Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
These estimates, which all come from a new study published today in Nature by scientists from the University of Hawaii, reflect a concerning trend that some scientists believe will define the arrival of climate change’s effects on the planet: It’ll arrive in tropical, biodiverse areas first.
It also links to an interactive map where you can access graphs showing prediction of trends for each country, including NZ.
PS: This Open Mike had yesterday’s date (11/10/2013) in the title – I changed it.
Dropped in my voting form to the Wgtn City Council yesterday. Preety crowded in there! Good to see that we don’t have total apathy in local elections : )
Now lets add some context: where the ‘Maori Economy’ was valued by Pita Sharples in 2010 as being worth $37B. Therefore ‘being brown’ and not being supported by ‘businessmen’ is now a much more interesting question than it used to be.
[lprent: The old plugin is now back in place. We will see if that is in fact the problem. ]
The Nation , with the luvly Rachael;
David Cunliffe on the TPP,
-Pharmac protection “bottom line”
-IP protection important consideration
on the RBA,
-governor should have independence
-although “open minded”
-as Parker has indicated a preference for a ‘monetary committee’ (export, manufacturing, union representation for example)
-with the independence intended by the RBA remaining.
on Mining,
-“responsible balance between economic and environmental objectives”
on relationship to the Greens and Green policy
-“my job as leader of the Labour Party is to maximize the Labour Party vote”.
NB: Japan entering the TPP is of huge benefit to the US (and Japan) with the US farm lobby endorsement. Consequently, agriculture will be the most problematic negotiating issue.-Groser.
Cunliffe gave her a good going over, I thought. She needs better questions.
The usual trick of asking the same question again when it has been decisively answered so as to create doubt about the answer does not appear to work against Cunliffe.
“… sorry, Rachel, you are putting words in my mouth on a very important matter. We will do what anybody … give you a corporate analogy … if we were a company looking at a joint venture, we would have to do due diligence on the contract. The Labour Caucus will do due diligence on the TPPA when we get it.”
This got a resounding VERY loud applause in our lounge.
Just superb. He will be a fine Prime Minister for NZ. We can hold our heads high for having someone who thinks and speaks so clearly among leaders of other larger, richer and more powerful countries.
I laughed out loud (actually, out loud) when he responded to a journo’s question after his CTU conference speech by saying something like, “I think you’ve asked that question based on what you assumed I was going to answer to an earlier question, but since I didn’t, it’s not relevant.” It was fucking beautiful.
No No weaknesses. She was excellent but Cunliffe’s brilliance outshone her and she accepted it graciously. It was like a good hard talk interview and he responded with super competence.
If you need inspiration, go see it on TV3 Nation.
I’d love to see Key in the same kind of interview. Oh that’s right I did see it and he tried to treat her like a silly girl, but she persisted and he just came across as a buffoon blithering on about fish or something.National supporters must have cringed.
Well done Cunliffe! you have my vote…and many others I reckon.
I grew up in Napier when the twin cities had two proper newspapers (Napier Daily Telegraph and Hastings Herald Tribune) that covered local affairs and the local ZB station broadcast the bulk of it’s daytime content from a local studio. I remember my parents listening to the (bi-weekly? weekly?) hour long discussions with the mayor and of all sorts of discussions about local issues. There was even, briefly, regional TV breakouts on TVNZ.
Now, the merged “newspaper” Hawkes Bay Today is barely a step up on the free rags. Local popular state radio is but a distant memory. TV treats the provinces the same way it treats stories from the third world – it takes either a disaster or a crime for a story to be covered.
When people talk about the decline in interest and participation in local body elections some blame excessive centralisation making voting irrelevant, some blame a disinchanted, lazy and uninformed public. But it seems to me that the eviscerating of local outlets for democracy has to be a major candidate in destroying avenues for communication and reducing interest and knowledge in local issues and candidates. The decline of voting in local body elections is worrying evidence of the hollowing out of our democracy and the slow death of civic society – and it paves the way for democracy to die not with a bang, but with the whimper of a corporate takeover.
…Every channel or radio station that broadcasts in New Zealand ought to be required to devote 5% of it’s 7am-7pm airtime to commercial free, civic broadcasting (I would call it the “civic quota”). No exceptions. Everything from MTV to the shopping channel to the History Channel to the ZB network to Mai FM. They would be required to use it to cover local and national political issues of importance to their target audience.
“The decline of voting in local body elections is worrying evidence of the hollowing out of our democracy and the slow death of civic society…”
The slow death of civic society also shows in the fact that the right no longer offers any kind of view of a civic society, just an ongoing series of economic rationalisations.
“…The Red Cross will this winter start collecting and distributing food aid to the needy in Britain for the first time since the Second World War, as welfare cuts and the economic downturn send soaring numbers of people to soup kitchens and food banks across Europe…”
The UK’s economy is the sixth biggest in the world.
Tweedle-dum Cameron won’t care, and neither does his cooker-cutter tweedle dee counterpart in New Zealand, John Key.
personally, when I get the time, I glean more information about the intricacies of the local community from reading the “free” weekly newspapers, when I have the time. (gotta pile awaiting)
I worked at the DT (Napier) for 33 years and also 3 years at Hawke’s Bay Yesterday.
You are dead right Sanctuary. HBT is a nothing newspaper. When I moved to that paper we were printing 32,000 papers. Now, just on 20,000 (I hear from ex workmates).
