At the same time when we could give our empty Ghost Houses to the homeless – or government could instruct Winz to pay weekly rents rather then overpriced stays in slum motels.
Easily fixed that homeless problem, right? Good grief, Morrissey i get it you don't like these guys, but don't complain about other peoples doorstep when in our country we can't even see ours.
"slum motels" Sabine? That is a little emotive. You lose the argument when you overdo the invective, though I agree that it is scandalous that so many people are being put in motels.
In Northland some of the motels are not exactly top draw Git. Some are repurposed, worn out hotels which I am not going to name and shame-the North gets enough flak.
We have good things happening too with Papakainga projects and trusts like He Korowai and others that are supplying housing.
Sabine is not wrong because units that are designed for short stay, low impact use, by one or two people end up with families in them for months, and can turn into slum like conditions quickly enough.
Motels are designed to be slept in nightly. Assuming the unit has two bedrooms and a bathroom (usually the case) and is kept clean by the inhabitants, while this might not be palatial, a family of 4 should be able to live reasonably in such a unit. (I accept the this is not ideal-see my comment above)
To call this a "slum" (def: "a squalid and overcrowded urban street") is invective-go and see the favelas in San Paolo or the slums of Kolkata
Slum actually isnt to far off, I stayed in one near the airport… feral cats, rubbish overflowing in the carpark, minimal cleaning in common areas, mouldy bathrooms, families of four in 25m2 twin rooms no laundaru facilities…
Was only one night would never go back… I feel very sorry for the families stuck there its a national disgrace
nothing stopping the inhabitants from doing a bit of cleaning.I presume they are getting a roof over there heads for free. I rent a house but dont expect landlord to do the cleaning and yardwork. I agree some of these motels are pretty crappy, but a little bit of an effort by some of the inhabitants could do wonders.
IS that the oldopen the bathroom window if you have black mold growing in your 580$ two week bedroom flat. Why don't you clean the house? A bit of bashing down, to feel good?
Yeah, woodart, i agree, why not blame the down trotten and poorest of this country for the failure of successive governments.
Also. you do realise that people in emergency housing also can have jobs? They are just HOMELESS.
Or is that something that would ruin you worldview? That working people, newborn babies, and retirees in New Zealand are homeless because of the last thirty odd years of 'poo poo you so as long as i have mine' mentality of NZ.
get off your high horse.I live in a falling down cottage that had been abandoned for three yrs before I moved in, reroofed half of it, repiled half of it, insulated the ceilings with old real estate signs because there is no roof hatch, painted it, all on MY dollar, cheap rent ,but I have to get off my arse and do these things, not just sit on a forum and whinge. it is MUCH easier to be a victim, but my worldview is that your worldview(constantly looking at others for solutions)is for losers. get off your arse, if there is mould on window sills(a constant problem in my cottage) go buy a cheap bottle of bleach and wipe them all down.
Very soon we encourage young mothers and their babies to live in sheds and insulate the accommodation with straw and old rags…… hang on, was this not something out of the Dickensian times?
But who would know that these days, those kids will never get a proper school education anyway…. yeah, let go back to the good ol' 1800's. Maybe some workhouses, we need someone to pick fruit. Yes? Is this where we going and strife for, the brutalization of the human spirit?
I really hope you own that cottage or are you doing this work in exchange for free living. Cause that would be the only reason for you to do that.
If you rent that shitter and get the pleasure to fix it up for a greedy landlord than like with all the other in that situation i have nothing but pity for you.
Sure, keep your room tidy, clean a little. But with no laundry, no cooking facilities, cramped space, only outdoor area over run with rubbish and feral cats, living on shit takeaway food it'd be fucking soul destroying after a week or so….
dont you think theres a link between shit takeaway food, rubbish everywhere and feral cats? have stayed at some shitty motels, havent found one without a powerpoint. get a cheap one ring cooker(or gas canister camp stove) for less than the price of a feed of maccas, go to the sallies, get a couple of saucepans and cook ,instead of wasteing what money you have on takeaways….or you can continue to whine and play the victim. have seen families living in dirt floor huts in the third world who can cook good meals in one pan, AND keep there houses spotless. its all about the mindset, obviously many on here have a "whats the world going to do for us"mindset. yeah right, continue on that way, see how far down you can go, before someone else holds your hand..
woodart you have a point. People don't realise that they have abilities to help themselves even in dire surroundings. But I think it may be less helplessness or laziness, but a feeling that this is slipping back into the 19th century past and ‘I don't want to go there. I want to progress and move ahead and if I accept these conditions and manage at this level, the authorities will be prepared to leave me here saying 'Oh they're all right'.’
