‘Labour AHEAD of Tories by six points in stunning new poll as public say Theresa May should resign.
Jeremy Corbyn would be Prime Minister if an election was held tomorrow, according to the pollster which most accurately predicted Thursday’s election result.
A new poll by Survation puts Labour six points ahead of the Tories on 45% of the vote.
The Tories, meanwhile, polled 39% – almost four points below their result in the general election.
It is the first time since Theresa May took power that any poll has put Labour ahead of the Conservatives.’
Richard Burgon
“In last 3 days, 150,000 people have joined Labour. We now have 800,000 members. Great news! Let’s make it a million! ”
‘Just days after the election, Labour has received two bits of very good news. Firstly, its membership has surged to a stunning 800,000. Secondly, a new poll suggests that, were there to be another general election, Labour would now beat the Conservatives by a country mile.
By the end of the New Labour era, Labour’s membership had dropped to just over 150,000. Now Corbyn has attracted that number of new members in just three days:
The party, already the largest social democratic one in Europe, now has 800,000 – and has the million mark in its sights.’
Bugger! I’ll have to stop watching The Canary! Far too much unrealistic enthusiasm! Far too much fallacious hope!
Back home: it is a truism that Opposition Parties don’t win elections, Government Parties lose them.
Well, come September, enough centrist voters might, just might, change their votes to give the Labour/Greens enough seats to continue doing the same as National, only in a nicer, friendlier way. Neoliberalism with a smiling face!
A million people still will not bother voting, but there will be a small surge of hope when a Labour/Green administration, with necessary support from NZ First, becomes government. Nothing much else will change, of course, but we’ll all feel momentarily better.
Oh, they’ll do their best to put a dent in some of the big issues the election was fought on. But, apart from those efforts, nothing fundamental will be any different! The poor might be better cared for, but the rich will still get richer!
And the rampant enthusiasm expressed above will carry us on to victory. Wah!
Man, there are goals worth making an effort for! I’m all fired up! I feel inspired! Not quite like Corbyn inspired the left in the UK, but hey, this is NZ after all. We don’t do passion – except in sport.
Same issues bubbling to the surface though with respect to young people. The burden of student loan debt, housing affordability and the declining prospects of home-ownership, a sense that they’re getting screwed in some generational war where older voters have circled the wagons around all their entitlements and bugger everyone else.
a sense that they’re getting screwed in some generational war where older voters have circled the wagons around all their entitlements and bugger everyone
That’s just some left wing bullshit meme you guys are trying to cultivate in an attempt to get the youth voting left.
Probably one of the nastier political strategies the left are involved in, up there with the race baiting.
…and tell us we are “pretty useless” and rort his housing allowance for a sum greater than the median wage.
He’s a dull and depressing ex-Treasury ideologue – Don Brash without the charisma.
Truly – I really mean that last bit – Don was riveting because you never knew if he was about to say something totally insane.
Not meaning to distract you here Wayne. But back in April you posted comments relating to a Tory surge in Scotland. (I, me – egg on my face over that one 😉 ). But given that elsewhere you readily admit to being too far way to have any insight into UK politics, and given that the Tories in Scotland could have been counted on a careless sawmill worker’s remaining fingers since the 1980s…just wondering if there’s anything any little birdies told you that you might want to share?
“From what I can see National doesn’t have the same approach as the Conservatives.”
Something’s changed then. They used to be Tweedledum and Tweedledee, shaped by Crosby/Textor and sharing ideas like old school chums – at least they were when I saw the video-link between the two parties at a Blue/Green meeting – those Tory chaps and ours were full of bonhomie (and other stuff but that’s another matter).
‘They are campaigning from a fundamentally better economic base.’
It didn’t have to be that way Wayne, NZ’s economy could have been as strong as Britain’s if that braindead moron Bill English had grown the productive sector instead of relabeling real estate inflation and migrant capital inflows as growth.
The Gnats have been a shamefully lazy as well as a corrupt and socially backward government.
The NZ economy, on any objective measure, is doing better than the UK and has done so for years. I think you will find even NZ Labour admits that.
This shows up in the “right direction/wrong direction” polls. In NZ has been positive for years, in the UK it has been negative.
Of course in MMP that is no guarantee for the government. Even with National at 47% the govt only has a one seat majority.
So it is all up in the air.
You persist in trying to reinforce your fiction – objective measures like the inflation adjusted cost of living obviously form no part of your calculations.
The Gnat ‘strong economy’ is an artifact constructed from spurious data which has no basis in reality.
Slow immigration with its attendant capital inflows and the illusion will fade away overnight.
You’ve made a complete fuck of it.
Balance of payments gives the lie to all your nonsense.
You’re going to have to squeal louder, BM. The sound of NZ’s left wing’s joyous celebrating is making such wheedles as yours all but impossible to hear.
Did i miss something? Did Labour UK win the election and Jeremy Corbyn is British PM for the next 5 years and is about to implement all his policies?
No?
Thought not
Did you miss something, Alan?
Oh yes, you did.
Here’s a helpful clue. Millions of left wingers are revived, empowered, expectant and celebrating. Watch out!
Alan
Sorry TS doesn’t supply a nice simple explanation for political behaviour so that it is easy to understand. Did you understand that? No. Thought not. More thought by you is needed as for all of us. It is complex.
It may well be that Jeremy Corbyn does become PM and perhaps sooner rather than later. In the meantime though he’s best to sit back and let the Tories go to town on each other.
Why would the left be celebrating Labour not getting decimated in the UK election?
Seriously how does that help the NZ Labour party?, apart from a few political junkies who frequent boards such as this one or Kiwiblog, no one even knew there was an election in the UK or even cared.
These days the UK has about as much relevance to NZ as Madagascar
Why would the left be celebrating, BM?
Puzzling for you, isn’t it!
They are though, really cock-a-hoop, the lot of them!
Maybe they’ve enjoyed a success that you just can’t see.
I’m sure though, you wish them well in their happiness.
After all, they’re just ordinary folk, like you.
Right on TV.
Sorry about that, but it certainly brought out the right wing apologists. They just don’t get it. It is inconceivable to them that Jeremy is on to something decent.
Global economic growth is weak, has been weak, and will continue to be weak for many reasons. Not least of which is the massive overhanging piles of accumulated debt across the global economy, which are very growth unfriendly.
As Professor Steve Keen has shown, if your debt grows at 10%, and this enables your economy to grow at 5%, anything less than a more rapid rate of credit growth in the future will cause your economy to contract.
Said another way, as long as you can grow your debts at a faster pace than your income — forever — you’ll never have to experience another economic downturn.
That statement right there, lays bare the entire ridiculousness of everything the central banks have, and are currently trying to engineer.
I read your story yesterday TRP. It was very affecting. He was a rough diamond, had work, was an employer, had family and was sent into exile by the Australians on spurious grounds. Totally medieval. I’m putting something in wish I could give more. Everyone deserves fair treatment, and just treatment, this chap had neither.
And Gerry Brownlee’s bulk is all marshmallow. This morning on Radionz he didn’t have much to say about how OZ needs to behave with respect to we NZrs. Just a bunch of excuses for them doing what they feel like. Unfortunately our countries are infected by neoliberal economic lack of ethical belief in the way that people are viewed. So RW NZ and OZ are in each others’ pockets, and a pocketful of mumbles is all they have to say about decent behaviour.OzKiwi wants stronger advocacy for expats from NZ government
From Morning Report, 7:28 am today 5.42m
The Foreign Affairs Minister is advising New Zealanders living in Australia they should seek dual citizenship or realise they’ll have fewer rights. Tim Gassin from Oz Kiwi is in our Wellington studio and says…..
After a series of kernel stoppages in the last week, usually during the morning load winding up, the server is now on a late 4.4.0 kernel. So far that is stable.
Which is a great relief as I have been stuck on other critical house move tasks but have been frustrated by the need to remain close to that damn machine.
But I have noticed few quirks like slow saves of post settings. Hardly surprising as the 4.4 kernel doesn’t know much about the hardware on the server. I am also expecting some operations to be slow.
Let me know here if you see anything odd that shows up today and later.
Salman Abedi’s family were political refugees from Gadaffi’s Libya. His father was accused by Gadaffi of giving a heads up to targets of the then Libyan intelligence/security community. His father returned to Libya after the ouster of Gadaffi and has some position relating to UN recognised government factions or some such.
So the first link is to a subscription offer (not happening) and the second hasn’t got anything in it about Salman Abedi’s family being let into the UK by MI5.
I found the FT piece using Google – could read it without being asked to subscribe.
The title is: “Terrorism: Libya’s civil war comes home to Manchester.”
…the attack raises serious questions over their assessment of it. MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, facilitated the travel of many Islamist Mancunians back to Libya…
Allegations have also emerged that in 2011, the UK may have relaxed restrictions on LIFG fighters based in the UK and helped them return to Libya to fight Gaddafi.
His father was a refugee. His father lives in Libya again. His father was questioned as was his sister. That would be normal procedure after a bombing.
And again. Nothing anywhere about any conspiracy involving the family being in cahoots with MI5 and directly involved in the Manchester bombing – as per the claims in your original comment.
You’re not going to continue with what that “but” was about?
Here, let me.
…all this extremism was ‘contained’ by the security forces in countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria. They were the ones with skin in the game who kept tabs on shit, and western governments used their intel.
I then went on to question why western governments chose to overthrow the governments that were known to be ‘containing’ the self-same terrorist threat that has now spilled into Europe.
There is something comical about that observation OAB?
What the fuck is wrong with people? Yes. I made a comment about the refugee status of Abedi’s family from the 90s. I reiterated that above.
Now, how the fuck does anyone get from that to OABs comment about some conspiracy whereby the family was in cahoots with MI5 and directly involved in the Manchester bombing?
And where have there been such stories? None of the links provided, in psite of AOBs comment, make that claim.
Sure. There were no “outraged stories about Salman Abedi’s family being let into the UK by MI5, implicating them in his crimes”. And no links to any such stories.
