A round of applause to the Wellington City Council for being No1 in agreeing that all it’s employees will be paid the ‘Living Wage’,(the monies for this coming from freezing the salaries of those higher up in the food chain),
And, a large f**k you to the spokesperson from the Wellington Chanber of Commerce for ‘whining’ about the above vote…
“The “living wage” idea is based on a two-adult, two-child family, yet analysis shows that people in this situation make up only 6 per cent of families earning less than $18.40 an hour. Almost 80 per cent of those earning less than $18.40 are people without children, including young people and students.”
Confused, you guessed wrong,(as usual), a Wellington resident i am and have been most of my life,
So, it’s alright in your mind,(admittedly said mind from here has the appearance of suffering an as yet to be diagnosed disease),for the hierarchy of management at the Wellington City Council to be paid amounts up to $500,000+ annually,a fact i have yet to see you or any of the other ‘Wing-Nuts’ who appear on the Standard kick your afflicted little minds into whine mode over, but,should those who earn the least gain a pay rise that is adjudged to be the minimum a worker should expect to be able to ensure for Her/Himself and any family a ‘normal’ standard of living you choose to whine as if you are to pay the monies yourself,
The Wellington City Council have said that rates will not rise as a result of their applaudable vote FOR the ‘Living Wage’, the intention is to freeze the wages of those higher up the ‘food chain’ of council salaries,
As I recall, the living wage regarding two parent and two kid families involved the other parent working half-time at the living wage, and working for families and other WINZ top-ups.
We could, of course reduce rates by cutting the overly generous pay of the non-working management, or reducing the administrative staff on over 100k a year.
A couple of good secretaries, on 60k, would do the job just as well.
Even more fat at the top to cut in Auckland. How many “Managers” do POAL, and other CCO’s, have, Again!
Yes KJT, what i suggested yesterday was that the Wellington City Council cut the CEO’s role into 2 positions each paying 200 grand a year, that would have been a saving of $100,000+,
i have not as yet done the research necessary to ascertain just how ‘fat’ the management of Wellington City’s Council actually is but cutting all the $200,000+ plus roles into 2 distinct jobs with 100,000 dollar annual salaries i would suggest would save the Council a reasonable pile of coin,
Of course such a template applied to the ‘bloated’ uckland Cit Council would result in millions saved, not only would Council direct employees be able to be afforded the ‘Living Wage’ but this could then be extended to contracted council workers…
The second part of this reform should be setting the maximum future salary cap at say $150000 or 6 times the minimum wage. No new hires can be paid more than this and current hires are wound back at x% per annum if the contract allows. Only exceptions to the cap are for exceptional technical requirements not general management hires sen tot the council on a case by case basis.. That’ll fix the budget.
So why shouldn’t childless people, young people and students get an increase? Last time I looked they were people too and voting members of society. I don’t see why they have to be paid SFA.
Yes, well done to the council!! It’s been on the cards for a bit now and was looking positive so it’s excellent that the vote followed through for the workers.
The woman (surname Bleakley?) from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, last night on 3news came up with the silliest response. This isn’t a quote but it was something along the lines of “now they won’t get working for families or any other government subsidies” What? So, er, you right wing types actually want the government, via the taxpayer funding under paid workers – I thought you hated people getting any kind of assistance?! Oh wait, you want low wages and no assistance
i heard phil oreilly ceo of ‘business nz’ say that on the radio, justifying low pay rates in nz for workers because the govt tops anyone up, & i thought ‘wtf? i thought you guys hated govt assistance.’
I think that the Council should extend this idea to the people who actually have to pay for it.
Every ratepayer who has an income that is less than the “Living wage” should be exempt from rates.
Why should people living on the pension, which is much, much less than the “Living wage” have to pay more in rates so that some of the councillors can get the warm fuzzies by handing out other people’s money?
Another thing that the Council should be required to explain is exactly who received the $20,000 worth of presents dished out instead of Christmas decorations for the city. Did any of the dosh go to friends or relatives of Councillors or Council staff? Who might have been told about this ahead of time? Will the Council publish a list of the recipients?
Every person, employed by the Council is to get a minimum rate of $18.40 /hour. At 2,000 hours per year that is $36,800/year n’est ce pas?
A single person living alone, as a very large number do, is only entitled to a community services card if their income is less than $26,554/year. Thus no rates relief for someone on more than $10,000/year LESS than the “living wage”. Not much help is it?
What is this shit Alwyn, deliberate lies or simply a stupid mistake on your part, people with community service cards which as far as i know includes pensioners can and do apply for rates relief and are granted such…
Read what I said for God’s sake.
We are being told that the $18.40/hr, or as I work it out $36,800/year is the minimum anyone can live on.
I am suggesting that you shouldn’t have to pay rates if you get less than that as you presumably don’t have enough to live on.
DV said you can get rates relief if you have a community services card., which is true.
However, and which bit of this did you not understand and which do you think is a “deliberate lie or a stupid mistake”. I pointed out that the MAXIMUM income to get a CSC is $26,554/year. For your presumably inumerate mind that is much LESS than the supposed “Living wage”. You may also note that at no point did I nominate that pensioners couldn’t get the card. I am merely pointing out that its availability goes long before reaching the level of the “Living wage”
The Council have already announced a rates increase of 2.5% next year which is more than the rate of inflation. And if you believe there won’t be demands for relativity increases for people currently on a bit more than the “Living wage” you are, I am sorry to say dreaming.
I have just noticed this comment.
Do you have a reference for the 3% figure?
I haven’t seen anything that high. The Reserve Bank, for example are predicting an annual rate of 1.5% at end 2014 and 2.2% end 2015.
Teasury are predicting a non-tradeables figure of about 3% but a CPI figure of around 2%
Every ratepayer who has an income that is less than the “Living wage” should be exempt from rates.
Why should people living on the pension …… have to pay more in rates someone
alwyn, do you really know how rates work. Do you own a house & pay rates? If you are on a low income or pension, & pay rates, you need advice today.
DV has mentioned the rebates on the community card which I am unsure of the details he refer to. But since 1973 there has been the The Rates Rebate Act 1973 which covers a number of Labour and Nats government. How its work (I think) is that the rates rebate given by the council under this scheme to low incomes earner/pensioners etc is recovered from the government so not to impact on the council’s budget.
Go to the WCC or Internal Affairs site rather than just guessing what happens. It just devalues your comment.
The cutoff for that scheme, without dependents is $23,870/year. The rates rebate amount is up to $595.
$23,870/year is a lot less than the “Living wage isn’t it? And yes I did know about it and wasn’t just guessing as you appear to be doing.
Do you really want me to always anticipate every wrong thing that people might bring up and explain it in the original comment?I would have to post fifty page comments then.
Yes I did know about it. The reason I knew was that I had to see whether my mother qualified for it and then later whether another of my family was covered.
So, in spite of your disbelief, I did know about it and I knew the cutoff was well below the “Living wage”.
I did look it up to get the exact current rate but I did know it wasn’t very much.
Why should people living on the pension, which is much, much less than the “Living wage” have to pay more in rates so that some of the councillors can get the warm fuzzies by handing out other people’s money?
I got a better question: Why is it that some people think that they can get labour for less than it costs to supply it?
Interestingly enough, seemingly all these people who believe this vote for either National or Act and whinge about paying rates especially when it comes to paying people for their labour.
I really don’t know how you can define what is meant by “get labour for less than it costs to supply it”. What on earth is “the cost of supplying labour”? I have no trouble with a concept like the value of the output of labour. I have no trouble with the concept of the cost of living a decent life.
However the idea that some single rate, which is what the “Living wage” is supposed to be, is in some way “the cost of supplying labour” doesn’t make any sense.
I much prefer to focus on two different things.
The first is what does a worker produce and what therefore is the value of that work and what they should be paid.
The second is what does it cost that person, and any dependents they have, to live at an acceptable standard of living. If this second figure is less than the first it should be made up by a benefit system which is what we currently have. WFF etc is the way to look after that.
But what do you mean by “The full costs of the labour they use”?
If by that you mean what it costs for that person to live a decent life it must vary with that person’s circumstances. For example the income required by a single person living with their parents is obviously a lot less than that for a man with spouse and 10 kids.
I remember some years ago that the Government, and I don’t know whether it was a Labour or a National one, said that intellectually handicapped people in sheltered workshops had to be paid the full minimum wage. The mother of one such man was interviewed in the paper. She was appalled because, as she said, her son’s work was only worth a couple of dollars an hour. If the workshop had to pay him the minimum wage they couldn’t afford him. He was apparently proud that he could go out to work and earn something and it gave him something to do and a place to get out of his home. Now he was going to be stuck there.
That is an extreme case I know but it is a real example of the sort of person, and business, you appear to regard as a free-loader
ut what do you mean by “The full costs of the labour they use”?
Interesting question since you seem to know exactly what it means:The second is what does it cost that person, and any dependents they have, to live at an acceptable standard of living.
Personally, I prefer a Universal Income but that will require massive increases in taxes. IMO, we would most likely will be seeing the return of the 66% bracket to support that. Other rebalancing would also be needed such as dropping CEO salaries from the million dollar range to something far more realistic – say about $100k.
The living standard is either supported by directly by the business or indirectly through subsidies and the subsidies are paid for through taxes. The problem is that the RWNJs will immediately say that taxes have to be cut showing their propensity for wanting something but not wanting pay for it.
Good luck getting that through any parliament, at least the limit of $100k. If they tried to do that I would think that MPs would have to have it as an upper limit as well which would halve their incomes. As they say, ever seen a turkey vote for an early christmas.
Interestingly the bete-noires of the left, Milton Friedman and Richard Nixon, were both exponents of the Universal Income proposal.
If they tried to do that I would think that MPs would have to have it as an upper limit as well which would halve their incomes. As they say, ever seen a turkey vote for an early christmas.
How much we pay our servants should be up to us, not the parliamentarians or even some supposedly independent bunch.
Interestingly the bete-noires of the left, Milton Friedman and Richard Nixon, were both exponents of the Universal Income proposal.
Yes to bits 1 and 2.
When I was much younger MPs were paid a great deal less generously. I understand that an MPs salary was about equivalent to a head of department level secondary school teacher. Now it is about three times that figure.
I just threw the comment about MF and RN as an aside when you said you approved of the Universal Income idea.
I thought you might have been interested, if you didn’t already know it, that approval of the idea goes right across the political spectrum
When I was much younger MPs were paid a great deal less generously.
They were but the increase came in with the neo-liberal policy settings back in the 1980s IIRC. It was argued that they should be paid similar rates to what was in the private sector. Of course, back then even the private sector didn’t pay all that well and so what we got was what the private sector was paying in places like the US and the UK.
AFAIK, only The Alliance has policy that takes MPs salaries back to what they were and they apply it to all MPs. Being a minister or prime minister doesn’t get you any more.
I thought you might have been interested, if you didn’t already know it, that approval of the idea goes right across the political spectrum
I knew about it I also know that they don’t support my idea of an UI. Their versions tend to be significantly less than what I want because they think that tax should be set at 25% to 30% rather than set to what’s needed. In other words, it won’t be any better than the present UB. I believe it should be high enough to supply enough for people to be entrepreneurial with it.
IIRC, Roger Douglass’s version of it was so cumbersome as to be nearly unworkable. He really doesn’t seem to understand the concept of Universal.
Pensioners, who pay rates, would most likely be living mortgage free – own their property outright. So how do you compare a “living wage” for a person who doesn’t own a home, and is most likely paying rent at market prices, with the income of a property owning pensioner?
Why don’t you expand your comment to what it really means karol.
How can you have a single “Living wage” that is applied to everyone, whether it is a single person living with his parents or a couple with 6 children, when their circumstances are entirely different. The problem with the “Living wage” is that it doesn’t recognise that.
You are making my point for me. Pay the wage that the person is worth and worry about additional income requirements via a targeted benefit system.
I agree Karol .I would think that there is a large percentage of elderly people who like me managed to buy our modest home only because of the “State Advance Loan Scheme.I certainly hope that the next Labour Government will bring in similar scheme in for our young people. However what does make some rates expensive for people living on the pension only is the valuation of the building. So what happens is that some rich ‘P’ builds a flash house near the workers modest home and the value goes up and consequently the rates rise.
What I believe ,is that if someone has paid rates on the same house in the same area then there comes a time when that person is declared rate free .For example I have paid high rates on my home that is modest but in a very desirable area for nearly 50 years with no increase in the service .in fact less and less over the years. Have I not paid enough?
Have you not heard of the cost of living Alwyn, have you not noticed that the slaves today are not kept in a compound and fed by the slave masters and must manage their existence upon the wages given…
There are, I am sure, a lot of single pensioners (probably widows or widowers) for whom nearly all their income is National superannuation. A lot of them do own their homes.
It it a bit out of date but I am aware of a Retirement Commission study in 2008 that found, for people over 65, that 74.3% of them had New Zealand Superannuation as their main form of income and that, on average it was 83.1% of their income.
That is a very large number of people.
The table is on page 25. I doubt that the numbers have changed that much since then.
Thank-you. But the pages 23+ show the over 65s have the least problems with income over all age groups.
The 2004 Survey of Living Standards undertaken by the Ministry of Social Development showed that in that year the age group 65-plus was the least likely age group to be experiencing any form of economic hardship.
[..]
The favourable living standards situation position of those aged 65-plus was not a result of particularly high average cash incomes. In fact both the 2003-04 and 2006-07 Household Economic Surveys showed that most older people were in the lower middle income deciles. A little more than 20 per cent of older households had above average incomes.