For years people were not able to get a state house with its affordable rent and security of tenure unless they were living in a draughty garage. Now I think that might be regarded as suitable accommodation of a long-term temporary nature.
Life is quite complex when you are struggling. What seems straightforward behaviour to adopt can actually not be the best if you know how the system works. For instance it may seem good for someone on a benefit to get some work. But it won't pay much, involves the cost of travel, and the authorities take away the grant that you rely on, by a dollar for every gross dollar you earn, which then has tax taken out and the net amount received leaves you worse off overall. It can be brutal when you are up against the mindset of judgmental people who condemn others' humanity who have less, regarding them as scruffy rejects of society when all have their gifts as well as their lacks.
Think you'll find the motels dont allow in room cooking… and I am well aware that what we regard as poverty in NZ is comparativly wealthy compared to many other countries. Ive seen that first hand living in a falling apart communist era tower block in eastern Europe.
We just dont know how lucky we are?
I just dont accept that as an arguement as to why we cant be doing much better than we are currently given the living situation for many is steadily worsening.
When it comes to a fridge I expect the old bar style fridge is still used in a motel. Those in emergency housing need to apply every 7 days to MSD and the occupant can be disrupted if the unit is required for a booking due to the amount of guests.
Even if there was a fridge freezer to hold a week of groceries some of the groceries would spoil without refrigeration and go to waste. Carting around open packets of staples would be annoying.
I find this darkly ironic because 'end of life motel' is an accurate description of exactly where we're living at present.
It's not so much the fact of it being not an ideal home, but we're OK with it we're doing this as a short term measure and we have some control and choices. Being trapped there long-term with little prospect of change would be quite different – and very corrosive on family life.
they are slums. if only because no money is spend upgrading and actually making them fit for purpose.
they are slums because we dump people there without any access to mental health, protection from crime, and even help to the motel operators who suddenly have people on home D there, people with addiction health issues, people who are gang involved / related and no help from government, winz, or any other services.
the Favelas and the slums of kolkata are different because here in NZ our homeless have yet to take to the hills and just start building shanty towns, And personally i wonder just how far away we are from that.
Um Sabine, if you check my comments above you will see that I said it is scandalous that we have to resort to putting people in hotels. My problem is people overstate how bad the conditions are-I repeat that they are not close to being slums.
Re the comments above-surely a launderette would be walking distance from most motels. And even when you pay to stay in a motel you are expected to keep it clean.
We all need "protection from crime", not just the people housed in motels. Similarly mental health is not just an issue related to people staying in motels.
and bring a duffle bag of dirty clothes and linnen and then we walk to the next laundromat hang out there for the time your clothes wash and dry and then we walk bac. and if you have a toddler or two bring them too, just so that we can experience the awesomeness of poverty full throttle. But in syaing that, you need to have the ten bucks it would cost you to not only wash the clothes but to also dry it. And people who recieve tens of dollars in benefits may find that hard to afford.
I live in Rotorua, come for a visit and check out the slum motels that we house the homeless in – in fact the government is currently financing the landbanking of businesses that should have gone out of business a long time and if only because they are not fit for anything else then house some stag party where then no one cares about the damage.
Once you did, come and visit and we go have a chat about the substandard accommodation that we shove these people in, out of sight out of mind, and btw, in which newborns are shoved into too – and in which babys have died (can't think of a most wasted life there, born into poverty, three days old in emergency housing) , cause we as a country really don't care.
I don't care about the polite society in NZ, they are for the most part responsible for the misery that is happening across NZ in motels called 'emergency accommodation' for which the tax payer forks out a million + a night.
