Just wondering about your comments in various places yesterday about how various parties are talking about the Waitangi Tribunal hearing.
You’ve demanded evidence that Key was playing the race card, and been dismissive of any put forward. I’d like to know if you can square that stance with your own comments about “extortion”. What evidence do you have to suggest “extortion”. You claimed in a very inflammatory post that you find it hard not to think that the claim to the tribunal isn’t extortion.
I think it’s hard to come to that conclusion at all, so I’m genuinely curious about your reasoning, especially given you have also said you support honouring the treaty.
I’ve asked a number of times if you would like to withdraw the extortion claim, and apologise. You haven’t responded to that so I can only assume you stand by it.
Patrick Gower has just spoken on Firstline, explaining why he doesn’t think John Key was playing the race card. Gower pointed out that what Key said was consistent with what he’d been saying on this issue since Waitangi Day.
No one on The Standard yesterday (that I saw) came up with any evidence that “Key’s fight with Maori no accident’.
I accept that ‘extortion’ could be seen as a strong term, but I qualified this if you look at it in context of all that I said:
But the timing of the claim makes it difficult to avoid the perception of cynical extortion, of trying to force the Government to give some people preferential treatment with the sale of MOM asset share floats.
I don’t think that was inflammatory. You seem to be trying to fan it by repeatedly promoting one word only, but it hasn’t attracted much reaction otherwise.
I’ve backed up and shown that some people think the Waitangi Tribunal action should result in financial gain. I’m not the only one who has raised the issue of deliberately timed pressure, and that it’s a possible abuse of the Waitangi tribunal authority.
Now a question for you – do you think Eddie saying “Key’s fight with Maori no accident” was imflammatory?
He repeated similar sentiments in his post, and suggested a NZH editorial was wrong. Do you think there is any proven basis to what Eddie posted?
You just use the passive vopice, talking about perception, and some people. All that does is make it look like it isn’t *you* saying it, that you are just reporting. So name the people and explain the extortion.
People seeking remedy are not extorting. Extortion is a crime. Why would it be unjust for people to get remedy for harm caused?
I highlight the word extortion, because it is the essence of your smear. You still haven’t justified it.
So if this extortion perception is so very hard to avoid, where are the people who see it? Other than yourself.
I grant that commenters on Kiwiblog, or callers to talkback, will no doubt be claiming it. But I’d wager those same people would think that the whole Treaty is null and void. That is what they will be basing their thinking on.
But you have said that you think we should honour the treaty. If you believe that, then it follows that when the crown is doing something that may breach treaty rights, then there should be some urgency around determing the case. That’s the timing issue.
So please explain how you can agree that the crown should honour the trety obligations it has, and at the same time think it’s hard to avoid thinking it’s extortion when iwi ask the crown to honour the treaty.
Pete your comment was inflammatory because it was not true. For decades Iwi have complained about the loss of their Taonga including land, mountains, rivers, shellfish, pretty well everything.
If you had any sense of the history, for instance Tainui’s claim for the Waikato.
But from a point of complete ignorance you say not only that this is not true, but that Maori have engaged in cynical extortion.
Not only is it not true but it is insulting to Tangata Whenua.
PB called you on it. And I don’t see that you have come up with any evidence to justify your claim.
Just because other red necks have also trotted out the same statements does not make those statements true.
The government is already giving people preferential treatment with the shares – those with money.
If we were to be fair they would give every NZ citizen an equal number of shares who then would be free to do with them what they wish.
Why now ramp it up – because the asset is being sold against their wishes.
I remember when water was taken from the Whanganui river and some of the angst that caused. Places we used to swim are now well above the water line even when the river is in flood.
There was some accpetance at the time it was for the good of the people – this common good is being transferred into private good – that was opposed at the time and is opposed now.
It’s an abuse of the goodwill that existed at the time, particularly by Tuwharetoa, in the same way that transferring National Park into private hands would be.
The Herald editorial this morning appears to be saying that Trade Union influence on the Labour Party ought to be minimized and that the MPs should be given the most power in determining who should be the party’s leader.
All the more reason for the Labour Party to do the opposite. I don’t know why the MPs should have so much say. They ought to be the servants of the party and not its masters.
The Trade Union movement provide the heart and soul of the party and should be given a significant say.
I couldnt agree more Paddy our Mps have clearly elected the wrong leader with David Shearer providing next to no leader ship, all the while being given huge amounts of material to work with by a National Government that is hardly full of talent or strong performers. If we ran the same arguments that the Herald is using and applied them to a general election it wouldnt be the people who voted in a Government because they simply wouldnt know enough to select the right parties and therefore who should be PM, all to complex for them. If a party wants members and wants peoples time money and energy why shouldnt those people get to decide who the leader should be. Sadly our Labour MPs are full of their own self importance it wouldnt be so bad if they were as good as they are arrogant, if that was so Labour would never be in opposition.
At least the Herald editorial is being constant and true to its right-wing readership and wallets by volunteering that mischievous advice.
In contrast …..
Labour’s heart and soul appear to be adrift in recent times, disconnected from their heads and moral compass. The eyes of their leadership seem to be locked into polling figures, their ears closed to the voices of the broader non-caucus members.
It is not even discernible these days whether Labour remains strongly grounded in the values of their grassroots and wider party membership.
Puddleglum analyses the “work is liberty” spin in regard to shit work.
A teaser:
…Almost 2,000 years after Cicero, here in New Zealand, a recent survey claimed that:
Unemployed Kiwis have a better overall level of wellbeing than “disengaged” employees, according to consulting company Gallup’s global wellbeing finder.
Some 72 per cent of New Zealanders are actively disengaged in the workforce, with 59 per cent of disengaged employees behaving poorly with family and friends after a stressful day’s work.
Read that again: being employed but “actively disengaged” is worse for your personal (subjective) well-being – and the well-being of those around you, it would seem – than being unemployed. And, according to the survey, most employed New Zealanders are actively disengaged.
