In the last election and possibly in the next election conventional wisdom is that it is a vote loser for the Green Party to play up the danger of climate change as an election issue.
That raising this issue would be a liability on the hustings.
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
Though I have detected some positive movement away from this view, it seems to be, still, the ruling viewpoint inside the leadership of the Green Party.
When Gina McCarthy first met with Obama in the Oval Office on Jan. 10 to discuss the prospect of heading the Environmental Protection Agency, she recalled, “the first words out of his mouth was the need for EPA to focus on climate.”
In his chief of staff, Denis McDonough, Obama has a policy manager who has written and contributed to several pieces on climate change as a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank in 2006 and 2007. He is a sharp contrast to former Obama chiefs of staff William Daley and Rahm Emanuel, who both privately saw global warming as a political liability for the president.
The shift has alarmed some industry officials, as well as coal allies. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) described the administration as coal’s “adversary”….
…..“You cannot describe this any differently than as a war on coal, and not just in West Virginia or the U.S. but on a global scale,” he said. “They’re using every tool they have to destroy the most abundant, reliable and affordable resource that we have.”
Juliet Eilperin Washington Post: August 11
Senator Joe Manchin is right. This is, “a war on coal”. And it is, being conducted on a “global scale”.
Coal is the single greatest cause of climate change. As James Hanson has said “If we can’t stop coal, it is all over for the climate”.
In talking with Green Party insiders I have been told, (though I have never seen the citation), that it is Green Party policy to oppose all new coal mines. In my opinion this is extremely laudable.
But will this policy be ditched in the quest for cabinet positions?
Will Green Party opposition to the huge new open cast coal mine at Denniston be sacrificed to the view, that raising objections to this climate crime will cost votes?
If its about votes jenny the greens have plenty of other areas that will get them votes as the only coherent alternative to the nact with labour adrift with captain blind and his old boy caucus.
So you’re ignoring the Obama Administration resuming deep sea drilling straight after Deep Water Horizon? Permitting shale oil fracking right across the country? Continuing to plan large pipelines from the Alberta tar sands? Boasting about becoming a major net exporter of oil again?
You don’t think that pissing coal off is a device to push investment into shale oil and shale gas plays?
Still pushing that double negative jenny, the Green Party for your info have a go at National in the House at least once a week over climate change,
Last week it was Kennedy Graeham grilling Tim Grosser which was only not very enlightening because Grosser simply buries all His answers with a pile of hyperbole,
The problem the Green Party has is simple to describe as ‘being able to take the wider electorate with them’ as they seek solutions to drastically reduce CO2 atmospheric levels,
My view is that trying to alter what ‘we’ do now without creating a political backlash is nearly impossible and much more energy should be put into researching and developing the technology with which industrial amounts of CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere and used as a fuel source,
The science and tech surrounding doing this while in it’s infancy shows that this can be achieved and while an expensive exercise in terms of per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere when compared with the cost of even the mildest negative effects of ongoing climate change would in time prove to have been a small price to pay…
it was interesting watching Groser (on behalf of the nats that day) conceding the scientifically supported reality of climate change and it’s relevance to New Zealand economics. Only about a year or so after Bill and Lyn’s excellent posts on The Standard presenting highly probable trends.
As Jenny identifies, poll-based policy abounds.
I don’t think Jenny is too far off the mark, in terms of the general populace’s view on climate change.
Stuff comments are sometimes fairly amenable to left-wing politics, and certainly there are a lot more negative comments about Key/National than there used to be.
But on any story about climate change, there’s a talkback taliban effect of huge numbers of denier comments being rated up, and anyone trying to talk science is voted down harshly.
“Since when has “aspiration” been such a good thing? I have aspirations, as a matter of fact. I aspire to live in a civilised country where women, gays and people of different colours are treated as equals. I aspire to live in a country where nobody is poor (and nobody is so rich that they have to throw money away on million pound bottles of champagne). I aspire to live in a country where the old can live in comfort, where everyone who is sick gets the treatment they need, regardless of cost, where the mentally ill are not stuffed into prison for lack of any better option, where everyone is actually equal before the law, where everyone who wants to can go to university and not have to pay for it. And so on. These are aspirations. They just don’t happen to be selfish ones. How come they don’t count in this bright and shiny new world of the selfish?”
Key looked pudgy, grey and tired on the tele at the pillagers conference over the weekend. I reckon he knows he aint gonna get there at the next election.
Meantime the merry band of looters that was his fawning crowd will continue to take advantage of corporate welfare, business subsidies, tax cuts, weakened RMA, weakened employment laws and take take take. They will offer nothing back to the taxpayers who support these bludgers and will instead blame everyone but themselves for the problems they have exacerbated in their very own communities.
I am preparing for the digital changeover by discontinuing
that monolithic legacy technology known as “tele vision”
which allows US Billionaires like Murdoch to dominate
the worldview and politics of mere nations like ours.
It looks like Bradbury and Selwyn both had their meds run out over the weekend, I hope they get to the chemist for the repeat before tomorrow. Martyn Bradbury is a paid hack of Mana, so you can’t expect much else from him than his usual quasi-Marxist politics of resentment, where the designated traitor is the exclusive foam flecked target of those who regard the achievable as the enemy of the perfect, and the the success of the right/defeat of the moderate left is exulted as a radicalising moment on the road to revolutionary nirvana.
But Tim Selwyn’s piece on farmers is actually a quite disturbing piece of hate speech. No wonder he’s a convicted criminal – if he believes half of the stuff he writes he will inevitably see more of the inside of the holding cells in Albert Street. If it is wrong to objectify and collectively punish beneficiaries, it is equally wrong to objectify farmers.
Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of two high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges. A party of full of resentment, tall poppyism, dogmatic obsessions and anti-white racism. A party of losers who have lost to often. If the twin efforts of Bradbury and Selwyn are any guide, Mana can offer the country nothing.
Needn’t be a dick all your life Sanctuary. The healing has begun here at the mighty Standard.
Bomber may be a political hybrid but you underestimate the longer term concept of Mana. A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action is the the rights worst nightmare so perhaps it is you that needs the meds.
One thing I wish a website like would have is a place to more robustly debate ideology, because this is ideological nonsense of the highest order.
Maori nationalists a la the Harawiras seems to me to be an incredibly reactionary, backward looking movement grounded in the belief that Maori society was this undynamic thing and in a perfect stasis of noble savagery until it was torn asunder by contact with wicked (but more technologically advanced) European cultures. The hard left meanwhile is a bunch of variegated Marxists whose inability to come to terms with the genocides of the USSR and mass murder of Mao let alone the welfare state has seen them floundering about like drowning men in a sea of denial and wishful thinking for the last forty years.
What unites the Māori nationalists and the hard left is a hard line utopianism that pines for a world that never was and a world that can never be respectively, and a desire for revolutionary revenge/redistribution which allows them both to present their ideas using similar revolutionary rhetoric.
