That is absolute bollocks by Norman – he advocated printing of money (QE) want to see the result of that now – go talk to Japan elderly who now get negative interest on their term deposits because of QE.
Talk to USA investors on QE – 0.5% interest on money earnt at bank – the elderly are worst off under QE principles.
So the solution was as he prescribed – stop exporting and print more money – ever wonder wide Social Credit never made it into government.
Seriously devoid of economic nause
[BLiP: Attempted derail, complete with inflammatory lie. Moved to Open Mike.]
“A leaked government paper warns that the Ministry of Education’s new Early Learning Information system (ELI) is struggling under the sheer volume of data, with a total freeze “likely”.
It’s got nothing against IT, it quite likes the troughs it presents to their mates and backers. Y’know the leveraging best practice market knows best mates.
My sources are telling me they envy the ones who got out as they are now picking up some of the pieces……there’s much more below the surface leaks.
The same as they’ve got against everything else – they try doing it on the cheap so that they can cut taxes to the rich with the inevitable result that it costs more.
Great interviews on RADIONZ this morning Kim Hill presiding.
Andrew Fagan, fascinating stuff. Believes that society needs outlaws who go against the current consensus. Speaks well. Interviewed Julian Assange and Kim managed to get him to talk about it and give some interesting insights.
Anthony McCarten writing on a short period of Churchill’s life – when he was made leader. Apparently he was still not respected at that time, an alcoholic who had a glass of white wine and a whisky and soda with breakfast. He was to be replaced and was the stop-gap while the aristos foud a way to appease, make peace so as to protect their hereditary estates and status quo. In that short time he wrote three of the most famous speeches of all time.
That is what I remember. And this period is still glowing bright with untold stories and information relevant to us today. Instead of concentrating on our brave stand, with many other nations, at Gallipoli we should be studying all about WW2. Plenty of bravery there, two I can think of my birth father a bomber pilot, his bones in France, and Chris Trotter’s father who really young managed to do great things and survived. So many others dead and alive stained by war.
One of these two men pointed out that it lasted 6 years but Britain has been embroiled in wars for 25 years and the situation has become the norm.
I think Andrew Fagan was the one talking about going to Afghanistan and talking to the fighting personnel there. He found they were all taking drugs, but the defence department absolutely denied this. He said that in WW2 the fight was generally agreed to be against real and present evil but the soldiers in the Middle East are confused about their purpose, become deeply disturbed about what they are doing.
He talked to a 9 year old jihadist who had heard from his mother while in jail. He asked what she had told her boy and it was not to worry, he would get them next time. The depth of hatred towards these foreign interlopers and killers is that deep, he says.
8:12 Andrew O’Hagan
Andrew O’Hagan is a former editor-at-large for Esquire, contributing editor for the London Review of Books, and ghostwriter of Julian Assange’s abandoned memoir. Two of his books have been nominated for the Man Booker Prize, and his new novel is The Illuminations (Faber& Faber). He is a guest at Writers Week at the New Zealand Festival, talking with Harry Ricketts at the Illuminations session (11 March), and on the panel at Literary Idol (13 March).
8:50 Anthony McCarten
Anthony McCarten is an internationally successful writer and producer for stage and screen. He talks with Miranda Harcourt at The Theory of Anthony, and his play Funnygirl will be read during the Spotlight on Playwrights events at Circa Theatre (12 March) during Writers Week.
O’Hagan had a couple of interesting observations about Assange. One, that Assange wasn’t entirely honest when being interviewed and secondly, that Assange conflated the rape allegations with the wider issue of his possible extradition to the US.
The audio isn’t up on RNZ yet, but it’s worth listening to when it is.
I note your helpful comment TRP. But also note the transcrapt typo. To be sure of not getting typos in the interpretation of the interviews, listen to the real thing while you rinse/wash the dishes or other duties, thus accomplishing two useful things at once. Multitasking everyone! I’ll try to get back and put the audio links up for your convenience – when they are available.
Just a reminder everyone who wants to take it to the Gnat gummint, Bradley Ambrose needs help with his court case against John Key. A little more money needed only $7280 about – a few days to go. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/bradelyambrose
As for the interviews from Radionz. Please make up your own minds about things and don’t rely on Morrissey to be the fount of wisdom.
Which of course should be the common approach. But others opinions should, of course, be listened to so as to ensure that one’s own opinion is as near wise as possible!
and a revelation about food, or just another idea and trend to follow?
11:30 Christopher McDougall
American writer Christopher McDougall was a war correspondent in Rwanda and Angola, before becoming the guru of alternative running with his 2009 book, Born to Run: the Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. His new book is Natural Born Heroes: the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance (Profile). He talks with journalist Rachel Smalley in the Enduring Heroes session (10 March), with fellow writing athletes Nathan Fa’avae, Lisa Tamati and Roger Robinson in the Testing the Limits session (12 March), and will lead the Come Running fun runs around Wellington during Writers Week (9, 10 and 12 March). http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792953
and I haven’t heard Morgan Godfery as yet but for some intelligent thought on NZ cultural and social progress or otherwise I think this will be a must.
Morgan Godfery: rethinking New Zealand
9:31 AM. Wellington writer, commentator and trade unionist who specialises in Maori politics and international indigenous issues. He is the editor of a new collection of essays, The Interregnum: Rethinking New Zealand, which he will discuss with two of the contributors during Writers Week. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792946
This show keeps getting better, very interesting interview.
The new Jim Crow laws. How does it apply in New Zealand? Maori and Pacific votes – did not Mana bring up something about this last election, and white NZ went – nothing to see here…
+100 ..watch dog on USA ‘democracy’ NOT …well worth watching !…every Maori and Pacific Islander should watch, and Pakeha New Zealander …to make sure NZ democracy is not eroded (more)
…Palast is great !…the best American commentators seem to be operating from overseas now…what does this tell us about USA and its media?
This sort of thing is exactly the reason that the right-wing was rabidly against Maori roll seats… right up until the Maori Party started going into coalition with every government.
That cannot be right. After all the USA is the home of true democracy and under that banner set out to bring democracy to countries like Iraq. (sarc)
Surely they cannot just take 500,000 names off the ballot list without due cause? Although that was the way that George W Bush was re-elected.
Terrifying really.
Could it happen in NZ? The Nats did deny voters the right to vote for ECan. Dispair!
Well … it’s official … I have been permanently banned by Pete George. LOL.