Yet, isn’t it well-known that being employed is far better than being unemployed? It might be well-known but it’s not that simple. Employment comes in different shapes and sizes and in different quality as, believe it or not, this – slightly dated – Treasury paper argues:
It can be concluded that all of these studies consistently suggest that “bad” or unsatisfactory employment is no better for a person’s psychological well-being than having no job at all….
Let me guess….. consulting company Gallup makes a shite load of money out of conferences and consulting to companies and governments about human resources and wellbeing and produces polls to drive that business ?
When you think of people working at the franchised gassies, who have cameras on them all day lest they eat a chocolate bar without paying for it, and who must pay themselves if someone fills their car and runs off under their watch, or the lady who was put on notice for having a bible in her pocket at Sky City, then what you are saying makes perfect sense.
Can anybody tell me what Labour does stand for? Are they so aligned with most of Key’s policies that they are left with nothing new to say? Will the country be choosing between two similar parties in 2014? Shearer usually looks like he needs a sleep – maybe he is sleepwalking! Has Cunliffe (again?) been gagged – the only shining light? Labour is presently giving Key another term by default. Consequently, Key knows he can go right on doing whatever he likes, in safety. One only wishes more people would give their support to the Greens – at least we do hear strong stuff from them all the time.
Shearer promised a genuine role for the membership in the Leader selection Process. I’m sure he did not mean that the Caucus would have a veto over the wishes of the membership.
So here does the tone of the stories over the past two days in the Herald and Dominion Post come from? Shearer needs to refute what the MSM is writing. The membership and labour voters stayed at home because they felt the party was not listening to them. Shearer said he was listening.
Shearer can deliver real influence to the membership: the corollary is (a) the Caucus having a veto on when a leadership selection may be actioned and (b) the Caucus having a veto over the Memberships preference.
This is the litmus test
A group of like minded individuals and groups have launched a petition calling on the New Zealand Government to vote against extending the regulatory authority of the International Telecommunications Union to the Internet.
The petition is here, and it takes less than a minute to sign.
Right from inception, the Internet has had no central ruling authority. But this December, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is conducting a review of the international agreements governing telecommunications and aims to expand its regulatory authority to the Internet.
Countries such as Russia which are advocating the ITU have regulatory authority over the Internet have advocated restrictions over the Internet “where it is used to interfere in the internal affairs of a state”. This represents a dramatic threat to the openness of the Internet, where countries could regulate content not just within their own borders, but over the entire Internet.
Geographically isolated nations such as New Zealand and other Pacific Island nations have a significant economic and social interest in an open and well functioning internet. Accordingly, such changes to the ITU may harm our social and economic well being more than other nations.
The ITU has been a closed organisation for nearly 150 years – they represent the antithesis of the Internet community’s open and inclusive approach. Civil society, private sector, technical experts, and Internet users will only have limited input in the process. This would be a significant departure from the open, participatory, multistakeholder model that has made the internet a successful driver of social and economic growth.
If you support the continuing evolution of the multistakeholder internet, you are invited to read and sign this statement of principles.
We are calling on the NZ Government to specifically:
We request the New Zealand Government to vote against any amendments to the International Telecommunications Regulations, to be considered at the World Conference on International telecommunications 2012 (WCIT-12) which would give the ITU regulatory authority over the Internet, as it is not a truly open and transparent multistakeholder institution, but ultimately a body controlled by Governments.
We also request the New Zealand Government to take a pro-active stance in advocating to other states the benefits of retaining the current open and transparent multi-stakeholder governance of the Internet and to invest in proactive representation and promotion of the Internet as a vital, global platform for access to information and communication, and an enabler of economic and social opportunity.
The Russian version of online encyclopedia Wikipedia closed its site on Tuesday in a one-day protest against what it said were plans by President Vladimir Putin to create his own version of the “Great Chinese Firewall” to block dissent on the Internet.
Supporters of amendments to Russia’s information law, which were proposed by the ruling United Russia party and will be discussed in parliament on Wednesday, say changes are needed to protect children from harmful sites.
But leaders of anti-Putin protests say the new law could shut down websites in Russia such as Facebook and Twitter without a court order and is meant to stop their opposition movement, which is organised via social networking sites.
“These amendments may become a basis for real censorship on the Internet – forming a list of forbidden sites and IP addresses,” Russian Wikipedia said in a statement.
“The following provisions and wording undertaken for discussion would lead to the creation of a Russian equivalent of the ‘Great Chinese Firewall’ … in which access to Wikipedia could soon be closed across the entire country.”
As discussed yesterday by phone, I have a defended hearing on 19 September 2012 at the Auckland District Court in the matter of Police v PENELOPE MARY BRIGHT CRN 12004009078 , arising from my arrest for wilful trespass on 18 June 2012 at the electorate office of John Banks, ACT MP for Epsom, at 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket.
Having been trespassed for 2 years from that address, I am seeking confirmation of how best to effect service of a ‘summons to witness’ for John Banks.
I look forward to confirmation of a suitable address at your earliest possible convenience.
In one of the threads yesterday the phrase ‘pete george’ appeared on the page 15 times. When I counted at 102 comments, that was a rate of 15%. Just saying.
There’s about 21 posts on Thursday from mike e – he’s a typical resident troll who’s a recidivist abuser who tries to label others trolls. It’s common for abusers here to accuse others of what they do themselves.
Petey boy 90% of my blogs are undoing your diatribe of Nationals spin your continually spewing out.
You have the odd bit of reason the rest is just repeating Nationals propaganda nothing more.
Stick to UF’s policy like the very good idea on super and I won’t have to take your BS apart.
Maybe Pete, but I don’t hear lots of people groaning everytime mike e posts. And I haven’t noticed him continually grabbing the first post of Open Mike. Or link whoring to his blog. etc etc.
