Open mike 13/03/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 13th, 2021 - 64 comments
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64 comments on “Open mike 13/03/2021 ”

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    • KSaysHi 1.1
      13 March 2021 at 10:23 am

      Lots of powerful signatures on there. Thanks Francesca

    • Brigid 1.2
      13 March 2021 at 10:23 am

      Of all of the accusations of chemical weapons use in Syria, there isn't one other than Douma where the OPCW inspectors actually visited the sites. All of the evidence was received from those making the accusations, that is, the terrorists. The OPCW declared it was not safe to visit those areas but happily accepted evidence from those who would have harmed them.

      It's plainly written in the OPCW reports.

    • Adrian Thornton 1.3
      13 March 2021 at 11:24 am

      Thanks, wonder when this story will get some coverage on MSM (as the original attack and US response did), wouldn't it be nice to see Kim Hill interview someone about this for instance?

    • Andre 1.4
      13 March 2021 at 11:29 am

      It's the same people that made up their minds long ago repeating the same things over and over again, apparently hoping that repetition will make it stick in people's mind. Only this time, they didn't even have the courtesy to include information about their grounds for disagreement with the OPCW for anyone to follow up on.

      Presumably their vague insinuations still rely on the thoroughly debunked efforts of the likes of Henderson and Postol, but since they don't actually give any links or names, it's hard to tell.

      It's all very reminiscent of the way 9/11 troofers operate.

      • Adrian Thornton 1.4.1
        13 March 2021 at 1:41 pm

        "It's all very reminiscent of the way 9/11 troofers operate" well you would know all about that pal, as that is where your Russuagate conspiracy has taken you…down the rabbit hole where not lights shine.

      • Brigid 1.4.2
        13 March 2021 at 1:57 pm

        " it's hard to tell."

        Might I suggest you take a remedial reading course?

      • francesca 1.4.3
        13 March 2021 at 2:12 pm

        Care to check out the Courage Foundation

        Even you Andre , with your hidebound clinging to worn out narratives , and desperate google searches will find it hard to discredit

      • Morrissey 1.4.4
        13 March 2021 at 8:24 pm

        No, it's completely different. There is no evidence to support the claims made by the 9/11 "truthers." In stark contrast to that, the testimony of experts, and the concerns of these renowned and non-partisan academics about the attempts to manipulate and silence OPCW inspectors is credible, and compelling:

        Since the publication by the OPCW of its final report in March 2019, a series of worrying developments has raised serious and substantial concerns with respect to the conduct of that investigation. These developments include instances in which OPCW inspectors involved with the investigation have identified major procedural and scientific irregularities, the leaking of a significant quantity of corroborating documents, and damning statements provided to UN Security Council meetings. It is now well established that some senior inspectors involved with the investigation, one of whom played a central role, reject how the investigation derived its conclusions, and OPCW management now stands accused of accepting unsubstantiated or possibly manipulated findings with the most serious geo-political and security implications. Calls by some members of the Executive Council of the OPCW to allow all inspectors to be heard were blocked. …

        https://couragefound.org/2021/03/statement-of-concern-the-opcw-investigation-of-alleged-chemical-weapons-use-in-douma-syria/

  2. Adrian Thornton 2
    13 March 2021 at 10:24 am

    Turns out the Democratic party had paid trolls trying to influence the US elections, now isn't that ironic…though I am sure this beautiful irony will sail blissfully above some heads..

    "Majid Padellan, who runs the nearly 900,000-follower-strong Twitter account — and has been slammed previously for urging Bernie Sanders to drop out of the 2020 presidential race — allegedly accepted more than $57,000 from a pro-Biden PAC, Really American, last year,"

    https://nypost.com/2021/03/10/brooklyn-dad-influencer-slammed-for-taking-pac-money/

    https://www.rt.com/usa/517744-resistance-brooklyn-dad-democratic-payments/

    • Andre 2.1
      13 March 2021 at 11:20 am

      From your New York Post piece (a Murdoch-owned rag):

      In his Twitter bio, Padellan says he’s a senior adviser to the PAC …

      So, someone that openly discloses he is in a paid employment relationship with a political action committee posts tweets favourable to the politician his employer supports, and you think this is somehow news?