Georges explanation wasn’t exactly truthful in parts … but there is not much I can do about that now is there … since I no longer have the right of reply in his blog to his recent assertions.
I shall miss a few of the people in there … but not the shit stirring multiple fake identitys that have set up shop in there over the past six months or so … and turned YourNZ into an out of control Cess-Pit.
Now that George has got the taste for deleting comments and banning commenter’s … he can no longer claim to have the only “Political Blog with Free Speech for All”.
It will be very interesting to see how Georges new style of moderation affects his blog.
With good reason, apparently. The fact that you’ve used four different handles gets my bullshit detector twitching for a start. Trolling is frowned upon here too.
I knew I would probably get followed over here by “The Bad Guys”.
They (and all of their other pseudonyms) have been attacking me and deliberately trying to cause me angst for many months.
I was nothing but loyal to George and his blog for 18 months … and I got banned by him. But “Mr Man” managed to convince George to let him write his own post on YourNZ a couple of weeks ago.
What is that saying about Pete Georges ability to discern between “The Good Guys” and “The Bad Guys”?
The vilest enemies of Julian Assange often pose as his supporters;
Yet again, Kim Hill grants a free platform to a silky smooth assassin of truth.
RNZ National, Saturday 12 March 2016, 8:12 a.m.
This is how Kim Hill’s first guest this morning was billed on the RNZ website….
Andrew O’Hagan is a former editor-at-large for Esquire, contributing editor for the London Review of Books, and ghostwriter of Julian Assange’s abandoned memoir. Two of his books have been nominated for the Man Booker Prize, and his new novel is The Illuminations (Faber& Faber). He is a guest at Writers Week at the New Zealand Festival, talking with Harry Ricketts at the Illuminations session (11 March), and on the panel at Literary Idol (13 March).
Sounds impressive. However, after just a few minutes of listening to him, I had grave doubts about the integrity and honesty of Andrew O’Hagan. Talking about the British-American destruction of Afghanistan, he described it as “failed”, “a hysterical response”, “a disaster”, and as “random violence under the guise of international protection.” Not once did he use the words “criminal”, “unjustified”, or “cynical”.
If that was disappointing, what followed was disturbing. O’Hagan has made much mileage out of being selected to be Julian Assange’s ghostwriter, a job which never worked out as planned. O’Hagan is, it seems, a stickler for protocol and manners; apparently Assange was “paranoid” (translation: he suffered from the fantastical delusion that the U.S. and U.K. governments were out to destroy him) and “obsessive” (translation: his working methods were erratic)….
ANDREW O’HAGAN: It was an irony of Shakespearian proportions, the man who wants the world to share its secrets did not want his own private life revealed…. But I still believe in the project.
KIM HILL: DO you? Its progenitor is SO flawed.
To spare the sensibilities of my fellow Standardisti, I’ll skip the rest of this featherweight exchange between two moral pygmies. But I did send the following email to Kim Hill….
Andrew O’Hagan’s smooth and sinister attack on Assange
Dear Kim,
Andrew O’Hagan scoffed at what he called Julian Assange’s “obfuscation”, i.e., Assange’s refusal to let his private life and idiosyncracies be made the story instead of the crimes he has exposed.
“It was an irony of Shakespearian proportions,” O’Hagan purred with amused disdain, “the man who wants the world to share its secrets did not want his own private life revealed.” Of course, what Assange and other democratic activists demand is not that “the world” share its secrets, but that governments be open to scrutiny by the citizens, and that governments be held to account for their crimes.
Contrary to O’Hagan’s assertion, Assange is dedicated to protecting individual privacy. To cap off his farrago, O’Hagan suggested that Assange’s followers are like a cult.
I was disappointed that you did not offer any challenge to what O’Hagan had to say.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
O’Hagan is not the first false friend of Julian Assange to attack him on Kim Hill’s show. Aficionados of sleazy insincerity will no doubt recall Alex Gibney’s infamous attack of a few years ago…. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13072013/#comment-662336
Not on this occasion, Grindlebottom. However, she has read out maybe half of the emails I’ve sent her. I only do it once every few months at best. Although I am often disappointed, even angered, by what she says, she usually extends the courtesy of treating my correspondence seriously.
Only once has she really displayed impatience, with her rather ill-judged decision to go to bat for that old menace to society Bill “Pharmaceutical Factory Bomber” Clinton…..
We know the shareholders and ‘wealth creators’ operate on ‘school of fish’ behaviour, that’s how the kids in the middle and upper class think. They circle the tank every few years, which coincide with the latest financial disaster, but have totally forgotten the signposts to each disaster with each full circuit.
“Interesting how weak NZ’s central bank is, isn’t it, when it comes to enforcing discipline.”
As we often see, private sector interests seldom aligns with the public interest, which brings into question why have we given the market so much fee rein?
With the cost of production outweighing the returns (and with little light at the end of the tunnel) is it time for dairy farmers to seriously consider getting out (while farm prices are still relatively high)?
Small matter of the personal guarantees they will have been forced to give banks and suppliers. Sort of negates most of the concept of “limited liability” when things turn to shit.
The borrower ends up with a choice of making it the bank’s problem and getting totally fucked over and walking off with nothing, or staying on in a position of servitude / slavery until prices recover to the point the bank can recover it’s money. Either way the borrower is not going to come out of it well.
The stupid thing is the historical examples of this happening in New Zealand farming, over and over again. Have a read of Glover’s Magpies https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~tf/poem10.html
They have to fail, the lesson has to be learnt, but it has to be primarily the banks’ problem.
Sharing this by George Megalogenis (Balancing Act: Australia between Recession and Renewal by ) from across the Tasman but of relevance and indeed importance to us as well:
“The debate we have to have is on the role of government in the economy. It is being forced on us by the market failures of the twenty-first century. Both sides cling defensively to the open model because it tells them a reassuring story of Australian success. But that open model has been exhausted by capitalism’s extended crisis and the end of the mining boom. It cannot guarantee prosperity in the future without an active state.
…
“The open model excels when the economy is strong, and in response to a global shock. But it struggles when the economy is in transition, because the market forces it is responding to are compromised. The four components of the model are a floating currency, low tariffs, interest rates set independently of the government, and wages determined directly by employer and workers above a minimum standard. Each is now delivering perverse results that are actually increasing the risk of recession.”
Was good to read about his observations on their “five prime ministers between 2010 and 2015, with only one change occurring at the ballot box, in 2013”.