[…]
The low levels of hardship experienced by older people despite most having only modest cash incomes also reflected a range of other factors which do not show up in cash income statistics.
• The 65-plus age group living in households were mainly homeowners with their mortgage paid off. Consequently, housing costs for most of the age group were low.
• Very few still had to support dependent children.
• The fully retired group no longer had work-related expenses.
• Most had some cash savings or investment assets, and few had significant debts
The decile stats for income show that less than 7% of pensioners are in the bottom two deciles re-percentage share of incomes. And my guess would be those would be the ones living in rental accommodation.
Yes, that is true.
In my opinion a retired married couple, who own their home without a mortgage, and who are in good health and able to do such things a the gardening,have as good a standard of living from New Zealand Super as does a couple with twice the income and 1 or 2 children who is trying to buy a home. For many indeed they “have never had it so good” in Harold MacMillan’s immortal words. Saying so doesn’t make me popular with retired people in that situation though I must add.
The point is however that the required income differs enormously with one’s circumstances. Saying that we should pay everyone a “Living wage” based on circumstances that apparently apply to only 6% of the population doesn’t make any sense. Let us pay people what they are worth in the job and if there is an income shortfall, which will vary with their cicumstances, make it up with targeted benefits.
In terms of your comment above that “The living wage applies to those in the workforce” I would have to say. Why does it therefore have to be worked out, not on what it costs to work, but on what it costs a couple with two children to support to get by? That, except for such costs as business apparel, travel costs to work and so on is the same whether a person is working or not. That is catered for by the in work tax rebate, or whatever it is called, that people who are actually working get. If we only pay the “Living wage” to those in the workforce is it not only reasonable to pay this rebate to those who work and say that people who want to extend it to beneficiaries are wrong?
The different income depending on circumstances is covered by WFF and so on. You appear to be quite accepting that Retired people should get less than the “Working wage”. Why are you not happy that people who don’t have any particular costs, 20 year old living at their parents home say, should also get less than the “Working wage”, and that so should anybody else whose work isn’t actually worth that much and that their additional costs be provided by targetted benefits?
I suppose a summary of my views is that if the idea of the “Living wage” makes sense so does a rates rebate to anyone on less than that figure. If the “Living wage” idea is crazy then the rates question can also be reconsidered.
ahh, the cost of “work-related” expenses;
-generally, the ownership and maintenance of a vehicle, or PT costs
-meal/s provision
-attire
-certification, registrations if required
-child-care
-time management that prioritises work attendance before family / relationships (yes, those that are employed are doing more).
-indemnities if required
-and just an observation, the addictions acquired to facilitate performance; caffeine, nicotine, analgesics
-professional support fees.
Seems to be a central rort to the entire “work will set you free” agenda; People are fortunate if they can retire with a mortgage-free home as a minimum to show for a life ‘down mill’.
Yeah, that’s about right. although I don’t know what price you could put on that “Time Management” bit.
It is the fact that these costs exist that make me favour the tax rebate ( and I don’t know exactly how it works) for people who are actually working. It shouldn’t apply to beneficiaries because they don’t have these costs
I sometimes think that we should have a deduction of, say $2 for each hour you worked, from your taxable income. That would reflect the cost of having a job. Something like that anyway although I don’t no what the rate should be or how you could operate it.
There is some sort of rental supplement available I believe, if your income is low enough. I am in favour of those sorts of benefits rather than lumbering an ill-targetted “Living wage” on employers.
phillip u
Are they made by Icebreaker, merino? Next thing there will be a mention that yes they are merino by Icebreaker as so many viewers have asked this question. Moi! And I’m not a viewer
by the way. Your anecdote is one of the reasons.
Incidentally Icebreaker is a major NZ brand. I think made in China. Capiche.
phillip u
Leave Morrisey to monitor the media. I feel he has thicker skin than you. Your settings are finer and more sensitive! Don’t watch, please – you’ll end up getting the speed wobbles and spin off into a shrinking vortex.
And I think not washing your knickers for a week is bound to be unsanitary. I think this must affect our international reputation for hygiene standards. Take him off the air, and open the windows to refresh.
And reading Mandela’s book by a jonolist. Brings out the now Pavlovian reaction in me about the gorilla who can read Nietzsche but can’t understand it.
Weren’t there some Spanish athletes who faked disabilities to get to the World Games for disabled people? It’s all a big joke to those with shallow minds. It’s those psychopaths again.
…social predators who charm, manipulate and ruthlessly plow their way through life … Completely lacking in conscience and feeling for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.
Yes the secret service was too busy shagging tail to check out this guy! They had their crack detail just off their assignment guarding Obama in Colombia!
Its fraud. Worse, treason. The guy unfortunately sums up for me why so much of Africa is corrupt. Individuals who ignore their common interest, due to decades of neo-liberal press, and take with impunity. I mean look at Russia, any sensible nation uses its leadership churn to evolve and adapt to the demands on it as a nation. Its not just Africa that is corrupted, thirty years of stupid.
Folks, can I ask a question of you? Can anyone suggest how to go about making a complaint to the Health and Disability Commission and whether I’d be within my rights to do so. Or should I take my concerns to Citizen’s Advice Bureau first?
I’ll try to be brief
Exactly two years ago to the day I had an injury on my left foot. Went to physio. Unsuccessful treatments for two months. Referred to a sports medicine Dr who was more interested in the AB’s than my foot (although he isn’t my problem) He then referred me to a surgeon who then announced that no xray, ultrasound or MRI showed any bone damage so nothing much we can do and don’t know what’s wrong. Advice, just get ultrasound guided steroids injected into the area of pain every so often. They have been about 20% effective. Requested my GP refer me to a pain specialist last month. Have seen the pain specialist who gave me a diagnosis (nothing to do with bone, but to do with nerve damage) Completely different treatment planned. In the meantime I’ve had two years of pain, limited mobility and loss of enjoyment of doing things like going for walks.
Is there any point in raising this issue with the H&D Commission?. My main issue is that the medical practitioners gave up, didn’t refer me further and I have have missed out on a diagnosis and appropriate treatment for two years
(Sorry, TS isn’t an agony column, and that wasn’t brief – I do know however there are some smart minds here, some of who may be familiar with advocacy in regard to medical matters.
Rosie
Your anecdote is useful to people interested in our help systems such as health, which we imagine are functioning well with all the money that goes into them. Apart from being concerned about you, it gives a view into the workings of the health of the administration. Which can develop various faults, viruses, blockage and degeneration. So a certain amount of feedback from citizens is very healthy. And hopefully, I think there will be someone Who Knows.
Hi Rosie,
I’ve had some experience with H&D complaints.
I think this one would go nowhere. Sorry.
I’m assuming ACC was involved? Maybe request your records, though you may be distressed to find perjorative inferences. I hope you don’t. A complaint with ACC would also be unlikely to go anywhere, unless you find active interference from non-medical personnel. Even then, I believe a letter of apology is the best you could expect, though in serious cases, ACC has been known to make ex-gratia payments.
Hope this helps, and I hope you are finally finding some relief – chronic pain is so debilitating and uses up so many spoons!
Thank you both Warbly (sorry chronic bad habit of nicknaming folks, tell me if its annoying) and just saying.
Yes ACC has been involved at every point so far. However, I’ve yet to receive a letter of acceptance re the last appointment which was for the pain specialist – that would be costing $275 if I had to pay. (I don’t have $275)
To be honest the MOST I expect would be a letter of apology. What I would like to see is the previous practitioners involved be informed of the correct diagnosis and treatment and to know that they have caused a major inconvenience to their patient by giving up and not referring on
“To be honest the MOST I expect would be a letter of apology. What I would like to see is the previous practitioners involved be informed of the correct diagnosis and treatment and to know that they have caused a major inconvenience to their patient by giving up and not referring on”
Actually I think this sounds feasible. The Commissioner won’t get involved, but you can get support from the HDC advocates in a kind of mediation process. You can use the HD Act code of rights, to back up what you say to the practitioners. However you need to be aware that you may not get an apology, or may get a Clayton’s apology. Also even with an apology and a result in terms of previous practitioners being notified of the problem, you may still not feel satisfied. Much of that depends on how you approach the thing, and the integrity of the practioners.
Might be worth talking it through with an advocate to see what the options are.
Thank you weka. What you’ve said makes sense to me. I now have a copy of the H & D Code for service. A quick glance would indicate failure on the practitioners behalf. (section 10, right to complain) You’re right, I think seeking an advocate is wise
As it happens, I also have a new injury on the other foot that I couldn’t seek help for because I couldn’t afford the part payment that ACC no longer funds and subsequently have worsened the situation by not getting it seen to immediately. Secondly, that was an incorrect diagnosis and on top of the wait to get it seen to, the exercises I was given has damaged the achilles more. My sense of anger and distrust has just compounded! And this isn’t even the first time it’s happened. A prolapsed disc was incorrectly diagnosed for months back in 2007!!!
I’m not alone in receiving improper treatments and incorrect diagnoses, you hear the stories all the time. There are 2 cases in mind at this point in time, a one a family member, one a friend who have more cause than me to complain. One was botched surgery and the other was incorrect treatment that lead to permanent damage that now requires surgery.
Thanks again for your advice – that’s really helpful 🙂
I hear these stories all the time too Rosie, and have some of my own. Take some time to get a good strategy together, and make sure that in each step of the process you are not being disempowered and feel ok about what you are doing. Good luck! and let us know how you get on.
From the “No need for ordinary folk to be paranoid”–yeah right– file:
Three things that make tracking you by the authorities easier, obvious you think?
• using and carrying a smart phone
• operating a motor vehicle
• regularly using plastic cards/online transactions
Thanks for referring people to that link provided by NRT on how metadata can be used to profile people and track their movements etc.
I saw it yesterday and was going to post it here but it was on a long To Do List.
That link is an excellent example of why the collection of metadata is important – and highly disturbing. I highly recommend people take a few minutes to look at that link.
he he, personal MO- no smart phone, no car and one withdrawal from (usually the same) ATM a week. KISS.
However, on the present rates, it is difficult making that one withdrawal support me for the entire week. Oh well, sigh.
A misture of the Pitcarin Island syndrome, along with family culture, and deprivation. Probably happening in NZ now or will become noticeable if we go on as we are.
The John Banks Trophy for DUM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Award No. 5: JOHN BANKS
(for week ending 14/12/2013)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“I’m not buckled, I’m not bent—”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—-Epsom M.P. John Banks (ACT), who will stand trial for electoral fraud next year, speaking in Parliament yesterday, Wednesday 11 December 2013. At this point, Banks was unable to proceed for some time, due to the House being filled with uproarious gales of scornful laughter, hoots of derision, and slow hand-clapping. No laughter from his National Support Party comrades, however; they just turned ashen with mortification and embarrassment.
Check out these other Dum Quotes and relive the inanity!….
No. 4 Steve Hansen: “The French definitely turned up to play.”
No 1 still stands the test of time! I’m told that surprise sex’s Julian Assange has lost all his hair, lives on raw fish and mutters ‘the precious, the precious’ to himself in his dank, sunless underground lair. But that may just be another dum (sic) quote.
It is another dum quote, my friend. You’re repeating the denigrating portrait of him that’s peddled in that disastrous government-approved hatchet job that “starred” Benedict Blunderpatch. I note that it’s already tanked at the box office: Americans may be bombarded with black propaganda daily, but only an ideologically motivated minority is buying into it.
One thing we can be sure of: this dog is one that not only Blunderpatch but none of the other principals suckered into appearing in it will ever boast about.
Well, it may be a crap film, but I suspect the reason it tanked is the subject matter. Nobody gives a flying one about Assange anymore and Snowden is far sexier these days (I mean that in a media friendly, safe, non rapey way).
Well, it may be a crap film,
Good. One honest statement to start off your post. Sadly, it’s all downhill from there…
…. but I suspect the reason it tanked is the subject matter.
You don’t suspect that at all. You know as well as I do that the American people, who are NOT as docile as Fox News, Hollywood and the White House assume they are, don’t like fiction posing as fact. And they can sniff out a government harassment campaign perfectly well.
Nobody gives a flying one about Assange anymore….
Another lie. If nobody “gives a flying one” about the world’s most celebrated dissident, why is one rogue state, plus a few vassals, hounding him?
…. and Snowden is far sexier these days (I mean that in a media friendly, safe,
You’ve even bought into the White House’s talking point about his “stripper girlfriend”. You are without doubt a Kool Aid drinker standing out above all the other Kool Aid drinkers.
…non rapey way).
Good man! You keep telling those lies! First have another swig of Kool Aid, though: it’s a mighty hot day down there in Jonest–, errr, Hurricanes country.
Well, if you want to come on all Fisky, I should point out that you misapplied ‘honest’ in your first para. I used the word ‘may’ which is not a statement of a definitive position. That’s because I haven’t seen it, but was relying on the reviews of others.
Point two is incorrect. I genuinely think it tanked because St Julian is of no interest to the cinema going public and he’s damaged goods to those with an interest in politics. Personally, I thought the film was going to be a hagiography of the sainted one, so avoided it for that reason, but I’m pleased to hear from you that it’s more truthful than I suspected.
Point 3 is incorrect. Nobody is hounding him. He has chosen to jail himself, which is pretty karmic in the circs.
Point 4 is incorrect. I’ve never heard about the girlfriend ( I assume it’s Snowden you’re talking about, not Assange?). As I said, I meant sexier in the sense that he is currently relevant. Assange is yesterdays news. Did you know he’s been self imprisoned for 3 years as of last week? Didn’t make the papers, because no one cares.
Point five is probably incorrect too, but as it makes no sense, except to you, I’ll ignore it.