      Are you really so desperate to find something – anything – you can use to slam Dems that you're reduced to recycling attempted Repug bullshit pushed out through Murdoch outlets?

    • Peter 2.2
      13 March 2021 at 4:51 pm

      Sounds the stuff of the Presidential Medal of Freedom doesn't it? That's how it works isn't it?

  3. Adrian Thornton 3
    13 March 2021 at 11:53 am

    Yeah I guess all the media coverage of this in the US is because he was so transparent that he was being paid US 60,000 ($83,500 NZD) by the Dems to Troll…

    • Sacha 5.1
      13 March 2021 at 2:06 pm

      mariners

    • weka 5.2
      13 March 2021 at 2:55 pm

      so people need a sign now to tell them not to throw rubbish on the ground?

      There probably aren't enough rubbish bins, so leave your rubbish under/next to the full ones and then tweet a photo to the mayor/council. Throwing your shit on the footpath is something else.

  6. greywarshark 6
    13 March 2021 at 2:54 pm

    Are we giving away NZ expertise and patents that should be staying with us as part of our comparative advantage in trading with other nations? Has globalisation just sliced through that economic dictum? Then again China is providing its internal market anyway, how to stop the rot?

    Feb.15/2021 Zespri chairman accused of trying to intimidate regulator Kiwifruit NZ in 'threatening' and 'offensive' phone call

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124239808/zespri-chairman-accused-of-trying-to-intimidate-regulator-kiwifruit-nz-in-threatening-and-offensive-phone-call

    Economics: Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2018/07/a-quick-review-of-250-years-of-economic-theory-about-tariffs

    Later economists deviated from Adam Smith in developing new lines of inquiry, but retained his insights. Inspired by The Wealth of Nations, David Ricardo developed the theory of comparative advantage, which shows that nations should specialize and then trade, which led to greater prosperity.

    • RP Mcmurphy 6.1
      13 March 2021 at 5:02 pm

      check out the difference between comparative advantage and competitive advantage. you seem to have them confused.

  7. Knarf 7
    13 March 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I despise the Americas Cup on every level. Hope we lose and hope our government stops paying it any attention or funding. We've got a homelessness crisis, in case you didn't notice.

  8. Adrian Thornton 8
    13 March 2021 at 7:13 pm

    President of the USA and apparently the free world looks like he really should probably be in a rest home or at the very least not the leader of the most powerful country in the entire world…

    • Andre 8.1
      13 March 2021 at 7:20 pm

      Sure thing, Rupert.

      • mauī 8.1.1
        13 March 2021 at 8:59 pm

        You're very good at.. deflecting.

      • The Al1en 8.1.2
        14 March 2021 at 8:59 am

        It think it's the attack line ordered to be pushed to deflect from the successful reception of Biden's near two trillion dollar covid relief package.

        What's fascinating is why someone who identifies as "socialist Labour at heart", wouldn't champion the projected reduction in poverty in the u.s, and applaud Joe Biden just launched the second war on poverty but chooses to attack the man instead?

        I'll happily take stumbling, mumbling Joe over any republican, when The policies would reduce poverty by more than half for children and for people in households experiencing job loss. Poverty would fall about 42 percent for Black, non-Hispanic people, 39 percent for Hispanic people, and 34 percent for white, non-Hispanic people, reducing the disparities in poverty rates for Black, non-Hispanic people and Hispanic people relative to white, non-Hispanic people

        • Adrian Thornton 8.1.2.1
          14 March 2021 at 10:43 am

          Fuck you you really are a chump…seriously, come on man, if Biden was actually serious about cutting poverty in a meaningful way he would have pushed through the minium wage like he promised…

          Malcolm X Speech: “You’re A Political Chump!”