Yet despite all of that they’ve still had 24 years of continuous growth, the most recent stat was 3.0% for the year.
Turnbull is doing a Key, absolutely nothing, I think the only thing He has changed in 6 months is the Dames and Knighthoods, which occurred only days after his primeministership, staying in power is the “most important” issue for the current govt, stuff the country.
Any chance we could have Weekend Social again? I’d like to ask people how their gardening has been this summer (and we’re due an update on r0b’s new greenhouse).
In lieu of Weekend Social. Dry and dilapidated here in Wellington. Less than 30mm of rain for Jan and Feb and 2mm of rain so far this month. Heat like the devils own furnace in February – our hottest February on record since records began 90 years ago.
I read about this year’s “Godzilla El Nino” and posted that a few weeks ago.
Haven’t planted vege since being in this house as we are are on solid rock and need to build raised gardens and haven’t had the time and energy for that. Tomatoes in pots insipid and mean little things despite watering and feeding with seaweed (too much nitrogen?) Herbs in raised herb garden went to seed before even being truly useful in the culinary sense.
Being a good garden gnome and only watering during the allowable times under council watering restrictions but everything remains parched and crunchy.
From September through to April every year we can only water on alternate days. If you’re an even street number you can water on the even numbered days of the week and vice versa for odd numbered houses. Can only water between 6 – 8am or 7 – 9pm.
Would like to store water but can’t afford get one of those flexible tank things. Even so, this year, there would have been nothing in it anyway!
Good idea about planting in pots for frost avoidance, but I hope you don’t get a sore back doing that! You’re in Otago right? (I miss frosts. We don’t get them any more in this region, or only in sheltered low places)
Yes, this summer has just been bizarre. I couldn’t handle it because I’m not fond of excess heat, it actually makes me feel sick. What has been really weird is the lack of wind. We have almost had a windless summer in Wellington, which I’ve found unsettling too, it’s just so unnatural. Everyone else has been loving it of course…..
Crikey, those are really serious water restrictions. You’d be hard pressed to get things to grow here with those limits. How long has it been like that?
I don’t have to move the pots very often and I get help with the heavy ones.
Truth is not diminished by the number of people who believe it. That said, I doubt you even took the time to read it. JP closes with:
“The message from Labour is often ‘your life is miserable, New Zealand is a dreadful place and getting worse, the world is scary, don’t let it in, and by the way you’re fat – vote for us!'”
Sums up Labour’s negativity nicely, yet they still can’t work out why they are struggling to stay over 30%. It also comes down to trust – if JK says on a particular subject “it won’t be a problem” and Little states “it’s a crisis”, people will trust/believe in JK because he is more trustworthy and because they fundamentally want to believe that it’s OK. Unless there is a massive change in the preffered PM stakes, a big part which is based on trust and general attitude, Labour are toast with their current dour and downtrodden leader.
Yes all knowing, we all know labour only need to go far left and polls will rocket to 50 pc, you keep believing that Paul Also note you have given up posting post after post on the coming global economic collapse, I guesse it proves the fact that just because you keep parroting something that does not make it true
Germany Confirmed To Be Back In Deflation
from the Financial Times
‘Germany’s inflation rate for February came in unchanged from its preliminary reading, confirming Germany has fallen back into deflation. Consumer prices were confirmed to have fallen 0.2% year-on-year in February on an EU-harmonised basis, down from a 0.4% rise in January. Economists had forecast the figure to remain the same. On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose by 0.4%. The news will give a further headache to the ECB, which yesterday announced a package of additional monetary easing measures partly designed to ward off deflationary pressures from the single currency zone.’
‘Germany’s economy is officially headed in the wrong direction and has slipped back into deflation, official figures released on Friday morning showed.’
Apart from the usual neo-liberal ideologues and hired guns for the banks, which independent economists days agree with you that it’s all just fine.
I can’t be bothered trying to persuade you, rd.
This information is for readers of this blog keen to learn what is not published by the corporate media.
Paul while there is a global economy there will be ups and down, just get use to it, don’t fret
Global economy ends in about 40 years when access to fossil fuels steeply declines.
Also the current global economy is designed so the ups are there for the top 0.1% (richest 700M in the world), and downfucked for the bottom 90% (poorest 6B in the world).
Every woman and her dog can trash the Labour Party (such low hanging fruit), but who cares? If she was talking about solutions I might take her more seriously. She’s in some danger of coming across as CV.
Her article contains far too many bordering on lies and disingenuous pseudo-arguments, that again, it’s hard to take seriously.
eg she’s writing for an international audience (UK I think) and describes NZF as a Trumpish party. That’s superficial and misleading. The article is riddled with them.
There are no solutions, they are in no mans land, go left they are knackered, go right then simply a centrist party or a poor imitation of national. pretty much just need to wait to national really stuff up, John key leaves the stage, albeit I believe the jk factor is over played The road back to power will require new and more appealing bunch of MPs, a movement away from loony activist base, a leader the majority of kiwis can relate to and become national light. Thus if labour ever get back in power it will be a Labour Party that is toxic to many here
Nah, Pagani is afraid of MMP. There’s no reason why Labour can’t govern on sub-40% if it has strong relationships with the Greens and/or NZF. The big thing holding that up is the Rogernomes, the centrists like herself and too many in Labour thinking this is FPP with some icing on it.
Agreed. Starting her piece with a ‘scene-setting’ argument based on polls lowered my expectations straightaway. It was superficial indeed and she comes across as a demagogue. It lacked accuracy and rigour and offered no solutions or ideas.
It seems to be written on the principle that two negatives cancel out each other or produce a positive; the reader is left guessing what the ‘positive’ might be.
Have people never heard of the term “constructive criticism”?
All in all it begs the question: what was the point of her piece?
Not really. Better to let the forest attend to that in its own time. The dead kauri performs important functions in the ecosystem while it stands and after it falls. Many things will die when it falls, who are we to know when the timing is right? We really should stop messing with those things (I’m talking about forests).
Ironic analogy too given that Pagani argues that dead trees are just lying around on the forest floor and should be treated as an extraction resource. She’s an idiot.
So, I think your analogy fails for those of us that are ecosystem thinkers 😉 I do think that there are times when we should intervene in natural systems, and I’m certainly sympathetic to the idea that we’d be better off if Labour failed completely, but two problems. One is that what Pagani is doing isn’t designed to bring down Labour, it’s designed to consolidated power with the conservative Labourites like herself. The other is that I can’t see any mechanism by which Labour could be brought down in a meaningful timeframe. I’m open to having my mind changed on that.