“Nobody is hounding him. He has chosen to jail himself…”
That is a chilling statement. Your ideological zeal is quite phenomenal. You really missed your place in history: you would have been the perfect Red Guard forty-five years ago.
“… [Departmental lawyer] Zarifeh said the Department of Labour faced “substantial problems” in its case against Whittall, who has maintained his innocence and had earlier entered not guilty pleas.”
Oh, that is so pathetic. On the upside, the next government can always reopen the case or maybe make it the first one taken under the possible corporate manslaughter law change.
I wonder whose money it was/will be.
“Mr Whittall has proposed that a voluntary payment be made on behalf of the directors and officers of Pike River Coal Ltd (in receivership) at the time of the explosions to the families of the 29 men who died and the two survivors.
It means $110,000 will be given to each of the families and survivors – totalling $3.41m.
Mr Whittall’s lawyer Stuart Grieve QC today said a bank cheque has been given to the court and asked for Judge Jane Farish to make sure the money was available by Christmas.”
And: “Judge Farish said she heard that the charges would be dropped only two days ago.She told the court that the likelihood of a prosecution in this case was “extremely low” and that it may never have even reached trial, given all of the pre-trial arguments that would have been required. The decision not to prosecute was taken at “a very high level”, she said. ”
The ‘Sickest’ piece of Justice ever meted out my life-time by the New Zealand Court system, blood money paid in lieu of prosecuting the architect and person more or less with the sole responsibility for the actual construction and running of the Pike River mine…
“Infinito Gold is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against Costa Rica for rejecting a toxic, open-pit gold mine after massive protests from local citizens.”
Three years of observations by ESA’s CryoSat satellite show that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing over 150 cubic kilometres of ice each year – considerably more than when last surveyed.
It’s official: East Antarctica is pushing West Antarctica around.
Now that West Antarctica is losing weight–that is, billions of tons of ice per year–its softer mantle rock is being nudged westward by the harder mantle beneath East Antarctica.
The discovery comes from researchers led by The Ohio State University, who have recorded GPS measurements that show West Antarctic bedrock is being pushed sideways at rates up to about twelve millimeters–about half an inch–per year. This movement is important for understanding current ice loss on the continent, and predicting future ice loss.
Impostor angers many at Madiba funeral
11 December 2013
There has been widespread anger after a shameless impostor perpetrated an outrageous display of fakery at the funeral service for Nelson Mandela.
Comments included: “He was moving his hands around, but there was no meaning”; “What happened at the memorial service is truly a disgraceful thing to see”; “Disgusting”; “Shameful hypocrisy” and “It should not happen at all.”
Mr Key’s office said Mr Ede took the photos in a personal capacity.
A spokeswoman said: “It is our understanding Mr Ede took pictures of the aftermath of the press gallery function and sent them to a blogger. Mr Ede did this off his own bat.”
She added: “In terms of the function, a number of staff from the Prime Minister’s office attended and enjoyed themselves and we appreciate the media putting on such a good function.”
Mr Goff said: “It shows that there is underlying network of people who get Whaleoil to do their dirty work for them.
“And that network goes as high as the Prime Minister’s office.”
Press gallery chair and Herald deputy political editor Claire Trevett said: “It seems a bizarre thing to do, especially because the photos do not show anything particularly startling about the after-effects of a party of 600 people.
“It does make me wonder what other contributions Mr Ede might have made, as well as whether this is sanctioned by the Prime Minister in any way.
Indeed. A PM communications person takes photographs on parliament property and communicates them to a partisan blogger on a weekday morning, but there is a clear delineation between his personal and professional roles /sarc 🙂
It does make me wonder what other contributions Mr Ede might have made
The “wondering” press gallery. If only there were regular opportunities for the journalists to ask instead of wondering! If only Key and Ede were easily accessible … say, working in the same building as the media? If only they had heard the name ‘Jason Ede’, years ago.
But oh well, it’s Christmas, we’ll never know. Pass the bottle, John!
Ede, who has not returned a request for comment, had previously been accused of being a source for Whale Oil, but this had never been confirmed.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office ignored questions about whether it was appropriate for an adviser to the prime minister to be supplying such information to the blog. She confirmed Ede was the photographer.
“It is our understanding Mr Ede took pictures of the aftermath of the press gallery function and sent them to a blogger,” she said.
“Mr Ede did this off his own bat.
“In terms of the function, a number of staff from the Prime Minister’s Office attended and enjoyed themselves and we appreciate the media putting on such a good function.”
When asked by Fairfax Media in October about Ede’s relationship with Whale Oil, the spokeswoman said Ede was a senior adviser in the National leader’s office. He provided communication advice and support to the prime minister and to National Party MPs, including in the area of social media and other media.
“Jason works a lot in the area of social media and that includes getting out National’s message to a range of bloggers and other social media sites.”
Parliamentary press gallery chairwoman Claire Trevett said Ede was seen this morning by two witnesses. He had crouched among the butts taking photos with his phone.
Anyone who doubts the direct link between John Key’s office and WhaleOil really must click on the link Pascal’s Bookie provides.
Now all we need is for some of the journos in that twitter thread to turn down their free Xmas wine from Key, and start holding him to account instead. Well, I can dream.
Righto. The name is McCully. He bit the hand that feeds him. The owners of the hand bit him back. And they bit Rennie too. In the bum. For much the same reason. And then Rebstock bit McCully and Key and Rennie in the wallet. It’s a jungle out there.
“no definitive evidence” after expending half a mil. MFAT experience contracted out, to consultants; How’s that working out for our biggest markets…oh, wait…
“Actions of some MFAT employees in supplying information and personal views directly to Ministers, to the Labour Party Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, to officials and former public servants outside MFAT and to the media fuelled the political debate. This directly undermined MFAT’s ability to provide Ministers with robust, unbiased advice once the Secretary had consulted and considered the views of staff at MFAT.”
“Prior to the change programme, MFAT had been regarded as an agency that could be trusted with government information. This trust, locally and internationally, is critically important given the role that MFAT undertakes on behalf of the Government and all New Zealanders.”
“The leaks of documents that had been prepared by MFAT staff detrimentally affected MFAT’s reputation as a trustworthy organisation, thereby damaging New Zealand’s interests and the Government’s trust and confidence in MFAT.”
Well done to the labour party for pulling this off, they managed to get away with damaging NZs reputation for political gain (and got away with it so fair play to them)
+1. Except McCully did the damage to NZ’s reputation for no gain. The last thing anyone should do is appoint someone who always looks untidy to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mr Blackman arrived in Auckland at 5.30am on a flight from Heathrow, travelling through San Francisco.
He declared loose-leaf tea he was carrying he came through Customs and believed it was responsible for the extensive bag search to which he was subjected.
“He said ‘we’re not worried about the tea’.” The official then returned to going through the bag, pulling out electronic equipment as he did so. “We’re going to have to detain this,” Mr Blackman said he was told. “We’re going to have to send this to a forensic investigator.”
When Mr Blackman pulled a phone out of his pocket, the official also took that, refusing permission for him to call his parents who were waiting in the arrival lounge.
Mr Blackman was also told to provide passwords for the equipment. “That is a real invasion of privacy.” One of the phones had no password but required a design to be traced on the screen. The official was unconcerned and said the forensic team would defeat security to access the device.
Mr Blackman asked why the items were being confiscated and the official refused to say – or to say how long the items would be kept.
Brit Shopkeeper was quizzed for eight HOURS by police – and had his computer seized and his DNA swabbed – after cracking ‘bad taste’ Nelson Mandela jokes on the internet.
Something like he decided to call his computer Mandela because it took so long to shut down.
Not very good but about par for a guy who owns a sandwick shop – bit short of a full picnic.
Has anyone got a comment on an idea I had of having a local peace corps approach. Having people go round the country doing useful things for others for bed and board. Better than sitting at home and being pressured into a gang. See the country and work, and feel positive about life
sort of thing. Here’s the link –
Also I thought about what Ian the employer of good work-keen overseas people said about NZ workers in his area being unreliable, and generally lacking in oomph.
I thought of anomie and put a bit from wikipedia explaining it and how it very likely can explain a lot of the NZ experience, and invite comment on this also.
“Behind the scenes the situation is, apparently, even worse. In spite of the fact that child poverty seems certain to become a major election issue for 2014, anti-poverty campaigners report extreme difficulty in persuading Labour MPs to embrace the policies required to eliminate it.”
“The ferocity with which the Old Guard responded to Cunliffe’s argument that Labour needs to undergo a radical ideological reorientation was instructive. It pointed to the presence of a powerful faction within Labour’s caucus that is absolutely determined to prevent the slightest deviation from the core elements of the 1984-1993 neoliberal “revolution”.
Needs to be a post on this issue.
How does the left deal with these turncoats?
What do you mean by “the left.” Do you mean for instance: the parliamentary left? The political economic left? The Labour Party membership? The socially liberal left?
Labour will lose the next election. Unless they pull out an Orewa moment (10th annivesary of “That Speech” coming up..) Cunliffe will struggle to get traction against a confident John Key who only needs to make a minimal effort with the populace to get them to like him. I will expect a full on attack campaign of scaremongering, about 70’s union bosses and anti-car green hippies who want to ruin this country, with Labour stuggling with a wishy-washy centre approach.
A national party victory, will, of course, have ramifications for the country, especially those that use the rump welfare state (superannuation and health care), as well as vulerable, low paid workers, and those in the welfare system, as we see an escalation of the downward pressure on incomes and living standards as a consequence.
New Zealand will pretty much be a sweatshop economy by 2020, with workers having to sleep in their cars as wages fail to keep up with rents.
I think it’ll be a vicious campaign, but the result is far from a done deal for the tories – if anything I reckon that labgrn have a slight advantage even now.
I would like to know what people have against paying council workers higher wages. You know, the people that process building consents, help you when you want to burrow a book from the libaray, put up with people’s abuse when they go and deal with dangerous dogs, ensure the water keeps flowing, keeps the green spaces mowed and the sports feilds ship-shape. They do all the stuff that keeps a city functioning, and they deserve a decent wage for it.
I actually believe all the kerfuffle about rates is just about rich people having to pay for things that poor people use (like parks, libararies, council housing, etc).
You maybe misinterpreted Paul’s meaning millsy. I think he’s agreeing with you, and saying that the wealthy who moan about rates want to have all the services but not pay for them.
Vadim Chausov New Zealand needs to speak out against allegations of mass torture and brutality in Belarus following the Eastern European country’s recent elections, a Belarusian national living in New Zealand says. Last Sunday’s election – which saw strongman Alexander Lukashenko claim 80% of the vote in a result ...
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Today the National Party have annouced plans to get tough on gangs. Again. We at MyThinks thought it was important to identify a list of gangs the National Party were planning on getting tough on. National have said if they are elected their new “The Gang Unit” gang unit will ...
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It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...
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With the June 2020 quarter showing underemployment increasing, the Green Party is calling for a Guaranteed Minimum Income and an increase to the abatement threshold to ensure everyone has a dignified income. ...
We went hard and we went early in our health response to COVID-19, and we did everything we could to cushion the economic impact too. In fact, we can fill every letter of the alphabet with the steps we took to fight COVID-19 and ensure we were in a position ...
Investing in our people, backing businesses, and upgrading infrastructure and housing throughout the country - it's been another week of progress for New Zealanders as we deliver our plan to recover and rebuild. ...
July was another busy month, packed with key investments aimed at progressing our economic recovery as we rebuild New Zealand. We extended support for businesses, helped create jobs through local infrastructure projects, and kept working to clean up our waterways so Kiwis can access safe clean water. Check out the ...
The Green Party is calling for the Defence Force Chiefs in place between 2010-2017 to front up and explain how dishonesty, process and policy failures within the Defence Force led to ‘a series of incorrect statements in briefings to ministers and public releases’ regarding alleged breaches of international torture prevention ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
The Government is stepping up action to deal with environmentally harmful products – including plastic packaging, tyres and e-waste – before they become waste. ...
The Green Party are ensuring that New Zealanders who were overseas when COVID-19 hit will not be charged for the cost of isolation or quarantine if they return home to live. ...
In-principle decision to extend wage subsidy to support businesses and protect jobs Support will be nationwide in recognition of Auckland’s position in NZ economy and the impact of Level 2 Mortgage deferral scheme to be extended to support households The Government is taking action to support businesses and protect jobs ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters today called for National Party and Opposition leader Judith Collins to stop undermining democracy. “New Zealanders are sadly being fed a steady stream of misinformation about the pre-election period from the National Party,” said Mr Peters. “Its effect is to sow doubt about the legitimacy ...
Graduation of Wing 340 2pm, 13 August 2020, The Royal New Zealand Police College [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Introduction Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to be here today to celebrate the graduation of Wing 340. Let us begin by acknowledging the presence of Coalition Government colleague, Police Minister the ...
More Police are being deployed to the frontline to help manage the COVID response, after the graduation today of 56 new officers. “The ceremonies for the graduation of Wing 340 at the Royal New Zealand Police College were trimmed to take account of new Alert Level 2 restrictions in Wellington,” ...
Transitional housing provides much needed support for Taumarunui whānau New emergency and transitional homes will help ease a housing shortage in Taumarunui and provide whānau with much needed support, say Māori Development Minister, Nanaia Mahuta and Whānau Ora Minister, Peeni Henare. The Ministers officially opened five two-bedroom units ...
Following the success of the phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags, the Government now has plans to phase out more single-use and problem plastics to reduce waste and protect the environment announced Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage. The proposals are to phase-out: some hard-to-recycle PVC and polystyrene ...