The clash between the reactionary Maori nationalism of Turia and the socialist Maori nationalism of Hone Harawira is not one of left vs. right one in the sense either of them is more inclusive than the other. Harawira and co want an apartheid society with a new bunch of brown faces in charge of the means of production; Turia’s model is an apartheid society with an invented Iwi aristocracy in charge. To my mind, neither of these backward looking, racist and nepotistic visions should be particularly attractive to a modern socialist whose primarily interest should be the creation of a society with equality of opportunity for everyone and one that defends the positive liberties that equality of opportunity unlocks for everyone.
At the end of the day, the wider left lost the debate over the last thirty years because it was unable to tell a story of a positive future. The agenda was inverted and socialism was the new conservatism, tiredly defending status quo pragmatism against the message of the zealous change agents of the new right. Socialism became the ideology of the already defeated, seeking constantly to mitigate the disaster via identity politics or accommodation rather than trying to win the war.
I would put it to you that the ambient politics of resentment – or as I call it “loserist politics” – that you get from a lot of Mana supporters is the result of the ideological contradictions that lie at the heart of the alliance of the margins that is Mana. What unites them is what they resent and oppose, and that negativity seeps through to almost all their conversations. To my way of looking at it, the tonal loserism of Mana is just the fag end of that sorry tale of left wing defeat, not the flag bearer of a new socialist way of thinking about the future.
Actually Rogue, I have some sympathy with Sanctuarys interpretation. It exposes some raw edges of the Left that as he says would greatly benefit from some robust debate. There are some sacred cows to be led to the slaughter.
Conversely Santuary’s triumphalism for the Right might also have to go on ice, they have merely generated the same seeds of their own demise as their mirror image, the ideological Left.
re Bonds for earthquake strengthening, echoes some of our own thoughts and discussions on this, and the rental warrant-of-fitness issue. Failure to maintain safety of income-generating assets by property investors in a country that experiences regular, predicted seismic activity and has researched, documented, comparatively cold and damp residential rental stock. (all that extra water vapour in the atmosphere joe transcribes in the climate update below).
and on, and on, Ennfinitum. 🙂
ps. Coleman not gonna cut Defence funding for a few more years, maybe some more Theatres to go with those Sports Stadiums, “over the top Lads, let’s give Gerry what ho!”.
Just been on Gerry’s home turf….we should send Coleman there to be subject to their tender mercies…..really liked the Germans, they might civilise him!
been reading more books instead of blogs. Like on Passchendaele and other tragedies of human history. With an igloo box my friend gets el-cheapo pay-tv (National Geographic, BBC Knowledge etc); there was this programme yesterday on what Wales was like during the copper and iron smelting stages of their industrial (capital) revolution – the ore was shipped to the coal- with the puddling process developed by Cort being adopted in the Ruhr. What was striking was all the chimneys in Wales, belching smoke into the sky at the time, with social conditions such that (maybe only one university) ‘intellectuals’ had to leave the predominantly working-class country to receive higher education.
Yet, all those chimneys – ominous.
sanc all your assumptions are wrong imo but you build a nice little rant platform from them.
Tino rangatiratanga is about looking forwards not backwards.
The last people imo that believe in a non-dynamic Māori perspective are tino rangatiratanga adherents, let alone the ‘perfect stasis’ you propose.
Tino rangatiratanga is not about revenge it is about the opposite of that.
What unites those who believe in tino rangatiratanga and the left are belief in equality and fairness especially for those disregarded in our society – whatever ethnicity.
Mana don’t want an apartheid society.
The Mana Movement is much more than the ‘resent and oppose’ description you use and it isn’t negative at all.
Anyway your big words and puffed-up language cannot disguise your own resentments and your last paragraph is defeatest in tone and content. Great I say because Mana doesn’t need or want people like you imo, you’re better off trying 1law4all.
Rave on; Sanctuary. Neo liberalist capitalism is the fag end of human development, unwilling to even feed and water the worlds people. US imperialism’s annual military budget could do just that laddie.
Just read Tim Selwyn’s column, actually it is uncommonly accurate. It is not hate speech, it merely points out valid realities that should be of real concern to any society seeking some cogency. The farmers advantages are real, the corollary is that others don’t have these advantages. Whether that is good or bad depends on your viewpoint, but it does not make them any less real.
Santuary, is this all your own work? I’m sure I’ve read the same thing written by someone else. Though I suppose if you haven’t got the sense to think for yourself, you may as well copy and paste what someone else has thought.
Thanks for you clever example of Hate Speech double-speak hypocrisy, Sanctuary.
Actually, Bomber is a long term activists, who has embraced the Mana approach to politics, because it is in keeping with his values. From his about page:
He has appeared at numerous political and union functions over the last few years. He is a political consultant to organisations of the left and centre-left and argued for the creation of the MANA Party as a party to the Left of the Greens as a means for the Left to win back Parliament. Mr Bradbury also hosts the current affairs show ‘Citizen A’ on Face TV and was Editor in Residence at the Wintec School of Journalism.
Sanct – your hate-loaded spin avoids mentioning the range of organisations Bradbury hires his services to, and the range of work he does.
Mana is a bit of a mixture, but they are building a movement which will be capable of worthwhile changes. As a low profile supporter, I’m hopeful.
By the way, how the hell do you label John Minto as a loser? He is responsible more than any other one person for changing the way we thought about apartheid. Hone is prepared to stand with the people to halt evictions, to protect working class communities that have grown over many years. Mallard is prepared to sell overpriced tickets to them on Trademe. I know who I consider the loser.
Whilst out of town I heard there had been a significant quake in Wellington. The first thing I thought was “bugger, the rent seekers will now try and make me, Mr Ratepayer pay”. So the above came as no surprise. On the news during the week was another owner (Ian Cassels) calling for earthquake strengthening to be tax deductible.
Ho fekkin hum.
Did you see these self same building owners putting money from their rents aside to pay for strengthening before the Chch quake made the situation urgent? No sir.
Did you see the owners offer to set up a strengthening fund, or some form of buying group to spread the risk? Nope.
Did you see the see the owners actually do any work to mitigate risk whilst there were engineers and trades available (they are now all in Chch)? Hell no, just take the rent and play the risk.
Now you and I are supposed to bail the bastards out of an entirely predictable scenario. Same old story, privatize the profits, socialise the cost. How do we keep these bastards out of our pockets?
And what is more they want to leave things till 2020. One sector commenter said that would create a bottleneck about that time as they will tend to put the work off. Sounds like the old laissez faire that they apply to closing times in the ‘hospitalit-ising’ industry with everyone emerging drunk and stupid and irritable all at the same time.
The chap in Christchurch whose wife was killed in the building collapse there and has been advocating for action ever since is, luckily, not yet speechless at the lack of integrity of the government in its strange and uneven treatment of business, affected by the earthquakes.
My sympathies rest with the man in question: he has been let down by this total lack of integrity. When our wifes, husbands, children die in some red stickered building in Wellington we can expect the same “business” focused response. My take is actually shut the bastards down now before someone dies, and if they cannot strengthen the buildings under the current commercial conditions they should be bull dozed.