The point was all held in connection set free. I’ll say thanks for putting it up because I want to know that.
As for the other – pretty mild compared to what governments and security services do to achieve their aims. Harder to believe it didn’t happen than did.
In fact, you’ve done sweet fuck all to refute my point. The rash of stories examining the Abedi family’s alleged links to Libyan Islamist fighters and MI5 were given far greater prominence than the reality of their being released without charge.
Whether or not my summary of the narrative is 100% accurate is incidental.
You haven’t linked to a single one of this supposed “rash of stories examining the Abedi family’s alleged links to Libyan Islamist fighters and MI5”
There were some stories on the fathers extremism and his application for asylum in the 90s.
And there have been stories suggesting known or suspected Islamist terrorists (not specifically members of Abedi’s family) have found travel easy enough.
There has been nothing about any links between Abedi’s family and MI5.
Next time there’s a piece of crap propaganda – I guess you prefer the term “fake news” – are you going to hold to the line that accuracy or lack thereof is incidental?
Whereas I think a lot of dogwhistling went on, designed to give precisely that impression. An impression that will stick, especially since the lack of charges will not be given anything like as much prominence.
There was no dogwhistling with regards Adebi’s family and MI5 or whatever and that was what your original comment focused on: his family.
Suspected collusion between known Islamist terrorists and MI5? Yup. There’s been reporting to that effect.
Is there anything to those stories? I dunno. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.
Thinking here of Shajul Islam, a UK trained doctor who was charged in connection with the kidnapping of John Cantlie, but who walked free from the High Court when all charges were dropped at the last minute (Cantlie had been kidnapped again). He subsequently turned up in Khan Shaykhun having his tweets uncritically reported by the western msm as though he was a neutral source of info.
Salman Abedi was linked to a group of disaffected young men who went to fight in Libya with their fathers before switching allegiance to Islamic State, The Times can reveal.
The bomber is understood to have been in Libya at the same time as some of the youths, all about the same age, who later faced terrorism charges.
Salman Abedi is believed to have turned to Isis while in Libya, where he had gone with his father.
It is thought that one of the counterterrorism raids yesterday was connected to the gang of Libyan extremists after police received a tip-off. Greater Manchester police have been told that Abedi was friends with at least two members of the group, who are all linked to Manchester…
here’s a good one from stuff: in the article headlined “Britain says some of Manchester bomber’s network potentially still at large” there’s a nice teaser for a related story “Terror runs in the family”, the actual story headline “Manchester bombing: Police arrest suspected attacker’s family as they investigate terror ‘network'”.
Might not be a “rash”, but there was a consistent narrative.
Electricity suppliers 29 of them in NZ, electricity business of 4 million people oversupplied and overtapped as is anything remotely likely to be a business in NZ, are not putting money back into their systems – their infrastructure is ‘past its use by date’. Another example of business in NZ over-competitive, only able to succeed by underinvesting in everything including people being paid low wages. Wages are kept down by creating a pool of unemployed people with many immigrants seeking work so driven by high supply wages stay low.
But one of the reasons that we had to change from a government managed country was because government wasn’t providing the infrastructure that business wanted. All these self-made men needed government and resented that. They should be able to own stuff and supply stuff to other businessmen. Now we have gone full circle under business control which is probably from offshore.
An item on a refugee from Eritrea, says very hard to get jobs. He knows of some with university degrees unable to find work. On radio this morning but not new news.
English says that we need immigrants and talks about near full employment, but how reliable are those figures. We know how rain is measured, a straightforward method. But employment figures, are those ones that are catch-all for every bit of ‘paid’ work done starting from one hour per week?
English told Morning Report that, with near-full employment in some areas, slashing immigration when there was a need for workers would not be sensible.
Labour, which is expected to announce its immigration policy shortly, has accused the National government of failing to adequately plan for what has been record immigration – putting pressure on infrastructure, housing, and public services.
“We’ve been planning for a growing economy and adapting to that growth, because it’s been more sustained I think than people expected – more successful than people expected,” Mr English said.
“We need the people to do the jobs. Right now, the demands in the construction sector are as high as they have ever been.”
He said if Labour announced a plan to cut net migration by 20,000-30,000 people a year, as has been reported, it would stall the economy.
“We have to build the houses, we have to build the roads and the water pipes to support the houses – that’s for people who are here now.
“Slashing the immigration – whatever you think of it – slashing it when you need the people to do the jobs that must be done, it doesn’t make any sense.”
What’s this about planning for growth? National Party? Blunderbuss boys!
Actually poor helpless, hapless Bull English charges into every problem without any finesse as he is a product of the economic Dr Dolittle business ‘intelligence’ system.
Has he not heard of targeted immigration which we have in NZ had before and which needs to be used as a tool right now. All people who have applications in at present should be fairly treated and go through the system as is if they have paid a large sum of money. But then there should be a break where only applications from potential employers for waiting jobs in certain skills should be considered for say two years. ‘Something could be done, but nothing must be done for the first time!’
Just been reading an article in The Independent and came across this comment in the section below the article that appears to contain some very on point and informative links concerning the whole BREXIT malarkey. I’ve quickly checked out a couple of the links so far and yup, they’re nuts and bolts type stuff . I know we’re a long way away, but I’m aware that some (the geeks) are interested, so I’m posting the comment in its entirety for those interested in exploring the linked documents etc.
______________________-
@SoManyStupidPeopleSoLittleTime”There is a HUGE difference between Hard Brexit and soft Brexit. You don’t get it?”-
The EU27 leaders have explained many times that ‘soft Brexit’ does not exist. It is a delusional British fabrication that the Brits have been fighting about for months. You are fighting about unicorns in your distant galaxy.
Read Article 50: There is only ONE kind of Brexit = the UK 100% out of the EU = all EU treaties cease to apply to the UK on 30 March 2019. The UK supreme court said so too.
Barnier said there is only one kind of Brexit. Tusk said hard Brexit or no Brexit (which also means only ONE kind of Brexit). Schaeuble and Juncker said OUT IS OUT. Etc. etc.
The UK cannot ‘keep’ anything it had as an EU member.
After exit, the UK can start begging the EU27 for some limited access to the EU single market in exchange for UK’s large trade-offs.
How many times do the Brits need to be told this?
Unless of course by ‘hard Brexit’ you mean the UK crashing out of the EU without an exit agreement, whereas ‘soft Brexit’ means the UK exiting the EU with an exit agreement (about citizens’ rights, Irish border, financial obligations and many aspects of disentangling the UK from the EU as specified in the EU27 Brexit Directives). These two possibilities do exist.
Instead of fighting about unicorns, I strongly recommend you read the EU27 Brexit documents – please explain where you see any kind of a ‘soft Brexit’:
KEY DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS ISSUED BY THE EU27
Here is the trio of absolutely BINDING instructions for the EU27 Brexit negotiators = for the European Commission and Barnier’s team:
(1) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM
adopted on 5 April 2017 = seven days after the UK’s exit notification!!!
(516 MEPs in favour, 133 against, 50 abstain)
The above trio is what the EU27 are putting on the table. When the UK gets its act together and finally crawls to the negotiating table, the EU27 negotiators will explain more details to the UK negotiators (whoever they are – the UK has not yet appointed any!!!).
Oh, and shock and horror for Theresa No-Running-Commentary May, the EU27 GAC has also adopted
(4) GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSPARENCY IN NEGOTIATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 50 TEU
As a further clarification in more details of the Directives, the European Commission published two working papers specifying in more detail the EU27’s negotiating position on two topics of the exit agreement:
(5) WORKING PAPER “ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES ON CITIZENS’ RIGHTS” (4 pages)
published on 29 May 2017, discussed by the EU27 representatives on 30 May
If the UK had a responsible government, it would now be working on examining in very great detail the EU27’s negotiating position as specified in the above documents and preparing its reply, e.g. which items the UK agrees about and for which it has counter-proposals or counter-arguments.
Indeed, the ONLY way to start constructively sorting out the huge self-imposed Brexit mess is formation of a government of national unity with all parliamentary parties working together (without new elections). But sadly the Brits are not capable of working together even when faced with a major (self-imposed) notional crisis.
Oh joy, Mike Williams and Matthew Hooton are the political commentators on RNZ this morning, talking about the about to be released Labour immigration policy and the UK situation. Is this really the best you can do RNZ?
It wasn’t too bad this week. I suspect that every now and again RNZ gives Hooton a talking to… about his arrogant and shouty behaviour on air and he pulls his horns in for a while.
The project proceeds. The Hundertwasser museum and virant showcase for Maori has 3 weeks to raise it’s last money – $1.25 million. It will be something that will remain beautiful even when our reputation as clean, green and honest is tarnished.
So we must intend that they make it.
We need something that we have provided for ourselves, showcasing that Europe that has given us so much in the way of culture, from the beginning of NZ and then after WW2 where we were visited by people with deeper thoughts and ideas than we had ever envisaged. Mixed with Maori culture, the cultural centre will be a jewel on our emerald bosom. Poetic eh!
To the NZ Herald it is just a sensational story about a teacher posing like a showgirl wearing startling blue contact lenses. To me it’s worrying as I note that she is called a math teacher and is from a charter school in the USA. And is an example of the sort of teacher with extracurricular activities that should not be their business to teach children.
(Seeing that there are extremely low barriers to qualifications and teaching at our charters it isn’t impossible that people with skewed attitudes would get involved.)
I admit that I was nervous about Labour’s new immigration policy announcement, but It looks to me that they have managed to produce a really good policy that just makes cuts in the dodgy, exploitative areas.
Somehow we need to get this message across to the NZ Labour Party!
From Jacobin online magazine.
Why Corbyn Won
• BHASKAR SUNKARA
“The Labour left remembered that you don’t win by tacking to an imaginary centre — you win by letting people know you feel their anger and giving them a constructive end to channel it towards. “We demand the full fruits of our labour,” the party’s election video said it all.”