A commercial and industrial site in Thames-Coromandel will receive $8.2 million to revamp its marine-servicing infrastructure and create new economic development opportunities, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has announced. This project is being supported from the $3 billion ‘shovel ready’ fund set aside in Budget 2020 to kick-start the post COVID-19 ...
After 102 days we have our first cases of Covid-19 outside of a Managed Isolation or Quarantine facility in New Zealand. Shortly I will ask Dr Bloomfield to set out the details of the case. While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned ...
An iwi-Crown approach programme to restore the Raukūmara forest on the East Coast of the North Island and boost employment opportunities for whānau, particularly rangatahi/young people, will receive $34 million funding, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced. “Raukūmara Pae Maunga is a partnership with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and ...
Government agencies and partners are working closer together to provide more Māori Housing through the Te MAIHI o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI). MAIHI is a kaupapa Māori approach that drives a system change to give effect and impact on Māori ...
Site work is soon to begin on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway, the project to replace the former SH3 route through the Manawatū Gorge, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Phil Twyford was today in Woodville at the signing of a formal agreement by members of the Alliance ...
The Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) begins today and will focus on the major economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on the Pacific. FEMM is an important congregation of Economic Ministers and senior officials from around the region, and for the first time, the annual meeting will be ...
Cabinet has approved a formal apology and ex gratia payment to former soldier George Nepata, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. This payment is to recognise the New Zealand Defence Force’s failure to provide Mr Nepata with a safe system of work in April 1989 when, as a result of an ...
A report undertaken by Ministerial Services into Iain Lees-Galloway’s ministerial expenditure has found no evidence of any inappropriate transactions or spending. Ministerial Services undertook a line by line review of all his expenditure, including staff and spouse expenses for the period 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2020. “I commissioned ...
Managed isolation charges for returnees will come into force from 12.01am Tuesday 11th August, after they passed their last cabinet milestone today, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. “The new charging system balances the rights of New Zealanders to return home and helps reduce pressure on the managed isolation and quarantine ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Henry Puna have welcomed the completion of phase one in the establishment of a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Island. Negotiations on the text of an ‘Arrangement to Facilitate Quarantine-Free Travel ...
The Government has launched a new online, phone and onsite service to help New Zealanders connect to a range of employment support and products for workers and businesses affected by COVID-19, announced Minister of Education Chris Hipkins and Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. Connected.govt.nz is a one-stop-shop for jobseekers, ...
Security guards contracted to the Ministry of Social Development will be paid at least the Living Wage from next month supporting the Government’s commitment towards fair pay and employment conditions, announced Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “MSD was among the first government agencies to pay its employees the living ...
The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today launched Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy - a way forward that envisions Aotearoa New Zealand as a place where ecosystems are healthy and resilient, and people embrace the natural world. “Many of New Zealand’s plants and wildlife species ...
“Pacific languages, cultures and identity are essential to the health, wellbeing and lifetime success of our Pacific peoples and their communities in Aotearoa. The strength and resilience of Pacific Aotearoa is not only vital to their own prosperity but integral to the prosperity of all New Zealanders, and is particularly ...
· $38 million to help schools cover unexpected costs related to COVID-19 · $69 million upgrade for online learning · $107 million contingency funding to support school construction suppliers facing additional costs due to the lockdown. The Government is releasing $214 million from the COVID-19 response and recovery fund to ...
Despite the Government installing safety upgrades around the country, people should still take care around rail crossings, said Transport Minister Phil Twyford launching Rail Safety Week. Phil Twyford said installing safety infrastructure is crucial, but we are encouraging people to be more careful around trains too. “We’re making good progress ...
The Government is providing a cash injection to help Palmerston North City Council complete a programme to provide 78 social housing units for vulnerable tenants. The $4.7 million to build 28 units in the Papaioea Place redevelopment comes from the $3 billion set aside for infrastructure in the Government’s COVID-19 ...
A pest free Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū is one step closer with a $5.11 million boost to accelerate this project and create jobs, announced Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage in Canterbury today. “This is a game changer for this ambitious project to restore the native wildlife and plants on Ōtautahi/Christchurch’s doorstep ...
A Government grant of $6.4 million will expand the Pettigrew Arena in Taradale with new indoor courts of national standard. “The project is likely to take 18 months with approximately 300 people employed through the process,” Grant Robertson said. “The expansion will increase the indoor court space up to 11 ...
The Far North tourist destination of Mangonui is to receive Government funding to improve waterfront infrastructure, open up access to the harbour and improve water quality, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has announced. A total of $6.5 million from the $3 billion set aside in the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund ...
The Government has re-affirmed its commitment to supporting the hosting of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, which the ICC has delayed from 2021 to 2022. “This is obviously a disappointing decision for cricket players and fans around the world and for the White Ferns and their supporters here at ...
Cyclists and walkers will now have a safer way to get around Taupō, Tūrangi, and between Hamilton and Cambridge, with funding for shared paths and Te Awa River Ride, Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. “The Te Awa River Ride is the latest part of massive growth ...
Six major cycle routes will be completed in Christchurch thanks to funding from the Government’s investment in shovel-ready infrastructure as part of the COVID-19 recovery Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. $125 million will be invested to kick-start construction and fund the completion of the following cycleway ...
Plans are underway for a brand new state-of-the-art hub for Whanganui’s justice and social agencies, following confirmation the ageing Whanganui Central Police Station is to be replaced. Police Minister Stuart Nash has announced $25 million in new infrastructure spending to improve facilities for the wider community, and for staff who ...
An adjustment payment has been made to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu under the relativity mechanisms in their 1995 and 1997 Treaty of Waitangi settlements, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little announced today. The latest payments to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu are $2,700,000 and $2,600,000 respectively to ensure the ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Phil Twyford today kicked off the start of the Auckland NZ Upgrade Programme rail projects which will support over 400 jobs and help unlock our biggest city. Both ministers marked the start of enabling works on the third main rail line project ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment of $3.78 million in Wairoa will create much needed economic stimulus and jobs, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. PGF projects announced today include: $200,000 loan to Nuhaka Kiwifruit Holdings Ltd (operated by Pine Valley Orchard Ltd) to increase the productivity ...
Tenants in public and Māori housing may be benefiting from their own affordable renewable energy in future – a fund to trial renewable energy technology for public and Māori housing has today been announced by Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister for Housing (Māori Housing) Nanaia Mahuta. ...
Hokianga will receive $2.7 million to redevelop four of its wharves and upgrade its water supply, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Far North District Council will receive $1.8 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for the work on the wharves. “The work will include the construction of ...
A $350 million Residential Development Response Fund is being established to support the residential construction sector and to minimise the economic impact from COVID-19, the Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced. “The Residential Development Response Fund will help to progress stalled or at-risk developments that support our broader housing ...
As part of a broader plan to divert waste from landfill, the Government today announced $10.67 million for new infrastructure as part of the Resource Recovery Network across the Auckland region. “This key investment in Auckland’s community recycling network is part of the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group ‘shovel ready’ projects ...
The Government is investing $45 million in the first stage of an ambitious urban development project for Tauranga that will employ up to 250 people and help the region grow, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says the funding has been allocated out of the $3 billion ...
The Government is investing more than $1.6 million from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) for a wide range of community and environmental projects in Hawke’s Bay, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. These announcements today are part of the Government’s commitment to supporting regional economies in the ...
Getting low-emission trucks on the road is a step closer with investment in infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles, the Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods has announced. The Infrastructure Reference Group has provisionally approved $20 million for New Plymouth company Hiringa Energy to establish a nationwide network of hydrogen-fuelling stations. ...
Jacinda Ardern and her cabinet yesterday chose the middle and least bad option. The next week will be critical in assessing whether the right choice was made, writes Justin Giovannetti from parliament.The sense of relief in the basement of the Beehive was unspoken but plain yesterday as Jacinda Ardern and ...
By RNZ News Auckland will remain in alert level three for a full two weeks, with the New Zealand government announcing that the country will remain at current covid-19 alert levels for 12 more days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield have announced the decision ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The inquiry commissioned by the Berejiklian government into the Ruby Princess COVID-19 disaster has laid blame on NSW health officials, who made “inexcusable” and “inexplicable” mistakes. It also exonerated the Australian Border Force. In the ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson says he's looking at every support scheme on the Government's books to help cushion the blow of extended Level 3 restrictions in Auckland Wage subsidies will be extended nationwide as the effects of Auckland's Level 3 restrictions ripple across the country. However, questions are being asked ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Today’s chart compares this week’s Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand with the latest case-data from other comparable countries. Note that the data plots new daily cases, smoothed using seven-day averages. However, the ‘black square’ represents New Zealand’s most recent daily total of new cases, at 260 ...
Safer Future trustees, from left, Richard Martin, Henoch Kloosterboer and Gael Goulter The Covid-19 extended restrictions will limit public discussion and education about the important issues involved in the End of Life Choice Act referendum. For that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janak Rogers, Associate Lecturer, Broadcast Journalism, RMIT University A Johannes Leak cartoon published in The Australian today, in which US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is depicted calling his vice-presidential running mate Kamala Harris a “little brown girl”, has drawn widespread condemnation. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics, University of South Australia Security guards at Melbourne’s quarantine hotels have been widely blamed for Victoria’s current outbreak of COVID-19. Reports have suggested they mixed inappropriately with people under quarantine, and did not properly follow instructions around ...
This Sunday on Q+A with Jack Tame Can New Zealand beat COVID-19 again? On Sunday, Jack interviews Health Minister Chris Hipkins and National leader Judith Collins. The Australian state of Victoria has been battling its own second wave. Melbourne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University The normalisation of diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has variously been described as a “breakthrough” and an important staging moment towards a comprehensive Middle East peace. These conclusions ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Auckland will remain at Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand at Level 2 for 12 days Auckland's lockdown will continue until 11.59pm on Wednesday August 26. Cabinet has come to a decision on the next steps for managing a cluster of community ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Hooker, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator, Health and Medical Humanities, University of Sydney It could be a brother or sister. It could be a neighbour. It could be a person you work with. We probably all know someone who doesn’t wear a ...
The Save the Maitai campaigners have postponed their address to the Nelson City Council this week due to Covid 19 restrictions. About 100 people were to attend Council’s Thursday meeting to support their representatives due to advise the Council that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Graham, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology At midday on August 12 2020, the hashtag #DanLiedPeopleDied started trending on Twitter. By evening it had attracted over 10,000 tweets. The hashtag appeared to reflect widespread public distrust in Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne With massive fronds creating a luxuriously green canopy in the understory of Australian forests, tree ferns are a familiar sight on many long drives or bushwalks. But how much do you really know about ...
Government minister James Shaw is in the clear after being tested for coronavirus as a precaution Green Party co-leader James Shaw has tested negative for Covid-19 after undergoing a precautionary test following a campaign trip to South Auckland last weekend. Shaw announced on Thursday he was self-isolating at home and awaiting ...
The Government is scrambling to ramp up the testing of border workers and the Health Minister has conceded he would have liked to have seen more of it earlier Health Minister Chris Hipkins is about to sign an order making it compulsory to test staff working at the border and in managed ...
The Public Service Association is strongly in favour of border control, managed isolation and quarantine workers getting a Covid-19 test as soon as possible, and supports the tests being mandatory and regular. PSA members from multiple government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week Michelle and Paddy discuss the week of hearings before the Royal ...
A senior National party figure accused of attempting to derail a candidate for the Auckland Central seat with a late-night call to talkback radio has stood down. ...
We waste $1.6b in food in NZ every year. With more people struggling to put food on the table thanks to Covid-19, Two Cents' Worth looks at what we can do to change our habits. ...
Theatre owners are up in arms that potential blockbuster Mulan – filmed in New Zealand and directed by hometown hero Niki Caro – is to be premiered not in cinemas, but on Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+.On an office wall somewhere hangs a picture of Disney CEO Bob Chapek – target ...
A Wellington restaurateur was told by health officials that one of his venues had been visited by a Covid-positive person. So why did the health minister and director general of health not know anything? Stewart Sowman-Lund reports.You’d think the possibility that Covid-19 was in capital would be big news. Big ...
Whatever new arrangements may be put in place in response to Covid 19 for the General Election 2020, the Electoral Commission have been questioned as to what changes they have made to ensure the multiple problems experienced by Māori voters in the last ...
The Covid resurgence cluster is now at 29 confirmed cases, with one further unlinked case. Chris McDowall presents the latest information in visual form.With thanks to the Science Media Centre.Information about the resurgence of confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand is changing rapidly. These posts collate the ...
Analysis - Judith Collins pushes for the election to be delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and Gerry Brownlee is accused of undermining efforts to control the virus. ...
Senior doctors at the Canterbury DHB are calling on the Board to front up to staff and to the people of Canterbury. More than 100 members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists and the Canterbury Hospitals’ Medical Staff Association met ...
By RNZ News New Zealand has announced there are 12 new cases and one probable case of covid-19 in Auckland and Waikato today. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield revealed at today’s daily briefing there were now a total of 48 active cases, with 30 linked to the community outbreak. ...
Some Cook Islanders are expressing anger at the failure to implement stronger border control public health measures in response to 17 new community-transmitted covid-19 cases in New Zealand – and a further 13 today. Social media is abuzz with comments from some concerned locals. The island’s 10 volunteer puna cannot ...
New Zealanders are being encouraged to look at nature through new eyes during Conservation Week 2020, which this year is from 15 to 23 August. Conservation Week is an annual event led by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and this year’s focus is on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adele Marum, PhD Candidate in English, University of Melbourne Review: Little Birds, Sky Atlantic, released on Stan August 5 2020Little Birds adapts a 1979 collection of French-born diarist Anaïs Nin’s unsettling erotic short stories published two years after her death. Nin ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorraine Finlay, Lecturer in Law, Murdoch University The events of the past few days in Western Australia have been extraordinary as the protracted conflict between the government and mining billionaire Clive Palmer reached a fever pitch. Premier Mark McGowan declared the state ...
