Hi everyone. Rodney Hide speaking and it’s great to be me. I just wanted to let you know a bit about the Labour-Green power plan. Here are 10 reasons why it is just plain wrong, you know, like I was when I rorted the taxpayer out of heaps of perk-based cash.
1. Electricity prices are working: The Labour and the Greens say the market isn’t working, but it is. Prices are only rising as much as they should. The market is working completely correctly because when I switch the light on my lights go. That’s the market working.
2. Electricity prices are fair and reasonable: You know, generators hardly pay anything to make hydropower, but it’s no longer sufficient to cover demand. And remember, if we all turn on the lights at the same time, and make toast, and put on our electric blankets, that increases demand. And simple economics suggest that I should be able to make more money out of the situation because I’m a MRP shareholder, if I was.
3. Quick! Turn up the swimming pool: Poor people don’t have swimming pools so they don’t use as much power as people who live in Ilam or Orakei. Rich people have bigger houses too. And other houses. All the savings will go to the rich people. That’s just stupid. We’d rather have tax cuts. But then again, some of us don’t really pay much tax anyway so $6 a week is like a large flat white, or something. Poor people won’t get as much of a saving so we shouldn’t do it.
4. The lights will go out: As soon as the government starts up a single market, our generators will not be motivated by simple supply and demand. No. They will be motivated by Sir Robert Muldoon, God rest his soul. We all remember what happened with Pharmac – no we have no drugs to treat ‘flu’ outbreaks when they happen.
5. We all lose as taxpayers: the Government owns quite a lot of power generation, so any drop in revenue will mean less government money. And if we continue to sell these power generating companies, revenues will drop even further, so we shouldn’t sell them either. Um… ignore that last bit.
6. Businesses shut, jobs gone: Both the Labour and the Greens are promising more business and more jobs. There is no way businesses will hire more people if their overheads are falling. It’s just not logical. If I owned a business and I had more money and the economy was growing because people had more money because they were paying more for power, the last thing I would be doing is thinking about hiring more people.
7. What about the planet? The Labour and the Greens have said for years we should be paying higher prices for power because of oil or the greenhouse or something. I wasn’t really listening. If they really want to stop global warming then they should let power companies charge heaps for their product. I’m no scientist, but surely if people don’t turn their heaters on because they can’t afford power, the earth will not be as warm.
8. We have choice and competition: There are over 4 million people in New Zealand. We are all able to switch power companies any time we want. I remember Meridian came knocking at my door with a better deal. We changed. The next day Mercury Energy turned up with an even sweeter deal. We changed again. The next day Genesis turned up with an amazing deal AND a meat pack. Again we changed. This is a free country. I can do whatever I want. I’m sure the power companies are sending people out into the poorer suburbs of Auckland and Wellington to get better deals like this.
9. Shearer-Norman power: The power market is one of the easiest to enter. The Labour and the Greens claim companies are making “super-profits”. If that were the case, they could set up their own power company and fund their election campaign – and lower power prices for everyone. It’s just like charter schools: a school is quite easy to set up because kids are everywhere. All you need is a building, a reem of paper and some HB pencils to provide a quality, unregistered, unmonitored education for those kids. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this, but there is a link there, believe you me. And it will be bad.
10. It’s cheaper to hand out money: The Greens and the Labour would be better to hand out money to help poor families pay for power. While they’re at it why don’t they hand out money for everything the poor can’t afford. Housing, food, school, healthcare. Talk about fence at the top of a cliff. In the last 30 years New Zealand has had a proud tradition of putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Why should we stop now.
Yes they should just call Hides column a party political statement on behalf of the government, nice summary boonman saves me wading through his biased dribble.
The man who sold out auckland has as much credibility as arrogant Gilmore.
Is there a pejorative tone in this NZ Herald article about the experienced Auckland lawyer involved in a large number of Christchurch earthquake court claims ?
I detect such a tone frankly.
If I’m not wrong what’s that all about I wonder ? Concern for the interests of established Christchurch law firms ? Or the insurance companies perhaps ? Concern expressed, by way of pejorative rather than direct statement, in the MSM. Who is being served here or is this just some rubbish pumped out by some cub reporter ?
Seems the man did a not too bad job for his clients in a recent well publicised case. Certainly his clients appear to be reasonably satisfied.
My guess is that he’s upsetting the Chch legal establishment, who would no doubt be in cahoots with the insurance companies and the businesses that are doing well out of the reconstruction. It was weird, because it seems like he’s doing a reasonable job.
There is no council or state owned land that the private sector does not want
QFT
And this government is giving it to them taking us back to the days of feudalism. We’ll end up a society with land barons and serfs – just as National intend and their rich mates want.
Why not go the whole hog and transfer public hospitals as well to private charities. Just as they were in the 19th Century.
There is a reason why social provision was taken out of the hands of private charities.