What does that tell you about the MSM. And yes the free papers keep you informed of the local news. Don’t even bother buying a printed paper. Heil the freepress. TS, TDB et al.
Cheers
How is it that we fight for an uplift in pay in the order of 2-3% minimum pay increases by $0.40 hour and yet house prices are increasing by $1,500/ week in the burbs.
How can this dicotomy exist when money can be so hard to earn yet prices increase by so much?
How can this dicotomy exist when money can be so hard to earn yet prices increase by so much?
Those rules only apply to labour attempting to work to earn wages/salaries.
The direct answer to your question is:
1) Unearned income accrued by capitalists on positive revenue assets allows them to finance additional asset purchases..
2) Banks willing to lend to those same capitalists at ever higher leverage on the assumption of continuing property asset price increases.
This is a particular worry with regard to the TPP negotiations. Both Tim Groser and Phil Goff cite Pharmac and intellectual property as matters of concern, but do not touch on wages, unions or social services. The worry is that “New Zealand” for them means the asset rich who think such an agreement will make them even asset richer. As long as wages, unions and social services go unmentioned, I fear that these people see the projected gains for themselves and their kind as well worth the cost of trashing the workforce and the poor even more than they are now trashed.
Yet CV as for many, money to survive has great value thru its scarcity yet thanks to the worlds monetary policies the same money is having its value greatly diminished. Why then can so few see this and there can be no “happy endings” or conclusion should the status quo continue.
This property boom that is currently in Auckland just protects many from seeing the issue as we all (property owners) are self congratulating ourselves for our rise in wealth.
Like you and a few others questioning this ability for independent banks to make money appear out of fresh air IMO is the real issue we face and an indirect attack to our sovereignty.
You are very welcome, Brett. Where I am, Electionz is going to inform the local councils directly, and then it’s each councils responsibility to get the word out for their own results. Unfortunately I don’t know if for example the electoral commission is going to collate and publish all the results from across the country.
Just watched The Nation, and I’m wondering why Groser and that other peevish little minister Finlayson are so scathing of Labour. I think they’re afraid, very afraid.
Nah, they are simply playing the role they are very well paid to do [by the suckers, us], by perpetuating/propagating the fraud through the ability to write *the law*, on behalf of [name your family]
“Hedge fund linked to George Osborne’s best man to make millions from privatisation of Royal Mail after ‘buying £50m stake’
“Far from being the unfortunate result of some unavoidable economic catastrophe, the social crisis in Europe is being consciously exploited by the continent’s financial and political elite to affect a major redistribution of wealth from the bottom of society to the top.”
Peter Davies met the Chancellor at Oxford University
Was Osborne’s best man when he married Frances Howell in 1998
Davies is a member of management committee for Lansdowne Partners
Hedge-fund firm has seen value of investment rise by £18million already
City fund made reported £100million from financial crash”
This is all happening and made infinitely worse by the privatisation of the Public’s wealth producing feudal inequality. Post WW11 Britain was socialist and poor and owed immense debts to the USA for the war effort, yet was still able to bring in a social welfare state, the NHS and public housing. One of these houses I grew up in. I can honestly say that not once was there ever a maintenance problem with electricals, plumbing, roofing or literally anything, the house I own now needs regular maintenance, though adequate its building standard leaves a lot to be desired.
Above the city Spivs are cashing in on the privatisation of the Royal Mail in collusion with Osborne.
My point is Key is out of the same stable as these looters ruining the once proud UK. Thatcher started it and Blair intensified it.
“In response to the crisis, the Red Cross plans to commence setting up soup kitchens for the poor in Britain for the first time since the Second World War. Welfare organisations had already revealed in May that more than half a million Britons are now reliant on food handouts, with the number expected to increase over the winter.”
What’s labour and Cunliffe going to do about 5billion$ of tax dodged every year here in NZ????
The welfare state that made us civilised is being destroyed by:
1. Tax dodging and govs who won’t act on it.
2. Privatisation
3. Gross obscene inequality
4. Attacks on the social safety net and its recipients.
5.offshoring of manufacturing and conseq
uent loss of revenue and income for people.
Bread and Wine
Round about the city rests. The illuminated streets grow
Quiet, and coaches rush along, adorned with torches.
Men go home to rest, filled with the day’s pleasures;
Busy minds weigh up profit and loss contentedly
At home. The busy marketplace comes to rest,
Vacant now of flowers and grapes and crafts.
But the music of strings sounds in distant gardens:
Perhaps lovers play there, or a lonely man thinks
About distant friends, and his own youth.
Rushing fountains flow by fragrant flower beds,
Bells ring softly in the twilight air, and a watchman
Calls out the hour, mindful of the time.
Now a breeze rises and touches the crest of the grove-
Look how the moon, like the shadow of our earth,
Also rises stealthily! Phantastical night comes,
Full of stars, unconcerned probably about us-
Astonishingly night shines, a stranger among humans’
Sadly over the mountain tops, in splendour.
I was going to say that it looks like only 10% of voting Hamiltonians are real nut jobs. Though enough of them are stupid enough to elect the former president of the act party as a councillor.
I see google are being evil again. This time forcing gmail users into a single email sign on for all their accounts. Typically, there is a work around (aren’t they nice?).