There’s nothing wrong with someone posting alot (TS publishes lists of top posters from time to time), unless they annoy lots of people, which you do. You specialise in engaging in a kind of debate here that’s repetitive and for many people boring. It takes up debate resources that could be spent on other things, which is why people call you a troll.
I completely understand why some people want to reply to you – Pascal’s Bookie’s calling you on bullshit yesterday at the top of Open Mike was inspired, and it’s important that your posts that are inaccurate or disingenuous are refuted. The problem is YOU. You’re like the bore in the pub who takes no social cues from those around him about how the conversation is going and whether people are happy or satisfied.
What I can’t figure out is if you don’t understand how you influence the place, or if you don’t care, or if you think it’s a good thing. I suspect the latter two. You use this place for your own personal agenda, and the culture of TS be damned.
“I hear from people who (sometimes at least) agree with me but won’t comment here due to the likelihood of attacks. ”
So? This has nothing to do with people disagreeing with your politics or views. It’s about your behaviour. Which is ironic because you come across as someone who believes in personal responsibility for one’s behaviour.
“What do you think is “the culture of TS”?”
That’s not relevant to this conversation. What I want to know is if YOU have any idea about the culture of this place. Do you?
I don’t think you can refer to ‘the culture’, there’s a number of intermingling cultures – there’s a lot of different individuals participatimg for a variety of reasons. There’s even quite a difference between the authors.
I think I have a good understanding of some of the cultures. It’s difficult to know about the silent reader culture or the occasional contributor culture. There’s a variety of Labour orientated cultures, more than one Green culture, at least one Mana culture. Maori pops up a bit.
I’d say there’s a dominant negative culture with fairly strong dollops of exclusiveness and non-inclusivenes, which I find odd for people from parties trying to rebuild or build their support. Some prominent participants seem to only want you if you toe their line.
but I don’t hear lots of people groaning everytime mike e posts
You don’t hear it, because I don’t say so here, but I groan when he posts! He writes like a primary school kid, he’s full of anger and seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder, and he joins my mental list of people who have very little to say, but insist on saying it anyway!
We hear the Bankers’ cry that the glass is half full,. Yet the facts suggest there is a rampaging torrent of trouble approaching that is going to smash that glass against the wall of reality.
Excellent link thankyou. My thoughts exactamundo, cept they had to be sought out over years, including years of “different health”.
Credentialism was an anathema to me once i had experienced self-efficacy.
Soooo, ye nay-sayers, follow Schopenhauer down through Nietzsche thru Heidegger and onto Habermas et al; and one is heading in the useful western direction towards the East.
One could argue that post-work analysis is “constructive”—————————————————
ACTIVE NIHILISTIC DECONSTRUCTION.
Oh Friedrich…if you only knew what your solitude and despair began.
Actually the influence of the East started earlier than that: e.g. on the Ancient Greeks, and on Christianity. I recall my stage one philosophy lecturer saying that, with reference to the Ancient Greek maxim of “know thyself”. Some eastern ideas came through Socrates, then Rome, into Christianity and the West.
And it has long seemed logical to me that more people should be employed but for less hours, and all getting a living wage. But, of course, that would mean that it would be harder for the elite to be filthy rich and all powerful.
I believe that i am relatively informed about politics and politics in New Zealand.
I have been an open-minded autodidact all my life.(neccessary response to personal experience of child abuse and neglect which is such a cancer for this country).
Directed into, and spent over 20 years in one of the heaviest, dirtiest, blue-collar occupations there is, Heavy Diesel Mechanic.
Completed an arts degree at home, full-time equivalent, self-directed over years, with one internal year and block courses.
Worked supporting some of the most vulnerable people serviced by the health system etc, etc,
Up to speed with the ideas and techniques behind politics and the history of social policy in NZ.
While personally a nihilist, I believe that political movement grounded in socialist analysis is likely to be of the greatest benefit to the greatest number and the environment that supports us, therefore most helpful.
New Zealand, with the right govt, may well lead the world again in quality of life type statistics.
If Life gives ya lemons, lemonade (sans fructose) is indicated.
Soo, some realpolitik;
David Cunliffe appears to me to be the necessary leader for the Labour Party.
I would not vote Labour though as long as they subscribe to Neo-Liberal Third Way nonsense.
Greens and Mana are where the future is at IMHO.
I dont even visit Labour flagged sites or blogs. LONG MEMORY.
Julie-Ann Genter is “hot” and incredibly brainy. But lust must be seen as oppression leading to suffering……
Oh, look at that, a new word 😀 Describes my own education quite well although I don’t have any degrees (that latter probably has something to do with my opinion of degrees).
Greens and Mana are where the future is at IMHO.
IMO, nope but, then, I’m an anarchist and both those parties are too close to the authoritarian mindset – especially Mana – for my liking.
Anyone been to the dentist lately? In NZ there doesn’t appear to be any fixed scale of charges – in other words they can charge what they like. After I was recently quoted $3,600 for a root canal and crown, I am shopping around. Why is it this profession seems to be able to get away with exhorbitant charging on such an important aspect of public health? Surely this must exclude large numbers of people from seeking regular dental care.
If in Auckland, go and see Royal Oak Dental 625 7069. Couldn’t tell you a price, but level of service and skill is exceptional. From experience, I owuld suggest a pre-treatment inspection from either Dr Pellow or Gibson-Hardie would be worth the time.
The government should set a fixed scale of charges and if that means the dentist can’t afford modern equipment well too bad. And if the dentists all take off to Aussie, then good riddance.
I doubt you would get a root canal for much less that $1000 anywhere smokeskreen. And ‘crowns’ are a very expensive item – Labour intensive. $1600 for a crown does not sound too exorbitant in the scheme of things.
“Surely this must exclude large numbers of people from seeking regular dental care.”
It certainly does. In fact its been in the news in recent days.
What a load of rubbish. Where do these “academics” get these stupid ideas from? Not everything can be blamed on neoliberalism and this is right off the planet.