Do you want a church as your landlord?
How about some rich Remuera dowager?
Do we want rich donors to again decide who are the “deserving poor”?
Will you have to be a “Good Christian”? Will you have to make ‘The Pledge” to get your family off the street?
And haven’t the major private charities and churches got huge property portfolios already?
No doubt humiliating those less well off will bring a warm glow to the hearts of the toffs.
And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property, as they see fit, or “because the need is greater somewhere else”. Then we will truely be back in the 19th Century, with mass homelessness and begging urchins on the streets. Giving these private charities even greater opportunities for the rich to publicly display their philanthropy. How else will they be able to keep on receiving their knighthoods and royal investitures, but by grandiose public displays of their largesse. Given to the suitably grateful deserving poor. And not those terrible Chartists or other ingrates who dare to question why they have been reduced to beggars for a place to live.
“And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property………”
It’s a two stager: (1) Off to the private charities, and when they can’t afford upkeep and maintenance (which is fully anticipated of course), (2) Off to private money which will “manage” without a hint of charity (which is fully anticipated of course).
Result: no more social housing. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
As planned ? “God, I don’t know (despairingly).” Eventually we’re going to need a “Spring”.
They gave a massive tax cut to the rich of this country, then turned around to the rest of the country and said we have no money. We need to sell our assets to get some money. And who could afford to buy those assets…the rich.
If there is one story that should be at the front of every opposition election campaign in 2014, it is this.
The only New Zealanders this government gives a damn about is the 2.5 %.
Look at what they have done, not what they say.
A ‘must read article’ by Tracy Watkins on Stuff this morning in light of the proposed changes to the GCSB Act
An American expert who came to New Zealand to write a report on border security claims he was subject to heavy-handed tactics by intelligence agencies that seemed determined to shut him down.
….
In an extraordinary series of allegations, he says he was threatened with an investigation by the Security Intelligence Service, locked out of his office at NZ Customs, had his computer hard drive and research materials seized while colleagues reported his rubbish bins being searched – he believes by the SIS.
Lebamoff was at one stage so concerned by the reaction of New Zealand authorities to his border security report he says he feared being stopped as he tried to leave the country.
In an even more bizarre twist, he says he was warned off by the director of New Zealand’s Intelligence Co-ordination Group, Roy Ferguson, who is based in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
Adding weight to Lebamoff’s claims, Ferguson does not dispute the meeting and acknowledges he became involved as a matter of national security. He also confirms that a representative of the US Embassy was at the meeting. The embassy has refused comment.
It all adds up to what seems like an extraordinary over-reaction to a report that largely concluded the major threat to New Zealand’s borders was not terrorism but a biosecurity breach. ….
Seems like his report is not what senior officials wanted to hear.
Seems like senior officials wanted to start a hackneyed old “terrorism drumbeat” up in order to justify some of the changes we tot he GCSB etc are now seeing.
I suspect that we will see more about this, in view of his refusal to sign a Deed agreeing not to publish his report. Dotcom’s lawyers may well be interested in the report …..
Lebamoff says after being summoned to the meeting at a building in Wellington’s Pipitea St he was given a lecture on the importance of the New Zealand-US relationship.
“He [Ferguson] said he didn’t want to damage that; there were things in my report that could potentially damage that. I had no idea what he was talking about. He gave me no specifics.”
Tony Ryall on q&a finished his interview by using a rugby analogy that National were “ankle tapped” by Labour/Greens. I thinked he cocked up and was meant to say that National were “Head high tackled” but got his rugby analogies mixed up, nothing wrong with an “ankle tap” Tony. Thinking about it, “Ankle tap” perfectly sums up what the Greens/Labour did, now they need to come over the top and clean the bastards out.
I suspect Mr Ryall’s error has something to do with the fact that his interest in rugby is with what lies below, rather than above, a rugby players belt…
Shoes, I mean, of course. Mr Ryall’s well known as a clothes horse.
Ryall trying to talk about rugby reflects quite appropriately National trying to have something to say about Labour-Greens policy.
If media do not get Gilmore’s personal stuff to run this week, maybe someone can deflect it to Ryall knowing something more personal than having his ankle tapped. About time that came out.
I’m sure all that dirt is useful for keeping Ryall in line. But if he should ever find himself on someone’s wrong side them I imagine a whole bunch of stuff could come tumbling out.
Saarbo, Ryall must’ve had a briefing from that noted front row forward Boss Hogg Bennett because he did allude to the head-high earlier in the interview.
Maybe the erroneous mention of the ankle-tap came from a movement commonly seen in traditional dance performed by strikingly muscular Polynesian men.
Tigger at 8.1 ………Tigger Tigger Tigger !
Bad Boy ! Tony Ryall’s dress sense is impeccable. Take for example the boldly checked table-cloth business shirts underneath the perennial barristerial pinstripes. This riot of colour and clash fabulously finished off with dots or paisley in madly eyecatching half/full windsor knotted ties.