In Christchurch many buildings are simply being ignored by workers – they will not work in them as they consider them too dangerous. Makes them worthless and the landlords sharpen up.
The city councillor has unveiled a plan to make strengthening the city’s heritage buildings easier by allowing owners to borrow money using council assets as security.
Central government politicians have welcomed the idea, which would enable building owners to borrow for strengthening work and repay the bonds through a special rate that would be attached to the building, Mr Morrison said.
And when the building owners fail to pay back the bonds will allow central government to force WCC to sell those assets. So, yeah, I can see why this government would be in favour of it.
I doubt if Wellington’s assets will be sufficiant to borrow against for the bonds. Mainly because the council is busily borrowing against them for other purposes.
Wellington CC is actually in deep proverbial…they reckon they have an “asset base” of about $30K per rate payer…..if you were to get real and capitalise the assets they are probably overstated in value several times…and that is if you could sell them. My take is that the figure is more like minus $30K.
The reality for Wellington is that the ratepayer will be obliged to pick up the bill for negligent expenditure by successive councils and Detroit status is merely a disaster away.
Sanctuary@7 – the following portions of your comment above are but glaring non-sequitur;
“Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of TWO high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges.” – (capitalisation is mine).
TWO high profile…….supporters ? Just TWO ?
That justifies your assertion – “…….Mana can offer the country nothing.” ?
Glaring non-sequitur as I say. Deployed to deliver a good old rant against a political party you don’t like. That’s fine. We all do it from time to time. It can’t pass as sensible analysis however.
Lolz, thank you sanctuary, your efforts have reinforced my position that the Mana Party in 2014 will be getting my Party Vote, and any other help i can offer them…
I see Pete George is running for Dunedin City Council. Good on him, but doesnt seem to state what policies he will push for? Though, judging from his record, I am picking he will vote to sell assets, and make cuts to libaries and the like, etc.
Like they all do. Seems that council candidates are more into making negative promises (ie cutting this and that to keep rates down) than positive promise. More parks, etc. Apart from when it comes to subsidising professional sports or ‘festivals’ for middle classes of course.
I did a rare visit to KB on Saturday, where he announced his candidacy on their equivalent of OM to rave support (not) there. Some interesting comments, though!
When I can be bothered commenting on the NZ Herald site to assertions of the economic superiority of National, I often refer to the Reserve Bank’s historical data spreadsheet on government debt. When viewed in tandem with elected governments, it becomes apparent that National-led governments tend to drastically increase debt, while Labour-led governments systematically chip away at it.
Have never had a reply to this that disputes this trend.
However, it is interesting to see that the Reserve Bank website update has coincided with a decision to discontinue this statistic as of June 2013, and searching for “government debt” on the site, results in a lot of ambiguous results.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
Bill from Dipton does not want you to see that His miraculous Government surplus for years 14/15 will have been created out of monies previously borrowed by Bill’s National Goverment in years 11/12,
Best hide the evidence now befor anyone clicks on to that little fact…
Although some adjustments do occur as a matter of course – some of these reports are major economic indicators and the value of historically gathered and assessed data is lost.
I know the Reserve Bank is supposedly an independent body, but this loss of economic tracking data indicates bias.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
National can’t have the people having access to information as the information will always show that National is, as a matter of fact, the worst possible government to have.
I never understood why various commentators were was saying MRP was the “best” of the power companies to be sold, when apparently it actually isn’t all that good?
Sadly, yes, Meridian is on the horizon, but from the little that has come out so far, there will changes to the way this much bigger one is marketed. I heard some mention of these changes on RNZ National this morning but cannot remember when/which programme as I was only half listening.
Re MRP, I am not clued up enough to give any possible explanation re why MRP was considered the “best” – but the performance of the shares so far would not appear to support this.
Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years.
Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.
“Human activities are changing Earth’s climate. At the global level, atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases have increased
sharply since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel burning dominates this increase.
Human-caused increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for most of the observed
global average surface warming of roughly 0.8°C (1.5°F) over the past 140 years. Because
natural processes cannot quickly remove some of these gases (notably carbon dioxide)
from the atmosphere, our past, present, and future emissions will influence the climate
system for millennia.
Extensive, independent observations confirm the reality of global warming. These
observations show large-scale increases in air and sea temperatures, sea level, and
atmospheric water vapor; they document decreases in the extent of mountain glaciers,
snow cover, permafrost, and Arctic sea ice. These changes are broadly consistent with longunderstood physics and predictions of how the climate system is expected to respond to
human-caused increases in greenhouse gases. The changes are inconsistent with
explanations of climate change that rely on known natural influences.
Climate models predict that global temperatures will continue to rise, with the amount of
warming primarily determined by the level of emissions. Higher emissions of greenhouse
gases will lead to larger warming, and greater risks to society and ecosystems. Some
additional warming is unavoidable due to past emissions.
Climate change is not expected to be uniform over space or time. Deforestation,
urbanization, and particulate pollution can have complex geographical, seasonal, and
longer-term effects on temperature, precipitation, and cloud properties. In addition,
human-induced climate change may alter atmospheric circulation, dislocating historical
patterns of natural variability and storminess.
In the current climate, weather experienced at a given location or region varies from year
to year; in a changing climate, both the nature of that variability and the basic patterns of
weather experienced can change, sometimes in counterintuitive ways — some areas may
experience cooling, for instance. This raises no challenge to the reality of human-induced
climate change.
Impacts harmful to society, including increased extremes of heat, precipitation, and coastal
high water are currently being experienced, and are projected to increase. Other projected
outcomes involve threats to public health, water availability, agricultural productivity
(particularly in low-latitude developing countries), and coastal infrastructure, though some
benefits may be seen at some times and places. Biodiversity loss is expected to accelerate
due to both climate change and acidification of the oceans, which is a direct result of
increasing carbon dioxide levels.
While important scientific uncertainties remain as to which particular impacts will be
experienced where, no uncertainties are known that could make the impacts of climate
change inconsequential. Furthermore, surprise outcomes, such as the unexpectedly rapid
loss of Arctic summer sea ice, may entail even more dramatic changes than anticipated.
Actions that could diminish the threats posed by climate change to society and ecosystems
include substantial emissions cuts to reduce the magnitude of climate change, as well as
preparing for changes that are now unavoidable. The community of scientists has
responsibilities to improve overall understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Improvements will come from pursuing the research needed to understand climate change,
working with stakeholders to identify relevant information, and conveying understanding
clearly and accurately, both to decision makers and to the general public.
Yup, geo-engineering is playing it’s part very well.
The so called weaponized science industry has obliterated the earths protective layers, nuclear tests, meltdowns , lasers, you name it, that industry has done it, so of course human interference is causing problems, it could not be any other way!
Thank you military industrial complex for choosing to contribute to wrecking planet earth, and thanks to the bankers who finance it all, but most of all, thanks for the criminals who control the lot.
The average human being has contributed squat to climate change Joe, but is being told they have!