Responding to National Party Leader Judith Collins's comments this morning , the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is criticising the National Party for softening its stance on reducing debt. Spokesperson Islay Aitchison says, "Reducing public ...
New Zealand's first cluster of community cases of Covid-19 in months has now spread to the Waikato, Marc Daalder reports Two new cases of Covid-19 associated with the community transmission cases identified on Tuesday have been found in the Waikato, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said on Friday. Previously, all active ...
'Go hard, go early' has undoubtedly been a successful medical strategy. However, unpredictable, on-again off-again stringent lockdowns may produce so much uncertainty that other outcomes start to deteriorate, writes Robert MacCulloch. New Zealand's approach to keeping Coronavirus away from our shores, or at least stuck in our quarantine facilities, has been ...
Before we get to the top 10s, a note from the good folk at Unity Auckland: Wednesday, first thing, we found people knocking on the shop door before we had a chance to flick the lights on. This time around folk were not going to be without their reading materials. There ...
By Barbara Dreaver, 1 NEWS Pacific correspondent Pasifika family or just an Auckland family? There has been much debate over whether it was wrong to identify the family at the centre of New Zealand’s covid-cluster as a “Pasifika family”. As Pacific correspondent let me make this clear – it would ...
A new poem from Christchurch poet and environmental activist E Wen Wong.passport to the seasonsleaves f a l l crisp like coconut husks, fraying threads of winter’s snow. the hairs of the pōhutukawa stand on their necks doused in a chilli seeds they hang ...
Māori must move to Level 4 Lockdown and the borders must be closed for the next 14 days - even to overseas whānau wanting to return home – to ensure proper border control. That’s the call from the Māori Party who are calling on Māori to unite ...
Opinion: Why is JK Rowling so mad about periods, and why are so many people mad at JK Rowling? Alice Snedden waded into the volatile waters of Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism for the latest episode of Bad News.After the horrible year we’ve had, the last thing anybody needed was for ...
By RNZ News The lack of testing of staff at New Zealand’s border is extraordinary, a prominent epidemiologist says. Health officials are frantically trying to trace the origin of the covid-19 cluster in Auckland, which could have come from the border. Otago University professor Sir David Skegg told RNZ Morning ...
Federated Farmers says the government needs to reconsider and let small business fresh food sellers stay open under level 3 and, if necessary, at level 4. "Let the little guys stay open, and sell fresh food, because it’s safer, fairer and ...
Latest from the Beehive Cabinet’s preoccupation with the re-emergence of Covid-19 in the community – we suppose – explains why there has been a lack of pronouncements from the Beehive over the past day or two. We found only three new posts on the Beehive website since we last reported. ...
Auckland is at alert level three, and the rest of the country level two, until midnight tonight. At 5.30pm this evening, we’ll find out what happens next. These are the factors cabinet is likely to consider in making the decision.During the first wave, the announcement we were moving into lockdown ...
By Grant Duncan, Massey University If New Zealand can do grocery shopping under lockdown, we can vote under lockdown too. As much as supermarkets and pharmacies, the general election is an essential service and it must continue. There are ways and means to safely exercise our democratic rights during lockdown. ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Finance Minister to refuse a bailout for Auckland Council until it manages to rein in, or at least stop increasing, its operating spending. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “ On ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk French authorities say 50 gendarmes who had been deployed in French Polynesia have tested positive to covid-19 after their return to France, reports Tahiti’s Radio One. The police were part of a group of 82 from Tarbes who had just returned home, the prefecture in the ...
Whether it’s a grant or a wage subsidy, industry leaders say Auckland businesses need government support.With the mending glue barely having dried, some Auckland businesses will be cracking again under the pressure of the new level three lockdown. Now they are calling on the government to help.Finance minster Grant Robertson ...
NZ Ministry of Health/Minister do not have adequate data to understand ‘how and why’ the latest community Covid cluster has emerged this week, so they are concentrating at the cold store site where containers are transported by trucks, CEAC assume all ...
New Zealanders are still reeling from the shock they didn’t succeed in suppressing Covid-19, let alone eliminate it. Having convinced themselves after 100 days without community transmission that economic recovery, too, was moving ahead, the stern reality is the country faces new challenges. These challenges may not be overcome until ...
On Tuesday morning I had a very difficult conversation with my staff. With tears in my eyes I told them that due to the likely renewed lockdown there was a good likelihood I would eventually have to let some of them go. These are young people with responsibilities ...
By RNZ News New Zealand Health Minister Chris Hipkins says there are more covid-19 cases related to the Auckland cluster which will be revealed at 1pm today. He says for New Zealand to move to alert level 4 there would need to be a number of clusters and unconnected cases. ...
They’ve been through it all before, so how are Auckland students and teachers coping with the second move into level three? And how are other schools preparing for the possibility they’ll soon be doing the same? Last time the country went into level three lockdown, on March 24, schools had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief Scientist Following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, many people throughout Australia, and across the world, wanted to know how they could help in response to the environmental disaster. Hundreds contacted the Australian ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Barton, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Have we flattened the curve of global terrorism? In our COVID-19-obsessed news cycle stories about terrorism and terrorist attacks have largely disappeared. We now, though, understand ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hall, Senior Researcher in Politics, Auckland University of Technology It isn’t easy being a political opposition in the midst of a crisis. The volatility within New Zealand’s National Party – which has had three leaders in as many months – is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Elshaug, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, Professor of Health Policy and Co-Director, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney This is one of our occasional Essays on Health, this time from an Australian visiting fellow in Washington, DC. Adam ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick D. Nunn, Professor of Geography, School of Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast Sea level rise is a serious threat to the low-lying islands of the Republic of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. To fight it, their president recently ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somayeh Parvazian, Survey Methodologist, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) unpack the lives of young Australians as they leave school, enter further study or the workforce and make the transition into adulthood. The latest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW In the early 1930s a 21-year-old undergraduate at the London School of Economics asked a great question during his summer research project: “if my economics professors are right that markets are an efficient way to allocate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Linden, Sessional Lecturer, PhD (Management) Candidate, School of Management, RMIT University In this recession, unlike in previous ones, governments have chosen to help pay salaries to keep workers in work rather than pay unemployment benefits when they laid off. It means ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin John Brophy, Emeritus Professor of Creative writing, University of Melbourne A friend is sending me documents needed to make me the executor of his will. He does not expect to die from this pandemic but he has enough weaknesses in his ...
Cabinet will this afternoon decide whether to extend the lockdown to quash the Covid-19 cluster. PM Jacinda Ardern will announce the decision at 5.30pm. ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 14, bringing you the latest on New Zealand news and Covid-19 as it returns to the community. Auckland is now in alert level three and the rest of NZ level two. More details here. Official information here. Get me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz.7.15am: It’s decision ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Timeline for decision on alert levels released, updates on new cases and testing, and a failure of testing at the border has potentially severe consequences.Right now, we don’t know what the situation around alert levels will be at the end ...
Open mike 12/12/2013 
Open mike is your post.
The old ways of thinking about the macroeconomy have been found wanting, but the alternative is not clear. Macroeconomics – understanding how the economy as a whole works – appears to be going through a time of exceptionally great turbulence. There is always a robust debate, but today ...11 hours ago
by Daphna Whitmore The outbreak of Covid-19 in the community is getting people to starting to thinking about the elimination strategy. Initially the government said ‘flatten the curve’ in order to avoid hospitals being overloaded with a sudden influx of Covid-19 cases. This made sense, but there were some experts, most ...12 hours ago
How corrupt is Queensland? Yesterday they actually tried to ban journalists from exposing political corruption during election campaigns. Fortunately, today they changed their minds: A day after introducing laws that would ban journalists from reporting corruption allegations during elections, the State Government has withdrawn the proposal in a spectacular ...13 hours ago
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As New Zealand holds its breath waiting to find out the extent of the latest cases of COVID-19 community transmission, it’s hard to avoid the growing amount of mis- and dis-information online. It’s a very natural instinct to want to debunk this misinformation, but unfortunately, science communication theory shows that ...1 day ago
Campaigns suspended just as they began. Election day in doubt. And - following the 'words beginning with C' theme from last week's Caucus podcast - heated debate over conspiracies and constitutional conventions as Covid returns to the community. This week in politics is has been a disaster for Election 2020; you ...2 days ago
And sooner or later, the National Party will simply have to own up to the fact that the reason she was never chosen as Leader prior to her rolling Todd Muller a little less than a month ago was for very solid ones: the display of some truly ugly behaviour ...2 days ago
Conspiracy theorist - Gerry BrownleeWhat on earth is going on with the National Party? Now that Crusher Collins is in charge, it seems like it’s their policy to say really dumb things just to get attention. Unfortunately it’s working, with most of the mainstream media bending over backwards to provide ...2 days ago
INT: ILAM ELECTORATE OFFICES – TUESDAY GERRY: Morning everybody. ADVISORS 1, 2, AND 3: Morning Gerry. GERRY: Now… this is a bit of a crisis meeting. Several rogue polls have come out putting the National Party on or around 40% ADVISOR 2: 26? ADVISOR 1: 12? ADVISOR 3: 29? GERRY: ...2 days ago
Respecting the journal editorial process Each week we scan between 450 and 650 articles for relevance to Skeptical Science's remit: communication of the science of climate change itself the many affected branches of scientific inquiry by climate change. The 100+ journals we cover encompass a galaxy of expertise we cannot ...2 days ago
What to do to improve the public perception of the newly elected National party leader, when her performance so far has no doubt disappointed the expectations of her supporters? The answer is to get a National-supporting newspaper (the Herald) to organise a poll that could be guaranteed to provide an ...4 days ago
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“I just tell them I don’t remember”
“What? But it was apartheid John”
“Hahaha yeah I know! So then I say ‘Oh but it was so long ago’! Hahahahahaha!”
“Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
http://static0.nydailynews.com/imageserve/b1981267d824013d553e767f025ca909/1200x.jpg
Should be a caption contest on that one..
Will do.
the national party..
..consistent in their consistency of being on the wrong side of history..
..from the vietnam war-crimes..thru to the ‘drill baby drill!’/’wot climate-crisis?’ of today..
..and via ‘the terrorist’..nelson mandela..
..the national party..always getting it so so ‘wrong’..
..phillip ure..
example of ‘wrong’..
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/if-our-politicians-were-brave-enough-or-even-simply-rational-they-would-follow-uruguays-lead-and-legalise-cannabis-8998461.html
“..For the criminal underworld –
– the ‘war on drugs’ –
– is an extraordinary money-spinner.
It’s a policy that would be a hammer blow to criminal gangs.
It would stop criminalising non-violent people – drastically undermine racist policing –
– be good for people’s health and it would save lives.
But while a mainstream British politician is more likely to have smoked cannabis – than to propose its legalisation –
– the courageous Uruguayan government has done just that..”
phillip ure..
(cont..)
Xox
More Beggars/homeless in Wellington streets. More state beneficiaries in the beehive…
A round of applause to the Wellington City Council for being No1 in agreeing that all it’s employees will be paid the ‘Living Wage’,(the monies for this coming from freezing the salaries of those higher up in the food chain),
And, a large f**k you to the spokesperson from the Wellington Chanber of Commerce for ‘whining’ about the above vote…
It’s easy to spend other peoples money. I bet you look forward to rate increases, or let me guess, you don’t live in Wellington?
Clear as day why this is flawed: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/advice-shows-%E2%80%9Cliving-wage%E2%80%9D-would-not-work
And this is key
“The “living wage” idea is based on a two-adult, two-child family, yet analysis shows that people in this situation make up only 6 per cent of families earning less than $18.40 an hour. Almost 80 per cent of those earning less than $18.40 are people without children, including young people and students.”
Confused, you guessed wrong,(as usual), a Wellington resident i am and have been most of my life,
So, it’s alright in your mind,(admittedly said mind from here has the appearance of suffering an as yet to be diagnosed disease),for the hierarchy of management at the Wellington City Council to be paid amounts up to $500,000+ annually,a fact i have yet to see you or any of the other ‘Wing-Nuts’ who appear on the Standard kick your afflicted little minds into whine mode over, but,should those who earn the least gain a pay rise that is adjudged to be the minimum a worker should expect to be able to ensure for Her/Himself and any family a ‘normal’ standard of living you choose to whine as if you are to pay the monies yourself,
The Wellington City Council have said that rates will not rise as a result of their applaudable vote FOR the ‘Living Wage’, the intention is to freeze the wages of those higher up the ‘food chain’ of council salaries,
To abbreviate the above, F**k off Noddy…
As I recall, the living wage regarding two parent and two kid families involved the other parent working half-time at the living wage, and working for families and other WINZ top-ups.
We could, of course reduce rates by cutting the overly generous pay of the non-working management, or reducing the administrative staff on over 100k a year.
A couple of good secretaries, on 60k, would do the job just as well.
Even more fat at the top to cut in Auckland. How many “Managers” do POAL, and other CCO’s, have, Again!