One can see the hand of Gok Wan in there somewhere, or maybe not.
After 1989 (1991?) at the beginning of Tomorrows Schools, School Publications very nearly were abolished by the then new National Government. The School Journals are unique to NZ and for one thing provide “books” to kids who have no books at home. They are brilliant and if they went out of business to satisfy a business market model there will be some very angry children, parents and teachers!
yeah, I wonder what happens locally with procurement, oh, that’s right đ (only a matter of time Colonel, only a matter of time; and with cabbages and caulis only $1.98 (untrimmed) on the weekends at the big yellow store, less physical gardening to do!)
now, where was that anglo-saxon parchment of Chris’s…
Even European manufacturers are reluctant to get behind EU investigations into Huawei and ZTE subsidies for fear of being shut out of the China market, so Huawei has a double-whammy market advantage that could never be emulated in NZ.
I have no idea how this would be anything but deflating to an NZ business with global ambitions.
When and how the US will become involved in Syria is becoming clearer.
One thing is for sure. It will not be for humanitarian reasons to halt the killings. Or liberate the Syrian people.
It will be to attack those they see as their political enemies. At the top of the US hit list is not the murderous Bashar Assad but one of the rebel forces Al Nusra. A far from homogeneous Islamic liberation movement which makes up part of the united front against Assad.
The commander – a moderate Sunni and an influential rebel leader from Damascus who said he has met intelligence operatives from Western and Arab states – said the US officials were especially keen to obtain information about the identities of Al Nusra insurgents and the locations of their bases.
Then, by the rebel commander’s account, the discussion took an unexpected turn.
The Americans began discussing the possibility of drone strikes on Al Nusra camps inside Syria and tried to enlist the rebels to fight their fellow insurgents.
“The US intelligence officer said, ‘We can train 30 of your fighters a month, and we want you to fight Al Nusra’,” the rebel commander recalled.
Opposition forces should be uniting against Mr Al Assad’s more powerful and better-equipped army, not waging war among themselves, the rebel commander replied. The response from a senior US intelligence officer was blunt.
“I’m not going to lie to you. We’d prefer you fight Al Nusra now, and then fight Assad’s army. You should kill these Nusra people. We’ll do it if you don’t,” the rebel leader quoted the officer as saying.
It looks likely, that if the rebels are seen to be close to defeating the Assad regime, and the end of the civil warn is drawing near to a close. The US and their well paid and supported agents (probably repackaged unemployed Assad loyalists) will act to extend and prolong the blood letting by exploiting the sectarian differences among the rebels.
What are the Syrian people to do in such circumstances?
They will have no choice but to declare, “We are all Al Nusra” and “An attack on one, is an attack on all”.
Only by keeping the united front whole, have the Syrians any real chance of a lasting peace.
The rebel commander who described meeting US intelligence officers in Jordan said he had refused to give them any information about Al Nusra.
Although not a supporter of Al Qaeda’s ideology, he said the Americans were being too clumsy and would only undermine the revolt against Mr Al Assad.
“There are three strands of Al Nusra – the minority are serious Al Qaeda people, some are just in for the glamor of fighting jihad and the majority are ordinary Syrians who just want to save their country,” he said.
Since that meeting the rebel commander has not bothered to talk to Western or Arab intelligence agencies, despite what he described as frequent invitations for more talks. Rather than wait for foreign governments to supply weapons, his group has imported their own advanced explosives and begun manufacturing their own munitions.
“They [foreign governments] are not fighting for the same things as us,” he said. “Syrians are fighting for our freedom, while they just want us to bleed to death fighting each other.”
It looks likely, that if the rebels are seen to be close to defeating the Assad regime, and the end of the civil warn is drawing near to a close. The US and their well paid and supported agents (probably repackaged unemployed Assad loyalists) will act to extend and prolong the blood letting by exploiting the sectarian differences among the rebels.
What are the Syrian people to do in such circumstances?
They will have no choice but to declare, âWe are all Al Nusraâ and âAn attack on one, is an attack on allâ.
Jenny, Syria is a lot more complicated than you make it out to be. Who are the “Syrian people” you are talking about here? The country is riven along multiple faultlines, see this article here for a quick breakdown of them :
The simple fact is that there is a civil war being fought, based on sectarian divisions within Syria. Supporters of the carious sects are aiding their allies. The west doesn’t have any natural allies in terms of those sectarian differences, and that is why it has largely stayed out of it.
The west does however have perceived interests in the war. the Assad regime has large stockpiles of weaponry. Whatever happens, something will happen to those weapons and that’s largely what the west is concerned about. The FSA is not lilly white. The West is under no moral obligation to help them. It’s a civil war. Their war.