…as cucumbers being used inappropriately. 😀 (another day, another coal-slore). Wow! didn’t realize what a n0rty word ‘slore’ is until checking that bible of post-modern philology, Urban Dictionary.
Sanctamonious you have been wheeled out by Mathew Hooten
and co the rights selfishness will be hidden by painting the left as far to radical to be in power the same BS Muldoon used in 1975 marching commies!
The Angel of Death makes another appearance The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 12 August 2013
Jim Mora, Neil Miller, Catherine Robertson
It’s mid-morning on a gloomy Monday, a slow news day. Jim Mora and his producer Chris Reid are cogitating seriously about the lineup for today’s show. Each man nurses a cup of coffee and thinks long and hard and seriously. Then the producer breaks the silence…
CHRIS REID: Mate, the first topic for today is this nasty little abduction of a two-year-old in Auckland, perpetrated by a man who has murdered in the past. JIM MORA: Oh yes, we need to talk about that! CHRIS REID: Happily, the child is safe, but the hunt for the criminal goes on. JIM MORA: What talent have you lined up, Chris? CHRIS REID: Gotta be honest with you, Jim: this is a tough one! JIM MORA: Hmmmm…. CHRIS REID: Now, we can go to one of the universities, we can interview a lawyer, a judge, a human rights advocate. Kim Workman? JIM MORA: No, let’s face it: they’re all too…. soft, too… complex. CHRIS REID: I know, how about you interview Garth “The Knife” McFucker!?!! JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! “Garth McFucker”. That’s very good! CHRIS REID: I thought you’d like that one! Anyway, mate, I’ve lined up the bloodthirsty psychopath for ten past four this arvo. JIM MORA: Oh Christ, you’re serious…
Yes, that’s right: Garth McVicar. Although the head of the S.S. Trust has still not apologized for his bloodthirsty support of the 2008 knife-slaying of a boy in Manurewa, and despite the fact he is despised, loathed and feared by all decent people, those considerations have clearly not deterred the wise folk at Radio New Zealand National’s Panel, who got Jim Mora to interview the knife enthusiast for about the twentieth time. Unfortunately, Jim’s guests today were not people who have demonstrated any capacity or desire to confront such a brute. Or maybe that’s WHY they were chosen. Anyway, I sent off the following email to Jim Mora, pronto…
Garth McVicar? You cannot be serious.
Dear Jim,
You have, yet again, in spite of protests by many people, deferred to Garth McVicar as some sort of “expert” on matters of crime and punishment. Since it appears that you apply no standards in your selection of “talent” for your programme, can we expect to hear you deferring respectfully to Kyle Chapman, of the NZ National Front, and seeking his opinion on matters related to marae-burning and arson in general?
Morrissey Morrissey Morrisey you’re responsible for late dinner at my place……..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not. But anyway………excellent contribution !
Helps me laugh at the disgraceful spectacle of National Party MPs at their conference telling Campbell Live why we need the GCSB bill.
Frankly, most of them seemed pissed ! Wonder if that was why Brownlee was uncharacteristically camera shy. It couldn’t be because he’s anti the bill. Lends weight that it was……
The absolute Flying Circus riot was Koretake Troughing Tau Henare though. Such a learned trougher, getting all loftily Cold War about things. My God what an egg !
And just now an interview with Key. Pathetic ! His demeanour positively screaming that there’s some shit goin’ down with this bill but he’s gonna do it no matter what.
“I’m embarrassed but Fuck You All !” sort of thing
…..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not.
Actually, North, he WAS interviewed by an extra-solicitous and absurdly respectful Mora. That’s why I sent the angry email; it wasn’t the crawling that angered me, it was the fact that this lout is not considered as persona non grata. I cannot believe that it was Jim Mora who chose him as a guest (yet again) for his programme; it must have been the producer. Clearly, Radio New Zealand has no standards.
Your analysis of Key, Brownlee and co. is spot on, as always.
tonights news revealed the true cost of Tiwae point bail out $480 million in total including meridians selling eclectricity at a loss tokeep asset sales on track and national voters in Blingishs electorate bribed!
Apart from loving Key and all he does, Brett knows nothing about politics or policy that’s good, bad or otherwise. Calling him right wing will go over his head like a runaway hoverboard.
You can assume – however, that most who do read it and then follow it up with the Human Rights report, the Law Society submission, and the NZ Internet submission would be compelled to continue researching.
For the non-reader, they have access to video submissions and the video on demand of the open public meeting held several weeks ago at Mt Albert.
If someone has done all these things, I would say that they are more than likely to oppose the bill.
Interesting that those on Campbell Live who supported it, were more than likely to admit they knew very little about it. So wags the world away.
As you read the following insult to the intelligence, remember that this is the newspaper constantly quoted and referred to by, among many others, Jim Mora…..
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
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This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
A long time ago, Brian Turner wrote a poem in which, among the mountains, as he slept on a river flat … My speechless ancestors played like mice among my dreamsand he woke to the river running over my bed of stone. I have come to know that where a ...
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
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In the last election and possibly in the next election conventional wisdom is that it is a vote loser for the Green Party to play up the danger of climate change as an election issue.
That raising this issue would be a liability on the hustings.
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
Though I have detected some positive movement away from this view, it seems to be, still, the ruling viewpoint inside the leadership of the Green Party.
But have the Green Party policy wonks and advisers got it wrong?
Senator Joe Manchin is right. This is, “a war on coal”. And it is, being conducted on a “global scale”.
Coal is the single greatest cause of climate change. As James Hanson has said “If we can’t stop coal, it is all over for the climate”.
In talking with Green Party insiders I have been told, (though I have never seen the citation), that it is Green Party policy to oppose all new coal mines. In my opinion this is extremely laudable.
But will this policy be ditched in the quest for cabinet positions?
Will Green Party opposition to the huge new open cast coal mine at Denniston be sacrificed to the view, that raising objections to this climate crime will cost votes?
Will climate change be an election issue in 2014?
If its about votes jenny the greens have plenty of other areas that will get them votes as the only coherent alternative to the nact with labour adrift with captain blind and his old boy caucus.
So you’re ignoring the Obama Administration resuming deep sea drilling straight after Deep Water Horizon? Permitting shale oil fracking right across the country? Continuing to plan large pipelines from the Alberta tar sands? Boasting about becoming a major net exporter of oil again?
You don’t think that pissing coal off is a device to push investment into shale oil and shale gas plays?
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
cite?
Still pushing that double negative jenny, the Green Party for your info have a go at National in the House at least once a week over climate change,
Last week it was Kennedy Graeham grilling Tim Grosser which was only not very enlightening because Grosser simply buries all His answers with a pile of hyperbole,
The problem the Green Party has is simple to describe as ‘being able to take the wider electorate with them’ as they seek solutions to drastically reduce CO2 atmospheric levels,
My view is that trying to alter what ‘we’ do now without creating a political backlash is nearly impossible and much more energy should be put into researching and developing the technology with which industrial amounts of CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere and used as a fuel source,
The science and tech surrounding doing this while in it’s infancy shows that this can be achieved and while an expensive exercise in terms of per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere when compared with the cost of even the mildest negative effects of ongoing climate change would in time prove to have been a small price to pay…
it was interesting watching Groser (on behalf of the nats that day) conceding the scientifically supported reality of climate change and it’s relevance to New Zealand economics. Only about a year or so after Bill and Lyn’s excellent posts on The Standard presenting highly probable trends.