Nah mate, you should consider withdrawing your support for a 20th century, neoliberal, pro-TPP, pro-globalist party of the top 20% that Labour has become.
What, like you withdrew your support for Labour, I don’t even vote for Labour, I just don’t like people lying about the facts, you almost always never respond to questions when evidence is requested, you use deflectionary tactics. Without the evidence, you can’t expect people to find any credibility in your comments.
You obviously want another term of Keysters, problem with that though, is, they’ve already screwed the economy and giving them another term only allows them to put NZ even deeper in the “Shit”, and if you can’t discriminate between Labour and National, then perhaps you should give up voting altogether, as clearly you don’t who to vote for, or why.
There was a report on TDB that Labour had withdrawn support for the TPP.
“Labour have come out and publicly stated they are against the TPPA. They are not supporting it. No other opposition party including the Greens are saying they will pull out of it. All of the background documents have NOT been released. No one knows the extent of the fish hooks that National has signed us up to. Labour have and are standing up to the Key National government’s undemocratic legislation and msm and the likes of CT ensures they get shat on. Look at how msm were framing Labour’s stance against National’s zero hour contracts for example. And people just love to have a go while giving National a free pass. To some Labour are damned if they don’t and damned if they do. Read the latest how National and their supporters are trying to rig the flag referendum for John Key? Will Labour get the blame for that too?
Labour Say No To The TPPA
– See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/03/08/blurred-vision-why-labour-isnt-trusted-to-govern-new-zealand/#comment-328734“
People living in the Canadian province of Ontario could soon start receiving an unconditional allowance each month, with the government this week announcing that it’ll begin trialling a pilot version of universal basic income in 2016.
[…]
The government is now working with stakeholders and the community to nut out exactly what the pilot project will look like, so we don’t have any specific details to go on just yet. But they’re not the only ones looking to supplement or replace welfare payments with universal income – countries such as the Netherlands, India, Finland, and France are also trialling (or have trialled) similar projects.
“WHEN a group of teenagers first started taking governments to court over the lack of climate change action, people laughed at them. They are not laughing now.
This week a US court will consider whether 21 young people have a right to sue the US Government, President Barack Obama and other federal agencies, for their failure to tackle climate change.”
Hi from the UK! Just landed on this site and couldn’t help but smile about your blogs!
The UK has been through all that, got the T-shirt and all – except for Earthquakes that is.
We have not had any interest on bank savings for years – not worth more than pennies that is – all the European Banks are supposed to be having a hard time though not as hard as the people who are trying to save money!
Politics? What you are experiencing, we have had all that too. Democracy is no longer in the dictionary.
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, 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. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
Scandal names for the secret recordings Todd Barclay affair,
Goregate 😈
Untrustworthy National Party backstabber-gate doesn’t quite have the same ring to it 😈
Maybe not but it has great rhythm when said quickly. 🙂
That is absolute bollocks by Norman – he advocated printing of money (QE) want to see the result of that now – go talk to Japan elderly who now get negative interest on their term deposits because of QE.
Talk to USA investors on QE – 0.5% interest on money earnt at bank – the elderly are worst off under QE principles.
So the solution was as he prescribed – stop exporting and print more money – ever wonder wide Social Credit never made it into government.
Seriously devoid of economic nause
[BLiP: Attempted derail, complete with inflammatory lie. Moved to Open Mike.]
Sick parrot
+1 I don’t see what that has to do with the post, looks like a diversion.
Are you actually commenting on the post or are you on some other planet upnorth?
People not getting interest on their savings isn’t the problem. In fact, the problem is people getting interest on their savings.
ZIRP policies have stolen US$160B in interest from savers in the USA, according to recent calculations.
These bankster policies are designed to advantage financial speculators and hurt pension funds and savers.
hows your return looking after the latest RB announcement?
What has this Government got against IT systems?
“A leaked government paper warns that the Ministry of Education’s new Early Learning Information system (ELI) is struggling under the sheer volume of data, with a total freeze “likely”.
“This could be quite catastrophic and incur a disaster recovery scenario, whereby databases may become corrupted and have to be rebuilt, resulting in significant data loss,” the paper said.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11604238
You have got to wonder how they are going to get the ‘big data’ approach to work when they can’t get little data to work!!
It’s got nothing against IT, it quite likes the troughs it presents to their mates and backers. Y’know the leveraging best practice market knows best mates.
My sources are telling me they envy the ones who got out as they are now picking up some of the pieces……there’s much more below the surface leaks.
The same as they’ve got against everything else – they try doing it on the cheap so that they can cut taxes to the rich with the inevitable result that it costs more.
Great interviews on RADIONZ this morning Kim Hill presiding.
Andrew Fagan, fascinating stuff. Believes that society needs outlaws who go against the current consensus. Speaks well. Interviewed Julian Assange and Kim managed to get him to talk about it and give some interesting insights.
Anthony McCarten writing on a short period of Churchill’s life – when he was made leader. Apparently he was still not respected at that time, an alcoholic who had a glass of white wine and a whisky and soda with breakfast. He was to be replaced and was the stop-gap while the aristos foud a way to appease, make peace so as to protect their hereditary estates and status quo. In that short time he wrote three of the most famous speeches of all time.
That is what I remember. And this period is still glowing bright with untold stories and information relevant to us today. Instead of concentrating on our brave stand, with many other nations, at Gallipoli we should be studying all about WW2. Plenty of bravery there, two I can think of my birth father a bomber pilot, his bones in France, and Chris Trotter’s father who really young managed to do great things and survived. So many others dead and alive stained by war.
One of these two men pointed out that it lasted 6 years but Britain has been embroiled in wars for 25 years and the situation has become the norm.
I think Andrew Fagan was the one talking about going to Afghanistan and talking to the fighting personnel there. He found they were all taking drugs, but the defence department absolutely denied this. He said that in WW2 the fight was generally agreed to be against real and present evil but the soldiers in the Middle East are confused about their purpose, become deeply disturbed about what they are doing.
He talked to a 9 year old jihadist who had heard from his mother while in jail. He asked what she had told her boy and it was not to worry, he would get them next time. The depth of hatred towards these foreign interlopers and killers is that deep, he says.