Time for a bit of neoliberalism in the faculty that “employs” them, methinks.
one track Off the rails.Myopic idiot, economic research shows neoliberalism doesn’t work anyone with any intelligence can research the facts for them selves.
Neo liberalism is a Cult with an agenda some what like Scientology its believers follow it in blind faith.
So then, how do you explain the disproportionate amount of large people amongst the poorer classes? And the fact that it has become seen as a problem since the 1980s?
How do yo explain that it seems to be a problem in societies embracing rampant consumerism?
At least these academics have presented an argument…. maybe you should try it?
Ironic that rampant consumerism promotes thin, creates fat.
How can consumerism be reversed? Ideally by people power but the ones that need to change see it the least.They are convinved that they’ll be loving it but they end up hating what they become. If they notice.
You must be hating yourself Politically Gullible.
As you have been Consumed by the rampant neoCon right.
Maybe you could lead by example and reverse your position.
The Neo Con right just love rampant consumerism .
Thats their Mantra,
Create vacuous people have their needs falsely met by the market like a gambler or alcoholic they need more and more .
So the right wing say its personal responsibility and do nothing to change the bad behaviour.
same with alcohol reform gambling reform.
So the right expect every body to take responsibility while taking no responsibility for creating the problems in the first place!
Seems to me that the Right Wing of the Labour caucus want to minimise the influence that workers’ organisations have over any future Labour leadership selection process.
And they want caucus itself to have the biggest say in any leadership selection process, not the rank and file membership.
Keep this anti-democratic centralised control from Wellington nonsense up and it’ll become more and more obvious that its only the Greens who truly value democracy.
I’m asking around a bit more. So far it also sounds like Labour in Wellington also want to get rid of the regions’ ability to define who they want at the top of regional lists.
Probably wouldn’t make much difference, the first few are almost always sitting MP’s anyway. Interested in the smaller moderating committee suggestion though. That’s where the real power lies, so it might be an improvement to have a smaller, but more democratically fought over committee.
But for all that, I’m sure lots of ideas are being considered. That’s a good thing.
Whats your hurry, CV? Bunji has the timeline here. And this a useful link for continuing the debate. Just hit the ‘join’ button at the foot of the page.
Good to know that you are ‘nice and relaxed’ about things.
Yeah there’s a hurry on just to clue you up, its called Caucus Rule xy (where xy is an integer higher than 15 but less than 30). This rule institutes an opportunity to confirm the full confidence of caucus in the current leadership of the Labour Party going into an election year. Pretty important don’t you think, especially if the rule happens to get canned just before it comes due to be used again?
Or maybe you think we should just lay back, chill and stay cruisey?
With all due respect, fuck ‘clicking on a debate’ I’ve been making phone calls and writing emails this week.
A smaller moderating committee is a must. In my view, that’s been a large part of the problem in the past. I was told there were 38 members of the 2011 moderating committee. Crazy? There should be 10 -12 members only.
It probably started out that way back in the mid 1990s, but over time every Tom, Dick and Harry special Labour sub-group was demanding a place at the moderating table. And each sub-group was pushing their own candidates regardless of talent and/or suitability. Hence there were some bad decisions, and a few very good MPs ended up out of parliament altogether.
No muzza it doesn’t work like that. The moderating committee is the body which makes the final list placements after all the regions have submitted their list preferences. Those preferences are agreed to after a weekend of candidate speeches and written biographical details. The Mod. Committee ignores those preferences at their peril.
In a nutshell, what appears to have been happening is: with such a large number of people involved at the final committee stage, the left hand ends up not knowing what the right hand is doing. The make-up of the committee is, and would continue to be, an even mix of party and parliamentary representatives only with fewer people involved.
The scary thing is they have about the same debt ratio per head of population as NZ.
Goldman Sachs lied and colluded to these banks to defraud them the Greek people the hardest working people in Europe and the rescue countries including us $100 million so far .
Goldman Sachs the SCF of the world. yeah I don’t see all the
NeoConartists defending these ponzi scamming criminals.
Their heros!
International sports has been co-opted by the corporates and often draws on taxpayer dollars. It’s not enough that the UK is turning people’s homes into a military encampment, with surface-to-air missiles on their roofs, but the Olympics is also one big tax haven:
In July and August this year Stratford, East London, will become a temporary tax haven. Millions of pounds will be channelled through foreign subsidiary companies operating in the area before it leaves these shores for the pockets of shareholders and CEOs the world over.
[…]
Without these tax sweeteners the IOC would simply take their corporate circus elsewhere and so begins a race to the bottom in a bidding process that echoes the offshore system. New tax rules ushered in as part of the winning Team GB bid include ‘a temporary exemption from UK Corporation Tax and UK Income Tax for certain non-resident companies’. (1)
The legislation is written to include ‘partner’ organisations such as McDonald’s and Visa. Both, along with other ‘partners’, look set to make a tax-free fortune. The former will a monopoly on vending branded food and the latter a total monopoly on venue and ticket payment methods.
[…]
The new legislation also exempts all foreign nationals working on the games in the UK from paying income tax on any earnings. Thousands will be exempt from taxation from competitors to media workers (including journalists, technicians and producers) to representatives of official Games bodies and technical officials (including judges, referees and classifiers) along with the athletes themselves.
Another reason for me to not watch any of the Olympics. These greedy corporates have taken everything that is part of the common good, often funded with taxpayer money, and turned it into a lucrative earner for themselves.
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TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
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Good morning Pete George.
Just wondering about your comments in various places yesterday about how various parties are talking about the Waitangi Tribunal hearing.
You’ve demanded evidence that Key was playing the race card, and been dismissive of any put forward. I’d like to know if you can square that stance with your own comments about “extortion”. What evidence do you have to suggest “extortion”. You claimed in a very inflammatory post that you find it hard not to think that the claim to the tribunal isn’t extortion.