          • Andre 8.1.2.1.1
            14 March 2021 at 12:19 pm

            I get it that simple arithmetic is beyond your cognitive abilities, and the numbers involved are higher than you can count to even if you take your shoes and socks off, but the simple reality is there are not enough votes in the senate to pass a $15 minimum wage. The vote was 58 against vs 42 for.

            https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/senators-vote-15-dollar-minimum-wage/507-ca50e569-4757-4bed-a13f-f687853c85c0

            edit: Here’s a better explainer that includes this gem:

            The bottom line: Senators who didn’t stand behind the increase on Friday are likely to be targeted by progressives.

            Progressives that target those senators and cause them to lose will be extremely likely to end up with a Repug instead. Who wouldn’t even vote for something like the COVID relief package. Which would be a huge step in the wrong direction for progressive priorities.

            https://www.axios.com/senate-minimum-wage-democrats-568568ca-ba2f-4bfa-bcdd-cfecaf93dae2.html

            • Adrian Thornton 8.1.2.1.1.1
              14 March 2021 at 1:26 pm

              Of course you see the logic in not actually fighting for anything important, let alone fighting for the very thing your own Biden/Dems promised again and again and Again only a few months ago…you have been trained well….so very well, I wish my dogs were as easy to train as seem to have been.

              And I guess because you have been grovelling on your knees and kissing the boot for so long that it has become just normal a daily routine for you now, you probably don't even notice…

          • The Al1en 8.1.2.1.2
            14 March 2021 at 12:20 pm

            So the "socialist Labour at heart" guy has no good words for the old fella whose policy will cut child poverty in half and general poverty by a third, but will castigate him for not pushing through the minimum wage element to the bill, even though it wasn't up to him anyway, and the blame falls solely on the moderate democrats who wouldn't vote for it. Gotcha.

            Now, “Fuck you you really are a chump”, you say? Er, okay. lol

        • Morrissey 8.1.2.2
          14 March 2021 at 11:09 am

          I'll happily take stumbling, mumbling Joe over any republican…

          So would I. But that's an extremely low standard to judge him by.

          • The Al1en 8.1.2.2.1
            14 March 2021 at 12:23 pm

            Right, so say something good about him taking kids out of poverty. I dare you 😉

            • Morrissey 8.1.2.2.1.1
              14 March 2021 at 8:23 pm

              So there is evidence that he has done anything other than plunge millions of children in to poverty via his villainous Crimes Act of 1994? Could you post it for us please?

                • Morrissey …
                  14 March 2021 at 8:43 pm

                  Great. Why didn't he support publicly funded healthcare?

                  • The Al1en …
                    14 March 2021 at 9:07 pm

                    If you don't want to congratulate a u.s president getting huge wins to fight poverty in his first 50 days, with a whopping 75% public support, I guess you just have to say so and admit you're not really fighting half as hard as the Dems did for poor people, just the old, cold war, still living rent free inside your head.

                    I wonder what one will pay rent and put food on the table?

                    • Morrissey …
                      14 March 2021 at 11:23 pm

                      The Dems fight hard for poor people, do they? I think you might have them confused with people who really do that, like the governments in Venezuela (1999 to present day) and Brazil (2003 to 2016)—both of which the "Dems" have ruthlessly helped to traduce, undermine, and—in the case of Brazil—destroy.

                    • The Al1en …
                      15 March 2021 at 5:56 am

                      Ah, one of those types who won't recognise any good from them they hate. How very fundamentalist of you.

                    • Morrissey …
                      15 March 2021 at 5:06 pm

                      "Hate" them? That's your word, not mine. You throw around the word “hate” in the same cavalier fashion as our friend McFlock throws around the word “rage.”
                      https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13-03-2021/#comment-1783132

                      I'm skeptical about anything Biden and his cronies say; that skepticism is based on long and careful observation of what he and his cronies have done over the last two generations. You are the one who exhibits a fundamentalist style of faith in these people, you are the one who states his readiness to believe their assurances, in spite of everything they have done, and failed/refused to do, in the past.