I don’t know about audio. Since 9 am it is being livestreamed on –
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
8:12 Andrew O’Hagan
Andrew O’Hagan is a former editor-at-large for Esquire, contributing editor for the London Review of Books, and ghostwriter of Julian Assange’s abandoned memoir. Two of his books have been nominated for the Man Booker Prize, and his new novel is The Illuminations (Faber& Faber). He is a guest at Writers Week at the New Zealand Festival, talking with Harry Ricketts at the Illuminations session (11 March), and on the panel at Literary Idol (13 March).
8:50 Anthony McCarten
Anthony McCarten is an internationally successful writer and producer for stage and screen. He talks with Miranda Harcourt at The Theory of Anthony, and his play Funnygirl will be read during the Spotlight on Playwrights events at Circa Theatre (12 March) during Writers Week.
O’Hagan had a couple of interesting observations about Assange. One, that Assange wasn’t entirely honest when being interviewed and secondly, that Assange conflated the rape allegations with the wider issue of his possible extradition to the US.
The audio isn’t up on RNZ yet, but it’s worth listening to when it is.
Audio will be up after noon I am told.
Probably not needed now that we have a 100% accurate transcrapt from Mozza (see below).
I note your helpful comment TRP. But also note the transcrapt typo. To be sure of not getting typos in the interpretation of the interviews, listen to the real thing while you rinse/wash the dishes or other duties, thus accomplishing two useful things at once. Multitasking everyone! I’ll try to get back and put the audio links up for your convenience – when they are available.
Just a reminder everyone who wants to take it to the Gnat gummint, Bradley Ambrose needs help with his court case against John Key. A little more money needed only $7280 about – a few days to go.
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/bradelyambrose
Thank you, greywarshark.
The correct word is, of course, ‘transcrypt’. ie “The Breen report was 100% transcryptic.”
The error is regretted.
TRP you are a nice wordsmith.
As for the interviews from Radionz. Please make up your own minds about things and don’t rely on Morrissey to be the fount of wisdom.
Which of course should be the common approach. But others opinions should, of course, be listened to so as to ensure that one’s own opinion is as near wise as possible!
Note that the links to Anthony McCarten and Andrew O’Hagan are –
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792943 ( McCarten)
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792944 (O’Hagan)
and a revelation about food, or just another idea and trend to follow?
11:30 Christopher McDougall
American writer Christopher McDougall was a war correspondent in Rwanda and Angola, before becoming the guru of alternative running with his 2009 book, Born to Run: the Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. His new book is Natural Born Heroes: the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance (Profile). He talks with journalist Rachel Smalley in the Enduring Heroes session (10 March), with fellow writing athletes Nathan Fa’avae, Lisa Tamati and Roger Robinson in the Testing the Limits session (12 March), and will lead the Come Running fun runs around Wellington during Writers Week (9, 10 and 12 March).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792953
and I haven’t heard Morgan Godfery as yet but for some intelligent thought on NZ cultural and social progress or otherwise I think this will be a must.
Morgan Godfery: rethinking New Zealand
9:31 AM. Wellington writer, commentator and trade unionist who specialises in Maori politics and international indigenous issues. He is the editor of a new collection of essays, The Interregnum: Rethinking New Zealand, which he will discuss with two of the contributors during Writers Week.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201792946
This show keeps getting better, very interesting interview.
The new Jim Crow laws. How does it apply in New Zealand? Maori and Pacific votes – did not Mana bring up something about this last election, and white NZ went – nothing to see here…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUxPXld_hA
+100 ..watch dog on USA ‘democracy’ NOT …well worth watching !…every Maori and Pacific Islander should watch, and Pakeha New Zealander …to make sure NZ democracy is not eroded (more)
…Palast is great !…the best American commentators seem to be operating from overseas now…what does this tell us about USA and its media?
This sort of thing is exactly the reason that the right-wing was rabidly against Maori roll seats… right up until the Maori Party started going into coalition with every government.
That cannot be right. After all the USA is the home of true democracy and under that banner set out to bring democracy to countries like Iraq. (sarc)
Surely they cannot just take 500,000 names off the ballot list without due cause? Although that was the way that George W Bush was re-elected.
Terrifying really.
Could it happen in NZ? The Nats did deny voters the right to vote for ECan. Dispair!
Yep Christ Hedges and Cornell West have both talked at length about the new Jim Crow.
Thanks Bill Clinton.
Well … it’s official … I have been permanently banned by Pete George. LOL.
Georges explanation wasn’t exactly truthful in parts … but there is not much I can do about that now is there … since I no longer have the right of reply in his blog to his recent assertions.
I shall miss a few of the people in there … but not the shit stirring multiple fake identitys that have set up shop in there over the past six months or so … and turned YourNZ into an out of control Cess-Pit.
Now that George has got the taste for deleting comments and banning commenter’s … he can no longer claim to have the only “Political Blog with Free Speech for All”.
It will be very interesting to see how Georges new style of moderation affects his blog.
All the best George.
http://YourNZ.org/2016/03/12/open-forum-saturday-71/
“Political forums that aren’t up to debate or alternative opinions should make it clear they are limited to a yes club shouldn’t they?”
Pete George.
@TeReoPutake
Did George write that in here at some stage?
I shall wear being the first Commenter permanently banned by George … like a Badge of Honour. LOL.
‘Beige of Honour’?
PG was really pompous when commenting here, pedantically picking on minor mistakes, while ignoring the wider truths. The quote comes from this post:
thestandard.org.nz/april-fool-pete-george-released-from-a-ban/
Lprent generously decided to lift the ban PG had earned the previous year. It only took a few minutes for the beige badger to get re-banned.
Will PG get another April Fools amnesty this year? If so, can we run a sweep on how long he lasts?
Ooh, another item for the Popcorn April schedule.
@TeReoPutake
I just tried writing a comment twice … and neither were accepted.
Think I have figured out why.
You and Prentice have my permission to alter and edit any names in my first comment that you deem unsuitable.
And just ditch the second comment I wrote.
Ta very much.
Things have changed and my comments need to both be deleted.
Thanks for your time.
Don’t want to burst your bubble but I’ve had 4 accounts banned there already
With good reason, apparently. The fact that you’ve used four different handles gets my bullshit detector twitching for a start. Trolling is frowned upon here too.
@TeReoPutake
I knew I would probably get followed over here by “The Bad Guys”.
They (and all of their other pseudonyms) have been attacking me and deliberately trying to cause me angst for many months.