I think it’s hard to come to that conclusion at all, so I’m genuinely curious about your reasoning, especially given you have also said you support honouring the treaty.
I’ve asked a number of times if you would like to withdraw the extortion claim, and apologise. You haven’t responded to that so I can only assume you stand by it.
So what gives?
Patrick Gower has just spoken on Firstline, explaining why he doesn’t think John Key was playing the race card. Gower pointed out that what Key said was consistent with what he’d been saying on this issue since Waitangi Day.
No one on The Standard yesterday (that I saw) came up with any evidence that “Key’s fight with Maori no accident’.
I accept that ‘extortion’ could be seen as a strong term, but I qualified this if you look at it in context of all that I said:
I don’t think that was inflammatory. You seem to be trying to fan it by repeatedly promoting one word only, but it hasn’t attracted much reaction otherwise.
I’ve backed up and shown that some people think the Waitangi Tribunal action should result in financial gain. I’m not the only one who has raised the issue of deliberately timed pressure, and that it’s a possible abuse of the Waitangi tribunal authority.
Now a question for you – do you think Eddie saying “Key’s fight with Maori no accident” was imflammatory?
He repeated similar sentiments in his post, and suggested a NZH editorial was wrong. Do you think there is any proven basis to what Eddie posted?
So what gives?
There is no qualification in your post Pete.
You just use the passive vopice, talking about perception, and some people. All that does is make it look like it isn’t *you* saying it, that you are just reporting. So name the people and explain the extortion.
People seeking remedy are not extorting. Extortion is a crime. Why would it be unjust for people to get remedy for harm caused?
I highlight the word extortion, because it is the essence of your smear. You still haven’t justified it.
So if this extortion perception is so very hard to avoid, where are the people who see it? Other than yourself.
I grant that commenters on Kiwiblog, or callers to talkback, will no doubt be claiming it. But I’d wager those same people would think that the whole Treaty is null and void. That is what they will be basing their thinking on.
But you have said that you think we should honour the treaty. If you believe that, then it follows that when the crown is doing something that may breach treaty rights, then there should be some urgency around determing the case. That’s the timing issue.
So please explain how you can agree that the crown should honour the trety obligations it has, and at the same time think it’s hard to avoid thinking it’s extortion when iwi ask the crown to honour the treaty.
Pete your comment was inflammatory because it was not true. For decades Iwi have complained about the loss of their Taonga including land, mountains, rivers, shellfish, pretty well everything.
If you had any sense of the history, for instance Tainui’s claim for the Waikato.
But from a point of complete ignorance you say not only that this is not true, but that Maori have engaged in cynical extortion.
Not only is it not true but it is insulting to Tangata Whenua.
PB called you on it. And I don’t see that you have come up with any evidence to justify your claim.
Just because other red necks have also trotted out the same statements does not make those statements true.
Pete George = to quisle
The government is already giving people preferential treatment with the shares – those with money.
If we were to be fair they would give every NZ citizen an equal number of shares who then would be free to do with them what they wish.
Why now ramp it up – because the asset is being sold against their wishes.
I remember when water was taken from the Whanganui river and some of the angst that caused. Places we used to swim are now well above the water line even when the river is in flood.
There was some accpetance at the time it was for the good of the people – this common good is being transferred into private good – that was opposed at the time and is opposed now.
It’s an abuse of the goodwill that existed at the time, particularly by Tuwharetoa, in the same way that transferring National Park into private hands would be.
The Herald editorial this morning appears to be saying that Trade Union influence on the Labour Party ought to be minimized and that the MPs should be given the most power in determining who should be the party’s leader.
All the more reason for the Labour Party to do the opposite. I don’t know why the MPs should have so much say. They ought to be the servants of the party and not its masters.
The Trade Union movement provide the heart and soul of the party and should be given a significant say.
I couldnt agree more Paddy our Mps have clearly elected the wrong leader with David Shearer providing next to no leader ship, all the while being given huge amounts of material to work with by a National Government that is hardly full of talent or strong performers. If we ran the same arguments that the Herald is using and applied them to a general election it wouldnt be the people who voted in a Government because they simply wouldnt know enough to select the right parties and therefore who should be PM, all to complex for them. If a party wants members and wants peoples time money and energy why shouldnt those people get to decide who the leader should be. Sadly our Labour MPs are full of their own self importance it wouldnt be so bad if they were as good as they are arrogant, if that was so Labour would never be in opposition.
The Herald would not for a moment dream of also saying that the Business Round Table influence on the National Party ought to be minimized.
At least the Herald editorial is being constant and true to its right-wing readership and wallets by volunteering that mischievous advice.
In contrast …..
Labour’s heart and soul appear to be adrift in recent times, disconnected from their heads and moral compass. The eyes of their leadership seem to be locked into polling figures, their ears closed to the voices of the broader non-caucus members.
It is not even discernible these days whether Labour remains strongly grounded in the values of their grassroots and wider party membership.
And presumably the Herald editor must think they would be able to have more influence on Labour MPs than on the membership, or unions.
Thus they completely abdicate any fourth estate responsibilities and show they are anti-democracy.
Which decade were you referring to?
Days gone by CV, days gone by …
http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/
Puddleglum analyses the “work is liberty” spin in regard to shit work.
A teaser:
…Almost 2,000 years after Cicero, here in New Zealand, a recent survey claimed that:
Unemployed Kiwis have a better overall level of wellbeing than “disengaged” employees, according to consulting company Gallup’s global wellbeing finder.
Some 72 per cent of New Zealanders are actively disengaged in the workforce, with 59 per cent of disengaged employees behaving poorly with family and friends after a stressful day’s work.
Read that again: being employed but “actively disengaged” is worse for your personal (subjective) well-being – and the well-being of those around you, it would seem – than being unemployed. And, according to the survey, most employed New Zealanders are actively disengaged.