Intervening in a civil war, where you don’t have any real ties to the place is a fraught business. The intentions of the Sunni majority are not clear. They themselves are in fact divided. They are in fact linked to Iraqi Sunni groups. This is not surprising due to the fact of tribal and family links.
On the other side you’ve got Hezbollah openly saying that they will be defenders of the Golan. There are multiple angles to this. Firstly they are supporting the regime in Syria for the Shia sectarian reason. Secondly, a sunni regime in Syria would be less likely to allow Iranian arms to travel to lebanon on their roads, Thirdly the support they give now will pay dividends should the Assad regime fall. Hezbollah can move a ‘franchise, if you like, into Syria to be the defenders of Syrian Shia in the same way they are in Lebanon. And Syrian Shia are going to need defenders from any new Sunni led regime.
So when you say “the syrian people” who are you talking about, and who are you excluding?
Hurry Hurry selling fast NZ to the highest bidder dont worry about a democratic govt or international governance capitalism is king .You to can own a country just ring KEY BROKERAGE @FORMERNZ GOVT
Wait theres more we will throw in the Southern Basin Oil reserves plus all the mining you want
No elections to worry about just come on in with your nuclear power and WHY
Hamilton is far to wealthy, it simple needs loud cars droning continuously driving around the city center to drive retial customers away, why council does not do anything about them???
I am glad the prat has gone and the smokescreen has lifted, to show more worrying concerns like the GCSB bill. THAT is what we should now concern ourselves over, not some low life arrogant rightwing shit.
I’ve been listening to Radionz Te Ahi Kaa on at 6.06 pm Sundays. I recommend this to keep in touch with the positives and advances and successes of Maori which we don’t tend to hear or read about otherwise because they don’t get featured.
Maori have been contending with the Government again with Jokeyhen saying that bandwidth for 4G is not a taonga. Of course it is vital for Maori in this technological age but gummint seem to always want to give them the old car down the back yard that needs fixing as their idea to help Maori get with it in the IT age.
They were mentioning Maori they didn’t get television until they went to the Privy Council. Each time they have come up against gummint intransigence in Court they have won. And it has been stated that these tech systems are taonga. But still National and right wing Labour have a bigoted, prejudiced attitude that doesn’t want to see Maori advance.
And apparently Telecom and Vodafone have ‘special advisors’ in Mobie that understand and probably facilitate their interests but 2 Degrees, no.
Of course keeping up with Maori news is made easy if you listen on Radionz throughout the day to Te Manu Korihi –
‘Providing news on MÄori issues, Te Manu Korihi features four times each weekday, in Radio New Zealand National’s leading news programmes Morning Report (6.27am and 8.45am) and Checkpoint (5.45pm and 6.45pm).’
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On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes –Â Thereâs a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere â mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand mediaâs failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting MÄori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that wonât compromise Beijingâs plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi MÄori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes –  The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, youâd think the public service was being eviscerated.  While the mediaâs view of the cuts is incomplete, itâs also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iranâs drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Governmentâs newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealandâs urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
MÄori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, MÄori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Governmentâs refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĆ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĆ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĆ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Governmentâs support for the revitalisation the sector.  "New Zealandâs wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. âMy meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singaporeâs outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpartâs almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. âI am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. âPets are important members of many Kiwi families. Itâs estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iranâs shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.  âThese attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.  "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand â Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.  âDame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,â says Dr Reti. âI have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Governmentâs 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âBoosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Governmentâs plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  âOur country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,â Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.  âWe cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. âThis is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  âThe strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin itârule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. Â âNew Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister â the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory â gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australiaâs flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But thatâs changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum âre-imaginedâ itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-oldâs seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so itâs wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhardâs rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Youâd be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesnât require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project Youâre not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesnât fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingwayâs Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans peopleâs self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelonaâs city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoffâs Wellington editor Joel MacManus: âYou can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups âClimate Action VUWâ, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Governmentâs âWar on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs popularity has grown exponentially â and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, theyâre better for the environment. No, thatâs not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
âIt will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealandersâ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether youâre watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, itâs not the done thing to know â let alone ask â what our colleagues are paid. Yet, itâs easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The governmentâs plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up â and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. Itâs consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu âMissyâ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. âIn 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, weâre starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground PictureMany Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study on populism reveals a pervasive sense of societal and economic decline among New Zealanders. MORE DETAILS AND FULL REPORT HERE Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney Steve Smith, one of this generationâs finest batters, has conquered much of the cricketing world during his career, and he now has set his sights on a new frontier: the United ...
Madeleine Ballard reviews the debut novel from romesh dissanayake.when I open the shop, the debut novel by Naarm-based Aotearoa writer romesh dissanayake (Sri Lankan, Koryo Saram), is a narrative of grief. Devendra loses his mother, opens a noodle shop on The Terrace, grieves, and emerges changed. But just as ...