So yeah, if my emotive comment upset you, just drink a glass of 'she'll be right, lucky it ain't me' and you will feel better in a second.
Very much a case of 'out of sight out of mind' remember how fiercely the Nats were casitgated for using hotels as emergency housing, politicans having sleep outs in solidarity with the homeless … strangely quite now and the problem is getting steadily worse… but its ok now cause 'kindness'
Its a disgrace and pressure on politicians needs to be immense, how are babies, children growing up in the places going to go in later life. We are busy building massive societal issues and not many people seem overly bothered.
This is simply wrong Sabine. National sold off state houses, reducing the stock in NZ. This government has increased the number of state houses and is further increasing numbers. Search the Standard for the total number of state houses-this is an issue that has been much discussed.
Try to include facts and a sense of perspective in your comments.
But when it comes to our homeless nothing has changed.
Don't look at it from our comfortable view, look at it from the view of the guy who lost his job, who is trying to survive on unemployment benefits. Look at it from the view of the women on a fixed benefit that will have a rent increase soon, another 80 – 100$ and who will end up in emergency housing or a ditch near anyone of us.
Rents sky high. Mortgages so out of reach that the government increases help ot first home buyer who are trying for an affordable house of around 700.000 + .
Look at it from the view of the kid that goes from unsecured rental to car to motel to car to motel to maybe an unsecured rental. And who can't get on with schooling cause they move every few weeks/month.
One could call it the emergency housing to prison pipeline.
Nothing much has changed.
I include facts often enough, in fact i am a stickler for links to support my argument. And currently a fact is that the first three years of Labour were to some extend squandered, and the Covid housing boom made it worse for everyone. These too are facts.
The grand housing plan from Grant Roberston is well nice, but lacks in teeth.
and I don't need to again rehash what national did not do, and chances are will not do next time they get in again, as they are currently not running the show. I will moan about them when it is their turn, i am bipartisan that way.
And for those in emergency housing, for those fearing to end up in emergency housing nothing has changed.
For the poorest and most ignored in our country, women and children on social beggar benefits, retirees that can't afford rent on their fixed income, working poor who can't afford a house / flat/ditch even with an accom benefit there is no discernable difference between National Housing issues and Labour Housing issues. It is them that will always pay the bills of the failures of successive governments. And that is my opinion, nothing more nothing less.
Sabine: I agree with you that the level of poverty in NZ is totally unacceptable-we are not so far apart at all on this issue. I am looking for a major increase in benefits in the upcoming budget.
But if you look back over my posts you will see that I have said many times that I support the Green Party's Wealth Tax which is specifically designed to make serious inroads into poverty (or even eliminate it) by taxing only rich people-couples who have net assets over $2 million.
Until we have a quantum shift like a Wealth Tax, which in the case of the Green Party proposal is estimated to raise $7.9 billion annually, poverty will continue in this country.
again, this is not a failure of one party vs the other. Its a failure by Government. I go to great pains to call for 'government' action ,not party action.
It does not matter atm which party to support. Everyone here was scared into voting for Labour cause Judith!!!!!! Never mind she could not get elected dog catcher ourside her own electorate. And all the third parties suffered and here we are.
And now we have a party in majority and they squander every bit of their advantage and only the gods know why. but it certainly not to our benefit.
BG at 1.1.1 – I hope this is not a measure we want to put on the table. I mean, substandard conditions are a health hazard and really trap families in a hopeless situation. You can use these accommodations temporary but not instead of housing. And talking about housing….
Fair point, Sabine—however it's not a case of me "not liking these guys"; I was simply reminding everyone of where public money is going, as opposed to where it should be going. In this case of course, it is the USA, but obscene mis-prioritizations of funding occur here as well, although not on the same scale.
You obviously haven't been listening. Biden has a 1.9 trillion infrastructure proposal before the Congress right now. That proposal includes funding for housing the homeless as well as many other social justice issues. If only our government was as proactive.
Is this in any way serious? NZ is so far ahead of the US in handling the pandemic that we don't have remotely similar problems. The US stimulus will allow further housing of people in motels, something which NZ is already doing.