Yet, isn’t it well-known that being employed is far better than being unemployed? It might be well-known but it’s not that simple. Employment comes in different shapes and sizes and in different quality as, believe it or not, this – slightly dated – Treasury paper argues:
It can be concluded that all of these studies consistently suggest that “bad” or unsatisfactory employment is no better for a person’s psychological well-being than having no job at all….
Let me guess….. consulting company Gallup makes a shite load of money out of conferences and consulting to companies and governments about human resources and wellbeing and produces polls to drive that business ?
When you think of people working at the franchised gassies, who have cameras on them all day lest they eat a chocolate bar without paying for it, and who must pay themselves if someone fills their car and runs off under their watch, or the lady who was put on notice for having a bible in her pocket at Sky City, then what you are saying makes perfect sense.
Actual link
Can anybody tell me what Labour does stand for? Are they so aligned with most of Key’s policies that they are left with nothing new to say? Will the country be choosing between two similar parties in 2014? Shearer usually looks like he needs a sleep – maybe he is sleepwalking! Has Cunliffe (again?) been gagged – the only shining light? Labour is presently giving Key another term by default. Consequently, Key knows he can go right on doing whatever he likes, in safety. One only wishes more people would give their support to the Greens – at least we do hear strong stuff from them all the time.
“Can anybody tell me what Labour does stand for?”
They same as every other political party their own self interest and jolly big dollop of troughing.
And lets remember that its our job to force the pollies to do it differently.
Can that involve sealing them in the beehive and then releasing the hounds ?
That’s always an option 😀
Labour strongly stands for winning, and stands strongly against losing.
Is that clearer now?
Shearer promised a genuine role for the membership in the Leader selection Process. I’m sure he did not mean that the Caucus would have a veto over the wishes of the membership.
So here does the tone of the stories over the past two days in the Herald and Dominion Post come from? Shearer needs to refute what the MSM is writing. The membership and labour voters stayed at home because they felt the party was not listening to them. Shearer said he was listening.
Shearer can deliver real influence to the membership: the corollary is (a) the Caucus having a veto on when a leadership selection may be actioned and (b) the Caucus having a veto over the Memberships preference.
This is the litmus test
A group of like minded individuals and groups have launched a petition calling on the New Zealand Government to vote against extending the regulatory authority of the International Telecommunications Union to the Internet.
The petition is here, and it takes less than a minute to sign.
Vote against the ITU having regulatory authority over the Internet Petition | GoPetition
The background to the petition is:
We are calling on the NZ Government to specifically:
Again, feel free to sign and promote the petition within your networks. This is an important issue.
Vote against the ITU having regulatory authority over the Internet Petition | GoPetition
(Replicated from here)
Relevant to the above post (another repeat):
The same Russia that wants the ITU to be given regulatory authority over the Internet.
FYI.
“12 July 2012
Chief of Staff
ACT
Chris Diack
Dear Chris,
As discussed yesterday by phone, I have a defended hearing on 19 September 2012 at the Auckland District Court in the matter of Police v PENELOPE MARY BRIGHT CRN 12004009078 , arising from my arrest for wilful trespass on 18 June 2012 at the electorate office of John Banks, ACT MP for Epsom, at 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket.
Having been trespassed for 2 years from that address, I am seeking confirmation of how best to effect service of a ‘summons to witness’ for John Banks.
I look forward to confirmation of a suitable address at your earliest possible convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright ”
…..
________________________________________________________________________________
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
In one of the threads yesterday the phrase ‘pete george’ appeared on the page 15 times. When I counted at 102 comments, that was a rate of 15%. Just saying.
Yep you just can’t keep the TROLL down.
There’s about 21 posts on Thursday from mike e – he’s a typical resident troll who’s a recidivist abuser who tries to label others trolls. It’s common for abusers here to accuse others of what they do themselves.
Petey boy 90% of my blogs are undoing your diatribe of Nationals spin your continually spewing out.
You have the odd bit of reason the rest is just repeating Nationals propaganda nothing more.
Stick to UF’s policy like the very good idea on super and I won’t have to take your BS apart.
Maybe Pete, but I don’t hear lots of people groaning everytime mike e posts. And I haven’t noticed him continually grabbing the first post of Open Mike. Or link whoring to his blog. etc etc.
There’s nothing wrong with someone posting alot (TS publishes lists of top posters from time to time), unless they annoy lots of people, which you do. You specialise in engaging in a kind of debate here that’s repetitive and for many people boring. It takes up debate resources that could be spent on other things, which is why people call you a troll.
I completely understand why some people want to reply to you – Pascal’s Bookie’s calling you on bullshit yesterday at the top of Open Mike was inspired, and it’s important that your posts that are inaccurate or disingenuous are refuted. The problem is YOU. You’re like the bore in the pub who takes no social cues from those around him about how the conversation is going and whether people are happy or satisfied.
What I can’t figure out is if you don’t understand how you influence the place, or if you don’t care, or if you think it’s a good thing. I suspect the latter two. You use this place for your own personal agenda, and the culture of TS be damned.
I hear from people who (sometimes at least) agree with me but won’t comment here due to the likelihood of attacks.
What do you think is “the culture of TS”?
People who agree with you will get sympathy, not attacks.
“I hear from people who (sometimes at least) agree with me but won’t comment here due to the likelihood of attacks. ”
So? This has nothing to do with people disagreeing with your politics or views. It’s about your behaviour. Which is ironic because you come across as someone who believes in personal responsibility for one’s behaviour.
“What do you think is “the culture of TS”?”
That’s not relevant to this conversation. What I want to know is if YOU have any idea about the culture of this place. Do you?
I don’t think you can refer to ‘the culture’, there’s a number of intermingling cultures – there’s a lot of different individuals participatimg for a variety of reasons. There’s even quite a difference between the authors.
I think I have a good understanding of some of the cultures. It’s difficult to know about the silent reader culture or the occasional contributor culture. There’s a variety of Labour orientated cultures, more than one Green culture, at least one Mana culture. Maori pops up a bit.