The PSA canât believe that the Minister of Education is happy for her ministry to hire contractors at the same time it is dismissing 565 workers. ...
Hi everyone. Rodney Hide speaking and it’s great to be me. I just wanted to let you know a bit about the Labour-Green power plan. Here are 10 reasons why it is just plain wrong, you know, like I was when I rorted the taxpayer out of heaps of perk-based cash.
1. Electricity prices are working: The Labour and the Greens say the market isn’t working, but it is. Prices are only rising as much as they should. The market is working completely correctly because when I switch the light on my lights go. That’s the market working.
2. Electricity prices are fair and reasonable: You know, generators hardly pay anything to make hydropower, but it’s no longer sufficient to cover demand. And remember, if we all turn on the lights at the same time, and make toast, and put on our electric blankets, that increases demand. And simple economics suggest that I should be able to make more money out of the situation because I’m a MRP shareholder, if I was.
3. Quick! Turn up the swimming pool: Poor people don’t have swimming pools so they don’t use as much power as people who live in Ilam or Orakei. Rich people have bigger houses too. And other houses. All the savings will go to the rich people. That’s just stupid. We’d rather have tax cuts. But then again, some of us don’t really pay much tax anyway so $6 a week is like a large flat white, or something. Poor people won’t get as much of a saving so we shouldn’t do it.
4. The lights will go out: As soon as the government starts up a single market, our generators will not be motivated by simple supply and demand. No. They will be motivated by Sir Robert Muldoon, God rest his soul. We all remember what happened with Pharmac – no we have no drugs to treat ‘flu’ outbreaks when they happen.
5. We all lose as taxpayers: the Government owns quite a lot of power generation, so any drop in revenue will mean less government money. And if we continue to sell these power generating companies, revenues will drop even further, so we shouldn’t sell them either. Um… ignore that last bit.
6. Businesses shut, jobs gone: Both the Labour and the Greens are promising more business and more jobs. There is no way businesses will hire more people if their overheads are falling. It’s just not logical. If I owned a business and I had more money and the economy was growing because people had more money because they were paying more for power, the last thing I would be doing is thinking about hiring more people.
7. What about the planet? The Labour and the Greens have said for years we should be paying higher prices for power because of oil or the greenhouse or something. I wasn’t really listening. If they really want to stop global warming then they should let power companies charge heaps for their product. I’m no scientist, but surely if people don’t turn their heaters on because they can’t afford power, the earth will not be as warm.
8. We have choice and competition: There are over 4 million people in New Zealand. We are all able to switch power companies any time we want. I remember Meridian came knocking at my door with a better deal. We changed. The next day Mercury Energy turned up with an even sweeter deal. We changed again. The next day Genesis turned up with an amazing deal AND a meat pack. Again we changed. This is a free country. I can do whatever I want. I’m sure the power companies are sending people out into the poorer suburbs of Auckland and Wellington to get better deals like this.
9. Shearer-Norman power: The power market is one of the easiest to enter. The Labour and the Greens claim companies are making “super-profits”. If that were the case, they could set up their own power company and fund their election campaign – and lower power prices for everyone. It’s just like charter schools: a school is quite easy to set up because kids are everywhere. All you need is a building, a reem of paper and some HB pencils to provide a quality, unregistered, unmonitored education for those kids. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this, but there is a link there, believe you me. And it will be bad.
10. It’s cheaper to hand out money: The Greens and the Labour would be better to hand out money to help poor families pay for power. While they’re at it why don’t they hand out money for everything the poor can’t afford. Housing, food, school, healthcare. Talk about fence at the top of a cliff. In the last 30 years New Zealand has had a proud tradition of putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Why should we stop now.
In summary, Greens/Labour bad… m-kay.
Yes they should just call Hides column a party political statement on behalf of the government, nice summary boonman saves me wading through his biased dribble.
The man who sold out auckland has as much credibility as arrogant Gilmore.
This deserves a stand-alone post somewhere. Suggest you spell the name ‘Rortney’ to avoid any doubt about identity đ
Love It,
“Feel the rhythm with your hands
or (Steal the rhythm while you can)
All my friends are Indians
(All my friends are brown and red)
Come on while I get off
Come together with your hands.”
Is there a pejorative tone in this NZ Herald article about the experienced Auckland lawyer involved in a large number of Christchurch earthquake court claims ?
I detect such a tone frankly.
If I’m not wrong what’s that all about I wonder ? Concern for the interests of established Christchurch law firms ? Or the insurance companies perhaps ? Concern expressed, by way of pejorative rather than direct statement, in the MSM. Who is being served here or is this just some rubbish pumped out by some cub reporter ?
Seems the man did a not too bad job for his clients in a recent well publicised case. Certainly his clients appear to be reasonably satisfied.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10883016
My guess is that he’s upsetting the Chch legal establishment, who would no doubt be in cahoots with the insurance companies and the businesses that are doing well out of the reconstruction. It was weird, because it seems like he’s doing a reasonable job.