The Queensland State Government is going so far to the right in its attacks on workers and civil rights that political actions against it must be on the order of the day soon. The Attorney General, Jarrod Bleckie, is passing laws that he fully expects to be overturned by the High Court, but doesn’t care. Queensland Unions, who are openly referred to by the baby faced authoritarian as “union thugs” have a real fight on their hands to survive. Having been nice enough to give them fascism for banana benders part one via Bjelke-Petersen, what can we do to help save them from part 2?
I had a Freewiew before going digital in my area, Whanganui.Since the change over, i keep getting regular interference on all channels.Yet after twelve in the evening it clears up, as opposed to clear viewing prior to the change over.
by John Edmundson The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) have recently reposted a February article, by Romany Tasker-Poland, explaining ISO’s position in the “trans rights” debate. It is available on their website and on their Facebook Page. The article sets out to explain why “socialists support trans rights”. It reads more ...
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Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...
Would You Buy A Used Propaganda Video From This Man? Bridges and the National Party’s strategists have discovered that the ideas and attitudes considered acceptable by today’s editors and journalists are no longer enforceable. The rise and rise of the Internet and the social media platforms it spawned means that ...
There is plenty of evidence of the way the business mentality has permeated every level of society since the recrudescence of market liberalism 35 years ago. You only need to think of how citizens in need of help from their government, their state, their country, are now routinely described as ...
John MacCormickOver the last 40 years, New Zealanders – and people in other countries – have experienced big changes in the jobs they do and where they live and work. These changes include: a decline in manufacturing jobs an increase in jobs in ‘information-intensive’ industries (which are better paid ...
Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Mereana Wilson, Anja Mizdrak, Phil Shoemack, Michael BakerProtecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) minimising cancer risk and other problems from nitrates in water; (3) avoiding algal blooms that are hazardous to health; (4) protecting mahinga kai uses (cultural ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In a press release today Massey University announced it has decided to rebrand and reorientate after struggling to be a University for grown-ups. For some time the University has wanted to be a safe play space for wee-woke-misogynists who have been really badly triggered ...
After a brief dalliance with 'hard Revoke' it looks like the Lib Dems are changing ground on on Brexit, with leader Jo Swinson reverting to calling for a second referendum on Johnson's deal.The party has tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that any deal brought back from Brussels ...
The government has decided that someone has done Something Bad. But despite their belief, there seems to be no evidence that they have actually broken the law. So the government's solution is to pass a retrospective law allowing them to be punished anyway, on a lower standard of proof. If ...
So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThere is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Last month, NZDF's shoddy coverup of what it knew about civilian casualties in Operation Burnham began to fall apart, with the revelation that a report on the matter, which NZDF claimed not to have, had been sitting in an NZDF safe for the past nine years. Yesterday, the man responsible ...
While many imagine that countries like the USA and Europe dominate space activities, in fact India is now a major player on this stage. It launches satellites for its own purposes and also commercially, and has constellations orbiting our planet and returning data of vital importance to that nation in ...
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
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For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
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Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
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How could government evolve over the next decades? Reports of democracy’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. However, satisfaction with political systems in many countries is low, so there is much to do for governments of all political stripes to improve relevance and trust. Digital technologies are seen as one ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
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More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
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by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
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The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
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First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
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The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
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Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
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by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
What is language? We generally assume that it a facility unique to humans, allowing us to share what’s in and on our minds. We can tell of our plans, our past exploits, our knowledge. It also allows us to lie. And yet there are vast numbers of people we can’t ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
Britain and the EU have agreed new terms for divorce. But with the Conservatives’ Northern Irish support party unimpressed, can the British prime minister at last put an end to the interminable shitstorm?At last, a deal! A palpable deal! A path out of the endless brain-melt!“Where there is a will, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Government sources insist shock jock Alan Jones didn’t drive Thursday’s announcement of a cash payment to drought-striken farmers about to be turfed off their household support because they’d reached the four year time limit. They ...
The proposition that global warming driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a risk that needs to be dealt with has achieved a large measure of agreement among policymakers. The proposition that it has to be dealt with right now and at great cost has no such consensus.One point ...
A bill to improve the pastoral care of students living in halls of residence has flown through its first reading in Parliament, thanks to cross-party support. ...
In this week's MediaRoom column: could MediaWorks close its TV operations altogether? And the Herald restructures its newsroom to remove a layer of management and shake up its investigative team. ...
Twenty-five young people who represent the future of the Asia-New Zealand relationship have been acknowledged as ‘ones to watch’, by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono. ...
The taboo that surrounds immigration and our refugee qouta, are two issues rising in New Zealand that need to start being given attention to challenge the fruit loops of the far left. ...
Winston Peters has been ordered to answer questions about whether he received a letter from MSD asking him to check details of his living arrangements, three years before discovering he'd been overpaid. ...
To celebrate 10 years since the start of New Zealand’s Next Top Model, our reality TV podcast The Real Pod is going to recap it week by week. Here are 10 of the most incredible revelations from the very first episode. 1) Colin Mathura-Jeffree was an emo kidThis was the moment ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Terrorism bill Lydia Lewis and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Security expert backs new terror law proposal ...
Occupiers of the disputed land at Ihumātao have been shut out of talks with the government about finding a resolution, saying they haven’t had any direct contact with ministers in more than a month, writes RNZ‘s Te Aniwa Hurihanganu and Meriana Johnsen.The Māori King announced in September mana whenua had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Fancourt, Adjunct Research Fellow, University of New England Feral cats are wreaking havoc on our native wildlife, eating more than a billion animals across Australia every year. But managing feral cats and reducing their impacts on our threatened species is challenging, ...