“One senior lawyer involved in the foreign trusts industry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said expenses incurred by the charities looked at in Operation Timepiece seemed high.
In the past three years for which accounts for the charities are available, a total of $4.1m was paid in legal, structure and trustee fees, while $5.7m was distributed – the majority to Fondation Eagle, controlled by many of the same lawyers.
“This seems to be more of a charity for lawyers,” the senior lawyer said.”
NZ Treasury’s last fiscal update before the election is a gift to the government:
“The OBEGAL was a surplus of $2.5 billion for the ten months to 30 April 2017, compared to a forecast surplus of $1.0 billion. This favourable variance of $1.5 billion was largely due to the higher than forecast core Crown tax revenue and lower than forecast core Crown expenses discussed above.”
Plenty of room for National campaign lollies.
I suspect Joyce will manifesto another positive shift to the tax brackets for lower income people.
Jeepers, Blade, I had no idea you were suspended with anticipation of my personal details. Let’s see, I was at Dunedin Teachers College for 2 years, some 33 years ago, or there abouts. I taught for 15 years at a primary school, then several more at high school, including filling the role of Head of Department, Maori studies, where I taught te reo and other associated things Maori. Thank goodness for my knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, eh taku hoa! I’ve also taught in a museum classroom, where I introduced children to the marvels of the tuatara, carefully handling those ancient sphenodons so as not to hurt them, the children or myself. I’ve done tutoring for university level learners and worked alongside of Steiner trained early childhood teachers, as well as several other teaching positions that I’ll not mention for the sake of brevity. Hope that satisfies your seemingly insatiable curiosity – that’s something I like in a learner, curiosity, I have to say.
You didn’t “call him out”, you witless parrot: you parroted a load of rote-learned gobshite and offered nothing of substance whatsoever.
Funny that you describe it as “a kicking” too, considering the contempt in which pwned drivel is held around here. I’m picking you for a real tough guy so long as you’ve got a keyboard to cower behind.
The reverse would be someone calling me a swivel-eyed leftie loon or similar. If I attacked them and their family because of that, in the way BM has done, I would expect to get at least a week off.
I’m pretty pissed off right now that this scumbag mentioned my family.
Really ? There are a lot worse post on here against “righties” sometimes with a lot of mob mentality following on.
Or there have been some down right disgusting ones like the one a day after the WINZ workers were murdered and a poster said the killer should be hailed as a hero.
there have been threats of real world violence (in respect to this every time I have seen this the mods banned and edited).
So what muttonbird is crying about isn’t that bad in the scheme of things.
Marty – even us righties know not all lefties are as bad as him. Was mainly pointing out to Maui – that its really isnt one of the worse comments on here by a long way.
I have since changed my stance on Tully. Given that news emerged that police have drawn connections between him and the Kirsty Bentley case (the extent of which is not known), and that his actions have led to the intimidating security policies in place at WINZ offices, I do not belive that he is a ‘hero’ anymore.
Though I do think he should be in a mental health unit, not a prison.
I dunno I think I must have an error deleted it trying to edit.
But I thought that was a pretty low comment
I think I wrote something like this.
Come on BM that is far below your normal standard. As much as I don’t agree with your comments at times you do put up an intelligent valid point of view. You are far above that type of comment so don’t lower yourself. That definitely was not called for.
Mods will make their own decision on the day. So if you cut and pasta BMs offensive comment back to him in the future at an opportune time YOU may get bolded. It is good to hold it for when he goes complete bullshitty and moaning about quality of comments or nastiness of the left.
Truth is you made him skip his nice guy persona and show his nasty gnat side – still it is understandable that his comment has upset you.
Item One: About a confected crisis Please bear with me for a moment, readers outside Auckland, I wish to sound the klaxon. Auckland, we have until 11pm today to have our say. About what? About this, as copied and pasted from Pippa Coom’s Facebook page:The "austerity" budget is built on ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yet again, the statement we were looking for could not be found on the Beehive website. Nor was it on the Scoop or Green Party websites. But – come to think of it – we are probably wasting our time by searching. Our quest is for the ...
The following is from a speech given by Arundhati Roy at the Swedish Academy on March 22, 2023, at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure and reprinted from Literary Hub. I thank the Swedish Academy for inviting me to speak at this conference and for affording me the privilege ...
After almost two decades of racism, Australia is finally getting off its "stop the boats" bullshit. But don't worry, racists - Michael Wood has your back!The Government wants to increase the time it can detain without a warrant people seeking asylum en masse from four days to 28 ...
Last year, the Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the government legislate for pay transparency to prevent employers from secretly discriminating. This ought to be a bread and butter issue for Labour - discrimination sees women (and particularly Māori and Pasifika women) paid significantly less than men. But since then ...
Thomas Cranmer writes – ———— An unruly mob in Albert Park has catapulted New Zealand into the global headlines with ugly images that may become iconic in the debate about the dangers of transgenderism. ———— Bravo Kellie-Jay Keen. She did the job that needed to be done. For all the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is ...
Hot on the heels of the demotion of former police Minister Stuart Nash for breaching the Cabinet Manual, Radio New Zealand has revealed the close links between lobbyists and politicians- an area of New Zealand politics that is completely unregulated. The evidence in Guyon Espiner’s series Mate, Comrade, Brother, the ...
At the Auckland Transport board meeting today a series of papers really highlight the cost of sprawl. For the last few years, the Supporting Growth work has been looking at designing the strategic transport networks for future greenfield areas in the South, Northwest, North (around Dairy flat) and in Warkworth. ...
Hi,Today’s newsletter is something I’ve wanted to report for ages, but I have been waiting on a New Zealand judge to make a ruling. That ruling has been made — so here we go.Enjoy.A scene from Mister Organ.Two Police Officers Knock on My DoorOn November 4 last year, I was ...
Only three days after Nanaia Mahuta had dinner with China’s Foreign Minister, New Zealand’s intelligence chiefs were talking about state actors interfering in New Zealand politics and using ethnic communities here for espionage purposes. Neither GSCB Director (and new SIS director) Andrew Hampton nor acting SIS CEO Phil McKee ...
In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has opened the door for a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year. Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister Li Qiang settling into office. ...
Saturday morning, we went to Albert Park.We were there to show support, to challenge words of demonisation.To repeat those words from Michèle A’Court:Making them sound “other” is a technique used by racists and homophobes to dehumanise whole groups of people who “aren’t like them”. If you dehumanise people, it is ...
Too Strong For The Law’s Web: But, if the USA is too big to punish, why isn’t the Russian Federation? Russia’s economy may be roughly the size of Italy’s, but it’s nuclear arsenal is more than capable of laying human civilisation to waste. Threatening to arrest Vladimir Putin - especially when ...
Nobody likes a fascist, except other fascist’s of course. Thankfully they were completely outnumbered in Auckland last Saturday when a supposed advocate for women’s rights, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker, tried to give a public speech about how transgender people are worthy of persecution.You can understand why Parker and her ...
On Friday I sent out a newsletter called Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights to provide information about the visit to our shores of Ms Parker. I attempted to show there were multiple points of view but on balance my sympathies were strongly with the counter protest group standing up for ...
Brian Easton writes – Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector ...
Oh, the irony. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has made a career out of inciting public hostility against the trans community, only to find herself on the receiving end of public hostility at her Auckland rally. In a further case of karmic justice, the people who brought her into the country ended up ...
In 1972, British soldiers tortured a false confession out of Liam Holden, resulting in him being given Britain's last death sentence. While it was commuted to life imprisonment, Holden was wrongly imprisoned for 17 years. Now, the courts have finally recognised that it was torture: In 1973 Liam Holden ...
Taxpayers are not only subsidising already-very-profitable private banks via the cheap ‘Funding For Lending’ loans that helped pumped up house prices in 2021, but are also paying the banks upwards of $2 billion a year in interest for cash kept with the Reserve Bank. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: ...
This weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and consequences. The figure at the centre of the clash was the British “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” Posie ...
Tomorrow the Auckland Transport board meet again. Here are some of the highlights from their board papers. The open session starts at 9am and can be watched on this Teams link. Closed Session The closed session is typically where the most interesting items are discussed. Items for Approval ...
Mutual Support: Democracy in New Zealand will not be saved by pitting Pakeha against Māori, but by joining together with every other citizen who still understands the meaning of working together to build something good that will last. Call that co-governance if you like, or call it something else – ...
Imagine being a great big business success enjoying your lavish Waiheke island property with infinity pool and ballroom and riparian rights and heli-pad. Sweeeet. But imagine, also, having to take orders from some little bureaucratic oik about how often you can land a chopper on it.I can’t, really, but it ...
Hi,New Zealand’s Life megachurch has confirmed to Webworm it was paid $10,000 by Hillsong for investigating Brian Houston’s sexual misconduct allegations.Following Webworm publishing this piece about the $10,000 payment, Life’s Corporate Communications Manager Phil Irons has confirmed what it was for:Paul [de Jong] was engaged by Hillsong to assist in ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 19, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 25, 2023. Story of the Week Q&A: IPCC wraps up its most in-depth assessment of climate change The final part of the world’s most comprehensive assessment of ...
by Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...
By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...
Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument.Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...
imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...
Come on Jess thought Mr Evans come on. He watched the large clock on the wall tick closer to 8:40am. Come on girl.In two minutes he had to submit the class attendance report and with Jess having already been late once that term it’d mean an automatic visit from the ...
This week’s UN IPCC report warned climate emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030, if warming is to be limited to 1.5°C. Bronwyn Hayward points out in The Hoon podcast how far behind NZ’s government and councils are now on climate action compared to the rest ...
Chris Hipkins, after he became prime minister, committed to defeating the cost-of- living crisis. He proceeded to make a bonfire of policies that were at the heart of Jacinda Ardern’s administration. But, as Richard Prebble pointed out this week, “the government has not just U-turned, it has repudiated the ...