I’d say there’s a dominant negative culture with fairly strong dollops of exclusiveness and non-inclusivenes, which I find odd for people from parties trying to rebuild or build their support. Some prominent participants seem to only want you if you toe their line.
You don’t hear it, because I don’t say so here, but I groan when he posts! He writes like a primary school kid, he’s full of anger and seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder, and he joins my mental list of people who have very little to say, but insist on saying it anyway!
Yes, yes it is.
weka
Overall I’ve counted PG 16 comments today.
What’s your point?
I just counted 20 of Colonial Viper for today.
Would you like to view a succinct unemotional discussion on the Libor Scandal?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0oV2mI0IYp8
We hear the Bankers’ cry that the glass is half full,. Yet the facts suggest there is a rampaging torrent of trouble approaching that is going to smash that glass against the wall of reality.
A essay I found thought-provoking:
http://jacobinmag.com/spring-2012/the-politics-of-getting-a-life
Thanks. An interesting read.
Excellent link thankyou. My thoughts exactamundo, cept they had to be sought out over years, including years of “different health”.
Credentialism was an anathema to me once i had experienced self-efficacy.
Soooo, ye nay-sayers, follow Schopenhauer down through Nietzsche thru Heidegger and onto Habermas et al; and one is heading in the useful western direction towards the East.
One could argue that post-work analysis is “constructive”—————————————————
ACTIVE NIHILISTIC DECONSTRUCTION.
Oh Friedrich…if you only knew what your solitude and despair began.
Actually the influence of the East started earlier than that: e.g. on the Ancient Greeks, and on Christianity. I recall my stage one philosophy lecturer saying that, with reference to the Ancient Greek maxim of “know thyself”. Some eastern ideas came through Socrates, then Rome, into Christianity and the West.
And it has long seemed logical to me that more people should be employed but for less hours, and all getting a living wage. But, of course, that would mean that it would be harder for the elite to be filthy rich and all powerful.
DAVID CUNLIFFE.
I believe that i am relatively informed about politics and politics in New Zealand.
I have been an open-minded autodidact all my life.(neccessary response to personal experience of child abuse and neglect which is such a cancer for this country).
Directed into, and spent over 20 years in one of the heaviest, dirtiest, blue-collar occupations there is, Heavy Diesel Mechanic.
Completed an arts degree at home, full-time equivalent, self-directed over years, with one internal year and block courses.
Worked supporting some of the most vulnerable people serviced by the health system etc, etc,
Up to speed with the ideas and techniques behind politics and the history of social policy in NZ.
While personally a nihilist, I believe that political movement grounded in socialist analysis is likely to be of the greatest benefit to the greatest number and the environment that supports us, therefore most helpful.
New Zealand, with the right govt, may well lead the world again in quality of life type statistics.
If Life gives ya lemons, lemonade (sans fructose) is indicated.
Soo, some realpolitik;
David Cunliffe appears to me to be the necessary leader for the Labour Party.
I would not vote Labour though as long as they subscribe to Neo-Liberal Third Way nonsense.
Greens and Mana are where the future is at IMHO.
I dont even visit Labour flagged sites or blogs. LONG MEMORY.
Julie-Ann Genter is “hot” and incredibly brainy. But lust must be seen as oppression leading to suffering……
Oh, look at that, a new word 😀 Describes my own education quite well although I don’t have any degrees (that latter probably has something to do with my opinion of degrees).
IMO, nope but, then, I’m an anarchist and both those parties are too close to the authoritarian mindset – especially Mana – for my liking.
“Greens and Mana are where the future is at IMHO”
What happens after the rest of the country have emigrated to Aussie and there is no more “other people’s money”
What happens after the rest of the country have emigrated to Aussie and there is no more “other people’s money”
I guess the bankers will all just follow the people to Aussie, and do their best to siphon money off there.
A sobering piece by Chris Hedges: War Is Betrayal, Persistent Myths of Combat.
Anyone been to the dentist lately? In NZ there doesn’t appear to be any fixed scale of charges – in other words they can charge what they like. After I was recently quoted $3,600 for a root canal and crown, I am shopping around. Why is it this profession seems to be able to get away with exhorbitant charging on such an important aspect of public health? Surely this must exclude large numbers of people from seeking regular dental care.
If in Auckland, go and see Royal Oak Dental 625 7069. Couldn’t tell you a price, but level of service and skill is exceptional. From experience, I owuld suggest a pre-treatment inspection from either Dr Pellow or Gibson-Hardie would be worth the time.
Unfortunately I live too far away from Auckland Uturn, but thanks anyway.
Good grief! Shocking…
“Surely this must exclude large numbers of people from seeking regular dental care.”
This would not only exclude those on lower incomes, but also those on middle incomes too.
The government should set a fixed scale of charges and if that means the dentist can’t afford modern equipment well too bad. And if the dentists all take off to Aussie, then good riddance.
Oh yes,
“treat the poor” = “c0mmunism with the berlin wall”.
Thanks for reminding us.
I doubt you would get a root canal for much less that $1000 anywhere smokeskreen. And ‘crowns’ are a very expensive item – Labour intensive. $1600 for a crown does not sound too exorbitant in the scheme of things.
“Surely this must exclude large numbers of people from seeking regular dental care.”
It certainly does. In fact its been in the news in recent days.
Oh dear – should be labour with a small l. Freudian slip?
Take a flight to Thailand and get it done there at a top notch place. Have a holiday as well and still save $1K.
xcuse moi. Luddite here. could someone pls advise how to capture and “paste” a link with windows vista and a mouse and internet explorer.
Promise i wont wear it out on this blog.
right click the link, select “copy link location” (or similar).
The right click the TS comment box and select “paste”.
Alert alert !!
Class war, Class war !!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10819163
What a load of rubbish. Where do these “academics” get these stupid ideas from? Not everything can be blamed on neoliberalism and this is right off the planet.