Later this month, the national commemoration of the New Zealand Wars, known as Te Pūtake o Te Riri, is to be held in Taranaki. Local community activist Vivian Hutchinson looks at how a history of conflict has shaped our sense of citizenship and describes how some people in Taranaki are ...
New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell is demanding an apology from security guards who booted him out of a Tauranga bar on Saturday night, describing them as politically-motivated "buffoons". ...
New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell is demanding an apology from security guards who booted him out of a Tauranga bar on Saturday night, describing them as politically-motivated "buffoons". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jerry Zhou, Lecturer, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au.Does chewing gum stay inside you for years? – Olivia, aged 12, Australia. Great question, Olivia! ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Elphick, Adjunct Research Fellow, Law School, University of Western Australia In March last year, Frances McDormand won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In her acceptance speech, she drew attention to the female nominees in the room and left them with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peggy Kern, Associate professor, University of Melbourne The Portal follows six individuals who undergo a personal transformation from trauma and struggle to calmness, self-acceptance, and compassion towards others. These personal changes are intertwined with contemplations about the broader struggles facing humanity and ...
Many hill country farmers could be locked into low-return agriculture by government policy, with little chance of breaking the cycle, according to the main meat producers' lobby, Beef + Lamb New Zealand. ...
The Southern DHB has apologised and pledged to change practices after a report into a young woman’s complaint about treatment which included being stripped naked and left unattended in seclusion for 12 hours. Here she tells her story.I’d forgotten the Health and Disability Commission was about to publish its report. ...
In the Chief Ombudsman’s latest Annual Report, contacts for advice increased 29 percent, while more use was being made of guidance material, including the 23 new or updated guides that were published in the 2018/19 year. ...
Fletcher's new offsite home manufacturing facility could be producing two homes a day within a couple of years. But for the moment this high-tech factory is underwhelming. ...
National's leader Simon Bridges says his party will pull its support for the new anti-terrorism legislation if the minister doesn't meet with them next week and start negotiating in good faith. ...
For the latest episode of On the Rag, notorious prude Alex Casey enlisted the help of sex toy expert and pleasure therapist Teddy Curle. It sounds a bit like ingredients for an avant-garde stir-fry recipe. Cauliflower. Kūmara. A jar of Vegemite. But what it actually is, sex toy expert Teddy Curle ...
It is deeply concerning that the state of our marine environment has not improved in the last three years. Resilient coasts and oceans are essential to New Zealanders' health and wealth, so urgent action is needed to address the decline. ...
Something’s crowning this Christmas, and it isn’t King Richard of Aldovia in his favourite tiara. Tara Ward looks at what Netflix’s new movie A Christmas Prince: A Royal Baby could mean for us all. Yesterday Netflix announced they’re about to give birth to the third instalment in the legendary series A Christmas ...
In a new initiative, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence is celebrating and recognising the careers of three Māori leaders and visionaries, who have a long history of bringing about major social change ...
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has welcomed the publication by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ of Our Marine Environment 2019 , the latest in the reports on the state of our environment. The report is available here . ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Campbell Brown, CEO of PredictHQ.This week we talk to Campbell Brown, the CEO ...
The Government has today released its discussion paper ‘ Designing a Fair Pay Agreements System ’ providing detail of what proposed law for Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs) could include. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Associate Professor in Sociology and Co-Director of The Policy Lab, University of Melbourne The polls were wrong in the last US and Australian federal elections. Hillary Clinton was favoured to win at a margin of 85% to Donald Trump’s 15%. ...
Today is World Ecolabel Day and to mark the occasion New Zealand’s premier ecolabel has released a study showing the powerful environmental effect of ecolabelled products. ...
Family First's continued fight against attempts by the government's Charities Registration Board to deregister them is set to continue in the Court of Appeal in Wellington next week (Tues & Wed 22-23 Oct). In a significant development, the Charity Law ...
The actions of New Zealanders on land are increasingly harming the ocean’s ability to sustain life. Alex Braae looks at a worrying new government paper on the marine environment.What’s all this then?A new report from the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ has sounded alarming warning about state of ...
Farmers for Positive Change (F4PC) congratulates environmental, recreation and public health groups for coming to a united position on the Government’s freshwater reform and finds significant areas of agreement with the Healthy Water, Healthy Future joint ...
In time for Auckland Artweek, Eloise Callister-Baker opens the door on a cluster of small Auckland art spaces, once off the beaten track and ephemeral, now finding cunning new ways to adapt and survive in the CBD property market. Auckland’s terrific documentor of art openings, Sait Akkirman of artdiary.co.nz, provides ...
Right to Life asks, why the Special Abortion Legislation Bill Committee is continuing to discriminate by refusing to hear the 2,740 submitters who have requested the right to make a ten minute oral submission on the highly contentious abortion Bill conceived ...
Winston Peters is calling on an old mate to give evidence in his landmark court case against government agencies over a leak of his personal superannuation details. ...
Government ministers are exulting over how the NZ economy is performing— and their own work in making it stronger. David Clark, standing in for Grant Robertson in Parliament on Tuesday, rejoiced at how solid the “underlying fundamentals of the NZ economy are”. He said the government accounts for the June ...
A campaign to ban the Forced Swim Test in New Zealand is in line with public opinion, according to a new survey commissioned by the New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) and SAFE. ...