Yes KJT, what i suggested yesterday was that the Wellington City Council cut the CEO’s role into 2 positions each paying 200 grand a year, that would have been a saving of $100,000+,
i have not as yet done the research necessary to ascertain just how ‘fat’ the management of Wellington City’s Council actually is but cutting all the $200,000+ plus roles into 2 distinct jobs with 100,000 dollar annual salaries i would suggest would save the Council a reasonable pile of coin,
Of course such a template applied to the ‘bloated’ uckland Cit Council would result in millions saved, not only would Council direct employees be able to be afforded the ‘Living Wage’ but this could then be extended to contracted council workers…
The second part of this reform should be setting the maximum future salary cap at say $150000 or 6 times the minimum wage. No new hires can be paid more than this and current hires are wound back at x% per annum if the contract allows. Only exceptions to the cap are for exceptional technical requirements not general management hires sen tot the council on a case by case basis.. That’ll fix the budget.
So why shouldn’t childless people, young people and students get an increase? Last time I looked they were people too and voting members of society. I don’t see why they have to be paid SFA.
Yes, well done to the council!! It’s been on the cards for a bit now and was looking positive so it’s excellent that the vote followed through for the workers.
The woman (surname Bleakley?) from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, last night on 3news came up with the silliest response. This isn’t a quote but it was something along the lines of “now they won’t get working for families or any other government subsidies” What? So, er, you right wing types actually want the government, via the taxpayer funding under paid workers – I thought you hated people getting any kind of assistance?! Oh wait, you want low wages and no assistance
i heard phil oreilly ceo of ‘business nz’ say that on the radio, justifying low pay rates in nz for workers because the govt tops anyone up, & i thought ‘wtf? i thought you guys hated govt assistance.’
@Idlegus
+1 yeah well said, clearly pointing out the two-faced illogic that our system is running on.
I think that the Council should extend this idea to the people who actually have to pay for it.
Every ratepayer who has an income that is less than the “Living wage” should be exempt from rates.
Why should people living on the pension, which is much, much less than the “Living wage” have to pay more in rates so that some of the councillors can get the warm fuzzies by handing out other people’s money?
Another thing that the Council should be required to explain is exactly who received the $20,000 worth of presents dished out instead of Christmas decorations for the city. Did any of the dosh go to friends or relatives of Councillors or Council staff? Who might have been told about this ahead of time? Will the Council publish a list of the recipients?
>>Every ratepayer who has an income that is less than the “Living wage” should be exempt from rates.
Already happens with a rebate if on community services card.
Every person, employed by the Council is to get a minimum rate of $18.40 /hour. At 2,000 hours per year that is $36,800/year n’est ce pas?
A single person living alone, as a very large number do, is only entitled to a community services card if their income is less than $26,554/year. Thus no rates relief for someone on more than $10,000/year LESS than the “living wage”. Not much help is it?
What is this shit Alwyn, deliberate lies or simply a stupid mistake on your part, people with community service cards which as far as i know includes pensioners can and do apply for rates relief and are granted such…
Read what I said for God’s sake.
We are being told that the $18.40/hr, or as I work it out $36,800/year is the minimum anyone can live on.
I am suggesting that you shouldn’t have to pay rates if you get less than that as you presumably don’t have enough to live on.
DV said you can get rates relief if you have a community services card., which is true.
However, and which bit of this did you not understand and which do you think is a “deliberate lie or a stupid mistake”. I pointed out that the MAXIMUM income to get a CSC is $26,554/year. For your presumably inumerate mind that is much LESS than the supposed “Living wage”. You may also note that at no point did I nominate that pensioners couldn’t get the card. I am merely pointing out that its availability goes long before reaching the level of the “Living wage”
Alwyn, read bad12’s comment at 4.1.1 above. Wgtnonians will not be paying more in rates.
It’s not so much about warm fuzzies, more about the practicalities of life for their workers.
The Council have already announced a rates increase of 2.5% next year which is more than the rate of inflation. And if you believe there won’t be demands for relativity increases for people currently on a bit more than the “Living wage” you are, I am sorry to say dreaming.
apparently inflation is likely to push towards the 3% next year (the costs component anyway).
I have just noticed this comment.
Do you have a reference for the 3% figure?
I haven’t seen anything that high. The Reserve Bank, for example are predicting an annual rate of 1.5% at end 2014 and 2.2% end 2015.
Teasury are predicting a non-tradeables figure of about 3% but a CPI figure of around 2%
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-11/rbnz-signals-2014-rate-increases-as-inflation-accelerates.html
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/forecasts/befu2013/012.htm
alwyn, do you really know how rates work. Do you own a house & pay rates? If you are on a low income or pension, & pay rates, you need advice today.
DV has mentioned the rebates on the community card which I am unsure of the details he refer to. But since 1973 there has been the The Rates Rebate Act 1973 which covers a number of Labour and Nats government. How its work (I think) is that the rates rebate given by the council under this scheme to low incomes earner/pensioners etc is recovered from the government so not to impact on the council’s budget.
Go to the WCC or Internal Affairs site rather than just guessing what happens. It just devalues your comment.
Pity. Slipped under the tory radar for so long, now they know it exists they will cut it…
The cutoff for that scheme, without dependents is $23,870/year. The rates rebate amount is up to $595.
$23,870/year is a lot less than the “Living wage isn’t it? And yes I did know about it and wasn’t just guessing as you appear to be doing.
You knew about it, but didn’t mention it till it was pointed out. Yeah, that sounds 100% dinkum. 🙄
Do you really want me to always anticipate every wrong thing that people might bring up and explain it in the original comment?I would have to post fifty page comments then.
Yes I did know about it. The reason I knew was that I had to see whether my mother qualified for it and then later whether another of my family was covered.
So, in spite of your disbelief, I did know about it and I knew the cutoff was well below the “Living wage”.
I did look it up to get the exact current rate but I did know it wasn’t very much.
I got a better question:
Why is it that some people think that they can get labour for less than it costs to supply it?
Interestingly enough, seemingly all these people who believe this vote for either National or Act and whinge about paying rates especially when it comes to paying people for their labour.
And claim they believe in, the “free market”.
I really don’t know how you can define what is meant by “get labour for less than it costs to supply it”. What on earth is “the cost of supplying labour”? I have no trouble with a concept like the value of the output of labour. I have no trouble with the concept of the cost of living a decent life.
However the idea that some single rate, which is what the “Living wage” is supposed to be, is in some way “the cost of supplying labour” doesn’t make any sense.
I much prefer to focus on two different things.
The first is what does a worker produce and what therefore is the value of that work and what they should be paid.
The second is what does it cost that person, and any dependents they have, to live at an acceptable standard of living. If this second figure is less than the first it should be made up by a benefit system which is what we currently have. WFF etc is the way to look after that.
Why should we subsidise businesses who cannot pay the costs of the resources they use, especially workers?
If they cannot pay the full costs of the labour they use then they are free loaders on the businesses and tax payers who do.
That is not even good capitalism.
Exactly KJT. That’s why that comment from thingo Bleakly from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night was so nuts.
But what do you mean by “The full costs of the labour they use”?
If by that you mean what it costs for that person to live a decent life it must vary with that person’s circumstances. For example the income required by a single person living with their parents is obviously a lot less than that for a man with spouse and 10 kids.
I remember some years ago that the Government, and I don’t know whether it was a Labour or a National one, said that intellectually handicapped people in sheltered workshops had to be paid the full minimum wage. The mother of one such man was interviewed in the paper. She was appalled because, as she said, her son’s work was only worth a couple of dollars an hour. If the workshop had to pay him the minimum wage they couldn’t afford him. He was apparently proud that he could go out to work and earn something and it gave him something to do and a place to get out of his home. Now he was going to be stuck there.
That is an extreme case I know but it is a real example of the sort of person, and business, you appear to regard as a free-loader
Interesting question since you seem to know exactly what it means: The second is what does it cost that person, and any dependents they have, to live at an acceptable standard of living.
Personally, I prefer a Universal Income but that will require massive increases in taxes. IMO, we would most likely will be seeing the return of the 66% bracket to support that. Other rebalancing would also be needed such as dropping CEO salaries from the million dollar range to something far more realistic – say about $100k.
The living standard is either supported by directly by the business or indirectly through subsidies and the subsidies are paid for through taxes. The problem is that the RWNJs will immediately say that taxes have to be cut showing their propensity for wanting something but not wanting pay for it.
Good luck getting that through any parliament, at least the limit of $100k. If they tried to do that I would think that MPs would have to have it as an upper limit as well which would halve their incomes. As they say, ever seen a turkey vote for an early christmas.
Interestingly the bete-noires of the left, Milton Friedman and Richard Nixon, were both exponents of the Universal Income proposal.
And you’ve immediately proved my point.
How much we pay our servants should be up to us, not the parliamentarians or even some supposedly independent bunch.
So?
Yes to bits 1 and 2.
When I was much younger MPs were paid a great deal less generously. I understand that an MPs salary was about equivalent to a head of department level secondary school teacher. Now it is about three times that figure.
I just threw the comment about MF and RN as an aside when you said you approved of the Universal Income idea.
I thought you might have been interested, if you didn’t already know it, that approval of the idea goes right across the political spectrum
They were but the increase came in with the neo-liberal policy settings back in the 1980s IIRC. It was argued that they should be paid similar rates to what was in the private sector. Of course, back then even the private sector didn’t pay all that well and so what we got was what the private sector was paying in places like the US and the UK.
AFAIK, only The Alliance has policy that takes MPs salaries back to what they were and they apply it to all MPs. Being a minister or prime minister doesn’t get you any more.
I knew about it I also know that they don’t support my idea of an UI. Their versions tend to be significantly less than what I want because they think that tax should be set at 25% to 30% rather than set to what’s needed. In other words, it won’t be any better than the present UB. I believe it should be high enough to supply enough for people to be entrepreneurial with it.
IIRC, Roger Douglass’s version of it was so cumbersome as to be nearly unworkable. He really doesn’t seem to understand the concept of Universal.
Pensioners, who pay rates, would most likely be living mortgage free – own their property outright. So how do you compare a “living wage” for a person who doesn’t own a home, and is most likely paying rent at market prices, with the income of a property owning pensioner?
Why don’t you expand your comment to what it really means karol.
How can you have a single “Living wage” that is applied to everyone, whether it is a single person living with his parents or a couple with 6 children, when their circumstances are entirely different. The problem with the “Living wage” is that it doesn’t recognise that.
You are making my point for me. Pay the wage that the person is worth and worry about additional income requirements via a targeted benefit system.
A “living wage” applies to people in the labour force. This doesn’t apply to retirees.
I agree Karol .I would think that there is a large percentage of elderly people who like me managed to buy our modest home only because of the “State Advance Loan Scheme.I certainly hope that the next Labour Government will bring in similar scheme in for our young people. However what does make some rates expensive for people living on the pension only is the valuation of the building. So what happens is that some rich ‘P’ builds a flash house near the workers modest home and the value goes up and consequently the rates rise.
What I believe ,is that if someone has paid rates on the same house in the same area then there comes a time when that person is declared rate free .For example I have paid high rates on my home that is modest but in a very desirable area for nearly 50 years with no increase in the service .in fact less and less over the years. Have I not paid enough?
Have you not heard of the cost of living Alwyn, have you not noticed that the slaves today are not kept in a compound and fed by the slave masters and must manage their existence upon the wages given…
As rate payers are property owners, how many would be earning less than a living wage?
There are, I am sure, a lot of single pensioners (probably widows or widowers) for whom nearly all their income is National superannuation. A lot of them do own their homes.
It it a bit out of date but I am aware of a Retirement Commission study in 2008 that found, for people over 65, that 74.3% of them had New Zealand Superannuation as their main form of income and that, on average it was 83.1% of their income.
That is a very large number of people.
The table is on page 25. I doubt that the numbers have changed that much since then.
Thank-you. But the pages 23+ show the over 65s have the least problems with income over all age groups.
The decile stats for income show that less than 7% of pensioners are in the bottom two deciles re-percentage share of incomes. And my guess would be those would be the ones living in rental accommodation.
And the amounts of the elderly who are renting is increasing.
Yes, that is true.
In my opinion a retired married couple, who own their home without a mortgage, and who are in good health and able to do such things a the gardening,have as good a standard of living from New Zealand Super as does a couple with twice the income and 1 or 2 children who is trying to buy a home. For many indeed they “have never had it so good” in Harold MacMillan’s immortal words. Saying so doesn’t make me popular with retired people in that situation though I must add.
The point is however that the required income differs enormously with one’s circumstances. Saying that we should pay everyone a “Living wage” based on circumstances that apparently apply to only 6% of the population doesn’t make any sense. Let us pay people what they are worth in the job and if there is an income shortfall, which will vary with their cicumstances, make it up with targeted benefits.
In terms of your comment above that “The living wage applies to those in the workforce” I would have to say. Why does it therefore have to be worked out, not on what it costs to work, but on what it costs a couple with two children to support to get by? That, except for such costs as business apparel, travel costs to work and so on is the same whether a person is working or not. That is catered for by the in work tax rebate, or whatever it is called, that people who are actually working get. If we only pay the “Living wage” to those in the workforce is it not only reasonable to pay this rebate to those who work and say that people who want to extend it to beneficiaries are wrong?
The different income depending on circumstances is covered by WFF and so on. You appear to be quite accepting that Retired people should get less than the “Working wage”. Why are you not happy that people who don’t have any particular costs, 20 year old living at their parents home say, should also get less than the “Working wage”, and that so should anybody else whose work isn’t actually worth that much and that their additional costs be provided by targetted benefits?
I suppose a summary of my views is that if the idea of the “Living wage” makes sense so does a rates rebate to anyone on less than that figure. If the “Living wage” idea is crazy then the rates question can also be reconsidered.
a home that (unless property speculation was their game) has been paid for more than once to the bank, insured, rated and upkept.
ahh, the cost of “work-related” expenses;
-generally, the ownership and maintenance of a vehicle, or PT costs
-meal/s provision
-attire
-certification, registrations if required
-child-care
-time management that prioritises work attendance before family / relationships (yes, those that are employed are doing more).