I was nothing but loyal to George and his blog for 18 months … and I got banned by him. But “Mr Man” managed to convince George to let him write his own post on YourNZ a couple of weeks ago.
What is that saying about Pete Georges ability to discern between “The Good Guys” and “The Bad Guys”?
Ah, the April Fool.
Classic The Standard http://thestandard.org.nz/april-fool-pete-george-released-from-a-ban/
The vilest enemies of Julian Assange often pose as his supporters;
Yet again, Kim Hill grants a free platform to a silky smooth assassin of truth.
RNZ National, Saturday 12 March 2016, 8:12 a.m.
This is how Kim Hill’s first guest this morning was billed on the RNZ website….
Sounds impressive. However, after just a few minutes of listening to him, I had grave doubts about the integrity and honesty of Andrew O’Hagan. Talking about the British-American destruction of Afghanistan, he described it as “failed”, “a hysterical response”, “a disaster”, and as “random violence under the guise of international protection.” Not once did he use the words “criminal”, “unjustified”, or “cynical”.
If that was disappointing, what followed was disturbing. O’Hagan has made much mileage out of being selected to be Julian Assange’s ghostwriter, a job which never worked out as planned. O’Hagan is, it seems, a stickler for protocol and manners; apparently Assange was “paranoid” (translation: he suffered from the fantastical delusion that the U.S. and U.K. governments were out to destroy him) and “obsessive” (translation: his working methods were erratic)….
ANDREW O’HAGAN: It was an irony of Shakespearian proportions, the man who wants the world to share its secrets did not want his own private life revealed…. But I still believe in the project.
KIM HILL: DO you? Its progenitor is SO flawed.
To spare the sensibilities of my fellow Standardisti, I’ll skip the rest of this featherweight exchange between two moral pygmies. But I did send the following email to Kim Hill….
Andrew O’Hagan’s smooth and sinister attack on Assange
Dear Kim,
Andrew O’Hagan scoffed at what he called Julian Assange’s “obfuscation”, i.e., Assange’s refusal to let his private life and idiosyncracies be made the story instead of the crimes he has exposed.
“It was an irony of Shakespearian proportions,” O’Hagan purred with amused disdain, “the man who wants the world to share its secrets did not want his own private life revealed.” Of course, what Assange and other democratic activists demand is not that “the world” share its secrets, but that governments be open to scrutiny by the citizens, and that governments be held to account for their crimes.
Contrary to O’Hagan’s assertion, Assange is dedicated to protecting individual privacy. To cap off his farrago, O’Hagan suggested that Assange’s followers are like a cult.
I was disappointed that you did not offer any challenge to what O’Hagan had to say.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
O’Hagan is not the first false friend of Julian Assange to attack him on Kim Hill’s show. Aficionados of sleazy insincerity will no doubt recall Alex Gibney’s infamous attack of a few years ago….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13072013/#comment-662336
+100…thanks Morrissey… I only heard snippets …but what you say makes entire sense
Do you ever hear back from Kimmy, Morrissey? Ever even a thank you for your views?
Not on this occasion, Grindlebottom. However, she has read out maybe half of the emails I’ve sent her. I only do it once every few months at best. Although I am often disappointed, even angered, by what she says, she usually extends the courtesy of treating my correspondence seriously.
Only once has she really displayed impatience, with her rather ill-judged decision to go to bat for that old menace to society Bill “Pharmaceutical Factory Bomber” Clinton…..
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03102015-2/#comment-1077820
I used to think I had a hardened cynical view of the US gun industry. But fuck me, guns designed and marketed FOR KIDS????!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-sugarmann/why-does-the-gun-lobby-en_b_9440156.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Wanna sell more product, start targetting them when they’re young…
China farms query adds to Fonterra’s woes
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/77748600/China-farms-query-adds-to-Fonterra-woes
Federated Farmers are urging banks to pass on lower interest rates
Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler made it clear that he expected the latest cut to be passed on to borrowers.
Grant Robertson said the latest cut in the OCR was clearly not meant to restore banks’ profit margins.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/77766854/banks-may-seek-to-recover-lost-margins-by-passing-on-little-of-ocr-cut
Banks only have one responsibility – and that’s to their shareholders.
Interesting how weak NZ’s central bank is, isn’t it, when it comes to enforcing discipline.
Like an ineffective school teacher that the kids in class have figured out they can simply ignore.
One would think shareholders would prefer a little loss in margins compared to farms going belly up, resulting in mass mortgagee sales.
That ANZ share price has been tanking for a year.
If they can’t reward shareholders in a great long boom, they’re just crap.
We know the shareholders and ‘wealth creators’ operate on ‘school of fish’ behaviour, that’s how the kids in the middle and upper class think. They circle the tank every few years, which coincide with the latest financial disaster, but have totally forgotten the signposts to each disaster with each full circuit.
“Interesting how weak NZ’s central bank is, isn’t it, when it comes to enforcing discipline.”
As we often see, private sector interests seldom aligns with the public interest, which brings into question why have we given the market so much fee rein?
With the cost of production outweighing the returns (and with little light at the end of the tunnel) is it time for dairy farmers to seriously consider getting out (while farm prices are still relatively high)?
Thoughts?
Like deciding to slow down just as your car is sliding off the road into a culvert.
Which would be better than going full speed and allowing it to crash and burn.
Oh look the partially pregnant line.
To quote the matrix…’ Hear that mr Anderson, it’s the sound of inevitability..’
lol
double lol.
Small matter of the personal guarantees they will have been forced to give banks and suppliers. Sort of negates most of the concept of “limited liability” when things turn to shit.
The way things are currently looking, a number possibly aren’t going to make good on those personal guarantees.
One can only hope they aren’t going to do anything drastic, as a number already have.
The borrower ends up with a choice of making it the bank’s problem and getting totally fucked over and walking off with nothing, or staying on in a position of servitude / slavery until prices recover to the point the bank can recover it’s money. Either way the borrower is not going to come out of it well.
The stupid thing is the historical examples of this happening in New Zealand farming, over and over again. Have a read of Glover’s Magpies https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~tf/poem10.html
They have to fail, the lesson has to be learnt, but it has to be primarily the banks’ problem.
Sharing this by George Megalogenis (Balancing Act: Australia between Recession and Renewal by ) from across the Tasman but of relevance and indeed importance to us as well:
“The debate we have to have is on the role of government in the economy. It is being forced on us by the market failures of the twenty-first century. Both sides cling defensively to the open model because it tells them a reassuring story of Australian success. But that open model has been exhausted by capitalism’s extended crisis and the end of the mining boom. It cannot guarantee prosperity in the future without an active state.
