust them…they know what they are doing….
Only been on that road once. It's a rough old ride in parts. Given the choice I stick to the former SH1.
There are any number of cheap license plate clear covers available that can render the number unreadable to cameras, the cops do not like them because they frustrate speed cameras and might prosecute if they caught you.
Best advice according to some car fans is to install LED infrared lights near the plate
So it would be interesting to see if this little snooping exercise is exclusive to the PPP or they data share…
The
cynicalrealist me says…it will come. And we earlier had the supermarket BigBrotherGrocer…Who watches… ?
They don't need number plate details to show cars are moving freely. That seems like considerable over-reach and doesn't seem consistent with laws about privacy.
Well…yes. Have traffic counters somehow become redundant ? I dont think so. Makes the whole PPP camera number plate collecting…seem very dodgy. These seem a much better way to count. If that was their true reason…
Considerable overreach is right.
During the Covid times, a lack of trust in the government was one of several currents running through parts of the citizenry.
IRD has just been in the news for selling our data. Their (pathetic) excuse was that it isn't illegal! Several commenters here by bought up relevant points- we can't opt out, the 'hashing' is a far from effective security measure…
I suppose this is what happens when government departments get corporatised. They forget whom they serve.
Putin says he will support Harris. I guess that's one way of helping Trump.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350412298/sarcastic-and-defiant-meet-russias-queen-information-war-west
https://www.nova.ie/cat-lady-tay-tay-backs-harris-in-blow-to-trump-after-tv-debate-256665/
Russia has had a long consistent policy of offering to engage in constructive dialogue with the USA. Saying this about Harris doesnt have to be interpreted as an attempt to sway the election, that seems a rather dumb context to frame it in actually.
Health NZ. There is NO Code Black. Ever. Do NOT use this again.That is all….
Some (incl those within the Code Black ! ) can see. Right through you..
Code Red..is the new Black? Would be darkly funny if it wasnt so bad. And..onya RNZ. Keep asking the Hard Questions !
Oh and this from Newsroom. Just mind boggling…..
The NACT1 manufactured Crisis, is turning into an actual Crisis
Yup, changing from PR crisis to crisis PR.
Yea I find them quite disturbing and irrational…but they have their agenda. . And in a similar vein (they are of a mindset naturally..)
Re disturbing…I do find Mr Seymour and his Ministry fetish just so..I had a strange "the Clocks Were Striking Thirteen" momentary flashback…
Lester and Shane will be purring in a few months' time when they view their shiny 'Executive Summary Dashboards' – or whatever grandiose name they give to some trivial piece of data visualisation.
Because lo and behold, these wonderful dashboards will show that the total time hospitals have spent in code black and code red has substantially declined under their masterful leadership. The NZ Herald will trumpet their achievement. Mission accomplished.
Hmmm yes. You see through a dark but strangely clear crystal ball. And re "the Clocks Were Striking Thirteen" could it be..that They were always at war with Oceania ? Too dystopian ? ..or not : )
Reti's all ready to throw management under a bus for potentially gaming metrics they're seeing for a first time. Fantastic leadership style Shane plus a resounding vote of confidence, bravo.
The jump in exec salaries in Levy's management will likely be for folk good with numbers to achieve an end…in between seeing any patients of course as it's sooo about the frontline.
EV's can weigh 800kg or more than an equivalent ICV so this could be a BFD.
.
A big issue with today's electric vehicles (EVs) is that their batteries are heavy. Obviously, this has a number of downsides, including lowered energy efficiency and more wear and tear on roads, tyres and brakes, for example.
Researchers are working on improving that situation, with one approach being to make the battery a structural component of EVs – like the BYD SEAL sold in New Zealand (review coming soon).
A group of researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden, have created a carbon fibre composite battery, for "massless energy storage"; the battery acts as structural member that is as stiff as aluminium, and energy-dense enough for commercial applications, the researchers say.
https://www.interest.co.nz/technology/129691/massless-structural-batteries-weigh-much-less-promise-extend-ev-range-70-and
Therefore making them even less repairable following an accident?
One of the big issues with EVs (Teslas in particular) is that because of the size of the battery – taking up a large chunk of the bottom of the vehicle – even minor accidents result in the car being scrapped – because the mechanics can't be certain that the battery wasn't affected.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/climate-change/350111110/prepare-shock-hidden-costs-owning-ev
If the battery is distributed across structural members, this would be even worse. No one would be prepared to guarantee that the car was safe, after even the most minor of accidents.
The lack of repairability within the structural cell is a function of modern vehicle design, not just EVs or structural batteries. Pretty much any ding to pillars, roof of floor pan and the car is entering the parts pool.
Is anyone out there experiencing "downward pressure" on their rents yet? Supposedly this would happen when the Brightline Test was cut back to 2 years and mortgage interest tax deductibility was reintroduced. Probably a bit early to see anything in the official stats.
A good proportion of the population departing for Aussie would probably have more effect. I'd say there's significant downward pressure on rents in Ruapehu District right now.
I think there are some signs of rent increases slowing down but not actually coming down yet.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/selected-price-indexes-august-2024/
Mortgage interest rates are still high, insurance costs have gone up heaps, and deductibility won’t be fully restored until 1 April 2025.
Can't find anything very recent – but this article from June is likely to still be relevant (i.e. not much has changed). This reports rents dropping and the numbers of properties available in the rental market increasing.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/520264/rents-dropping-housing-stock-on-the-rise-what-is-happening-with-the-nz-housing-market-this-week
However, it's not the change in the tax scenario which is triggering it (although it may well be a factor in landlords being more 'realistic' in their rental expectations) Population decrease (outflow to Australia in particular) – means that there are more properties competing for fewer tenants – supply and demand – resulting in lower rentals.