There are some wellness, crystal-gazing, holistic spiritual guidance types in my disaster-hit coastal community who insist that the power of positive thinking will overcome the physical and material damages incurred by the community. They object to restrictions on road travel … Continue reading → ...
Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector is inherently unstable, like military ...
1. We see here new police minister Ginny Andersen. Which larger than life NZ political figure was her great-uncle?a. Rob Muldoonb. Bill Andersenc. Richard John Seddond. Norman Kirk2. We see here archival footage of Ginny Andersen coming out of her electorate office to ask ex-tobacco lobbyist Chris Bishop if he ...
Buzz from the Beehive Stuart Nash, speaking as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, one of his remaining portfolios after he was dropped down the Hipkins Government batting order, has drawn attention to the blue economy and its potential. Nash says the government is investing in the blue economy, or – ...
Photo by Josh Mills on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:The runs on Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank on the west coast of the United States that forced the ...
Roundup is back! We skipped last week’s Friday post due to a shortage of person-power – did you notice? Lots going on out there… Our header image this week shows a green street that just happens to be Queen St, by @chamfy from Twitter. This week (and last) in ...
After threatening Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of consequences if he dared to bar her entry, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has been given her visa, regardless. This will enable her to hold rallies in Auckland and Wellington this weekend, and spread her messages of hostility against an already marginalised trans community. Neo-Nazis may, ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as ...
Boomers voted him in, but Brown’s Trumpish moments might spook Aucklanders worried about what a change to National nationally might mean. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR:Auckland MayorWayne Brown has become our version of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, except without any of the insatiable appetite for media appearances. He ...
The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the ...
Recently you might have heard of a person called Posie Parker and her visit to Aotearoa. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. So let’s start with who this person is, why their visit is controversial, and what on earth a TERF is.Posie Parker is the super villain ...
The chair of Parliament’s Select Committee looking at the Government’s resource management legislation wants the bills sent back for more public consultation. The proposal would effectively kill any chance of the bills making it into law before the election. Green MP, Eugenie Sage, stressing that she was speaking as ...
Open access notables The United States experienced some historical low temperature records during the just-concluded winter. It's a reminder that climate and weather are quite noisy; with regard to our warming climate,, as with a road ascending a mountain range we may steadily change our conditions but with lots of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The Nanny State has scored some wins (or claimed them) in the past day or two but it faltered when it came to protecting Kiwi citizens from being savaged by one woman armed with a sharp tongue. The wins are recorded by triumphant ministers on the ...
Sometimes you see your friends making the case so well on social media you think: just copy and share.On acceptance and decency, from Michèle A’CourtA notable thing about anti-trans people is they way they talk about transgender women and men as though they are strangers “over there” when in fact ...
Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
Comparing (and switching) electricity providers has become easier, but bundling power up with broadband and/or gas makes it more challenging. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā TL;DR: The new Consumer Advocacy Council set up as a result of the Labour Government’s Electricity Price Review in 2019 has called on either ...
Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products has put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here. A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon may be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but he could be tapping into a rich political vein in describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining, with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
Morning mate, how you going?Well, I was watching the news last night and they announced this scientific report on Climate Change. But before they got to it they had a story about the new All Blacks coach.Sounds like important news. It’s a bit of a worry really.Yeah, they were talking ...
Always a bailout: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Government would fully guarantee all savers in all smaller US banks if needed. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: No wonder an entire generation of investors are used to ‘buying the dip’ and ‘holding on for dear life’. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposés ...
Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
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 ...
RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are weshortchanged democratically by the way ...
RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
The Government’s decision to introduce ‘mass arrivals’ legislation goes against the values we all share of Aotearoa as a place where all people are treated fairly, the Green Party says. ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
Legislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...
A law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...
The Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...
The Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
A major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...
A world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges. Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Can I begin by thanking Gary Taylor, Raewyn Peart and others in the EDS team for their herculean work in support of the environment. I’d also like to acknowledge Hon Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, my parliamentary colleagues, and the many activists here who strive ...
A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment. “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
[CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā tangata katoa, o moana-nui-a-kiwa, E ngā mate, haere, haere, haere atū ra, manuia lau Malaga. Thank you for the kind introduction and opportunity to join you this morning. It is always good to be here in Aukilani, where I ...
E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi, tēnā koutou katoa. Talofa lava and thank you Catherine, for the warm welcome. I’m sorry that I can’t be there in person today but it’s great for the opportunity to contribute virtually. I’d like to start by acknowledging: Alzheimers New Zealand, ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Labor and the Greens on Monday announced a deal to strengthen a key climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, by introducing a hard cap on industrial sector emissions. But the ...
The native parrot the kea is under siege from aerial spread 1080 poison drops says a West Coast wildlife advocate Laurie Collins of Westport. While it is accepted that a good proportion of New Zealanders are opposed to aerial 1080 poison drops used ...
West Coasters might have a taste for the gung-ho but pragmatism has taken a turn for the cautious at an extraordinary Greymouth council meeting Outspoken West Coast Regional Council chair Allan Birchfield has been rolled by his colleagues in a bid to make peace with the government and stem the ...
By Tim Wilson, Executive Director, Maxim Institute* What does politics produce when mixed with violence and intimidation? Sadly nothing constructive, plus a humungous helping of anger, division, recrimination, spleen and confusion. Oh, and headlines. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Senator Lidia Thorpe’s defection from the Greens changed the power dynamic in the Senate. Now the government needs two crossbenchers (and the Greens) to pass legislation opposed by the Coalition. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Labor and the Greens on Monday announced a deal to strengthen a key climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, by introducing a hard cap on industrial sector emissions. But the ...
Security guards have made their voices heard and now have enough signatures to initiate a Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for workers in their occupation. Since the Fair Pay Agreements Bill was passed in October 2022, more than 1000 security guards across Aotearoa New ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Fileborn, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The University of Melbourne ShutterstockThe following article discusses sexual violence, self-harm and suicide. Gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQ+) people experience disproportionately high levels of sexual violence, but we still know very little about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse J. Fleay, Republic Constitutional Scholar, Federalist, Co-Author of the Uluru Statement, University of Notre Dame Australia Australia is preparing for a referendum to decide on the proposed Voice to parliament for First Nations people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated the ...
Toni Collette and John Leguizamo tell Tara Ward about the electric drama set in a world where gender equality becomes a sudden and shocking reality.There’s a moment halfway through in The Power when it seems Toni Collette could be channeling Jacinda Ardern. A mysterious medical event is sweeping the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona Charlson, Conjoint NHMRC Early Career Fellow, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprised of the world’s most esteemed climate experts, delivered its sixth report and “final warning” about the climate crisis. It ...
The government's national security arm says it is working on how to address the spread of disinformation and this is not directed specifically at the general election. ...
Poet Ash Davida Jane talks with poet Andrew Johnston about his Selected Poems, which spans 23 years of his published work. I’ve started writing this review in the notes app on my phone from the backseat of my friend’s car, which feels a far cry from the world of Andrew ...
National is demanding Marama Davidson apologise to cis white men over her comments from Saturday. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he considers the matter closed. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Manlik, Casual Academic and PhD Candidate, Macquarie University ABC The recent ABC mini-series, In Our Blood, offers a fictionalised account of Australia’s response to AIDS, focusing on the development of a partnership between impacted communities, health professionals and government. ...
Aucklanders – it’s your last chance to have a say on the council’s upcoming budget. Submissions close at 11pm tonight, after which they will be collated and considered by councillors before a final proposal’s released by the end of June. As my colleague Tommy de Silva explained earlier this month, ...
Aucklanders – it’s your last chance to have a say on the council’s upcoming budget. Submissions close at 11pm tonight, after which they will be collated and considered by councillors before a final proposal’s released by the end of June. As my colleague Tommy de Silva explained earlier this month, ...
After breaking a years-long gap between New Zealand ministerial visits to China, Nanaia Mahuta says the relationship is in good shape but the Government will keep discussing differences of opinion between the countries - including support for Ukraine New Zealand will keep pushing China to use its influence to help end ...
The government has commissioned an inquiry after forestry waste caused widespread devastation in Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. But records show experts have been sounding the alarm for decades – why did no one hear them?This story was first published on Stuff. Ten minutes into the grey wasteland of the Mangatokerau ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Oliver A.H. Jones, Professor, RMIT University Shutterstock You might have noticed many skin and haircare products are advertised as “paraben-free”, or come across online influencers warning parabens are terrible for your health. But what is a paraben? And could a ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson should apologise to white men over the “sweeping generalisation” she made ahead of the Posie Parker counter-protest on Saturday. That’s according to National’s leader Christopher Luxon who was questioned on the comments this morning at parliament. Davidson was caught on camera blaming “cis white men” ...
Candida auris is more likely to infect those who are already ill or immunocompromised and is fatal for 30-60% of those infected.What is Candida auris?Candida auris (also known as C. auris) is a type of fungus called a yeast. It was first identified in 2009 from the ear ...
Lorde’s always been mysterious and her latest newsletter to fans does nothing to change that. The New Zealand singer has just wrapped up her lengthy Solar Power tour in support of her third album released at the height of the delta Covid wave back in 2021. And while reports have ...
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Other items of interest and importance todayPOSIE PARKER RALLY The Facts: New Zealanders are world leaders in respecting transgender men and women Chris ...
New figures show the government has called on just 3 percent of the half a billion dollars approved to build or expand mental health hospital facilities. ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins believes the polarising debate in the wake of British gender activist Posie Parker's New Zealand visit has not been helpful, nor was it helpful to bring ethnicity and race into the debate. ...
The Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year will be announced this Thursday. The judges have had their work cut out for them choosing a winner from these finalists.There are hundreds of New Zealanders across the motu who devote time to their communities. Those people who go the extra mile ...
Late last year, at the time David Farrier was readying to release his new documentary Mister Organ, broadcaster Sean Plunket started tweeting out what appeared to be court documents. As we detailed in our extensive timeline of the Mister Organ saga, the tweets included claims that Farrier had been served ...