More land grabbing on the way.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8662181/Govt-plans-to-ditch-Housing-NZ-properties
And of course there s always big profits to be made
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8659998/High-country-farmer-subdivision-profits-released
There is no council or state owned land that the private sector does not want – well until it needs cleaning up.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3592589/Abandoned-mine-cleanup-cost-put-at-17-4m
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6615348/11-6m-not-enough-to-clean-up-NZs-most-polluted-lake
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/7248856/Water-clean-up-a-challenge-for-farming
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/519213/Govt-gives-1-5m-to-Patea-contamination-clean-up
QFT
And this government is giving it to them taking us back to the days of feudalism. We’ll end up a society with land barons and serfs – just as National intend and their rich mates want.
The end of state housing.
Is this a privatisation to far?
A National government plan to transfer state houses to private charities has been revealed.
Govt plans to ditch Housing NZ properties
(transferred to charities as outlined by Housing Minister Nick Smith)
Why not go the whole hog and transfer public hospitals as well to private charities. Just as they were in the 19th Century.
There is a reason why social provision was taken out of the hands of private charities.
Do you want a church as your landlord?
How about some rich Remuera dowager?
Do we want rich donors to again decide who are the “deserving poor”?
Will you have to be a “Good Christian”? Will you have to make ‘The Pledge” to get your family off the street?
And haven’t the major private charities and churches got huge property portfolios already?
No doubt humiliating those less well off will bring a warm glow to the hearts of the toffs.
And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property, as they see fit, or “because the need is greater somewhere else”. Then we will truely be back in the 19th Century, with mass homelessness and begging urchins on the streets. Giving these private charities even greater opportunities for the rich to publicly display their philanthropy. How else will they be able to keep on receiving their knighthoods and royal investitures, but by grandiose public displays of their largesse. Given to the suitably grateful deserving poor. And not those terrible Chartists or other ingrates who dare to question why they have been reduced to beggars for a place to live.
and it is one more Policy with no mandate
It’s all in your final paragraph Jenny:
“And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property………”
It’s a two stager: (1) Off to the private charities, and when they can’t afford upkeep and maintenance (which is fully anticipated of course), (2) Off to private money which will “manage” without a hint of charity (which is fully anticipated of course).
Result: no more social housing. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
As planned ? “God, I don’t know (despairingly).” Eventually we’re going to need a “Spring”.
There’s a special post on this topic just opened.
This government has no shame.
They gave a massive tax cut to the rich of this country, then turned around to the rest of the country and said we have no money. We need to sell our assets to get some money. And who could afford to buy those assets…the rich.
If there is one story that should be at the front of every opposition election campaign in 2014, it is this.
The only New Zealanders this government gives a damn about is the 2.5 %.
Look at what they have done, not what they say.
Just in case you may have missed this, Shane Jones in Parliament. Telling it how it is and in good old fashioned layman’s language
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2013/05/09/shane-jones-on-nz-power-and-labours-purpose/
A ‘must read article’ by Tracy Watkins on Stuff this morning in light of the proposed changes to the GCSB Act
An American expert who came to New Zealand to write a report on border security claims he was subject to heavy-handed tactics by intelligence agencies that seemed determined to shut him down.
….
In an extraordinary series of allegations, he says he was threatened with an investigation by the Security Intelligence Service, locked out of his office at NZ Customs, had his computer hard drive and research materials seized while colleagues reported his rubbish bins being searched – he believes by the SIS.
Lebamoff was at one stage so concerned by the reaction of New Zealand authorities to his border security report he says he feared being stopped as he tried to leave the country.
In an even more bizarre twist, he says he was warned off by the director of New Zealand’s Intelligence Co-ordination Group, Roy Ferguson, who is based in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
Adding weight to Lebamoff’s claims, Ferguson does not dispute the meeting and acknowledges he became involved as a matter of national security. He also confirms that a representative of the US Embassy was at the meeting. The embassy has refused comment.
It all adds up to what seems like an extraordinary over-reaction to a report that largely concluded the major threat to New Zealand’s borders was not terrorism but a biosecurity breach. ….
Full article is here
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8624285/US-scholar-embroiled-in-NZ-security-row
Seems like his report is not what senior officials wanted to hear.
Seems like senior officials wanted to start a hackneyed old “terrorism drumbeat” up in order to justify some of the changes we tot he GCSB etc are now seeing.
I agree.
I suspect that we will see more about this, in view of his refusal to sign a Deed agreeing not to publish his report. Dotcom’s lawyers may well be interested in the report …..
looking forward, seen this Pan overview Pt.III? Bogard optimism my friends.
from the disciple Jesus loved.