As Jenny identifies, poll-based policy abounds.
I don’t think Jenny is too far off the mark, in terms of the general populace’s view on climate change.
Stuff comments are sometimes fairly amenable to left-wing politics, and certainly there are a lot more negative comments about Key/National than there used to be.
But on any story about climate change, there’s a talkback taliban effect of huge numbers of denier comments being rated up, and anyone trying to talk science is voted down harshly.
I like this quote from “Briar” in the comments section below this article
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/peter-capaldi-doctor-who-children
by A L Kennedy in The Guardian:
“Since when has “aspiration” been such a good thing? I have aspirations, as a matter of fact. I aspire to live in a civilised country where women, gays and people of different colours are treated as equals. I aspire to live in a country where nobody is poor (and nobody is so rich that they have to throw money away on million pound bottles of champagne). I aspire to live in a country where the old can live in comfort, where everyone who is sick gets the treatment they need, regardless of cost, where the mentally ill are not stuffed into prison for lack of any better option, where everyone is actually equal before the law, where everyone who wants to can go to university and not have to pay for it. And so on. These are aspirations. They just don’t happen to be selfish ones. How come they don’t count in this bright and shiny new world of the selfish?”
This is not just about Brand Fonterra.
It is also about Brand Key.
And the Chinese Govt knows that.
brown just had a performance on tvone breakfast..
..that after viewing..you must wipe the oil/slime from yr monitor…
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/ed-could-len-brown-be-more-supercilliouscondescending-and-more-of-a-captive-of-the-roading-lobby/
phillip ure..
Minto for Mayor!
Change a few names and this analysis of why the Labour party is fumbling in Britain could be written about the New Zealand Labour party
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/where-labour-going-wrong-ed-miliband
Key looked pudgy, grey and tired on the tele at the pillagers conference over the weekend. I reckon he knows he aint gonna get there at the next election.
Meantime the merry band of looters that was his fawning crowd will continue to take advantage of corporate welfare, business subsidies, tax cuts, weakened RMA, weakened employment laws and take take take. They will offer nothing back to the taxpayers who support these bludgers and will instead blame everyone but themselves for the problems they have exacerbated in their very own communities.
What a sorry bunch of losers
I am preparing for the digital changeover by discontinuing
that monolithic legacy technology known as “tele vision”
which allows US Billionaires like Murdoch to dominate
the worldview and politics of mere nations like ours.
He’s back to looking pretty deathly. His father died relatively young from a heart attack, yes? Key might want to remember that.
It looks like Bradbury and Selwyn both had their meds run out over the weekend, I hope they get to the chemist for the repeat before tomorrow. Martyn Bradbury is a paid hack of Mana, so you can’t expect much else from him than his usual quasi-Marxist politics of resentment, where the designated traitor is the exclusive foam flecked target of those who regard the achievable as the enemy of the perfect, and the the success of the right/defeat of the moderate left is exulted as a radicalising moment on the road to revolutionary nirvana.
But Tim Selwyn’s piece on farmers is actually a quite disturbing piece of hate speech. No wonder he’s a convicted criminal – if he believes half of the stuff he writes he will inevitably see more of the inside of the holding cells in Albert Street. If it is wrong to objectify and collectively punish beneficiaries, it is equally wrong to objectify farmers.
Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of two high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges. A party of full of resentment, tall poppyism, dogmatic obsessions and anti-white racism. A party of losers who have lost to often. If the twin efforts of Bradbury and Selwyn are any guide, Mana can offer the country nothing.
so you don’t like Mana, well ho hum, hope you feel better for getting that off your chest.
Needn’t be a dick all your life Sanctuary. The healing has begun here at the mighty Standard.
Bomber may be a political hybrid but you underestimate the longer term concept of Mana. A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action is the the rights worst nightmare so perhaps it is you that needs the meds.
“…A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action…”
What? This is a joke comment, right?
One thing I wish a website like would have is a place to more robustly debate ideology, because this is ideological nonsense of the highest order.
Maori nationalists a la the Harawiras seems to me to be an incredibly reactionary, backward looking movement grounded in the belief that Maori society was this undynamic thing and in a perfect stasis of noble savagery until it was torn asunder by contact with wicked (but more technologically advanced) European cultures. The hard left meanwhile is a bunch of variegated Marxists whose inability to come to terms with the genocides of the USSR and mass murder of Mao let alone the welfare state has seen them floundering about like drowning men in a sea of denial and wishful thinking for the last forty years.
What unites the Māori nationalists and the hard left is a hard line utopianism that pines for a world that never was and a world that can never be respectively, and a desire for revolutionary revenge/redistribution which allows them both to present their ideas using similar revolutionary rhetoric.
The clash between the reactionary Maori nationalism of Turia and the socialist Maori nationalism of Hone Harawira is not one of left vs. right one in the sense either of them is more inclusive than the other. Harawira and co want an apartheid society with a new bunch of brown faces in charge of the means of production; Turia’s model is an apartheid society with an invented Iwi aristocracy in charge. To my mind, neither of these backward looking, racist and nepotistic visions should be particularly attractive to a modern socialist whose primarily interest should be the creation of a society with equality of opportunity for everyone and one that defends the positive liberties that equality of opportunity unlocks for everyone.
At the end of the day, the wider left lost the debate over the last thirty years because it was unable to tell a story of a positive future. The agenda was inverted and socialism was the new conservatism, tiredly defending status quo pragmatism against the message of the zealous change agents of the new right. Socialism became the ideology of the already defeated, seeking constantly to mitigate the disaster via identity politics or accommodation rather than trying to win the war.
I would put it to you that the ambient politics of resentment – or as I call it “loserist politics” – that you get from a lot of Mana supporters is the result of the ideological contradictions that lie at the heart of the alliance of the margins that is Mana. What unites them is what they resent and oppose, and that negativity seeps through to almost all their conversations. To my way of looking at it, the tonal loserism of Mana is just the fag end of that sorry tale of left wing defeat, not the flag bearer of a new socialist way of thinking about the future.
thought-provoking Sanctuary, reminds me of Chris Trotter’s style, applied with another perspective.
Actually Rogue, I have some sympathy with Sanctuarys interpretation. It exposes some raw edges of the Left that as he says would greatly benefit from some robust debate. There are some sacred cows to be led to the slaughter.