Environment, health, recreation, and water infrastructure groups have come together to support four essential policies to save fresh water in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Public Health Association, Forest & Bird, Fish & Game New Zealand, Environmental ...
"So many of our children are being violently harmed. Their innocence stolen and their bodies used for the sexual gratification and financial gain of those involved in the dark world of paedophillia. These innocent children are voiceless; nobody ...
There must be consternation within the upper ranks of the Labour Party at the performance of some of the Ministers in the coalition government. Every time the government looks like making some positive progress, one or other of these errant Ministers can be ...
Responding to Massey University’s decision to cancel the upcoming ‘Feminism 2020’ event, Free Speech Coalition member Melissa Derby (who had been scheduled to speak at the event) says: ...
New Zealand First's youth wing is at odds with leader Winston Peters over pill-testing at festivals and is working to overturn the party's position. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Byron, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Wollongong I am in year 11 and I like to listen to music when I am studying, but my dad says that my brain is spending only half of its time studying and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philippa England, Senior Lecturer, Griffith Law School, Griffith University Good planning needs integrity, and public participation should play a role in that. But a row over a high-rise development proposed for suburban Brisbane shows what happens when the public feels left out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Mathmann, Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Queensland University of Technology When you wander down most supermarket aisles are you befuddled by too much choice? Do you feel overwhelmed when comparing new phone deals, insurance offers, energy provider plans? There’s a lot of research ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland In a speech in Albury last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told his audience that he was praying for rain in drought-affected areas. “I pray for that ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Prefab housing factory opened amid huge need, worrying new measles developments, and public shows common sense on drug testing.A new factory has been opened to produce building materials, which if scaled up could have a significant impact on construction time ...
The Police Association says the Police Minister will be breaking his promise if he doesn't include staff turnover in the government's police staffing target. ...
Black Fern Vania Wolfgramm has been given a golden opportunity to learn from leaders in US sport, and in return, make a lasting contribution to Kiwi female athletes. ...
A symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of Halt All Racist Tours shook and changed our society, taking NZ into a new and different national and international consciousness. ...
When Hannah Yang complained about a racist clue in the daily paper, she was reminded of the prevalence of casual racism in New Zealand.I’d never seen a racist clue before.It happened in the morning when I sat down in our break room to look at the day’s cryptic crossword (yes, ...
The commentary around local election turnout is littered with misunderstanding. Yes, there’s a problem, but we should regard any suggestion of a single, simple solution with deep suspicion, writes local elections expert Julienne MolineauxThe Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming ...
Alex Casey talks to Henessey Griffiths, a 22 year-old Dunedin student who just finished her dissertation about one of Youtube’s most controversial stars. Content warning: this article contains mention of suicide, please take careYesterday afternoon in Dunedin, honours student Henessey Griffiths sent a tweet that was a year (or rather, five ...
The Transport Minister has released almost all of the letters he's received from Green MPs, but still refuses to release the letter from Julie Anne Genter that is now at the centre of an Ombudsman complaint. ...
Court documents have confirmed Winston Peters was sent a letter by officials four years into his seven-year overpayment of national superannuation asking him to check details he had supplied, including that he was 'single'. ...
Olympic sailors Blair Tuke and Peter Burling are throwing their weight behind a campaign encouraging New Zealander consumers and businesses to reduce their plastic pollution. ...
Open mike 12/10/2013 
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
Jo Swinson is doing even worse at this Being Sensible lark that I'd thought. I've just become aware of the following utterance
Today's IPCA report of police criminality: a police officer unalwfully tasered a fleeing suspect who posed no threat to anyone:The police watchdog has found an officer unlawfully tasered an Auckland man who broke his ankle jumping off a balcony to escape arrest. [...] To avoid arrest, the man jumped over ...12 hours ago
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...13 hours ago
Would You Buy A Used Propaganda Video From This Man? Bridges and the National Party’s strategists have discovered that the ideas and attitudes considered acceptable by today’s editors and journalists are no longer enforceable. The rise and rise of the Internet and the social media platforms it spawned means that ...15 hours ago
John MacCormick Over the last 40 years, New Zealanders – and people in other countries – have experienced big changes in the jobs they do and where they live and work. These changes include: a decline in manufacturing jobs an increase in jobs in ‘information-intensive’ industries (which are better paid ...15 hours ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz There is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...2 days ago
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...2 days ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...2 days ago
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...3 days ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...6 days ago
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Interesting Simthsonian article on how climate change will impact on different parts of the world:
It also links to an interactive map where you can access graphs showing prediction of trends for each country, including NZ.
PS: This Open Mike had yesterday’s date (11/10/2013) in the title – I changed it.
Dropped in my voting form to the Wgtn City Council yesterday. Preety crowded in there! Good to see that we don’t have total apathy in local elections : )
Two things come immediately into my mind when I hear a businessman has been fighting his corner.
what happens to innocent folk who dont attract the attention of a monied person either through their networks or publicity?
And how many brown people have had a businessman get in behind them?
Now%20lets%2520add%2520some%2520context%253A%2520where%2520the%2520’Maori%2520Economy’%2520was%2520valued%2520by%2520Pita%2520Sharples%2520in%25202010%2520as%2520being%2520worth%2520%252437B.%2520Therefore%2520’being%2520brown’%2520and%2520not%2520being%2520supported%2520by%2520’businessmen’%2520is%2520now%2520a%2520much%2520more%2520interesting%2520question%2520than%2520it%2520used%2520to%2520be.