…
“The open model excels when the economy is strong, and in response to a global shock. But it struggles when the economy is in transition, because the market forces it is responding to are compromised. The four components of the model are a floating currency, low tariffs, interest rates set independently of the government, and wages determined directly by employer and workers above a minimum standard. Each is now delivering perverse results that are actually increasing the risk of recession.”
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/will-australia-be-caught-short-as-politicians-sacrifice-the-national-interest-to-stay-in-power-20160302-gn8j0u.html
Was good to read about his observations on their “five prime ministers between 2010 and 2015, with only one change occurring at the ballot box, in 2013”.
Good reading there
Yet despite all of that they’ve still had 24 years of continuous growth, the most recent stat was 3.0% for the year.
Turnbull is doing a Key, absolutely nothing, I think the only thing He has changed in 6 months is the Dames and Knighthoods, which occurred only days after his primeministership, staying in power is the “most important” issue for the current govt, stuff the country.
Any chance we could have Weekend Social again? I’d like to ask people how their gardening has been this summer (and we’re due an update on r0b’s new greenhouse).
In lieu of Weekend Social. Dry and dilapidated here in Wellington. Less than 30mm of rain for Jan and Feb and 2mm of rain so far this month. Heat like the devils own furnace in February – our hottest February on record since records began 90 years ago.
I read about this year’s “Godzilla El Nino” and posted that a few weeks ago.
Haven’t planted vege since being in this house as we are are on solid rock and need to build raised gardens and haven’t had the time and energy for that. Tomatoes in pots insipid and mean little things despite watering and feeding with seaweed (too much nitrogen?) Herbs in raised herb garden went to seed before even being truly useful in the culinary sense.
Being a good garden gnome and only watering during the allowable times under council watering restrictions but everything remains parched and crunchy.
I grow things in pots quite a bit because we get frosts and so I can move them. It means more watering though.
Lots of people are saying it’s been a weird year. And not just something like oh it’s been windy this year, or hot. It’s also weird.
How often are you allowed to water? Can you store water too?
From September through to April every year we can only water on alternate days. If you’re an even street number you can water on the even numbered days of the week and vice versa for odd numbered houses. Can only water between 6 – 8am or 7 – 9pm.
Would like to store water but can’t afford get one of those flexible tank things. Even so, this year, there would have been nothing in it anyway!
Good idea about planting in pots for frost avoidance, but I hope you don’t get a sore back doing that! You’re in Otago right? (I miss frosts. We don’t get them any more in this region, or only in sheltered low places)
Yes, this summer has just been bizarre. I couldn’t handle it because I’m not fond of excess heat, it actually makes me feel sick. What has been really weird is the lack of wind. We have almost had a windless summer in Wellington, which I’ve found unsettling too, it’s just so unnatural. Everyone else has been loving it of course…..
Crikey, those are really serious water restrictions. You’d be hard pressed to get things to grow here with those limits. How long has it been like that?
I don’t have to move the pots very often and I get help with the heavy ones.
Hmm. Been that way for the last few years as far as I can remember………
Great article by Josie Pagani. Hits the nail right on the head, and drives it home:
http://www.policy-network.net/pno_detail.aspx?ID=5075&title=Fifty-shades-of-beige-%E2%80%93-with-a-megaphone
Josie Pagani.
Great article.
Oxymoron.
Fifty shades of beige, doesn’t the standard own that joke about PG?
Truth is not diminished by the number of people who believe it. That said, I doubt you even took the time to read it. JP closes with:
“The message from Labour is often ‘your life is miserable, New Zealand is a dreadful place and getting worse, the world is scary, don’t let it in, and by the way you’re fat – vote for us!'”
Sums up Labour’s negativity nicely, yet they still can’t work out why they are struggling to stay over 30%. It also comes down to trust – if JK says on a particular subject “it won’t be a problem” and Little states “it’s a crisis”, people will trust/believe in JK because he is more trustworthy and because they fundamentally want to believe that it’s OK. Unless there is a massive change in the preffered PM stakes, a big part which is based on trust and general attitude, Labour are toast with their current dour and downtrodden leader.
I have read a lot of Pagani’s nonsense before.
She is used a tool by the elite.
She is owned.
And you appear either gullible or similarly compromised.
Yes all knowing, we all know labour only need to go far left and polls will rocket to 50 pc, you keep believing that Paul Also note you have given up posting post after post on the coming global economic collapse, I guesse it proves the fact that just because you keep parroting something that does not make it true
Listen to Rachel Stewart on the NZ economy and Wayne Hope on the world economy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jvuXTrfO0c
Germany Confirmed To Be Back In Deflation
from the Financial Times
‘Germany’s inflation rate for February came in unchanged from its preliminary reading, confirming Germany has fallen back into deflation. Consumer prices were confirmed to have fallen 0.2% year-on-year in February on an EU-harmonised basis, down from a 0.4% rise in January. Economists had forecast the figure to remain the same. On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose by 0.4%. The news will give a further headache to the ECB, which yesterday announced a package of additional monetary easing measures partly designed to ward off deflationary pressures from the single currency zone.’
‘Germany’s economy is officially headed in the wrong direction and has slipped back into deflation, official figures released on Friday morning showed.’
http://uk.businessinsider.com/german-cpi-figures-officially-slides-back-into-deflation-2016-3
Paul while there is a global economy there will be ups and down, just get use to it, don’t fret
Not fretting.
Informing you.
Like this guy is trying to inform you
Steve Keen: China’s Stock Market Is an ‘Unbelievable Bubble’
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1942610-steve-keen-chinas-stock-market-is-an-unbelievable-bubble/
UK banks vulnerable to global shock, economist warns
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/14/uk-banks-vulnerable-to-global-shock-economist-warns
Apart from the usual neo-liberal ideologues and hired guns for the banks, which independent economists days agree with you that it’s all just fine.
I can’t be bothered trying to persuade you, rd.
This information is for readers of this blog keen to learn what is not published by the corporate media.
‘While’ being the operative word in Reddellusion’s comment. Apparently the time to fret is after the collapse 😉
Global economy ends in about 40 years when access to fossil fuels steeply declines.