Conversely Santuary’s triumphalism for the Right might also have to go on ice, they have merely generated the same seeds of their own demise as their mirror image, the ideological Left.
re Bonds for earthquake strengthening, echoes some of our own thoughts and discussions on this, and the rental warrant-of-fitness issue. Failure to maintain safety of income-generating assets by property investors in a country that experiences regular, predicted seismic activity and has researched, documented, comparatively cold and damp residential rental stock. (all that extra water vapour in the atmosphere joe transcribes in the climate update below).
and on, and on, Ennfinitum. 🙂
ps. Coleman not gonna cut Defence funding for a few more years, maybe some more Theatres to go with those Sports Stadiums, “over the top Lads, let’s give Gerry what ho!”.
Just been on Gerry’s home turf….we should send Coleman there to be subject to their tender mercies…..really liked the Germans, they might civilise him!
been reading more books instead of blogs. Like on Passchendaele and other tragedies of human history. With an igloo box my friend gets el-cheapo pay-tv (National Geographic, BBC Knowledge etc); there was this programme yesterday on what Wales was like during the copper and iron smelting stages of their industrial (capital) revolution – the ore was shipped to the coal- with the puddling process developed by Cort being adopted in the Ruhr. What was striking was all the chimneys in Wales, belching smoke into the sky at the time, with social conditions such that (maybe only one university) ‘intellectuals’ had to leave the predominantly working-class country to receive higher education.
Yet, all those chimneys – ominous.
sorry about the all bold ; It’s a Neverending Story .
sanc all your assumptions are wrong imo but you build a nice little rant platform from them.
Tino rangatiratanga is about looking forwards not backwards.
The last people imo that believe in a non-dynamic Māori perspective are tino rangatiratanga adherents, let alone the ‘perfect stasis’ you propose.
Tino rangatiratanga is not about revenge it is about the opposite of that.
What unites those who believe in tino rangatiratanga and the left are belief in equality and fairness especially for those disregarded in our society – whatever ethnicity.
Mana don’t want an apartheid society.
The Mana Movement is much more than the ‘resent and oppose’ description you use and it isn’t negative at all.
Anyway your big words and puffed-up language cannot disguise your own resentments and your last paragraph is defeatest in tone and content. Great I say because Mana doesn’t need or want people like you imo, you’re better off trying 1law4all.
Rave on; Sanctuary. Neo liberalist capitalism is the fag end of human development, unwilling to even feed and water the worlds people. US imperialism’s annual military budget could do just that laddie.
Just read Tim Selwyn’s column, actually it is uncommonly accurate. It is not hate speech, it merely points out valid realities that should be of real concern to any society seeking some cogency. The farmers advantages are real, the corollary is that others don’t have these advantages. Whether that is good or bad depends on your viewpoint, but it does not make them any less real.
Seemed pretty accurate to me too, apart from the generalisation (I’ve seen some of the ‘green’ CC episodes).
Santuary, is this all your own work? I’m sure I’ve read the same thing written by someone else. Though I suppose if you haven’t got the sense to think for yourself, you may as well copy and paste what someone else has thought.
Errrr… Righto sport. I guess you have a clue what you are talking about, which makes one of us.
Thanks for you clever example of Hate Speech double-speak hypocrisy, Sanctuary.
Actually, Bomber is a long term activists, who has embraced the Mana approach to politics, because it is in keeping with his values. From his about page:
Sanct – your hate-loaded spin avoids mentioning the range of organisations Bradbury hires his services to, and the range of work he does.
I thought Tim Selwyn was Maori Party/ACT?
sanctuary..as the farmers and the beneficiaries are both being persecuted…
..’d’yareckon they should join forces..?
..y’know..!..as in..my enemies’ enemy is my friend..?
..maybe working together as ‘pity the poor farmers!’..(geddit..?..geddit..?..)
..or..maybe farmers should try to get a bigger voice in wellington..?
..(oh..!..hang on..!..)
phillip ure..
Well, I can’t say I agree – but I like your powerful style of polemic.
Mana is a bit of a mixture, but they are building a movement which will be capable of worthwhile changes. As a low profile supporter, I’m hopeful.
By the way, how the hell do you label John Minto as a loser? He is responsible more than any other one person for changing the way we thought about apartheid. Hone is prepared to stand with the people to halt evictions, to protect working class communities that have grown over many years. Mallard is prepared to sell overpriced tickets to them on Trademe. I know who I consider the loser.
Why are right wingers so full of hatred?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/commercial-property/9028917/Bond-proposal-for-earthquake-strengthening
Whilst out of town I heard there had been a significant quake in Wellington. The first thing I thought was “bugger, the rent seekers will now try and make me, Mr Ratepayer pay”. So the above came as no surprise. On the news during the week was another owner (Ian Cassels) calling for earthquake strengthening to be tax deductible.
Ho fekkin hum.
Did you see these self same building owners putting money from their rents aside to pay for strengthening before the Chch quake made the situation urgent? No sir.
Did you see the owners offer to set up a strengthening fund, or some form of buying group to spread the risk? Nope.
Did you see the see the owners actually do any work to mitigate risk whilst there were engineers and trades available (they are now all in Chch)? Hell no, just take the rent and play the risk.
Now you and I are supposed to bail the bastards out of an entirely predictable scenario. Same old story, privatize the profits, socialise the cost. How do we keep these bastards out of our pockets?
And what is more they want to leave things till 2020. One sector commenter said that would create a bottleneck about that time as they will tend to put the work off. Sounds like the old laissez faire that they apply to closing times in the ‘hospitalit-ising’ industry with everyone emerging drunk and stupid and irritable all at the same time.
The chap in Christchurch whose wife was killed in the building collapse there and has been advocating for action ever since is, luckily, not yet speechless at the lack of integrity of the government in its strange and uneven treatment of business, affected by the earthquakes.
My sympathies rest with the man in question: he has been let down by this total lack of integrity. When our wifes, husbands, children die in some red stickered building in Wellington we can expect the same “business” focused response. My take is actually shut the bastards down now before someone dies, and if they cannot strengthen the buildings under the current commercial conditions they should be bull dozed.
In Christchurch many buildings are simply being ignored by workers – they will not work in them as they consider them too dangerous. Makes them worthless and the landlords sharpen up.
And when the building owners fail to pay back the bonds will allow central government to force WCC to sell those assets. So, yeah, I can see why this government would be in favour of it.
Morrison is a plank.
I doubt if Wellington’s assets will be sufficiant to borrow against for the bonds. Mainly because the council is busily borrowing against them for other purposes.
In 2011 with debts of $325m, the council’s credit rating was downgraded
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5975455/Credit-downgrade-for-Wellington-City-Council
In 2012 with debts of $358 million, the council crowed that it’s credit rating hadn’t been downgraded further
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/6753915/Borrowing-our-future
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1211/S00706/credit-rating-agency-praises-council-team.htm
Wellington CC is actually in deep proverbial…they reckon they have an “asset base” of about $30K per rate payer…..if you were to get real and capitalise the assets they are probably overstated in value several times…and that is if you could sell them. My take is that the figure is more like minus $30K.
The reality for Wellington is that the ratepayer will be obliged to pick up the bill for negligent expenditure by successive councils and Detroit status is merely a disaster away.