Prime minister Chris Hipkins’ morning media round has been largely dominated by remarks made by one of his ministers over the weekend. Marama Davidson, who is also co-leader of the Green Party, was caught on capture at a counter-protest to anti-trans speaker Posie Parker stating: “I am the prevention violence ...
If insurers aren’t involved in discussions on how New Zealand adapts to climate change, we risk whole sections of the country becoming uninsurable. As New Zealand considers how to better prepare for a future affected by climate change, the insurance sector needs to be part the discussion on where and ...
It will also be a couple of months before a decision is made on what approach will be taken with Coromandel’s SH25A which has been closed since cracks appeared on January 27 in the wake of ex-Cyclone Hale. Any fix will take nine to 12 months to implement. Access in ...
Consumer NZ has warned customers to be aware of “unsubstantiated” or “misleading” eco-friendly claims made at the supermarket. The watchdog has taken a closer look at several items including a supposedly “planet conscious” air freshener, “ocean plastic” bags and “industrial compostable” teabags. But Gemma Rasmussen, Consumer’s head of research and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clancy William James, Senior Lecturer (astronomy and astroparticle physics), Curtin University ASKAP.CSIRO We have just published evidence in Nature Astronomy for what might be producing mysterious bursts of radio waves coming from distant galaxies, known as fast radio bursts or FRBs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Early this month, the Daily Mail published a story online implying three Chinese men taking photos at the Avalon Airshow in Melbourne were spies. After complaints and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Shutterstock We all get hiccups from time to time, and sometimes they just won’t seem to go away. Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm – the muscle ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Shutterstock A new report card on Australia’s environment reveals 2022 was a bumper year for our rivers and vegetation – but it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darcy Watchorn, PhD Candidate, Deakin University Discoveries of albino animals have a unique ability to capture the public imagination, often leading to flurries of social media and news coverage. (Think Migaloo, the famous white humpback whale.) It’s easy to see why ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Dumay, Professor – Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, Macquarie University Pxfuel What distinguishes a company that makes “good” chocolate (chocolate untainted by child labour, modern slavery, deforestation and the overuse of agrichemicals) from one that merely makes chocolate? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle de Souza, Lecturer in Law, University of New England Binge British comedy Romantic Getaway recently dropped on streaming service Binge. The show stars Katherine Ryan and Romesh Ranganathan as Alison and Deacon, a couple desperate for a child. Alison ...
The GCSB and NZSIS revealed concerns about the growing threat of foreign interference yesterday as RNZ launches new Chinese language news service and the national security system faces reform, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
Tim Brown is an ex-professional footballer turned co-founder of internationally recognised, Wellington-based footwear company Allbirds. They have just announced a world-first zero carbon shoe that Tim hopes can change the industry for good. He chats with Simon Pound about Allbirds’ kaupapa, growing a business overseas, and the reality of sustainable ...
For the first time in decades, a major new piece of Sky hardware launches without TVNZ’s channels alongside all the others. Duncan Greive explains why this is a big deal for the future of television. This week marks a landmark for Sky NZ – the debut of a piece of ...
She may not agree with them all. They may not agree with each other. But they found common cause. In New Zealand, as across much of the world, many of the groups that espouse anti-vaccine, conspiracy-aligned and rightwing extremist ideas have hitched their wagons to anti-trans-rights movements. Little surprise, therefore, ...
Allan Birchfield's popularity looks set to stop short of the West Coast Regional Council table as six councillors decide the newly re-elected chair's fate In a move unheard of in West Coast politics, regional councillors will vote on Tuesday on whether to dump the chair they just re-elected - Allan Birchfield. The Greymouth gold miner - ...
In NZ the long shadow of colonial overlay is reflected in the endurance of names with little bearing to the land, its stories or peopleOpinion: Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board (Pou Taunaha) has made decisions that were confirmed by the Minister for Land Information on ...
An author on her desire to write a book with plenty of sex in it There is sweet FA equal division of labour in my house: I do the lion’s share of cooking and cleaning and my husband brings home the bacon. To our children I willingly gave his ...
Auckland's floods unearthed a precious medal for Kiwi football great Michele Cox, carrying special memories of her professional career. Suzanne McFadden was there when she saved it from the skip bin. Michele Cox wears a delicate medal around her neck. A reminder of an important era in her footballing past. But ...
The world's been given yet another stark warning about the state of the climate - is New Zealand doing enough to bring its emissions down? The Detail takes a closer look at Labour's record on climate change. During the 2017 election campaign, then-Labour leader Jacinda Ardern made a bold statement: "We will ...
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. ...
A joint force of Indonesian military and police are claiming to have shot dead a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Central Papua Province on Wednesday last week. Jubi TV Papua reports the joint force was conducting aerial surveillance after a motorcycle taxi driver had been ...
By Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific lead digital and social media journalist The Fiji government is signalling that it will not completely tear down the country’s controversial media law which, according to local newsrooms and journalism commentators, has stunted press freedom and development for more than a decade. Ahead of the ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby The production and trafficking of methamphetamine (meth), cocaine and now heroin is on the rise with Pacific countries now becoming what many are calling the “Pacific drug highway”. And Papua New Guinea has over three years seen a plane crash, a hotel laboratory, a ...
A requiem for Shiv and Tom, who would like to make love one last time (but can’t).Major spoilers follow for the first episode of Succession’s fourth season. Her eyes flared. His voice wobbled. “Do you want to… talk?” said Tom Wambsgans, the corporate ladder-climbing schmuck who could see his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Labor and the Greens have reached a compromise on the safeguard mechanism after months of tense negotiations, giving the government the numbers it needs to pass the bill into law. Greens leader ...
Wayne Brown vowed to stop new roading projects until existing ones finish - and to unclog the city centre's streets - but he now finds himself enthusiastically backing new upheaval for the key crossroad of Victoria St A $50 million beautification project for CBD's Victoria St - which will disrupt businesses from ...
The Green Party co-leader says she was in shock from being hit by a motorcycle, and her comments about white men committing violence should have been clearer. ...
The prime minister has labelled comments made by one of his ministers over the weekend as inappropriate, and revealed his office asked her to walk them back. Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Green Party and a minister, was captured on video ahead of a rally against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Shutterstock On Friday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) updated its review of proposed reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products. It reported the federal government is now “actively ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam John, Senior Lecturer in Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Since it was founded in 2016, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink has had its moments in biotech news. Whether it was the time Musk promised ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. The ‘Young Elderly’ are in essence the post-war baby-boomers. An average young elderly person in these charts was born around 1950 to 1952. The charts look at ‘quarterly excess deaths’, so do not show week-by-week fluctuations in deaths. For example, data ...
The co-leader of the Green Party has clarified comments she made at Saturday’s counter-protest against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker. Caught on camera by a representative for the conspiracy theorist website Counterspin, Marama Davidson claimed: “I am the prevention violence minister, and I know who causes violence in the world, and ...
‘Labour AHEAD of Tories by six points in stunning new poll as public say Theresa May should resign.
Jeremy Corbyn would be Prime Minister if an election was held tomorrow, according to the pollster which most accurately predicted Thursday’s election result.
A new poll by Survation puts Labour six points ahead of the Tories on 45% of the vote.
The Tories, meanwhile, polled 39% – almost four points below their result in the general election.
It is the first time since Theresa May took power that any poll has put Labour ahead of the Conservatives.’
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/most-accurate-pollster-suggests-labour-10602762
And the good news keeps coming……
Richard Burgon
“In last 3 days, 150,000 people have joined Labour. We now have 800,000 members. Great news! Let’s make it a million! ”
‘Just days after the election, Labour has received two bits of very good news. Firstly, its membership has surged to a stunning 800,000. Secondly, a new poll suggests that, were there to be another general election, Labour would now beat the Conservatives by a country mile.
By the end of the New Labour era, Labour’s membership had dropped to just over 150,000. Now Corbyn has attracted that number of new members in just three days:
The party, already the largest social democratic one in Europe, now has 800,000 – and has the million mark in its sights.’
https://www.thecanary.co/2017/06/11/labour-good-news-corbyn-surge-ballistic/
Bugger! I’ll have to stop watching The Canary! Far too much unrealistic enthusiasm! Far too much fallacious hope!
Back home: it is a truism that Opposition Parties don’t win elections, Government Parties lose them.
Well, come September, enough centrist voters might, just might, change their votes to give the Labour/Greens enough seats to continue doing the same as National, only in a nicer, friendlier way. Neoliberalism with a smiling face!
A million people still will not bother voting, but there will be a small surge of hope when a Labour/Green administration, with necessary support from NZ First, becomes government. Nothing much else will change, of course, but we’ll all feel momentarily better.
Oh, they’ll do their best to put a dent in some of the big issues the election was fought on. But, apart from those efforts, nothing fundamental will be any different! The poor might be better cared for, but the rich will still get richer!
And the rampant enthusiasm expressed above will carry us on to victory. Wah!
Man, there are goals worth making an effort for! I’m all fired up! I feel inspired! Not quite like Corbyn inspired the left in the UK, but hey, this is NZ after all. We don’t do passion – except in sport.
And isn’t Jonathan Pie brilliant?
Nice rant TV, but “neoliberalism with a smiling face” just won’t cut it anymore.
This British election proves that Labour has to turn left.
The British election doesn’t prove shit.
Are 90% of the people who post here ex-poms or something? guys NZ is not at all like the UK completely different country and attitudes.
Same issues bubbling to the surface though with respect to young people. The burden of student loan debt, housing affordability and the declining prospects of home-ownership, a sense that they’re getting screwed in some generational war where older voters have circled the wagons around all their entitlements and bugger everyone else.
a sense that they’re getting screwed in some generational war where older voters have circled the wagons around all their entitlements and bugger everyone
That’s just some left wing bullshit meme you guys are trying to cultivate in an attempt to get the youth voting left.
Probably one of the nastier political strategies the left are involved in, up there with the race baiting.
As usual, the Right projecting its own behaviour.
Rimmer.