The stimulus package (which has been approved) is not the same thing as the Infrastructure Package which is aimed not at housing people in motels – but in building homes.
Just as in NZ, in the US there is a lack of suitable social housing, and the initial stimulus package included funds to immediately house homeless people, as explained in the WaPo article.
But.
It then goes on to explain further the initiatives that are also included in the Infrastructure package that has just been revealed a week ago.
Fudge said Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, unveiled last week, would bring additional funding necessary to address homelessness and housing instability. Biden’s jobs and infrastructure plan would include $213 billion for housing programs, including $40 billion to improve public housing.
Sounds like you want Kiwibuild to be given another crack. But as far as I am aware the govt is building and running the state housing stock, reversing a prior National govt sell off. I just can't see how its possible to claim our govt is not proactive with reference to policies well under way in NZ.
But as far as I am aware the govt is building and running the state housing stock, reversing a prior National govt sell off. I just can't see how its possible to claim our govt is not proactive with reference to policies well under way in NZ.
It is true there are some steps being made by the current govt here in NZ to reverse the damage done under previous administrations, but it is far too little IMHO. The emphasis on Kiwibuild is fine for those who might be able to afford to buy a home, but there are many others for whom that vision is simply out of the question. The reliance on private developers to do the work is also a problem. Having worked for a time in the civil construction industry, developers are only in the game for the end dollar. "Cheap" is not an attractive option for them. The money is always in the middle to upper end of the market.
Furthermore for many they are really not interested in 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom and garage, even if one was offered. I work on a voluntary basis here with a group of rough sleepers, and all they want is someplace to have a shower, go to the toilet, cook a meal, and have a chat if they feel the need for some company. When it is raining they would like a dry place they can doss down for the night. We have around 20 -30 rough sleepers in our town right now. I have written to the Ministers for Housing, Social Development, Maori Housing, and Associate Minister for Homelessness, outlining a proposal for a Hub providing such amenities, and ongoing staffing through an acceptable NGO. I have not had the courtesy of a reply.
Every commentator on the MSM whether from real estate or developers or advocacy groups all say that the government should just embark on a massive house-building programme. The leftie ones continue that sentence … "just like Michael Joseph Savage".
This government has found that the states' capacity to execute policy anywhere let alone in housing construction is far, far weaker than they imagined.
The amount of support that Minister Twyford got for trying to start such a programme was next to zero including from his caucus and his PM. They let him swing on the manifesto promises they all signed up to. And he was the only one in this government with enthusiasm for forming anything new that would deliver. So no other Minister is going to try that again.
Good on you for your volunteer efforts that's more than I do. I'd recommend the staff of Megan Woods. She's a solid unit, and about as active as this lot are going to get.
Being visible, being heard, having a strategy and action taken by governments is the way forward when it comes to climate change and ecological sustainability.
Indeed, and while smart young people flex their voices, pale stale male National is trying to bog it down in bickering, as usual, about modelling assumptions and technical details. Stall, stall, stall, in the hope that it will be watered down so much it becomes a meaningless toothless toad, just like the National Party.
I do not think science has yet come up with an alternative technology which will be used to stop greenhouse gas emissions. For now it is about cutting the gas emissions.
A new lever on the standard model. This could be the answer once muons are worked out. There are other forms of energy which will be discovered.
If you are a Minister outside of Cabinet, there is really very little policy one can initiate, because you do not have a seat at the table where the real decisions on what is to be done and prioritised, are made.
Oh horseshit. He's generated the legislation he wanted, the Commission he wanted, and the recommendations he wanted all on his policy area. The release from Shaw today shows how proud he is of getting prioritiations through. He knows how to influence effectively. He's just weak.