-indemnities if required
-and just an observation, the addictions acquired to facilitate performance; caffeine, nicotine, analgesics
-professional support fees.
Seems to be a central rort to the entire “work will set you free” agenda; People are fortunate if they can retire with a mortgage-free home as a minimum to show for a life ‘down mill’.
Yeah, that’s about right. although I don’t know what price you could put on that “Time Management” bit.
It is the fact that these costs exist that make me favour the tax rebate ( and I don’t know exactly how it works) for people who are actually working. It shouldn’t apply to beneficiaries because they don’t have these costs
I sometimes think that we should have a deduction of, say $2 for each hour you worked, from your taxable income. That would reflect the cost of having a job. Something like that anyway although I don’t no what the rate should be or how you could operate it.
And the working renters who service property owners’ rate paying, through having some of it incorporated in their rents?
There is some sort of rental supplement available I believe, if your income is low enough. I am in favour of those sorts of benefits rather than lumbering an ill-targetted “Living wage” on employers.
things i don’t feel i needed to know:..an occaisonal-series..
..the tvone aged-news-reader/in-house reactionary peter williams..
..wears woolen underpants..
..and i just know..that whenever he pops up on screen again/in the future..
..that i will be thinking:..’he wears wollen underpants’..
..how about you..?
..will you think that now..?
..phillip ure..
I initially got a visual in my head of big ol saggy tighty whiteys except scratchier. But then I googled merino undies…
http://www.minus33.com/catalog/acadian-men-s-lightweight-boxer-brief/702AB
Not so bad really!
@ nz femme..
..sshh!!..don’t spoil it..!
phillip ure..
phillip u
Are they made by Icebreaker, merino? Next thing there will be a mention that yes they are merino by Icebreaker as so many viewers have asked this question. Moi! And I’m not a viewer
by the way. Your anecdote is one of the reasons.
Incidentally Icebreaker is a major NZ brand. I think made in China. Capiche.
@ greywarbler..
..we were also told he pays $50 a pair for them..
..and only has to change them once a week..
..whoar..!..eh..?..
(other/unanswered questions surge into/take over the mind:..does he sleep in them..?..or does he retrieve them from the floor each morning..?..)
..go on..!..mix up those images..!..i dare you..!
..and..see what gems/insights/nuggets-of-knowledge you are missing by ‘not being a viewer’…eh..?
..i’ll betcha you didn’t even know that one of the reasons to watch that bilge-effluent – is ‘cos the co-compere rawdon christie is nz’s ron burgandy…
..and he often has burgandy-moments..which are a both a delight and a hoot..
..this week he has been treating us/viewers by reading (adopting proper tones of solemnity/serious/po-face..)
..from nelson mandelas’ autobiography..
..they were brilliant ron-moments..
..then finishing..staring for a moment doe-eyed down the lens..
..and then chirping:..’and coming up next!..peter williams..and his wollen underpants..!’..
..ya hafta laff..!..eh..?
..sobbing uses up far too many tissues..
..phillip ure..
phillip u
Leave Morrisey to monitor the media. I feel he has thicker skin than you. Your settings are finer and more sensitive! Don’t watch, please – you’ll end up getting the speed wobbles and spin off into a shrinking vortex.
And I think not washing your knickers for a week is bound to be unsanitary. I think this must affect our international reputation for hygiene standards. Take him off the air, and open the windows to refresh.
And reading Mandela’s book by a jonolist. Brings out the now Pavlovian reaction in me about the gorilla who can read Nietzsche but can’t understand it.
do the fifty-buck-wear-for-a-week wollen-grunds suck all the grot away..?
..to an inner-chamber..?..(the science/physics of it all puzzles me..)
..does that inner-grot-chamber get a bit lumpy by the end of the week..?..
..can the casual observer note that the wearer must be at about day six..?..do they shift uncomfortably in their seats..?
..so many questions..
..that you don’t want to know the answers to..
..phillip ure..
“…..and only has to change them once a week..” Ewwww. That’s just….nasty. 🙁
Excuse me I’m eating my breakfast here
Reasons why I love football No 94: Rupert Murdoch’s favourite wank mag gets a serve from Cheltenham Town Ladies FC.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/dec/11/page-3-womensfootball
It’s almost unbelievable, this. Isn’t it? It’s no joke for those who are deaf, but frankly I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa/9507647/Hunt-is-on-for-fake-Mandela-signer
Weren’t there some Spanish athletes who faked disabilities to get to the World Games for disabled people? It’s all a big joke to those with shallow minds. It’s those psychopaths again.
…social predators who charm, manipulate and ruthlessly plow their way through life … Completely lacking in conscience and feeling for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.
A gentleman named LARRY CURLY said it perfectly…
Yes the secret service was too busy shagging tail to check out this guy! They had their crack detail just off their assignment guarding Obama in Colombia!
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/deaf-interpreter-nelson-mandela-memorial-fake-officials-article-1.1544251#ixzz2nDYMI0QM
Its fraud. Worse, treason. The guy unfortunately sums up for me why so much of Africa is corrupt. Individuals who ignore their common interest, due to decades of neo-liberal press, and take with impunity. I mean look at Russia, any sensible nation uses its leadership churn to evolve and adapt to the demands on it as a nation. Its not just Africa that is corrupted, thirty years of stupid.
Folks, can I ask a question of you? Can anyone suggest how to go about making a complaint to the Health and Disability Commission and whether I’d be within my rights to do so. Or should I take my concerns to Citizen’s Advice Bureau first?
I’ll try to be brief
Exactly two years ago to the day I had an injury on my left foot. Went to physio. Unsuccessful treatments for two months. Referred to a sports medicine Dr who was more interested in the AB’s than my foot (although he isn’t my problem) He then referred me to a surgeon who then announced that no xray, ultrasound or MRI showed any bone damage so nothing much we can do and don’t know what’s wrong. Advice, just get ultrasound guided steroids injected into the area of pain every so often. They have been about 20% effective. Requested my GP refer me to a pain specialist last month. Have seen the pain specialist who gave me a diagnosis (nothing to do with bone, but to do with nerve damage) Completely different treatment planned. In the meantime I’ve had two years of pain, limited mobility and loss of enjoyment of doing things like going for walks.
Is there any point in raising this issue with the H&D Commission?. My main issue is that the medical practitioners gave up, didn’t refer me further and I have have missed out on a diagnosis and appropriate treatment for two years
(Sorry, TS isn’t an agony column, and that wasn’t brief – I do know however there are some smart minds here, some of who may be familiar with advocacy in regard to medical matters.
Rosie
Your anecdote is useful to people interested in our help systems such as health, which we imagine are functioning well with all the money that goes into them. Apart from being concerned about you, it gives a view into the workings of the health of the administration. Which can develop various faults, viruses, blockage and degeneration. So a certain amount of feedback from citizens is very healthy. And hopefully, I think there will be someone Who Knows.
Hi Rosie,
I’ve had some experience with H&D complaints.
I think this one would go nowhere. Sorry.
I’m assuming ACC was involved? Maybe request your records, though you may be distressed to find perjorative inferences. I hope you don’t. A complaint with ACC would also be unlikely to go anywhere, unless you find active interference from non-medical personnel. Even then, I believe a letter of apology is the best you could expect, though in serious cases, ACC has been known to make ex-gratia payments.
Hope this helps, and I hope you are finally finding some relief – chronic pain is so debilitating and uses up so many spoons!
Thank you both Warbly (sorry chronic bad habit of nicknaming folks, tell me if its annoying) and just saying.
Yes ACC has been involved at every point so far. However, I’ve yet to receive a letter of acceptance re the last appointment which was for the pain specialist – that would be costing $275 if I had to pay. (I don’t have $275)
To be honest the MOST I expect would be a letter of apology. What I would like to see is the previous practitioners involved be informed of the correct diagnosis and treatment and to know that they have caused a major inconvenience to their patient by giving up and not referring on
Thanks again 🙂
Rosie
You can call me what suits but as my Gran used to say – Don’t call me Late for Dinner.
“To be honest the MOST I expect would be a letter of apology. What I would like to see is the previous practitioners involved be informed of the correct diagnosis and treatment and to know that they have caused a major inconvenience to their patient by giving up and not referring on”
Actually I think this sounds feasible. The Commissioner won’t get involved, but you can get support from the HDC advocates in a kind of mediation process. You can use the HD Act code of rights, to back up what you say to the practitioners. However you need to be aware that you may not get an apology, or may get a Clayton’s apology. Also even with an apology and a result in terms of previous practitioners being notified of the problem, you may still not feel satisfied. Much of that depends on how you approach the thing, and the integrity of the practioners.
Might be worth talking it through with an advocate to see what the options are.
Thank you weka. What you’ve said makes sense to me. I now have a copy of the H & D Code for service. A quick glance would indicate failure on the practitioners behalf. (section 10, right to complain) You’re right, I think seeking an advocate is wise
As it happens, I also have a new injury on the other foot that I couldn’t seek help for because I couldn’t afford the part payment that ACC no longer funds and subsequently have worsened the situation by not getting it seen to immediately. Secondly, that was an incorrect diagnosis and on top of the wait to get it seen to, the exercises I was given has damaged the achilles more. My sense of anger and distrust has just compounded! And this isn’t even the first time it’s happened. A prolapsed disc was incorrectly diagnosed for months back in 2007!!!
I’m not alone in receiving improper treatments and incorrect diagnoses, you hear the stories all the time. There are 2 cases in mind at this point in time, a one a family member, one a friend who have more cause than me to complain. One was botched surgery and the other was incorrect treatment that lead to permanent damage that now requires surgery.
Thanks again for your advice – that’s really helpful 🙂
I hear these stories all the time too Rosie, and have some of my own. Take some time to get a good strategy together, and make sure that in each step of the process you are not being disempowered and feel ok about what you are doing. Good luck! and let us know how you get on.
From the “No need for ordinary folk to be paranoid”–yeah right– file:
Three things that make tracking you by the authorities easier, obvious you think?
• using and carrying a smart phone
• operating a motor vehicle
• regularly using plastic cards/online transactions
Thanks to No Right Turn blog for the link below which shows what the NSA is chillingly capable of using data mining and real time locating.
https://www.aclu.org/meet-jack-or-what-government-could-do-all-location-data
Tiger Mountaion @ 10.
Thanks for referring people to that link provided by NRT on how metadata can be used to profile people and track their movements etc.
I saw it yesterday and was going to post it here but it was on a long To Do List.
That link is an excellent example of why the collection of metadata is important – and highly disturbing. I highly recommend people take a few minutes to look at that link.
he he, personal MO- no smart phone, no car and one withdrawal from (usually the same) ATM a week. KISS.
However, on the present rates, it is difficult making that one withdrawal support me for the entire week. Oh well, sigh.
Seems they’re co-opting the humble cookie too.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/12/11/nsa-uses-cookies-to-locate-its-targets.html?
So when copper prices rebound and the NZ$ collapses, Chrous stocks will soar?
Police Bullying, of Their Own
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11170966
hijra acknowledged- gays to gaol, along with the bestial
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11170973
“Now squeal like a ‘roo Jed “
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11171359
(this is tragic, and not for queasy tummies).
A misture of the Pitcarin Island syndrome, along with family culture, and deprivation. Probably happening in NZ now or will become noticeable if we go on as we are.
Nope, it’s going on (see it out my window); limited opportunities and folk turn inwards.
The John Banks Trophy for DUM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Award No. 5: JOHN BANKS
(for week ending 14/12/2013)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“I’m not buckled, I’m not bent—”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—-Epsom M.P. John Banks (ACT), who will stand trial for electoral fraud next year, speaking in Parliament yesterday, Wednesday 11 December 2013. At this point, Banks was unable to proceed for some time, due to the House being filled with uproarious gales of scornful laughter, hoots of derision, and slow hand-clapping. No laughter from his National Support Party comrades, however; they just turned ashen with mortification and embarrassment.
Check out these other Dum Quotes and relive the inanity!….
No. 4 Steve Hansen: “The French definitely turned up to play.”
No. 3 Gosman: “At least the Creationist is logically consistent.”
No. 2 Monique Watson: “Obama has an investigation into it.”
No. 1 Te Reo Putake: “What is so special about Assange that Sweden should change its laws for him?”
No 1 still stands the test of time! I’m told that surprise sex’s Julian Assange has lost all his hair, lives on raw fish and mutters ‘the precious, the precious’ to himself in his dank, sunless underground lair. But that may just be another dum (sic) quote.
It is another dum quote, my friend. You’re repeating the denigrating portrait of him that’s peddled in that disastrous government-approved hatchet job that “starred” Benedict Blunderpatch. I note that it’s already tanked at the box office: Americans may be bombarded with black propaganda daily, but only an ideologically motivated minority is buying into it.
One thing we can be sure of: this dog is one that not only Blunderpatch but none of the other principals suckered into appearing in it will ever boast about.
Well, it may be a crap film, but I suspect the reason it tanked is the subject matter. Nobody gives a flying one about Assange anymore and Snowden is far sexier these days (I mean that in a media friendly, safe, non rapey way).
Snowden’s better looking, too.
Your analysis is as rigorous and as intelligent as it was two and a half years ago, when you were defending a different set of government liars….
🙄
Well, it may be a crap film,
Good. One honest statement to start off your post. Sadly, it’s all downhill from there…
…. but I suspect the reason it tanked is the subject matter.