[translated]
Now lets add some context: where the ‘Maori Economy’ was valued by Pita Sharples in 2010 as being worth $37B. Therefore ‘being brown’ and not being supported by ‘businessmen’ is now a much more interesting question than it used to be.
[lprent: The old plugin is now back in place. We will see if that is in fact the problem. ]
lol 😈
Same thing happened with an an xtasy comment last night/early hours.
It’s been happening to a few people, I think Lynn mentioned a bug in the edit function.
Edit: but doesn’t seem to be affecting me 🙂
Cheers, lprent.
Been wondering the same. All the evidence indicates that justice is only available to those with money in NZ.
Especially now thanks to the changes to the public defenders service.
Cunliffe on the Nation right now.
The Nation , with the luvly Rachael;
David Cunliffe on the TPP,
-Pharmac protection “bottom line”
-IP protection important consideration
on the RBA,
-governor should have independence
-although “open minded”
-as Parker has indicated a preference for a ‘monetary committee’ (export, manufacturing, union representation for example)
-with the independence intended by the RBA remaining.
on Mining,
-“responsible balance between economic and environmental objectives”
on relationship to the Greens and Green policy
-“my job as leader of the Labour Party is to maximize the Labour Party vote”.
NB: Japan entering the TPP is of huge benefit to the US (and Japan) with the US farm lobby endorsement. Consequently, agriculture will be the most problematic negotiating issue.-Groser.
Cunliffe gave her a good going over, I thought. She needs better questions.
The usual trick of asking the same question again when it has been decisively answered so as to create doubt about the answer does not appear to work against Cunliffe.
Yes, he revealed her weaknesses, not being a fawning, drooling Tory ‘bloke’ and all that. although, drooling is not exclusive to Tories. 😀
I guess interviewers have got so used to politicians not answering questions directly that they don’t know what to do when one of them does.
They pause, rinse, and repeat.
This one?
http://www.3news.co.nz/Cunliffe-promises-a-red-Labour-Party/tabid/1348/articleID/316957/Default.aspx
Good onya, David Cunliffe!
DC on TPPA at 7’41’
“… sorry, Rachel, you are putting words in my mouth on a very important matter. We will do what anybody … give you a corporate analogy … if we were a company looking at a joint venture, we would have to do due diligence on the contract. The Labour Caucus will do due diligence on the TPPA when we get it.”
This got a resounding VERY loud applause in our lounge.
A striking contrast with some other current, and former, party leaders. Doing well.
Brilliant stuff in there.
Substance, description, explanation, clarification, counter-response.
Just superb. He will be a fine Prime Minister for NZ. We can hold our heads high for having someone who thinks and speaks so clearly among leaders of other larger, richer and more powerful countries.
composure
I laughed out loud (actually, out loud) when he responded to a journo’s question after his CTU conference speech by saying something like, “I think you’ve asked that question based on what you assumed I was going to answer to an earlier question, but since I didn’t, it’s not relevant.” It was fucking beautiful.
No No weaknesses. She was excellent but Cunliffe’s brilliance outshone her and she accepted it graciously. It was like a good hard talk interview and he responded with super competence.
If you need inspiration, go see it on TV3 Nation.
I’d love to see Key in the same kind of interview. Oh that’s right I did see it and he tried to treat her like a silly girl, but she persisted and he just came across as a buffoon blithering on about fish or something.National supporters must have cringed.
Well done Cunliffe! you have my vote…and many others I reckon.
Cunliffe: “due diligence……due diligence…….” – the expertly piped cream on a very digestible cake served up by a man obviously cut out for the job.
Rachel Smalley: repeatedly – “Right OK” – on to the next question.
Which means he triumphed.
I suspect Rachel Smalley finished that interview with advanced respect for her subject.
Which is to say – quoting Rodel @ 4.1.1.1.2 – “…and many others I reckon.”
Is this why our current gig is Little Churchill World Leader ?
And just in case you haven’t seen it go to..
..http://www.3news.co.nz/Cunliffe-promises-a-red-Labour-Party/tabid/1348/articleID/316957/Default.aspx
and show your mates/family/etc..anybody who is wavering ( and your nat friends too.
I grew up in Napier when the twin cities had two proper newspapers (Napier Daily Telegraph and Hastings Herald Tribune) that covered local affairs and the local ZB station broadcast the bulk of it’s daytime content from a local studio. I remember my parents listening to the (bi-weekly? weekly?) hour long discussions with the mayor and of all sorts of discussions about local issues. There was even, briefly, regional TV breakouts on TVNZ.
Now, the merged “newspaper” Hawkes Bay Today is barely a step up on the free rags. Local popular state radio is but a distant memory. TV treats the provinces the same way it treats stories from the third world – it takes either a disaster or a crime for a story to be covered.
When people talk about the decline in interest and participation in local body elections some blame excessive centralisation making voting irrelevant, some blame a disinchanted, lazy and uninformed public. But it seems to me that the eviscerating of local outlets for democracy has to be a major candidate in destroying avenues for communication and reducing interest and knowledge in local issues and candidates. The decline of voting in local body elections is worrying evidence of the hollowing out of our democracy and the slow death of civic society – and it paves the way for democracy to die not with a bang, but with the whimper of a corporate takeover.