It has been said that I am always negative on TS (not actually true) however here is a little something to give readers a few laughs…a great look back at some of the funniest and most over the top anti Russian Mccarthyite hysteria headlines to come from the Liberal press over the past few years …enjoy
What a wonderful world we live in when a pot head comedian is regularly more switched on, informed and informative than flagship liberal media and their vast readerships …
No flattery of Putin whatsoever, rather criticism of the soviet type propaganda exercise , taken up by corporate news media in the west ,blaming outsiders for internal dysfunction, and amplifying secret "intelligence" allegations
Anybody disputing the official govt story is promptly gaslighted as unwitting Kremlin dupes, or "running dog"losers .What a brilliant way to cower people into keeping their mouths shut for fear of being cut loose from the pack
It is only the raging Putin dupes who find it necessary to impose their lack of judgement upon us, day in, day out.
Let us be explicit here, your fellow travelers are promoting a murderous kleptocrat and former head of the Stasi, on a leftwing site, and for some reason expect not to be greeted with universal contempt.
criticism of the soviet type propaganda exercise , taken up by corporate news media in the west ,blaming outsiders for internal dysfunction, and amplifying secret "intelligence" allegations
Were you not Putin dupes, menkurt dependents of his propaganda sources, you would find yourself a few eastern European sources, folk who suffered the Soviet occupation for preference. People from Byelorussia or the Ukraine would soon put you straight about the crap you regurgitate here ad nauseum. The style of that propaganda is instantly recognizable – and often relies on drawing false parallels between less compromised organs like the NYT, and fully compromised ones like RT.
In your naivete, you are dangerous. Do some homework – get the real story on the monster whose work you are doing.
The funny thing, ma petite choux choux, is that I don't. It's not me that, day in, day out posts pathetic drivel in support of a genocidal sonofabitch – that would be you Putin dupes.
America doesn't talk about Chechnya – it coincided with and took advantage of the US invasion of Iraq – it's not a US talking point at all. But I imagine, to the tragic pawn of a murderous despot, that level of compromise must seem natural, even inevitable.
Same thing just happened to me, francesca. I challenged Mr Munro over his remarkable claim that the President of one country ("R") headed the spy agency of another ("E.G.") and I asked him if he had received that information from a particularly foolish and discredited MSNBC commentator, and provided a clip of that commentator insanely repeating the name of the country "R" and its President.
Lo and behold, I found my post marked "awaiting moderation."
Not any more. Over the past few months as house prices have continued to rise, the $500,000 price limit for a home to qualify under the FHL scheme has basically shut out all but the scummiest do-ups in Hamilton.
Oh, but of course do-ups don’t qualify either. Any house with a building report showing more than $5000 of remedial work needed, is automatically ineligible. Too risky for first home buyers.
still, why exclude do-er uppers. Maybe really that is an issue, specifically if that is the only house you can buy for the money the government thinks is the amount you could buy for in any given area.
You get nigh to nothing in Rotorua for 500.000 grand. Before covid no issue, but thanks to a year of low interest rates and cashed up 'expat' kiwis coming home, no longer. Just to show you how obscene it is, the property that i bought 4 years ago for 200.000 grand is now worth over 500.000 grand. And between Christmas and March it increased almost 100.000 in value. I did put in heatpump, insulation, bathroom fan etc – yes this was a rental property – but nothing that would allow for that type of increase other then speculation and desperation. Sad thing, well funny too, if i were to sell, i could not afford a new property. Luckily, this is my forever home, and hopefully i can keep it.
Excluding doer uppers is indeed foolish but I guess if you are promoting 'healthy homes' allowing it gives opposition voices a stick to beat you with…politics trumps common sense.
I suspect the thresholds were set with one eye on where they would like the lower quartile to settle…..maybe inflation is set by expectations.
i bought an 'unhealthy home' and fixed it for about 6 grand to make it healthy and that includes a heat pump.
that should not be a reason.
Inflation currently is set by desperation. Not expectations. Heck, i have yet to do the driveway. lol……………………… But i got the drain dudes in last week and i dug out hte broken piece of drain and fixed it! Woot.
And just wait until the rates increases are coming through. Porirua, one of the poorer areas around Wellington except Aotea, has been told to expect 8% increase. On top of that they talk about a separate levy for waste water pipes maintenance. Yep, I am sure the council staff is well heeled whilst the rest will be loosing their roof over the head. Why is inflation being said to be low? There is a 10% increase of rates which represents some 30-50% of your living costs. No longer, its then 40-60%. I know that supermarkets have increased their pricing in the last 12 months and judging by my weekly bill that hasn't really changed in terms of product bought, I look at 7-8% minimum depending whether I allow myself some meat.