Also the current global economy is designed so the ups are there for the top 0.1% (richest 700M in the world), and downfucked for the bottom 90% (poorest 6B in the world).
Every woman and her dog can trash the Labour Party (such low hanging fruit), but who cares? If she was talking about solutions I might take her more seriously. She’s in some danger of coming across as CV.
Her article contains far too many bordering on lies and disingenuous pseudo-arguments, that again, it’s hard to take seriously.
eg she’s writing for an international audience (UK I think) and describes NZF as a Trumpish party. That’s superficial and misleading. The article is riddled with them.
She is a tool of the elite.
There is an echo in here. Why is she a tool of the elite Paul? Can you give an example of someone you class as ‘elite’ using her as a tool?
she’s in PR and gets pay cheques from the big TPP supporting corporates (like her husband).
Do we have to spell everything out for you?
There are no solutions, they are in no mans land, go left they are knackered, go right then simply a centrist party or a poor imitation of national. pretty much just need to wait to national really stuff up, John key leaves the stage, albeit I believe the jk factor is over played The road back to power will require new and more appealing bunch of MPs, a movement away from loony activist base, a leader the majority of kiwis can relate to and become national light. Thus if labour ever get back in power it will be a Labour Party that is toxic to many here
It says a lot of Pagani that trolls like red delusion support her point of view.
Nah, Pagani is afraid of MMP. There’s no reason why Labour can’t govern on sub-40% if it has strong relationships with the Greens and/or NZF. The big thing holding that up is the Rogernomes, the centrists like herself and too many in Labour thinking this is FPP with some icing on it.
But can Labour govern on sub-30%.
Why not?
Unstable one term government, if it were to ever happen.
how so?
Agreed. Starting her piece with a ‘scene-setting’ argument based on polls lowered my expectations straightaway. It was superficial indeed and she comes across as a demagogue. It lacked accuracy and rigour and offered no solutions or ideas.
It seems to be written on the principle that two negatives cancel out each other or produce a positive; the reader is left guessing what the ‘positive’ might be.
Have people never heard of the term “constructive criticism”?
All in all it begs the question: what was the point of her piece?
I have no idea either. She got paid I guess.
Cutting down the dead Kauri which is blocking out sunlight from all the new growth in the forest is a solution, weka.
Not really. Better to let the forest attend to that in its own time. The dead kauri performs important functions in the ecosystem while it stands and after it falls. Many things will die when it falls, who are we to know when the timing is right? We really should stop messing with those things (I’m talking about forests).
Ironic analogy too given that Pagani argues that dead trees are just lying around on the forest floor and should be treated as an extraction resource. She’s an idiot.
So, I think your analogy fails for those of us that are ecosystem thinkers 😉 I do think that there are times when we should intervene in natural systems, and I’m certainly sympathetic to the idea that we’d be better off if Labour failed completely, but two problems. One is that what Pagani is doing isn’t designed to bring down Labour, it’s designed to consolidated power with the conservative Labourites like herself. The other is that I can’t see any mechanism by which Labour could be brought down in a meaningful timeframe. I’m open to having my mind changed on that.
It would appear CV doesn’t like people holding him to account over his post about “Dairy”
He needs to stop lying about Labour.
Nah mate, you should consider withdrawing your support for a 20th century, neoliberal, pro-TPP, pro-globalist party of the top 20% that Labour has become.
Labour <30% 2017.
What, like you withdrew your support for Labour, I don’t even vote for Labour, I just don’t like people lying about the facts, you almost always never respond to questions when evidence is requested, you use deflectionary tactics. Without the evidence, you can’t expect people to find any credibility in your comments.
You obviously want another term of Keysters, problem with that though, is, they’ve already screwed the economy and giving them another term only allows them to put NZ even deeper in the “Shit”, and if you can’t discriminate between Labour and National, then perhaps you should give up voting altogether, as clearly you don’t who to vote for, or why.
There was a report on TDB that Labour had withdrawn support for the TPP.
“Labour have come out and publicly stated they are against the TPPA. They are not supporting it. No other opposition party including the Greens are saying they will pull out of it. All of the background documents have NOT been released. No one knows the extent of the fish hooks that National has signed us up to. Labour have and are standing up to the Key National government’s undemocratic legislation and msm and the likes of CT ensures they get shat on. Look at how msm were framing Labour’s stance against National’s zero hour contracts for example. And people just love to have a go while giving National a free pass. To some Labour are damned if they don’t and damned if they do. Read the latest how National and their supporters are trying to rig the flag referendum for John Key? Will Labour get the blame for that too?
Labour Say No To The TPPA
– See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/03/08/blurred-vision-why-labour-isnt-trusted-to-govern-new-zealand/#comment-328734“
Labour has publicly stated that they are keeping the TPP as the government, but they want to see if they can renegotiate some parts of it.
I guess you can consider that being against the TPP, in a kind of fence sitting, fingers crossed behind your back, kind of way.
Nothing political here just very sad. RIP Keith Emerson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg2KjxNtAiM
2016 – so far: Glen Frey, David Bowie, Jon English now Keith Emerson. 🙁
Something to keep an eye on.
People living in the Canadian province of Ontario could soon start receiving an unconditional allowance each month, with the government this week announcing that it’ll begin trialling a pilot version of universal basic income in 2016.
[…]
The government is now working with stakeholders and the community to nut out exactly what the pilot project will look like, so we don’t have any specific details to go on just yet. But they’re not the only ones looking to supplement or replace welfare payments with universal income – countries such as the Netherlands, India, Finland, and France are also trialling (or have trialled) similar projects.
http://www.sciencealert.com/a-canadian-province-is-about-start-giving-everyone-a-universal-basic-income
good on them.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/world/young-people-are-suing-governments-over-climate-change/news-story/e327a797ab048ba2013f7f96c2d3ffbc
“WHEN a group of teenagers first started taking governments to court over the lack of climate change action, people laughed at them. They are not laughing now.
This week a US court will consider whether 21 young people have a right to sue the US Government, President Barack Obama and other federal agencies, for their failure to tackle climate change.”
Hi from the UK! Just landed on this site and couldn’t help but smile about your blogs!
The UK has been through all that, got the T-shirt and all – except for Earthquakes that is.
We have not had any interest on bank savings for years – not worth more than pennies that is – all the European Banks are supposed to be having a hard time though not as hard as the people who are trying to save money!
Politics? What you are experiencing, we have had all that too. Democracy is no longer in the dictionary.
All the best!