+!00 Sanctuary
If I were king for a day…
…Every channel or radio station that broadcasts in New Zealand ought to be required to devote 5% of it’s 7am-7pm airtime to commercial free, civic broadcasting (I would call it the “civic quota”). No exceptions. Everything from MTV to the shopping channel to the History Channel to the ZB network to Mai FM. They would be required to use it to cover local and national political issues of importance to their target audience.
“The decline of voting in local body elections is worrying evidence of the hollowing out of our democracy and the slow death of civic society…”
The slow death of civic society also shows in the fact that the right no longer offers any kind of view of a civic society, just an ongoing series of economic rationalisations.
Life in the right’s vision of the future:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-red-cross-launches-emergency-food-aid-plan-for-uks-hungry-8872496.html
“…The Red Cross will this winter start collecting and distributing food aid to the needy in Britain for the first time since the Second World War, as welfare cuts and the economic downturn send soaring numbers of people to soup kitchens and food banks across Europe…”
The UK’s economy is the sixth biggest in the world.
Tweedle-dum Cameron won’t care, and neither does his cooker-cutter tweedle dee counterpart in New Zealand, John Key.
These dreams have gone
http://www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_c86Gwsb5LY
personally, when I get the time, I glean more information about the intricacies of the local community from reading the “free” weekly newspapers, when I have the time. (gotta pile awaiting)
Did you know…smurfs wear Phrygian caps ! 😀
and, and, that David Cunliffe received the “All the better for a Metaphor” Award on Te Radar’s Best Bits
I worked at the DT (Napier) for 33 years and also 3 years at Hawke’s Bay Yesterday.
You are dead right Sanctuary. HBT is a nothing newspaper. When I moved to that paper we were printing 32,000 papers. Now, just on 20,000 (I hear from ex workmates).
What does that tell you about the MSM. And yes the free papers keep you informed of the local news. Don’t even bother buying a printed paper. Heil the freepress. TS, TDB et al.
Cheers
You would probably know my uncle and my mother, they worked there for years.
How is it that we fight for an uplift in pay in the order of 2-3% minimum pay increases by $0.40 hour and yet house prices are increasing by $1,500/ week in the burbs.
How can this dicotomy exist when money can be so hard to earn yet prices increase by so much?
Those rules only apply to labour attempting to work to earn wages/salaries.
The direct answer to your question is:
1) Unearned income accrued by capitalists on positive revenue assets allows them to finance additional asset purchases..
2) Banks willing to lend to those same capitalists at ever higher leverage on the assumption of continuing property asset price increases.
This is a particular worry with regard to the TPP negotiations. Both Tim Groser and Phil Goff cite Pharmac and intellectual property as matters of concern, but do not touch on wages, unions or social services. The worry is that “New Zealand” for them means the asset rich who think such an agreement will make them even asset richer. As long as wages, unions and social services go unmentioned, I fear that these people see the projected gains for themselves and their kind as well worth the cost of trashing the workforce and the poor even more than they are now trashed.
Yet CV as for many, money to survive has great value thru its scarcity yet thanks to the worlds monetary policies the same money is having its value greatly diminished. Why then can so few see this and there can be no “happy endings” or conclusion should the status quo continue.
This property boom that is currently in Auckland just protects many from seeing the issue as we all (property owners) are self congratulating ourselves for our rise in wealth.
Like you and a few others questioning this ability for independent banks to make money appear out of fresh air IMO is the real issue we face and an indirect attack to our sovereignty.
Exactly correct. Reminds me of the bankster Rothschild quote
“Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws!”
When do the local body election results get announced?
When do the local body election results get announced?
From late afternoon, I believe, and then continuing staggered throughout the evening. Polls are still open for another 15 minutes…
Viper:
Thanks for the info, is their a page when you can follow the results coming in?
You are very welcome, Brett. Where I am, Electionz is going to inform the local councils directly, and then it’s each councils responsibility to get the word out for their own results. Unfortunately I don’t know if for example the electoral commission is going to collate and publish all the results from across the country.
Just watched The Nation, and I’m wondering why Groser and that other peevish little minister Finlayson are so scathing of Labour. I think they’re afraid, very afraid.
Nah, they are simply playing the role they are very well paid to do [by the suckers, us], by perpetuating/propagating the fraud through the ability to write *the law*, on behalf of [name your family]
As long as the democrats retain strong support of the unions in the usa the tppa wont be as harsh to labour relations as if repubs had tge w house
“This is not a recession it’s a robbery.”
Public money being robbed into private hands. Selling our Power Companies for private profit.
“New reports warn of mass poverty and social decline in Europe”
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/10/12/eurp-o12.html
“Hedge fund linked to George Osborne’s best man to make millions from privatisation of Royal Mail after ‘buying £50m stake’
“Far from being the unfortunate result of some unavoidable economic catastrophe, the social crisis in Europe is being consciously exploited by the continent’s financial and political elite to affect a major redistribution of wealth from the bottom of society to the top.”
Peter Davies met the Chancellor at Oxford University
Was Osborne’s best man when he married Frances Howell in 1998
Davies is a member of management committee for Lansdowne Partners
Hedge-fund firm has seen value of investment rise by £18million already
City fund made reported £100million from financial crash”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2455653/George-Osbornes-best-man-Peter-Davies-make-millions-Royal-Mail-shares.html
This is all happening and made infinitely worse by the privatisation of the Public’s wealth producing feudal inequality. Post WW11 Britain was socialist and poor and owed immense debts to the USA for the war effort, yet was still able to bring in a social welfare state, the NHS and public housing. One of these houses I grew up in. I can honestly say that not once was there ever a maintenance problem with electricals, plumbing, roofing or literally anything, the house I own now needs regular maintenance, though adequate its building standard leaves a lot to be desired.