Not a disaster away, just more BAU away. How much more is questionable but the result of bankruptcy is inevitable.
Great opportunity for a Big Asset Sell Off!!!!
Sanctuary@7 – the following portions of your comment above are but glaring non-sequitur;
“Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of TWO high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges.” – (capitalisation is mine).
TWO high profile…….supporters ? Just TWO ?
That justifies your assertion – “…….Mana can offer the country nothing.” ?
Glaring non-sequitur as I say. Deployed to deliver a good old rant against a political party you don’t like. That’s fine. We all do it from time to time. It can’t pass as sensible analysis however.
Lolz, thank you sanctuary, your efforts have reinforced my position that the Mana Party in 2014 will be getting my Party Vote, and any other help i can offer them…
I see Pete George is running for Dunedin City Council. Good on him, but doesnt seem to state what policies he will push for? Though, judging from his record, I am picking he will vote to sell assets, and make cuts to libaries and the like, etc.
Like they all do. Seems that council candidates are more into making negative promises (ie cutting this and that to keep rates down) than positive promise. More parks, etc. Apart from when it comes to subsidising professional sports or ‘festivals’ for middle classes of course.
Ha, poor old Pete. Still fixated on LPrent and disingenously claiming that he’s banned from TS. Yawn.
I did a rare visit to KB on Saturday, where he announced his candidacy on their equivalent of OM to rave support (not) there. Some interesting comments, though!
When I can be bothered commenting on the NZ Herald site to assertions of the economic superiority of National, I often refer to the Reserve Bank’s historical data spreadsheet on government debt. When viewed in tandem with elected governments, it becomes apparent that National-led governments tend to drastically increase debt, while Labour-led governments systematically chip away at it.
Have never had a reply to this that disputes this trend.
However, it is interesting to see that the Reserve Bank website update has coincided with a decision to discontinue this statistic as of June 2013, and searching for “government debt” on the site, results in a lot of ambiguous results.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
Bill from Dipton does not want you to see that His miraculous Government surplus for years 14/15 will have been created out of monies previously borrowed by Bill’s National Goverment in years 11/12,
Best hide the evidence now befor anyone clicks on to that little fact…
lol
Further investigation into discontinued statistics from the Reserve Bank since National took over government in 2008:
Bank Disclosure information
G3 Registered Banks – Dec 2008
Economic Indicators
A1 Domestic Trade – May 2013
A2 Investment – May 2013
A3 Prices – May 2013
A4 Labour market and balance of payments – May 2013
A5 Gross Domestic Product – May 2013
Exchange and interest rates
B3 Retail interest rates on lending and deposits – April 2009
B4 Foreign exchange monthly turnover – June 2012
Government Finance and Securities
D4 NZ Government Bond Sales by Tender – August 2009
D5 New Zealand government Treasury bill sales by tender – August 2009
D11 Wholesale New Zealand government securities on issue – August 2009
Money, credit and financial
Credit by Lender as at December – December 2010
Long run credit at December – December 2010
C2 Securitisation Adjustment series – November 2009
C25 Monthly registered banks and NBLI agriculture credit – July 2013
International position
E3 New Zealand’s overseas debt – June 2013
Although some adjustments do occur as a matter of course – some of these reports are major economic indicators and the value of historically gathered and assessed data is lost.
I know the Reserve Bank is supposedly an independent body, but this loss of economic tracking data indicates bias.
National can’t have the people having access to information as the information will always show that National is, as a matter of fact, the worst possible government to have.
Well, MRPP shares are doing well aren’t they.
IIRC, they started last Monday at about $2.37/2.38, ended the week at $2.26. And now? $2.20. Ouch!
Meridian is on the horizon.
I never understood why various commentators were was saying MRP was the “best” of the power companies to be sold, when apparently it actually isn’t all that good?
Sadly, yes, Meridian is on the horizon, but from the little that has come out so far, there will changes to the way this much bigger one is marketed. I heard some mention of these changes on RNZ National this morning but cannot remember when/which programme as I was only half listening.
Re MRP, I am not clued up enough to give any possible explanation re why MRP was considered the “best” – but the performance of the shares so far would not appear to support this.
The American Geophysical Union have released their revised position statement on climate change.
Full release:
Human-induced climate change requires urgent action.
Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years.
Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.
“Human activities are changing Earth’s climate. At the global level, atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases have increased
sharply since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel burning dominates this increase.
Human-caused increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for most of the observed
global average surface warming of roughly 0.8°C (1.5°F) over the past 140 years. Because
natural processes cannot quickly remove some of these gases (notably carbon dioxide)
from the atmosphere, our past, present, and future emissions will influence the climate
system for millennia.
Extensive, independent observations confirm the reality of global warming. These
observations show large-scale increases in air and sea temperatures, sea level, and
atmospheric water vapor; they document decreases in the extent of mountain glaciers,
snow cover, permafrost, and Arctic sea ice. These changes are broadly consistent with longunderstood physics and predictions of how the climate system is expected to respond to
human-caused increases in greenhouse gases. The changes are inconsistent with
explanations of climate change that rely on known natural influences.
Climate models predict that global temperatures will continue to rise, with the amount of
warming primarily determined by the level of emissions. Higher emissions of greenhouse
gases will lead to larger warming, and greater risks to society and ecosystems. Some
additional warming is unavoidable due to past emissions.
Climate change is not expected to be uniform over space or time. Deforestation,
urbanization, and particulate pollution can have complex geographical, seasonal, and
longer-term effects on temperature, precipitation, and cloud properties. In addition,
human-induced climate change may alter atmospheric circulation, dislocating historical
patterns of natural variability and storminess.
In the current climate, weather experienced at a given location or region varies from year
to year; in a changing climate, both the nature of that variability and the basic patterns of
weather experienced can change, sometimes in counterintuitive ways — some areas may
experience cooling, for instance. This raises no challenge to the reality of human-induced
climate change.
Impacts harmful to society, including increased extremes of heat, precipitation, and coastal
high water are currently being experienced, and are projected to increase. Other projected
outcomes involve threats to public health, water availability, agricultural productivity
(particularly in low-latitude developing countries), and coastal infrastructure, though some
benefits may be seen at some times and places. Biodiversity loss is expected to accelerate
due to both climate change and acidification of the oceans, which is a direct result of
increasing carbon dioxide levels.
While important scientific uncertainties remain as to which particular impacts will be
experienced where, no uncertainties are known that could make the impacts of climate
change inconsequential. Furthermore, surprise outcomes, such as the unexpectedly rapid
loss of Arctic summer sea ice, may entail even more dramatic changes than anticipated.
Actions that could diminish the threats posed by climate change to society and ecosystems
include substantial emissions cuts to reduce the magnitude of climate change, as well as
preparing for changes that are now unavoidable. The community of scientists has
responsibilities to improve overall understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Improvements will come from pursuing the research needed to understand climate change,
working with stakeholders to identify relevant information, and conveying understanding
clearly and accurately, both to decision makers and to the general public.
http://www.agu.org/sci_pol/pdf/position_statements/AGU_Climate_Statement_new.pdf
Yup, geo-engineering is playing it’s part very well.