                    • The Al1en …
                      15 March 2021 at 5:27 pm

                      You are the one who exhibits a fundamentalist style of faith in these people, you are the one who states his readiness to believe their assurances, in spite of everything they have done, and failed/refused to do, in the past.

                      I thought I just noted how Thornton, a "socialist Labour at heart" wouldn't say anything positive about a president, and an american president at that, who through independent analysis, is going to make huge inroads into poverty and child poverty.

                      In then noting a similar double standard, I dared you to escape your comfort zone to say something good about him after pushing this unprecedented bill, yet rather than give just even the littlest "yeah, good start, it will help millions of poor people", you failed.

                      I think I'll stick with the hand I played. You are of course quite free to continue to twist.

    • Treetop 8.2
      14 March 2021 at 8:34 am

      Not giving a press conference could be due to not wanting to spread Covid-19.

      I do think that Biden is managing the pandemic medically and economically in a responsible way.

  9. Adrian Thornton 9
    13 March 2021 at 7:33 pm

    Well obviously it goes without saying that you are quite OK with the most powerful nation on the planet being led by an old guy clearly displaying some sort of early onset degenerative age related condition….as we all well know when it comes to being a team player numero uno with the US Democratic Party, you are the man, which is I assume, also why you apply absolutely no critical thinking to this subject.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 9.1
      13 March 2021 at 8:19 pm

      "Some sort of degenerative age-related condition" awaits most if not all of us. Biden will have good days and bad, but on his worst day will be better than the previous incumbent was on his 'best' day, imho. You don't have to be a Biden fan to know that.

      https://apnews.com/article/732eb0035d994cc3b58f83bb0164200f

      • Morrissey 9.1.1
        13 March 2021 at 9:00 pm

        I agree that Biden is better than Tweetyturd*. But, let's face it, he's still a menace to decent people everywhere.

        https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/us/politics/joe-biden-iraq-war.html

        https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/17/joe-biden-role-iraq-war

        https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-biden-town-halls-live-coverage-thursday/card/LnG2f3sMGoajoyNI1ATq

        * Respek to my man Andre, king of the anti-Trump zingers!

      • mauī 9.1.2
        13 March 2021 at 9:32 pm

        You set the bar so high:

        "After 50 days as president, Biden still hasn’t given a news conference. Critics and allies wonder why."

        https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/press-conferences-biden-administration/2021/03/12/332285e6-81e3-11eb-81db-b02f0398f49a_story.html

      • McFlock 9.1.3
        13 March 2021 at 10:10 pm

        He must have the same thing HRC had. An obviously terminal condition that killed her within months of the interwebz making the diagnosis.

        Oh wait…

        • Morrissey 9.1.3.1
          13 March 2021 at 10:39 pm

          The cognitive decline, visible to anyone who watches him speak, is the least of the reasons to be concerned about Biden. A more serious and urgent concern is his decision to bomb Syria, wasting Syrian lives and American money. As this young American ice fisherman pointed out the other day, why is Biden spending money on bombing Syria when he owes him two grand?

          • McFlock 9.1.3.1.1
            13 March 2021 at 11:04 pm

            Dude has had a stutter all his life.

            But ok, let's say it's HRC syndrome, inexorable and terminal.

            His supposedly mental decline doesn't seem to be reflecting in greater-than-usual levels of irrationality in US foreign or domestic policy.

            And in some respects, such as children's immigration detention facilities, things seem to be improving.

            • Morrissey 9.1.3.1.1.1
              14 March 2021 at 7:50 am

              Well, at least he's more rational than Trump. As you point out, there will be marginal improvements in some areas.