Above the city Spivs are cashing in on the privatisation of the Royal Mail in collusion with Osborne.
My point is Key is out of the same stable as these looters ruining the once proud UK. Thatcher started it and Blair intensified it.
“In response to the crisis, the Red Cross plans to commence setting up soup kitchens for the poor in Britain for the first time since the Second World War. Welfare organisations had already revealed in May that more than half a million Britons are now reliant on food handouts, with the number expected to increase over the winter.”
“Tax Dodging Soars Under Tories To Seven Times Entire Bill For Unemployment Benefit”
http://thesiegeofbritain.wordpress.com/
What’s labour and Cunliffe going to do about 5billion$ of tax dodged every year here in NZ????
The welfare state that made us civilised is being destroyed by:
1. Tax dodging and govs who won’t act on it.
2. Privatisation
3. Gross obscene inequality
4. Attacks on the social safety net and its recipients.
5.offshoring of manufacturing and conseq
uent loss of revenue and income for people.
In a word economic fascism.
In a phrase economic social cannibalism! 🙂
One of the prices of Australia’s mining “boom”
As you look at these photos, bear in mind that the National Government is quite prepared to let Australian and Brazilian outfits do this in our national parks….
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-incredible-earth-scars/16808?image=2
Just so you know, the Superpit was first mined in 1893. Whole bunch of those mines are in Canada too. And they’re awesome
What meaning of awesome are you using here?
Huge or brilliant
Definitely both
Brilliant?
For whom?
Look a the handle name tkh20.
I thought the “shutdown”, had rid some of the trollops. Guess the autos are still up and roaming!
Well, the people that work there, the communities they help sustain and the people who use the minerals they produce…
Off the top of my head…
Test that the ajax edit backdated correctly.
Ok that seems to be working.
The Punk Singer
http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/film/the-punk-singer-is-a-london-film-festival-must-see-1-3138219
The Coming (Climate) Plague
http://www.trust.org/item/20131010012838-80m1x/?source=search
or
Bubonic if that tickles your fancy, or fills your pipe
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/madagascar-faces-possible-bubonic-plague-epidemic-experts-warn-8871958.html
“Iron Man” (through a lense Starkly)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24474336?
I’m NOT a costume
Although about Native Americans I’m sure we can find similar examples here.
a pair of nines and a pouch.
Bread and Wine
Round about the city rests. The illuminated streets grow
Quiet, and coaches rush along, adorned with torches.
Men go home to rest, filled with the day’s pleasures;
Busy minds weigh up profit and loss contentedly
At home. The busy marketplace comes to rest,
Vacant now of flowers and grapes and crafts.
But the music of strings sounds in distant gardens:
Perhaps lovers play there, or a lonely man thinks
About distant friends, and his own youth.
Rushing fountains flow by fragrant flower beds,
Bells ring softly in the twilight air, and a watchman
Calls out the hour, mindful of the time.
Now a breeze rises and touches the crest of the grove-
Look how the moon, like the shadow of our earth,
Also rises stealthily! Phantastical night comes,
Full of stars, unconcerned probably about us-
Astonishingly night shines, a stranger among humans’
Sadly over the mountain tops, in splendour.
Friedrich Holderlin
http://www.3news.co.nz/Hamilton-votes-in-support-of-fluoride/tabid/423/articleID/316964/Default.aspx
– Well done Hamilton for not getting sucked in by nutters
Too right chris.
I was going to say that it looks like only 10% of voting Hamiltonians are real nut jobs. Though enough of them are stupid enough to elect the former president of the act party as a councillor.
Unfortunately nutters and other assorted conspiracy theorists come from both sides of the political spectrum
C73 – Just drink it all down mate, I have no issue with you choosing to drink the raw product all day, that’s your choice!
In fact, just keep swallowing your toothpaste, go have some now, it’ll get you there sooner!
Get it in ya!
You mean dentists with somewhat of a self interest in not seeing fluoridation occur…..yes nutty about their incomes.
I see google are being evil again. This time forcing gmail users into a single email sign on for all their accounts. Typically, there is a work around (aren’t they nice?).
Once google have purchased all the “tech”, it will literally be a case of sign in, or you don’t get to use the service!
Welcome to www 2.0
/Internet off-switch!
The Queensland State Government is going so far to the right in its attacks on workers and civil rights that political actions against it must be on the order of the day soon. The Attorney General, Jarrod Bleckie, is passing laws that he fully expects to be overturned by the High Court, but doesn’t care. Queensland Unions, who are openly referred to by the baby faced authoritarian as “union thugs” have a real fight on their hands to survive. Having been nice enough to give them fascism for banana benders part one via Bjelke-Petersen, what can we do to help save them from part 2?
Ffs 2013 will see the end of analogue transmission, the digital service is quite frankly shit.
have we taken the cheapest technology available ! The vhs would be better.
I had a Freewiew before going digital in my area, Whanganui.Since the change over, i keep getting regular interference on all channels.Yet after twelve in the evening it clears up, as opposed to clear viewing prior to the change over.