Rimmer trying to get the ACT party vote above the margin of error.
No, you were right, I was wrong: here’s Labour spokesperson Patrick Gower to explain.
Gower is a troll.
If people here are so wildly different, how come the National Party uses the same right wing talking points as the Conservatives?
In fact how come they use the same strategists?
From what I can see National doesn’t have the same approach as the Conservatives.
They are campaigning from fundamentally a better economic base, so no emphasis on fear.
But there is the real issue of younger people finding it harder to buy a house, especially in Auckland.
Bill English also looks much more comfortably connected to the electorate than Theresa May.
yeah because he can shear a sheep and make shit pizza and and …..
Exactly, Bill English doesnt have it, never had it, and he wont get it.
Bill’s the darling of his mother’s network.
…and tell us we are “pretty useless” and rort his housing allowance for a sum greater than the median wage.
He’s a dull and depressing ex-Treasury ideologue – Don Brash without the charisma.
Truly – I really mean that last bit – Don was riveting because you never knew if he was about to say something totally insane.
You reckon? It depends which electorate you’re talking about I guess.
They are campaigning from fundamentally a better economic base, so no emphasis on fear.
Unless you’re a beneficiary or one of the precariously employed, or just low income.
Edit: of course, what they campaign on, and how they perform in government are not the same things.
Not meaning to distract you here Wayne. But back in April you posted comments relating to a Tory surge in Scotland. (I, me – egg on my face over that one 😉 ). But given that elsewhere you readily admit to being too far way to have any insight into UK politics, and given that the Tories in Scotland could have been counted on a careless sawmill worker’s remaining fingers since the 1980s…just wondering if there’s anything any little birdies told you that you might want to share?
“From what I can see National doesn’t have the same approach as the Conservatives.”
Something’s changed then. They used to be Tweedledum and Tweedledee, shaped by Crosby/Textor and sharing ideas like old school chums – at least they were when I saw the video-link between the two parties at a Blue/Green meeting – those Tory chaps and ours were full of bonhomie (and other stuff but that’s another matter).
Oh, and Lord Ashcroft.
‘They are campaigning from a fundamentally better economic base.’
It didn’t have to be that way Wayne, NZ’s economy could have been as strong as Britain’s if that braindead moron Bill English had grown the productive sector instead of relabeling real estate inflation and migrant capital inflows as growth.
The Gnats have been a shamefully lazy as well as a corrupt and socially backward government.
The NZ economy, on any objective measure, is doing better than the UK and has done so for years. I think you will find even NZ Labour admits that.
This shows up in the “right direction/wrong direction” polls. In NZ has been positive for years, in the UK it has been negative.
Of course in MMP that is no guarantee for the government. Even with National at 47% the govt only has a one seat majority.
So it is all up in the air.
You persist in trying to reinforce your fiction – objective measures like the inflation adjusted cost of living obviously form no part of your calculations.
The Gnat ‘strong economy’ is an artifact constructed from spurious data which has no basis in reality.
Slow immigration with its attendant capital inflows and the illusion will fade away overnight.
You’ve made a complete fuck of it.
Balance of payments gives the lie to all your nonsense.
Only in the minds of the delusional who deny the ever increasing poverty that present policies produce because a few people are getting richer.
If so then it would show their own disconnection from reality.
Yes – but it still doing better than the UK where the Tories have made deeper cuts than here, and seen unemployment grow a lot higher.
Not saying New Zealand is good. Just pointing out that the UK has been hit harder by the rabid Conservative Government.
His don’t really give a shit attitude certainly resonates.
He says of a country that once prided itself on being more British than the British.
We still haven’t got rid of that cultural cringe factor.
Nah, long gone.
We’re about as similar to the UK as the Canadians are to the USA.
“…how come the National Party uses the same right wing talking points as the Conservatives?”
Why can I find all your opinions in The Daily Mail?
Nope, still pretty much in place. You can tell by the fact that some people complain about the use of Māori names for the islands that we inhabit.
It’s not as bad as it once was but it is still there.
“The British election doesn’t prove shit.”
You’re going to have to squeal louder, BM. The sound of NZ’s left wing’s joyous celebrating is making such wheedles as yours all but impossible to hear.
Did i miss something? Did Labour UK win the election and Jeremy Corbyn is British PM for the next 5 years and is about to implement all his policies?
No?
Thought not
Did you miss something, Alan?
Oh yes, you did.
Here’s a helpful clue. Millions of left wingers are revived, empowered, expectant and celebrating. Watch out!
Alan
Sorry TS doesn’t supply a nice simple explanation for political behaviour so that it is easy to understand. Did you understand that? No. Thought not. More thought by you is needed as for all of us. It is complex.
It may well be that Jeremy Corbyn does become PM and perhaps sooner rather than later. In the meantime though he’s best to sit back and let the Tories go to town on each other.
Why would the left be celebrating Labour not getting decimated in the UK election?
Seriously how does that help the NZ Labour party?, apart from a few political junkies who frequent boards such as this one or Kiwiblog, no one even knew there was an election in the UK or even cared.
These days the UK has about as much relevance to NZ as Madagascar
Which is why the National Party parrots right wing talking points conceived in Madagascar.
Obviously they already have a brighter future in Madagascar!
What do they call it?
Are they “on the cusp of a brighter present”
Why would the left be celebrating, BM?
Puzzling for you, isn’t it!
They are though, really cock-a-hoop, the lot of them!
Maybe they’ve enjoyed a success that you just can’t see.
I’m sure though, you wish them well in their happiness.
After all, they’re just ordinary folk, like you.
Yay, neoliberalism is dead. Socialism is electorally popular, particularly with young people. Lots to celebrate.
Based on that logic BM why are you going on about it? No one cares, it’s not relevant and so on.
Sure a lot of UKians are still very attached to their old country and comment accordingly – not really a surprise and sure it can be irritating ☺
For me this election have given me some hope. And in these days hope is worth a lot mate.
Just to clarify the people who frequent this blog and the other one are people like yourself and chuck and blade steaks.
Chuck & Blade – nice spotting, mauī. “Blade” had me guessing and I didn’t.
Garibaldi:
My point exactly!
Right on TV.
Sorry about that, but it certainly brought out the right wing apologists. They just don’t get it. It is inconceivable to them that Jeremy is on to something decent.
However,The Guardian cannot be trusted.
http://theguardian.fivefilters.org/?v1
Although, Owen Jones has been invigorated after his mea culpa
https://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/109221/why-markets-overdue-gigantic-bust
Global economic growth is weak, has been weak, and will continue to be weak for many reasons. Not least of which is the massive overhanging piles of accumulated debt across the global economy, which are very growth unfriendly.
As Professor Steve Keen has shown, if your debt grows at 10%, and this enables your economy to grow at 5%, anything less than a more rapid rate of credit growth in the future will cause your economy to contract.
Said another way, as long as you can grow your debts at a faster pace than your income — forever — you’ll never have to experience another economic downturn.
That statement right there, lays bare the entire ridiculousness of everything the central banks have, and are currently trying to engineer.
Eventually, reality always catches up
Eventually, but the capitalists will try kicking the can down the road for awhile more yet.
I wrote a post, Deportee, in December 2015 about a young man who was send here from Oz, despite having no close family, no friends, no links in NZ.
The inevitable has happened.
If any readers want to help the family get Matt’s body home to Oz there is now a fundraising page.
https://www.gofundme.com/bring-matty-home
Any donation, no matter how small, will help end Matt’s story on a good note.
The original post can be found here: https://thestandard.org.nz/deportee/
An updated version is here: https://tereoputake.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/death-of-a-deportee/
Cheers, TRP.
I read your story yesterday TRP. It was very affecting. He was a rough diamond, had work, was an employer, had family and was sent into exile by the Australians on spurious grounds. Totally medieval. I’m putting something in wish I could give more. Everyone deserves fair treatment, and just treatment, this chap had neither.
And Gerry Brownlee’s bulk is all marshmallow. This morning on Radionz he didn’t have much to say about how OZ needs to behave with respect to we NZrs. Just a bunch of excuses for them doing what they feel like. Unfortunately our countries are infected by neoliberal economic lack of ethical belief in the way that people are viewed. So RW NZ and OZ are in each others’ pockets, and a pocketful of mumbles is all they have to say about decent behaviour.OzKiwi wants stronger advocacy for expats from NZ government
From Morning Report, 7:28 am today 5.42m
The Foreign Affairs Minister is advising New Zealanders living in Australia they should seek dual citizenship or realise they’ll have fewer rights. Tim Gassin from Oz Kiwi is in our Wellington studio and says…..
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201847152/ozkiwi-wants-stronger-advocacy-for-expats-from-nz-government
Thanks TRP
A very sad ending to this story. But of course it is the end for Matt but not his child or his family.
I hope his body can get back to his home.
Kia kaha.
After a series of kernel stoppages in the last week, usually during the morning load winding up, the server is now on a late 4.4.0 kernel. So far that is stable.
Which is a great relief as I have been stuck on other critical house move tasks but have been frustrated by the need to remain close to that damn machine.
But I have noticed few quirks like slow saves of post settings. Hardly surprising as the 4.4 kernel doesn’t know much about the hardware on the server. I am also expecting some operations to be slow.
Let me know here if you see anything odd that shows up today and later.
Remember all those outraged stories about Salman Abedi’s family being let into the UK by MI5, implicating them in his crimes?
Looks like they may well have been ‘fake news’: all suspects released without charge.
no, I don’t recall any such stories OAB.
Salman Abedi’s family were political refugees from Gadaffi’s Libya. His father was accused by Gadaffi of giving a heads up to targets of the then Libyan intelligence/security community. His father returned to Libya after the ouster of Gadaffi and has some position relating to UN recognised government factions or some such.
FT.
Daily Fail.
So the first link is to a subscription offer (not happening) and the second hasn’t got anything in it about Salman Abedi’s family being let into the UK by MI5.
“A subscription…”
That’s weird.