You don’t suspect that at all. You know as well as I do that the American people, who are NOT as docile as Fox News, Hollywood and the White House assume they are, don’t like fiction posing as fact. And they can sniff out a government harassment campaign perfectly well.
Nobody gives a flying one about Assange anymore….
Another lie. If nobody “gives a flying one” about the world’s most celebrated dissident, why is one rogue state, plus a few vassals, hounding him?
…. and Snowden is far sexier these days (I mean that in a media friendly, safe,
You’ve even bought into the White House’s talking point about his “stripper girlfriend”. You are without doubt a Kool Aid drinker standing out above all the other Kool Aid drinkers.
…non rapey way).
Good man! You keep telling those lies! First have another swig of Kool Aid, though: it’s a mighty hot day down there in Jonest–, errr, Hurricanes country.
the ‘Suedehead’ youtube link Rosie provided is wonderful Morrissey.
Well, if you want to come on all Fisky, I should point out that you misapplied ‘honest’ in your first para. I used the word ‘may’ which is not a statement of a definitive position. That’s because I haven’t seen it, but was relying on the reviews of others.
Point two is incorrect. I genuinely think it tanked because St Julian is of no interest to the cinema going public and he’s damaged goods to those with an interest in politics. Personally, I thought the film was going to be a hagiography of the sainted one, so avoided it for that reason, but I’m pleased to hear from you that it’s more truthful than I suspected.
Point 3 is incorrect. Nobody is hounding him. He has chosen to jail himself, which is pretty karmic in the circs.
Point 4 is incorrect. I’ve never heard about the girlfriend ( I assume it’s Snowden you’re talking about, not Assange?). As I said, I meant sexier in the sense that he is currently relevant. Assange is yesterdays news. Did you know he’s been self imprisoned for 3 years as of last week? Didn’t make the papers, because no one cares.
Point five is probably incorrect too, but as it makes no sense, except to you, I’ll ignore it.
Every other point you made is 100% correct.
“Nobody is hounding him. He has chosen to jail himself…”
That is a chilling statement. Your ideological zeal is quite phenomenal. You really missed your place in history: you would have been the perfect Red Guard forty-five years ago.
no desire to see the film sorry, or the Apple one either. The Facebook one was revealing enough.
However, Now you see me…
banks has the air of a decaying possum on a country road..
..phillip ure..
All charges against former Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall have been dropped.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9508594/Charges-dropped-against-former-Pike-boss
“… [Departmental lawyer] Zarifeh said the Department of Labour faced “substantial problems” in its case against Whittall, who has maintained his innocence and had earlier entered not guilty pleas.”
Shared culpability one of them?
Oh, that is so pathetic. On the upside, the next government can always reopen the case or maybe make it the first one taken under the possible corporate manslaughter law change.
I wonder whose money it was/will be.
“Mr Whittall has proposed that a voluntary payment be made on behalf of the directors and officers of Pike River Coal Ltd (in receivership) at the time of the explosions to the families of the 29 men who died and the two survivors.
It means $110,000 will be given to each of the families and survivors – totalling $3.41m.
Mr Whittall’s lawyer Stuart Grieve QC today said a bank cheque has been given to the court and asked for Judge Jane Farish to make sure the money was available by Christmas.”
And: “Judge Farish said she heard that the charges would be dropped only two days ago.She told the court that the likelihood of a prosecution in this case was “extremely low” and that it may never have even reached trial, given all of the pre-trial arguments that would have been required. The decision not to prosecute was taken at “a very high level”, she said. ”
Whose “very high level?”
The ‘Sickest’ piece of Justice ever meted out my life-time by the New Zealand Court system, blood money paid in lieu of prosecuting the architect and person more or less with the sole responsibility for the actual construction and running of the Pike River mine…
Francis : The ‘connected’ Pope
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/europe/news/article.cfm?l_id=7&objectid=11168960
Dotcom was probably spied on after his arrest…. but by whom?
Coming soon to New Zealand?
“Infinito Gold is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against Costa Rica for rejecting a toxic, open-pit gold mine after massive protests from local citizens.”
Just seen that from SumOfUs:
http://act.sumofus.org/go/3150?t=1&akid=3110.989881.OoeJ3K
More to ignore.
Three years of observations by ESA’s CryoSat satellite show that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing over 150 cubic kilometres of ice each year – considerably more than when last surveyed.
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/CryoSat/Antarctica_s_ice_loss_on_the_rise
This too.
It’s official: East Antarctica is pushing West Antarctica around.
Now that West Antarctica is losing weight–that is, billions of tons of ice per year–its softer mantle rock is being nudged westward by the harder mantle beneath East Antarctica.
The discovery comes from researchers led by The Ohio State University, who have recorded GPS measurements that show West Antarctic bedrock is being pushed sideways at rates up to about twelve millimeters–about half an inch–per year. This movement is important for understanding current ice loss on the continent, and predicting future ice loss.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/osu-eai121113.php?
Impostor angers many at Madiba funeral
11 December 2013
There has been widespread anger after a shameless impostor perpetrated an outrageous display of fakery at the funeral service for Nelson Mandela.
Comments included: “He was moving his hands around, but there was no meaning”; “What happened at the memorial service is truly a disgraceful thing to see”; “Disgusting”; “Shameful hypocrisy” and “It should not happen at all.”
Here’s a photo of the fraudster, waving his arm in the air….
http://cdn1.independent.ie/world-news/article29829821.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/PANews_bfce2d94-f4ec-4d75-b069-6d5218eab9d2_I1.jpg
🙂 Very good.
Whaleoil connection to the ninth floor confirmed:
Very interesting. I have heard the name before but this time some pretty senior reporters are all pointing the finger at him.
What is his role in DPMC and what are his links to Slater’s site?
EDIT: and the Herald are onto it … http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11171491
And some interesting comments:
In a personal capacity on his personal iPhone which he pays for himself, no doubt.
Indeed. A PM communications person takes photographs on parliament property and communicates them to a partisan blogger on a weekday morning, but there is a clear delineation between his personal and professional roles /sarc 🙂
Patrick Gower tweets …
“John Key employs Jason Ede to crouch among rubbish take photos on I-Phone of Press Gallery party and give photos to a blogger.”
I could grow to like you, Paddy.
So could I, but only when he’s fired.
lolz
It does make me wonder what other contributions Mr Ede might have made
The “wondering” press gallery. If only there were regular opportunities for the journalists to ask instead of wondering! If only Key and Ede were easily accessible … say, working in the same building as the media? If only they had heard the name ‘Jason Ede’, years ago.
But oh well, it’s Christmas, we’ll never know. Pass the bottle, John!
Christmas Time, downunder- ‘ spin the bottle’. (and even Anne, Amy or Judith, the three prized hens, will become attractive).
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/9509926/PMs-adviser-takes-photos-for-WhaleOil
laugh.
Ede, who has not returned a request for comment, had previously been accused of being a source for Whale Oil, but this had never been confirmed.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office ignored questions about whether it was appropriate for an adviser to the prime minister to be supplying such information to the blog. She confirmed Ede was the photographer.
“It is our understanding Mr Ede took pictures of the aftermath of the press gallery function and sent them to a blogger,” she said.
“Mr Ede did this off his own bat.
“In terms of the function, a number of staff from the Prime Minister’s Office attended and enjoyed themselves and we appreciate the media putting on such a good function.”
When asked by Fairfax Media in October about Ede’s relationship with Whale Oil, the spokeswoman said Ede was a senior adviser in the National leader’s office. He provided communication advice and support to the prime minister and to National Party MPs, including in the area of social media and other media.
“Jason works a lot in the area of social media and that includes getting out National’s message to a range of bloggers and other social media sites.”
Parliamentary press gallery chairwoman Claire Trevett said Ede was seen this morning by two witnesses. He had crouched among the butts taking photos with his phone.
a Toad-in-the-hole in the wall.
Anyone who doubts the direct link between John Key’s office and WhaleOil really must click on the link Pascal’s Bookie provides.
Now all we need is for some of the journos in that twitter thread to turn down their free Xmas wine from Key, and start holding him to account instead. Well, I can dream.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9507062/Rebstock-report-singles-out-leaker
– Name and shame I say
Righto. The name is McCully. He bit the hand that feeds him. The owners of the hand bit him back. And they bit Rennie too. In the bum. For much the same reason. And then Rebstock bit McCully and Key and Rennie in the wallet. It’s a jungle out there.
“no definitive evidence” after expending half a mil. MFAT experience contracted out, to consultants; How’s that working out for our biggest markets…oh, wait…
“Actions of some MFAT employees in supplying information and personal views directly to Ministers, to the Labour Party Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, to officials and former public servants outside MFAT and to the media fuelled the political debate. This directly undermined MFAT’s ability to provide Ministers with robust, unbiased advice once the Secretary had consulted and considered the views of staff at MFAT.”
“Prior to the change programme, MFAT had been regarded as an agency that could be trusted with government information. This trust, locally and internationally, is critically important given the role that MFAT undertakes on behalf of the Government and all New Zealanders.”
“The leaks of documents that had been prepared by MFAT staff detrimentally affected MFAT’s reputation as a trustworthy organisation, thereby damaging New Zealand’s interests and the Government’s trust and confidence in MFAT.”
Well done to the labour party for pulling this off, they managed to get away with damaging NZs reputation for political gain (and got away with it so fair play to them)
+1. Except McCully did the damage to NZ’s reputation for no gain. The last thing anyone should do is appoint someone who always looks untidy to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
And the fuck is with this?:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11171475
Probably more to the story but at first glance its very dodgy
Well that ties in with something I picked up the other day from a link.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520662/Neil-Phillips-quizzed-8-HOURS-police-Nelson-Mandela-Twitter-jokes.html
Brit Shopkeeper was quizzed for eight HOURS by police – and had his computer seized and his DNA swabbed – after cracking ‘bad taste’ Nelson Mandela jokes on the internet.
Something like he decided to call his computer Mandela because it took so long to shut down.
Not very good but about par for a guy who owns a sandwick shop – bit short of a full picnic.
spooky 😎
Has anyone got a comment on an idea I had of having a local peace corps approach. Having people go round the country doing useful things for others for bed and board. Better than sitting at home and being pressured into a gang. See the country and work, and feel positive about life
sort of thing. Here’s the link –
Also I thought about what Ian the employer of good work-keen overseas people said about NZ workers in his area being unreliable, and generally lacking in oomph.
I thought of anomie and put a bit from wikipedia explaining it and how it very likely can explain a lot of the NZ experience, and invite comment on this also.
More trubs for Shonkey and the lapdog Rebstock? How much more money are they gonna throw away to continue exposing McCully’s stupidity?
MFAT leak: ‘Person Y’ hits back
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11171532
For the benefit of Pukish Rogue, or Mr Kite there has been a show tonight.
Trotter writes a good article about the neoliberal dinosaurs in the Labour Party
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/12/12/a-sort-of-victory-is-labours-old-guard-undermining-cunliffes-lurch-to-the-left/
“Behind the scenes the situation is, apparently, even worse. In spite of the fact that child poverty seems certain to become a major election issue for 2014, anti-poverty campaigners report extreme difficulty in persuading Labour MPs to embrace the policies required to eliminate it.”
“The ferocity with which the Old Guard responded to Cunliffe’s argument that Labour needs to undergo a radical ideological reorientation was instructive. It pointed to the presence of a powerful faction within Labour’s caucus that is absolutely determined to prevent the slightest deviation from the core elements of the 1984-1993 neoliberal “revolution”.
Needs to be a post on this issue.
How does the left deal with these turncoats?
Reflects comments earlier today by some regulars. A good article indeed.
Please be more specific.
What do you mean by “the left.” Do you mean for instance: the parliamentary left? The political economic left? The Labour Party membership? The socially liberal left?
the ‘left right out’ 😀
It doesnt matter anyway.
Labour will lose the next election. Unless they pull out an Orewa moment (10th annivesary of “That Speech” coming up..) Cunliffe will struggle to get traction against a confident John Key who only needs to make a minimal effort with the populace to get them to like him. I will expect a full on attack campaign of scaremongering, about 70’s union bosses and anti-car green hippies who want to ruin this country, with Labour stuggling with a wishy-washy centre approach.
A national party victory, will, of course, have ramifications for the country, especially those that use the rump welfare state (superannuation and health care), as well as vulerable, low paid workers, and those in the welfare system, as we see an escalation of the downward pressure on incomes and living standards as a consequence.
New Zealand will pretty much be a sweatshop economy by 2020, with workers having to sleep in their cars as wages fail to keep up with rents.
I think it’ll be a vicious campaign, but the result is far from a done deal for the tories – if anything I reckon that labgrn have a slight advantage even now.
Very wise McFlock.
I would like to know what people have against paying council workers higher wages. You know, the people that process building consents, help you when you want to burrow a book from the libaray, put up with people’s abuse when they go and deal with dangerous dogs, ensure the water keeps flowing, keeps the green spaces mowed and the sports feilds ship-shape. They do all the stuff that keeps a city functioning, and they deserve a decent wage for it.
I actually believe all the kerfuffle about rates is just about rich people having to pay for things that poor people use (like parks, libararies, council housing, etc).
Sounds correct. Have it all, pay for nothing parasites.
So you want to get rid of libaries too?
An enemy of our libraries is an enemy of humanity.
You maybe misinterpreted Paul’s meaning millsy. I think he’s agreeing with you, and saying that the wealthy who moan about rates want to have all the services but not pay for them.
ae
as an aside, while TS can be an ‘eye-opener’, your wicked sense of humour can bring easing laughter lines of mirth.
Thanks 🙂 Frankly on some of the issues discussed here if I didn’t laugh, I’d cry.
I am agreeing with you Millsy