              • McFlock …
                14 March 2021 at 6:30 pm

                Not marginal for the kids in cages. Or the people receving $2k instead of $600.

                • Morrissey …
                  14 March 2021 at 8:27 pm

                  It's marginal in the extreme. How much money is he going to commit this year to the bombing of several countries, to the undermining and destruction of democracy in Latin America, and the maintenance of more than five thousand military bases, 600 of which are overseas?

                  • McFlock …
                    14 March 2021 at 8:48 pm

                    So the Morrissey Scale jumps from "marginal" to "complete reversal of 60 years of US military and foreign policies" with nothing in between?

                    • Adrian Thornton …
                      14 March 2021 at 11:04 pm

                      I assume Morrissey was alluding to this kind of waste….

                      Report: US wasted billions on cars, buildings in Afghanistan
                      "A report released by the U.S. government’s Afghanistan watchdog has found that America has wasted billions of dollars in the war-torn country on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed"
                      https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/report-us-wasted-billions-cars-buildings-afghanistan-76176528

                      …so maybe he is suggesting that instead of every new US president continuing the former presidents forever wars across the planet, maybe, just maybe they would be better off spending some of those billions if not trillions on..oh I don’t know, how about the fifteen dollar minimum wage that Biden campaigned on, don’t you think that would be the sane and right thing to do?

                    • McFlock …
                      14 March 2021 at 11:26 pm

                      how about the fifteen dollar minimum wage that Biden campaigned on, don’t you think that would be the sane and right thing to do?

                      Indeed. But it didn't get through the Senate, did it? How is that Biden's fault? Are you even familiar with the concept of a legislative process?

                      And how does a government even spend money on the minimum wage? Doesn't that come from employers?

          • Adrian Thornton 9.1.3.1.2
            13 March 2021 at 11:05 pm

            …or this Biden continuation of the USA’s wars and interventions across the globe…

            “Imposed by the United States, European Union as well as other countries, the sanctions have sparked economic, humanitarian and development crises, devastating the entire population, especially those living in extreme poverty, women, medical workers, individuals with life-threatening diseases and indigenous peoples.”

            Independent UN rights expert calls for unilateral sanctions to be dropped against Venezuela

            https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1084642

            …or this

            “United Nations voiced concerns that sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act – also known as the Caesar Act – risk exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in Syria, especially in the course of COVID-19 pandemic, and put Syrians at even greater risk of rights violations.”

            UN rights expert urges United States to remove sanctions hindering rebuilding in Syria

            https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1081032

            • McFlock 9.1.3.1.2.1
              13 March 2021 at 11:32 pm

              No worries. If his congitive decline is so obvious to anyone who watches him speak that it can be discerned without error by anyone who watches him speak (without context or patient history), he's not long for this world anyway. Save your rage for the next one.

              • Adrian Thornton …
                13 March 2021 at 11:48 pm

                well that was a comment that went nowhere much and said even less…as usual.

                We all know you have no empathy for any human suffering that is sanctioned by the West and approved by a compliant western media…nothing new to see here.

                Where exactly did you see the rage in my comment? are you sure you are not projecting there pal…

                • McFlock …
                  14 March 2021 at 12:01 am

                  Oh, sorry, you missed the point.

                  OK, here it is in a different way: if Biden is in generally observable mental decline over just a year or so of public appearances (as alleged), the policies you have a problem with are not his policies, and he will be dead soon, anyway.

              • Morrissey …
                14 March 2021 at 8:00 am

                Save your rage for the next one.

                "Rage"? Adrian presented evidence that Biden is continuing the U.S. regime's aggression against Venezuela and Syria. Where was the "rage" in that? If you want an example of rage at its ugliest and most brutal, I suggest you delve a little into the speeches of Joe Biden. Not the ones where he plagiarized Neil Kinnock, but the really ugly ones, where he unleashes his rage….

                https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/us/joe-biden-crime-laws.html

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    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

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