I found the FT piece using Google – could read it without being asked to subscribe.
The title is: “Terrorism: Libya’s civil war comes home to Manchester.”
They weren’t the only two links I found.
Perhaps RT’s report is a better fit for you.
Those stories are about suspected or known Islamists being allowed to travel. Your comment was about Abedi’s family.
His father isn’t part of his family? See 7.1.2.1.
His father was a refugee. His father lives in Libya again. His father was questioned as was his sister. That would be normal procedure after a bombing.
And again. Nothing anywhere about any conspiracy involving the family being in cahoots with MI5 and directly involved in the Manchester bombing – as per the claims in your original comment.
Sure, none of the stories would have influenced a jury in any way whatsoever, had any of them been charged /sarc.
Really?.
😆
You’re not going to continue with what that “but” was about?
Here, let me.
…all this extremism was ‘contained’ by the security forces in countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria. They were the ones with skin in the game who kept tabs on shit, and western governments used their intel.
I then went on to question why western governments chose to overthrow the governments that were known to be ‘containing’ the self-same terrorist threat that has now spilled into Europe.
There is something comical about that observation OAB?
What the fuck is wrong with people? Yes. I made a comment about the refugee status of Abedi’s family from the 90s. I reiterated that above.
Now, how the fuck does anyone get from that to OABs comment about some conspiracy whereby the family was in cahoots with MI5 and directly involved in the Manchester bombing?
And where have there been such stories? None of the links provided, in psite of AOBs comment, make that claim.
Whatever.
My point is that after all that published front page innuendo, none of them have been charged, and that story has been all but buried.
Your point was bullshit. There was no “front page innuendo” about the family in the way you claim.
Nah you are splitting hairs OAB’s point in his initial comment was valid with links imo.
Sure. There were no “outraged stories about Salman Abedi’s family being let into the UK by MI5, implicating them in his crimes”. And no links to any such stories.
But I’m splitting hairs.
Tetrapyloctomy. Let’s just assume in future that you aggressively disagree with whatever you think my point is at any given time, eh?
You smeared unsubstantiated bullshit over a thread in Open Mike. I’d rather you didn’t.
Yes boss.
The point was all held in connection set free. I’ll say thanks for putting it up because I want to know that.
As for the other – pretty mild compared to what governments and security services do to achieve their aims. Harder to believe it didn’t happen than did.
In fact, you’ve done sweet fuck all to refute my point. The rash of stories examining the Abedi family’s alleged links to Libyan Islamist fighters and MI5 were given far greater prominence than the reality of their being released without charge.
Whether or not my summary of the narrative is 100% accurate is incidental.
You haven’t linked to a single one of this supposed “rash of stories examining the Abedi family’s alleged links to Libyan Islamist fighters and MI5”
There were some stories on the fathers extremism and his application for asylum in the 90s.
And there have been stories suggesting known or suspected Islamist terrorists (not specifically members of Abedi’s family) have found travel easy enough.
There has been nothing about any links between Abedi’s family and MI5.
Next time there’s a piece of crap propaganda – I guess you prefer the term “fake news” – are you going to hold to the line that accuracy or lack thereof is incidental?
Whereas I think a lot of dogwhistling went on, designed to give precisely that impression. An impression that will stick, especially since the lack of charges will not be given anything like as much prominence.
There was no dogwhistling with regards Adebi’s family and MI5 or whatever and that was what your original comment focused on: his family.
Suspected collusion between known Islamist terrorists and MI5? Yup. There’s been reporting to that effect.
Is there anything to those stories? I dunno. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.
Thinking here of Shajul Islam, a UK trained doctor who was charged in connection with the kidnapping of John Cantlie, but who walked free from the High Court when all charges were dropped at the last minute (Cantlie had been kidnapped again). He subsequently turned up in Khan Shaykhun having his tweets uncritically reported by the western msm as though he was a neutral source of info.
“No dogwhistling”.
Here’s The Times,
from the visible part of the article…
And here’s Pilger.
We’ve already established that you disagree, but perhaps others might be interested and offer their own take on it.
here’s a good one from stuff: in the article headlined “Britain says some of Manchester bomber’s network potentially still at large” there’s a nice teaser for a related story “Terror runs in the family”, the actual story headline “Manchester bombing: Police arrest suspected attacker’s family as they investigate terror ‘network'”.
Might not be a “rash”, but there was a consistent narrative.
Electricity suppliers 29 of them in NZ, electricity business of 4 million people oversupplied and overtapped as is anything remotely likely to be a business in NZ, are not putting money back into their systems – their infrastructure is ‘past its use by date’. Another example of business in NZ over-competitive, only able to succeed by underinvesting in everything including people being paid low wages. Wages are kept down by creating a pool of unemployed people with many immigrants seeking work so driven by high supply wages stay low.
But one of the reasons that we had to change from a government managed country was because government wasn’t providing the infrastructure that business wanted. All these self-made men needed government and resented that. They should be able to own stuff and supply stuff to other businessmen. Now we have gone full circle under business control which is probably from offshore.
Many electric lines companies have outdated equipment -ComCom
From Morning Report
Listen duration 3′ :29
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201847167/many-electric-lines-companies-have-outdated-equipment-comcom
A report by the Commerce Commission says many electric lines companies have outdated equipment that should have been replaced years ago. Our reporter Eric Frykberg has been looking into it.
An item on a refugee from Eritrea, says very hard to get jobs. He knows of some with university degrees unable to find work. On radio this morning but not new news.
English says that we need immigrants and talks about near full employment, but how reliable are those figures. We know how rain is measured, a straightforward method. But employment figures, are those ones that are catch-all for every bit of ‘paid’ work done starting from one hour per week?
Politics
12 June 2017
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/332798/slashing-immigration-would-be-unwise-pm – vid report
Prime Minister Bill English says any drastic cuts to immigration would be bad for New Zealand’s economic growth.
English told Morning Report that, with near-full employment in some areas, slashing immigration when there was a need for workers would not be sensible.
Labour, which is expected to announce its immigration policy shortly, has accused the National government of failing to adequately plan for what has been record immigration – putting pressure on infrastructure, housing, and public services.
“We’ve been planning for a growing economy and adapting to that growth, because it’s been more sustained I think than people expected – more successful than people expected,” Mr English said.
“We need the people to do the jobs. Right now, the demands in the construction sector are as high as they have ever been.”
He said if Labour announced a plan to cut net migration by 20,000-30,000 people a year, as has been reported, it would stall the economy.
“We have to build the houses, we have to build the roads and the water pipes to support the houses – that’s for people who are here now.
“Slashing the immigration – whatever you think of it – slashing it when you need the people to do the jobs that must be done, it doesn’t make any sense.”
What’s this about planning for growth? National Party? Blunderbuss boys!
Actually poor helpless, hapless Bull English charges into every problem without any finesse as he is a product of the economic Dr Dolittle business ‘intelligence’ system.
Has he not heard of targeted immigration which we have in NZ had before and which needs to be used as a tool right now. All people who have applications in at present should be fairly treated and go through the system as is if they have paid a large sum of money. But then there should be a break where only applications from potential employers for waiting jobs in certain skills should be considered for say two years. ‘Something could be done, but nothing must be done for the first time!’
This is one for geeks.
Just been reading an article in The Independent and came across this comment in the section below the article that appears to contain some very on point and informative links concerning the whole BREXIT malarkey. I’ve quickly checked out a couple of the links so far and yup, they’re nuts and bolts type stuff . I know we’re a long way away, but I’m aware that some (the geeks) are interested, so I’m posting the comment in its entirety for those interested in exploring the linked documents etc.
______________________-
@SoManyStupidPeopleSoLittleTime”There is a HUGE difference between Hard Brexit and soft Brexit. You don’t get it?”-
The EU27 leaders have explained many times that ‘soft Brexit’ does not exist. It is a delusional British fabrication that the Brits have been fighting about for months. You are fighting about unicorns in your distant galaxy.
Read Article 50: There is only ONE kind of Brexit = the UK 100% out of the EU = all EU treaties cease to apply to the UK on 30 March 2019. The UK supreme court said so too.
Barnier said there is only one kind of Brexit. Tusk said hard Brexit or no Brexit (which also means only ONE kind of Brexit). Schaeuble and Juncker said OUT IS OUT. Etc. etc.
The UK cannot ‘keep’ anything it had as an EU member.
After exit, the UK can start begging the EU27 for some limited access to the EU single market in exchange for UK’s large trade-offs.
How many times do the Brits need to be told this?
Unless of course by ‘hard Brexit’ you mean the UK crashing out of the EU without an exit agreement, whereas ‘soft Brexit’ means the UK exiting the EU with an exit agreement (about citizens’ rights, Irish border, financial obligations and many aspects of disentangling the UK from the EU as specified in the EU27 Brexit Directives). These two possibilities do exist.
Instead of fighting about unicorns, I strongly recommend you read the EU27 Brexit documents – please explain where you see any kind of a ‘soft Brexit’:
KEY DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS ISSUED BY THE EU27
Here is the trio of absolutely BINDING instructions for the EU27 Brexit negotiators = for the European Commission and Barnier’s team:
(1) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM
adopted on 5 April 2017 = seven days after the UK’s exit notification!!!
(516 MEPs in favour, 133 against, 50 abstain)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P8-TA-2017-0102&language=EN&ring=P8-RC-2017-0237
(2) EU27 COUNCIL’S GUIDELINES FOR BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS
from 29 April 2017
(unanimously adopted by 27 PMs/presidents)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/04/29-euco-brexit-guidelines/
(3) THE EU27 DIRECTIVES FOR THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS
unanimously adopted by EU27 General Affairs Council on 22 May 2017
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/gac/2017/05/Directives-for-the-negotiation-xt21016-ad01re02_en17_pdf/
The above trio is what the EU27 are putting on the table. When the UK gets its act together and finally crawls to the negotiating table, the EU27 negotiators will explain more details to the UK negotiators (whoever they are – the UK has not yet appointed any!!!).