Lebamoff says after being summoned to the meeting at a building in Wellington’s Pipitea St he was given a lecture on the importance of the New Zealand-US relationship.
“He [Ferguson] said he didn’t want to damage that; there were things in my report that could potentially damage that. I had no idea what he was talking about. He gave me no specifics.”
More mayhem on the roads what a waste.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10883071
Tony Ryall on q&a finished his interview by using a rugby analogy that National were “ankle tapped” by Labour/Greens. I thinked he cocked up and was meant to say that National were “Head high tackled” but got his rugby analogies mixed up, nothing wrong with an “ankle tap” Tony. Thinking about it, “Ankle tap” perfectly sums up what the Greens/Labour did, now they need to come over the top and clean the bastards out.
I suspect Mr Ryall’s error has something to do with the fact that his interest in rugby is with what lies below, rather than above, a rugby players belt…
Shoes, I mean, of course. Mr Ryall’s well known as a clothes horse.
more like a lying nag
Ryall trying to talk about rugby reflects quite appropriately National trying to have something to say about Labour-Greens policy.
If media do not get Gilmore’s personal stuff to run this week, maybe someone can deflect it to Ryall knowing something more personal than having his ankle tapped. About time that came out.
I’m sure all that dirt is useful for keeping Ryall in line. But if he should ever find himself on someone’s wrong side them I imagine a whole bunch of stuff could come tumbling out.
đ exactery! In another life he’d be measuring inside legs (for the purpose of sartorial elegance of course).
looking for gherkins to pull the plug on, or gooseberries to dine for.
Saarbo, Ryall must’ve had a briefing from that noted front row forward Boss Hogg Bennett because he did allude to the head-high earlier in the interview.
Maybe the erroneous mention of the ankle-tap came from a movement commonly seen in traditional dance performed by strikingly muscular Polynesian men.
Tigger at 8.1 ………Tigger Tigger Tigger !
Bad Boy ! Tony Ryall’s dress sense is impeccable. Take for example the boldly checked table-cloth business shirts underneath the perennial barristerial pinstripes. This riot of colour and clash fabulously finished off with dots or paisley in madly eyecatching half/full windsor knotted ties.
One can see the hand of Gok Wan in there somewhere, or maybe not.
Remember School Journals along with other ministry published material when you were at school. Well this is what the govt is doing to them.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1305/S00109/government-urged-to-save-the-school-journal-and-learning-media.htm
There was also a discussion on this on RNZ National’s Nine to Noon programme last Wednesday morning, which can be heard here
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2554342/uncertain-future-for-soes.asx
yet, the article about “Deer Hunting with Jesus” that mac 1 linked to laments lossed opportunities to read. He wept.
After 1989 (1991?) at the beginning of Tomorrows Schools, School Publications very nearly were abolished by the then new National Government. The School Journals are unique to NZ and for one thing provide “books” to kids who have no books at home. They are brilliant and if they went out of business to satisfy a business market model there will be some very angry children, parents and teachers!
They are brilliant and if they went out of business to satisfy a business market model there will be some very angry children, parents and teachers!
None of that matters to “market” cultists and dogmatists like Messrs Joyce, Key and English.
Just…God.
http://www.testosteronepit.com/home/2013/5/9/when-flight-safety-gets-outsourced-to-china.html
Heh, China can show us the “Way”
One point Oram failed to really emphasise is that Huawei has had massive government support, financial backing and contracts every step of the way.
yeah, I wonder what happens locally with procurement, oh, that’s right đ (only a matter of time Colonel, only a matter of time; and with cabbages and caulis only $1.98 (untrimmed) on the weekends at the big yellow store, less physical gardening to do!)
now, where was that anglo-saxon parchment of Chris’s…
Even European manufacturers are reluctant to get behind EU investigations into Huawei and ZTE subsidies for fear of being shut out of the China market, so Huawei has a double-whammy market advantage that could never be emulated in NZ.
I have no idea how this would be anything but deflating to an NZ business with global ambitions.
however, Shoplifters (and staff) thefts Soar : UNITE đ
When and how the US will become involved in Syria is becoming clearer.
One thing is for sure. It will not be for humanitarian reasons to halt the killings. Or liberate the Syrian people.
It will be to attack those they see as their political enemies. At the top of the US hit list is not the murderous Bashar Assad but one of the rebel forces Al Nusra. A far from homogeneous Islamic liberation movement which makes up part of the united front against Assad.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/americas-hidden-agenda-in-syrias-war#full
It looks likely, that if the rebels are seen to be close to defeating the Assad regime, and the end of the civil warn is drawing near to a close. The US and their well paid and supported agents (probably repackaged unemployed Assad loyalists) will act to extend and prolong the blood letting by exploiting the sectarian differences among the rebels.
What are the Syrian people to do in such circumstances?
They will have no choice but to declare, “We are all Al Nusra” and “An attack on one, is an attack on all”.