The so called weaponized science industry has obliterated the earths protective layers, nuclear tests, meltdowns , lasers, you name it, that industry has done it, so of course human interference is causing problems, it could not be any other way!
Thank you military industrial complex for choosing to contribute to wrecking planet earth, and thanks to the bankers who finance it all, but most of all, thanks for the criminals who control the lot.
The average human being has contributed squat to climate change Joe, but is being told they have!
With just 21 months to election day, only 5% points ahead, UK Labour supporters are worried that their leadership team just isn’t firing
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/where-labour-going-wrong-ed-miliband
We’re all pretty cool over here on this side of the world though.
…as cucumbers being used inappropriately. 😀 (another day, another coal-slore). Wow! didn’t realize what a n0rty word ‘slore’ is until checking that bible of post-modern philology, Urban Dictionary.
You learn something new every day at The Standard.
Correct. (kinda like a P.G Dip. / M.A) if ya hang around the campus 😉 long enough )…and as useful 😀
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9025221/MPs-unite-to-keep-travel-perk-in-house
– Well it seems the parties can work together when it suits…
Why aren’t all forms of money-making taxed?
Sanctamonious you have been wheeled out by Mathew Hooten
and co the rights selfishness will be hidden by painting the left as far to radical to be in power the same BS Muldoon used in 1975 marching commies!
Peter Dunne is looking to rebrand United Future.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/216760/united-future-looks-to-revamp-image
Perhaps we could help him out with some name change suggestions.
Yawn NZ? No Future? United Meh? AdVance?
There might be some pertinent suggestions as to where to put the brand on Dunne’s hide.
Some useful suggestions from the Listener
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/the-rise-and-pratfall-of-the-satirical-political-party/
Division Bell (in a pavlovian sense).
The Angel of Death makes another appearance
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 12 August 2013
Jim Mora, Neil Miller, Catherine Robertson
It’s mid-morning on a gloomy Monday, a slow news day. Jim Mora and his producer Chris Reid are cogitating seriously about the lineup for today’s show. Each man nurses a cup of coffee and thinks long and hard and seriously. Then the producer breaks the silence…
CHRIS REID: Mate, the first topic for today is this nasty little abduction of a two-year-old in Auckland, perpetrated by a man who has murdered in the past.
JIM MORA: Oh yes, we need to talk about that!
CHRIS REID: Happily, the child is safe, but the hunt for the criminal goes on.
JIM MORA: What talent have you lined up, Chris?
CHRIS REID: Gotta be honest with you, Jim: this is a tough one!
JIM MORA: Hmmmm….
CHRIS REID: Now, we can go to one of the universities, we can interview a lawyer, a judge, a human rights advocate. Kim Workman?
JIM MORA: No, let’s face it: they’re all too…. soft, too… complex.
CHRIS REID: I know, how about you interview Garth “The Knife” McFucker!?!!
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! “Garth McFucker”. That’s very good!
CHRIS REID: I thought you’d like that one! Anyway, mate, I’ve lined up the bloodthirsty psychopath for ten past four this arvo.
JIM MORA: Oh Christ, you’re serious…
Yes, that’s right: Garth McVicar. Although the head of the S.S. Trust has still not apologized for his bloodthirsty support of the 2008 knife-slaying of a boy in Manurewa, and despite the fact he is despised, loathed and feared by all decent people, those considerations have clearly not deterred the wise folk at Radio New Zealand National’s Panel, who got Jim Mora to interview the knife enthusiast for about the twentieth time. Unfortunately, Jim’s guests today were not people who have demonstrated any capacity or desire to confront such a brute. Or maybe that’s WHY they were chosen. Anyway, I sent off the following email to Jim Mora, pronto…
Garth McVicar? You cannot be serious.
Dear Jim,
You have, yet again, in spite of protests by many people, deferred to Garth McVicar as some sort of “expert” on matters of crime and punishment. Since it appears that you apply no standards in your selection of “talent” for your programme, can we expect to hear you deferring respectfully to Kyle Chapman, of the NZ National Front, and seeking his opinion on matters related to marae-burning and arson in general?
And if not, why not?
Yours in disgust,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Morrissey Morrissey Morrisey you’re responsible for late dinner at my place……..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not. But anyway………excellent contribution !
Helps me laugh at the disgraceful spectacle of National Party MPs at their conference telling Campbell Live why we need the GCSB bill.
Frankly, most of them seemed pissed ! Wonder if that was why Brownlee was uncharacteristically camera shy. It couldn’t be because he’s anti the bill. Lends weight that it was……
The absolute Flying Circus riot was Koretake Troughing Tau Henare though. Such a learned trougher, getting all loftily Cold War about things. My God what an egg !
And just now an interview with Key. Pathetic ! His demeanour positively screaming that there’s some shit goin’ down with this bill but he’s gonna do it no matter what.
“I’m embarrassed but Fuck You All !” sort of thing
We must be afraid !
…..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not.
Actually, North, he WAS interviewed by an extra-solicitous and absurdly respectful Mora. That’s why I sent the angry email; it wasn’t the crawling that angered me, it was the fact that this lout is not considered as persona non grata. I cannot believe that it was Jim Mora who chose him as a guest (yet again) for his programme; it must have been the producer. Clearly, Radio New Zealand has no standards.
Your analysis of Key, Brownlee and co. is spot on, as always.
tonights news revealed the true cost of Tiwae point bail out $480 million in total including meridians selling eclectricity at a loss tokeep asset sales on track and national voters in Blingishs electorate bribed!
link please ? thx
How many people against or for the GSCB bill ,have read the actual Bill?
How many Right Wing commentators on the Standard can even spell “GCSB”?
Harr! 😀
Apart from loving Key and all he does, Brett knows nothing about politics or policy that’s good, bad or otherwise. Calling him right wing will go over his head like a runaway hoverboard.
One thing is certain: you have not read it.
Have you?
And if so which parts have so reassured you about your civil rights being protected?
Of course he hasn’t.
… more than you obviously assume.
You can assume – however, that most who do read it and then follow it up with the Human Rights report, the Law Society submission, and the NZ Internet submission would be compelled to continue researching.
For the non-reader, they have access to video submissions and the video on demand of the open public meeting held several weeks ago at Mt Albert.
If someone has done all these things, I would say that they are more than likely to oppose the bill.
Interesting that those on Campbell Live who supported it, were more than likely to admit they knew very little about it. So wags the world away.
Moronic article from the New York Times
As you read the following insult to the intelligence, remember that this is the newspaper constantly quoted and referred to by, among many others, Jim Mora…..
http://972mag.com/a-new-york-times-investigation-into-a-palestinian-hobby/76973/
bennet just made a skin-crawling/gastric-reflux-inducing appearance on native affairs…
phillip ure..
Paul why are right wingers so angry they are like spoiled brats at school who don’t want to share having a tantrum!