Oh, and shock and horror for Theresa No-Running-Commentary May, the EU27 GAC has also adopted
(4) GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSPARENCY IN NEGOTIATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 50 TEU
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/gac/2017/05/transparency-xt21023_en17_pdf(1)/
As a further clarification in more details of the Directives, the European Commission published two working papers specifying in more detail the EU27’s negotiating position on two topics of the exit agreement:
(5) WORKING PAPER “ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES ON CITIZENS’ RIGHTS” (4 pages)
published on 29 May 2017, discussed by the EU27 representatives on 30 May
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/citizens-rights-essential-principles-draft-position-paper_en.pdf
(6) WORKING PAPER “ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES ON FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT” (10 pages)
published on 29 May 2017, discussed by the EU27 representatives on 1 June
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/financial-settlement-essential-principles-draft-position-paper_en.pdf
If the UK had a responsible government, it would now be working on examining in very great detail the EU27’s negotiating position as specified in the above documents and preparing its reply, e.g. which items the UK agrees about and for which it has counter-proposals or counter-arguments.
Indeed, the ONLY way to start constructively sorting out the huge self-imposed Brexit mess is formation of a government of national unity with all parliamentary parties working together (without new elections). But sadly the Brits are not capable of working together even when faced with a major (self-imposed) notional crisis.
Oh joy, Mike Williams and Matthew Hooton are the political commentators on RNZ this morning, talking about the about to be released Labour immigration policy and the UK situation. Is this really the best you can do RNZ?
‘I think Mathew is right….”
It looks like the cowardly Trump is piking out of the state visit to the UK even though their respective officials are denying it.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/11/donald-trump-state-visit-to-britain-put-on-hold
He’s sulking over new found friend Theresa May’s imminent demise or he’s scared of the protesters? I’d say both.
NYTimes has picked up on this too. They even go so far as to suggest Trump is avoiding New York because of the potential for protests!
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/11/us/politics/trump-uk-visit.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
lol.
I forgot to turn the radio on 😈
It wasn’t too bad this week. I suspect that every now and again RNZ gives Hooton a talking to… about his arrogant and shouty behaviour on air and he pulls his horns in for a while.
and/or Hooton knows that he keeps some credibility and acceptability by periodically not being too ott 😉
The EDL marched in Manchester.
The project proceeds. The Hundertwasser museum and virant showcase for Maori has 3 weeks to raise it’s last money – $1.25 million. It will be something that will remain beautiful even when our reputation as clean, green and honest is tarnished.
So we must intend that they make it.
We need something that we have provided for ourselves, showcasing that Europe that has given us so much in the way of culture, from the beginning of NZ and then after WW2 where we were visited by people with deeper thoughts and ideas than we had ever envisaged. Mixed with Maori culture, the cultural centre will be a jewel on our emerald bosom. Poetic eh!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11869900
To the NZ Herald it is just a sensational story about a teacher posing like a showgirl wearing startling blue contact lenses. To me it’s worrying as I note that she is called a math teacher and is from a charter school in the USA. And is an example of the sort of teacher with extracurricular activities that should not be their business to teach children.
A 25-year-old maths teacher at a North Carolina public charter school has been arrested on suspicion of carrying on sexual relationships with three male students.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11874179
(Seeing that there are extremely low barriers to qualifications and teaching at our charters it isn’t impossible that people with skewed attitudes would get involved.)
nought to the rort
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93587892/labour-unveils-plans-to-stop-foreign-students-backdoor-immigration-rort
I admit that I was nervous about Labour’s new immigration policy announcement, but It looks to me that they have managed to produce a really good policy that just makes cuts in the dodgy, exploitative areas.
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1706/Immigration_factsheet_12Jun17_FIN.pdf
Somehow we need to get this message across to the NZ Labour Party!
From Jacobin online magazine.
Why Corbyn Won
• BHASKAR SUNKARA
“The Labour left remembered that you don’t win by tacking to an imaginary centre — you win by letting people know you feel their anger and giving them a constructive end to channel it towards. “We demand the full fruits of our labour,” the party’s election video said it all.”
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/06/jeremy-corbyn-election-results-labour-theresa-may-left
Officials fear $140m charity tax rort
“One senior lawyer involved in the foreign trusts industry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said expenses incurred by the charities looked at in Operation Timepiece seemed high.
In the past three years for which accounts for the charities are available, a total of $4.1m was paid in legal, structure and trustee fees, while $5.7m was distributed – the majority to Fondation Eagle, controlled by many of the same lawyers.
“This seems to be more of a charity for lawyers,” the senior lawyer said.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=11872252&ref=twitter
NZ Treasury’s last fiscal update before the election is a gift to the government:
“The OBEGAL was a surplus of $2.5 billion for the ten months to 30 April 2017, compared to a forecast surplus of $1.0 billion. This favourable variance of $1.5 billion was largely due to the higher than forecast core Crown tax revenue and lower than forecast core Crown expenses discussed above.”
Plenty of room for National campaign lollies.
I suspect Joyce will manifesto another positive shift to the tax brackets for lower income people.
Election year … All unfolding like clock-work for our close chums and confidantes – the Nats
Policy on the hoof, you think? How unlike them.
Oh my !!!!!!
There’s a celebrity in New Zealand and the NZ Herald is so excited.
The New Herald is a cringeworthy tabloid rag
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11874800
Meanwhile the British ignore their establishment neo-liberal media and vote for socialism.
Can we learn from them?
Still smarting from that kicking I gave you yesterday? Another worthless troll post from someone who had no answers when called out.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Oh you poor baby – Poor ignorant backward baby blade!
Who of course cannot answer any real question in someone else’s professional discipline.
Go home – you demean yourself (and that’s not easy! 😀 )
Thanks for reminding me…I am still waiting on Robert Guyton to tell me the years he was at teachers college and the actual years he spent teaching.
As for the rest of your post..your were quite correct to use a smiley face imoge. It’s good to see you don’t take yourself seriously. Neither do I.
Jeepers, Blade, I had no idea you were suspended with anticipation of my personal details. Let’s see, I was at Dunedin Teachers College for 2 years, some 33 years ago, or there abouts. I taught for 15 years at a primary school, then several more at high school, including filling the role of Head of Department, Maori studies, where I taught te reo and other associated things Maori. Thank goodness for my knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, eh taku hoa! I’ve also taught in a museum classroom, where I introduced children to the marvels of the tuatara, carefully handling those ancient sphenodons so as not to hurt them, the children or myself. I’ve done tutoring for university level learners and worked alongside of Steiner trained early childhood teachers, as well as several other teaching positions that I’ll not mention for the sake of brevity. Hope that satisfies your seemingly insatiable curiosity – that’s something I like in a learner, curiosity, I have to say.
Baby-blade.. Not bad, but I think I prefer Bladey-boy. I think that sums up his(?) faux bluster.
He tough rough and ready to rumble but dull. I doubt he’ll be round long (snif snif)
You didn’t “call him out”, you witless parrot: you parroted a load of rote-learned gobshite and offered nothing of substance whatsoever.
Funny that you describe it as “a kicking” too, considering the contempt in which pwned drivel is held around here. I’m picking you for a real tough guy so long as you’ve got a keyboard to cower behind.
I think the term you are trying desperately to birth is- KeyBoard Warrior.
You misspelled ‘Worrier’.
You’re a right wing nut job is what you are.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
You’re an angry man Muttonbird, ever thought of going and seeing a psychiatrist and getting it sorted?
Must be tough on the wife and kids all that rage and aggression, poor things are probably terrified.
Ha! You’re an embarrassment mate. That sort of personal abuse is way over the top and shows you can’t behave yourself on this forum.
Your post is internet bullying and worthy of a report. Hoping one of the moderators sees this because you are clearly in breach of the HDCA.
The reverse would be someone calling me a swivel-eyed leftie loon or similar. If I attacked them and their family because of that, in the way BM has done, I would expect to get at least a week off.
I’m pretty pissed off right now that this scumbag mentioned my family.
Halfcrown, where did your comment go?
Yep, one of the worst comments I’ve seen.
Really ? There are a lot worse post on here against “righties” sometimes with a lot of mob mentality following on.
Or there have been some down right disgusting ones like the one a day after the WINZ workers were murdered and a poster said the killer should be hailed as a hero.
there have been threats of real world violence (in respect to this every time I have seen this the mods banned and edited).
So what muttonbird is crying about isn’t that bad in the scheme of things.
millsy, always the prick and fuck him
Yep him and his fucken piano wire – often quoted by righties saying the left is just as bad as they are.
Marty – even us righties know not all lefties are as bad as him. Was mainly pointing out to Maui – that its really isnt one of the worse comments on here by a long way.
Yep fair point james
You seem to be saying because it’s not the worst it’s totally fine?
That a commenter can bully someone on mental health and accuse them of domestic abuse clearly breaches any measure of decency.
You’re fine with it though…
I have since changed my stance on Tully. Given that news emerged that police have drawn connections between him and the Kirsty Bentley case (the extent of which is not known), and that his actions have led to the intimidating security policies in place at WINZ offices, I do not belive that he is a ‘hero’ anymore.
Though I do think he should be in a mental health unit, not a prison.
“Halfcrown, where did your comment go”
I dunno I think I must have an error deleted it trying to edit.
But I thought that was a pretty low comment
I think I wrote something like this.
Come on BM that is far below your normal standard. As much as I don’t agree with your comments at times you do put up an intelligent valid point of view. You are far above that type of comment so don’t lower yourself. That definitely was not called for.
Thanks for replying.
That no action has been taken against BM must mean his comments are fine.
Or just not quite despicable enough..
Mods will make their own decision on the day. So if you cut and pasta BMs offensive comment back to him in the future at an opportune time YOU may get bolded. It is good to hold it for when he goes complete bullshitty and moaning about quality of comments or nastiness of the left.
Truth is you made him skip his nice guy persona and show his nasty gnat side – still it is understandable that his comment has upset you.