Time for a bit of neoliberalism in the faculty that “employs” them, methinks.
Hate crime, hate crime !!!
one track Off the rails.Myopic idiot, economic research shows neoliberalism doesn’t work anyone with any intelligence can research the facts for them selves.
Neo liberalism is a Cult with an agenda some what like Scientology its believers follow it in blind faith.
So then, how do you explain the disproportionate amount of large people amongst the poorer classes? And the fact that it has become seen as a problem since the 1980s?
How do yo explain that it seems to be a problem in societies embracing rampant consumerism?
At least these academics have presented an argument…. maybe you should try it?
Ironic that rampant consumerism promotes thin, creates fat.
How can consumerism be reversed? Ideally by people power but the ones that need to change see it the least.They are convinved that they’ll be loving it but they end up hating what they become. If they notice.
You must be hating yourself Politically Gullible.
As you have been Consumed by the rampant neoCon right.
Maybe you could lead by example and reverse your position.
The Neo Con right just love rampant consumerism .
Thats their Mantra,
Create vacuous people have their needs falsely met by the market like a gambler or alcoholic they need more and more .
So the right wing say its personal responsibility and do nothing to change the bad behaviour.
same with alcohol reform gambling reform.
So the right expect every body to take responsibility while taking no responsibility for creating the problems in the first place!
What the hell are you talking about PG?
There’s a good little piece on it here Carol.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/7256608/Fat-hatred-should-be-banned-scholar
The most sensible part being the last couple of sentences.
If LABOUR wish to ride the zeigeist to the treasury benches they could do worse than to take a socialist turn.
Romney panders to his base by getting booed at the NAACP conference and showing how disconnected he is. But that’s all right, he’s got secret black supporters.
Forget it unions, Labour doesn’t want you
Seems to me that the Right Wing of the Labour caucus want to minimise the influence that workers’ organisations have over any future Labour leadership selection process.
And they want caucus itself to have the biggest say in any leadership selection process, not the rank and file membership.
Keep this anti-democratic centralised control from Wellington nonsense up and it’ll become more and more obvious that its only the Greens who truly value democracy.
Shades of lab4: ‘caucus knows best, now shut up and do what we say while we represent you.’
I’m asking around a bit more. So far it also sounds like Labour in Wellington also want to get rid of the regions’ ability to define who they want at the top of regional lists.
Sez who, CV? Sounds like bollocky bollocks to me.
One of the proposals being considered is that Regions no longer rank their top 5 list candidates.
Instead they just present their candidates as a block of equals, from which a much smaller Moderating Committee chooses who they want.
Probably wouldn’t make much difference, the first few are almost always sitting MP’s anyway. Interested in the smaller moderating committee suggestion though. That’s where the real power lies, so it might be an improvement to have a smaller, but more democratically fought over committee.
But for all that, I’m sure lots of ideas are being considered. That’s a good thing.
I’m not interested in good ideas being considered, I’m interested in good ideas getting through to implementation.
And that is not what I am hearing.
Whats your hurry, CV? Bunji has the timeline here. And this a useful link for continuing the debate. Just hit the ‘join’ button at the foot of the page.
Good to know that you are ‘nice and relaxed’ about things.
Yeah there’s a hurry on just to clue you up, its called Caucus Rule xy (where xy is an integer higher than 15 but less than 30). This rule institutes an opportunity to confirm the full confidence of caucus in the current leadership of the Labour Party going into an election year. Pretty important don’t you think, especially if the rule happens to get canned just before it comes due to be used again?
Or maybe you think we should just lay back, chill and stay cruisey?
With all due respect, fuck ‘clicking on a debate’ I’ve been making phone calls and writing emails this week.
A smaller moderating committee is a must. In my view, that’s been a large part of the problem in the past. I was told there were 38 members of the 2011 moderating committee. Crazy? There should be 10 -12 members only.
It probably started out that way back in the mid 1990s, but over time every Tom, Dick and Harry special Labour sub-group was demanding a place at the moderating table. And each sub-group was pushing their own candidates regardless of talent and/or suitability. Hence there were some bad decisions, and a few very good MPs ended up out of parliament altogether.
Smaller numbers of course being much easier to “control”.
Just keep whistling along to keep thinking the Labour party are not owned the same way the NACT is..
Same control, same outcomes!
No muzza it doesn’t work like that. The moderating committee is the body which makes the final list placements after all the regions have submitted their list preferences. Those preferences are agreed to after a weekend of candidate speeches and written biographical details. The Mod. Committee ignores those preferences at their peril.
In a nutshell, what appears to have been happening is: with such a large number of people involved at the final committee stage, the left hand ends up not knowing what the right hand is doing. The make-up of the committee is, and would continue to be, an even mix of party and parliamentary representatives only with fewer people involved.
This,
http://www.thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/2011/10/18/who-owns-the-greek-debt-anyway-a-list-of-banks-and-institutions/
The scary thing is they have about the same debt ratio per head of population as NZ.
Goldman Sachs lied and colluded to these banks to defraud them the Greek people the hardest working people in Europe and the rescue countries including us $100 million so far .
Goldman Sachs the SCF of the world. yeah I don’t see all the
NeoConartists defending these ponzi scamming criminals.
Their heros!
Actually the FED owns all the debt, and the rest is owned by the ECB. Those two are the same entity.
Those listed banks are are simply for “show”
They are all just the central cartel!
International sports has been co-opted by the corporates and often draws on taxpayer dollars. It’s not enough that the UK is turning people’s homes into a military encampment, with surface-to-air missiles on their roofs, but the Olympics is also one big tax haven:
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/commentanalysis/corporatewatch/thegreatolympictaxswindle.aspx
Another reason for me to not watch any of the Olympics. These greedy corporates have taken everything that is part of the common good, often funded with taxpayer money, and turned it into a lucrative earner for themselves.