Only by keeping the united front whole, have the Syrians any real chance of a lasting peace.
I’m convinced.
Jenny, Syria is a lot more complicated than you make it out to be. Who are the “Syrian people” you are talking about here? The country is riven along multiple faultlines, see this article here for a quick breakdown of them :
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2013/Apr-17/213992-syrias-six-simultaneous-conflicts.ashx#axzz2RyicrYMY
And this one:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-syrias-war-the-lines-that-matter-arent-red/2013/05/09/b29ac688-b808-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html
The simple fact is that there is a civil war being fought, based on sectarian divisions within Syria. Supporters of the carious sects are aiding their allies. The west doesn’t have any natural allies in terms of those sectarian differences, and that is why it has largely stayed out of it.
The west does however have perceived interests in the war. the Assad regime has large stockpiles of weaponry. Whatever happens, something will happen to those weapons and that’s largely what the west is concerned about. The FSA is not lilly white. The West is under no moral obligation to help them. It’s a civil war. Their war.
Intervening in a civil war, where you don’t have any real ties to the place is a fraught business. The intentions of the Sunni majority are not clear. They themselves are in fact divided. They are in fact linked to Iraqi Sunni groups. This is not surprising due to the fact of tribal and family links.
On the other side you’ve got Hezbollah openly saying that they will be defenders of the Golan. There are multiple angles to this. Firstly they are supporting the regime in Syria for the Shia sectarian reason. Secondly, a sunni regime in Syria would be less likely to allow Iranian arms to travel to lebanon on their roads, Thirdly the support they give now will pay dividends should the Assad regime fall. Hezbollah can move a ‘franchise, if you like, into Syria to be the defenders of Syrian Shia in the same way they are in Lebanon. And Syrian Shia are going to need defenders from any new Sunni led regime.
So when you say “the syrian people” who are you talking about, and who are you excluding?
Re-Syria, some twitter accounts to follow.
https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss
https://twitter.com/AcrossTheBay
https://twitter.com/Brown_Moses
Cheers.
Try these guys too:
https://twitter.com/pdanahar
https://twitter.com/RamiKhouri
https://twitter.com/Matt_VanDyke
Scottish comedian, Frankie Boyle, on the Keiser Report (2nd half of vid):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJtP-iXQsvA
# geoff
To set you tube start times.
http://youtubetime.com/
The Frankie Boyle segment starting at 11m.25s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJtP-iXQsvA&t=11m25s
Good to know, thanks joe90!
Brilliant—and blacklisted by State television.
Hurry Hurry selling fast NZ to the highest bidder dont worry about a democratic govt or international governance capitalism is king .You to can own a country just ring KEY BROKERAGE @FORMERNZ GOVT
Wait theres more we will throw in the Southern Basin Oil reserves plus all the mining you want
No elections to worry about just come on in with your nuclear power and WHY
Thats about it now
PS Bring your Army just to be safe
Hamilton is far to wealthy, it simple needs loud cars droning continuously driving around the city center to drive retial customers away, why council does not do anything about them???
“…undeserved further stress”.
Even in disgrace he equivocates. A perfect expression of everything the National Party represents.
Yep Gilmore has resigned. Taken out by his own team…
A pity. I hoped that he would stay on as a continuing embarrassment.
I am glad the prat has gone and the smokescreen has lifted, to show more worrying concerns like the GCSB bill. THAT is what we should now concern ourselves over, not some low life arrogant rightwing shit.
+1
I’ve been listening to Radionz Te Ahi Kaa on at 6.06 pm Sundays. I recommend this to keep in touch with the positives and advances and successes of Maori which we don’t tend to hear or read about otherwise because they don’t get featured.
Maori have been contending with the Government again with Jokeyhen saying that bandwidth for 4G is not a taonga. Of course it is vital for Maori in this technological age but gummint seem to always want to give them the old car down the back yard that needs fixing as their idea to help Maori get with it in the IT age.
They were mentioning Maori they didn’t get television until they went to the Privy Council. Each time they have come up against gummint intransigence in Court they have won. And it has been stated that these tech systems are taonga. But still National and right wing Labour have a bigoted, prejudiced attitude that doesn’t want to see Maori advance.
And apparently Telecom and Vodafone have ‘special advisors’ in Mobie that understand and probably facilitate their interests but 2 Degrees, no.
Of course keeping up with Maori news is made easy if you listen on Radionz throughout the day to Te Manu Korihi –
‘Providing news on MÄori issues, Te Manu Korihi features four times each weekday, in Radio New Zealand National’s leading news programmes Morning Report (6.27am and 8.45am) and Checkpoint (5.45pm and 6.45pm).’
test
having trouble with the cloud
Eliot Higgins does police misconduct too.
http://brown-moses.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/hackgate-ipcc-and-surreys-collective.html