Maybe inflation figures assessed are of all those who can deduct GST, this would be 1-2% inflation alright.
They are obviously thinking about themselves and their business models. A bigger government subsidy to 1st home buyers, means more people knocking on these guys' doors looking for the balance of the purchase price. That this increases demand and will likely push prices still higher, they don't give a flying f*ck about – it's all about them and the perpetual drive to make even more money. There are so many bad faith actors in this scummy little thing called a 'housing market' that it's hard not to puke.
The Senate filibuster effectively requires a 60-vote super-majority for the passage of most legislation in the Senate, but reconciliation provides a process to prevent the use of the filibuster and thereby allow the passage of a bill with simple majority support in the Senate.
Man what could our people here – those who don't work from home, and who are not rich, and who have lost their jobs and who live of begger welfare payments – do with a bit of a stimulus payment. Lol….our people did not even get a christmas bonus payment for some slices of Pams Ham. Go figure.
Just a little trickle down to the people rather then shoveling money to connected people and their 'shovel ready' projects.
While its clear that the democrats control the US govt to the extent they can pass as much legislation as they want, they also already managed to reneg on the $15 federal minimum wage which was a campaign promise. It will hardly be surprising if such a large spending bill gets markedly reduced while negotiating it through government, especially with the corporate tax hikes coupled with it.
Of course as Mozzy highlighted no similar scale military budget has such problems passing (or changes corporate taxes by a cent).
Repugs will vote for aircraft carriers and filibuster wage increases.
It's that simple. For the dems to pass legislation in the Senate they need to change the filibuster rules or get 60$% (the dollar sign was a typo but was too appropriate to leave out, lol) of the seats.
The democrats could easily have avoided the filibuster in the minimum wage case, using the same procedure Sabine highlighted. They decided to make it a problem which makes one think they also didn't want the minimum wage increase to go through.
Yes, I am well aware that the democrats have been telling everyone just how incompetent they are at passing legislation.
On the other hand say an unelected office holder stood in the way of govt policy, say the reserve bank governor refused to reimplement LVR restrictions, do you think they could keep their position?
Especially if that job includes the function of ensuring that the legislative body follows the legislative process as defined by law, in this case the Congressional Budget Act (section 313).
What next, firing judges who hold that the minimum wage law was illegal because it didn't follow the legislative process?
Of course the Republicans have previously fired the senate parliamentarian. Not that it would have come to that had they made it clear that $15 was expected to be in there.
It's not gaslighting to actually focus on the case in question.
What is your argument that the Senate Parliamentarian made the legally incorrect decision? Was the minimum wage change an intrinsic part of the budget legislation, or was it being piggy-backed onto budget legislation in order to bypass the legislated process?
In your opinion, is the issue of minimum wage "extraneous" to a budget bill?
A number of democrat senators didn't support the $15 minimum wage rate Biden wanted, so it still wouldn't have passed if they sacked they senate parliamentarian and put it to a vote.
A bill that (by your link) changes specific federal budget expenses and taxes/charges is not extraneous to a budget, no.
The closest you could get to that with minimum wage is to itemise how many federal employees are on the minimum wage, if any.
Just saying that the downstream economic effects would affect the budget in some unknown way would make everything from the death penalty to speed limits non-extraneous to the budget.
Just pretending words mean whatever they want so they can avoid legislative restrictions was the hallmark of the orange regime, not rule of law.
Yes, its just a fact that the govt budget and the economy are intertwined. There are clear reasons why treasury produces a forecast as part of the budget and when its not accurate then the deficit is off budget to the tune of a billion dollers (within 6 months). Same with the CBO, but with bigger numbers.
Unless you can propose a more accurate way of forecasting I see little way of splitting impacts up by budget impact, but the minimum wage clearly will impact the federal bottom line.
There is a fundamental interconnectedness of all things, but minimum wage increases are not connected to the budget in as direct a way as e.g. a clause explicitly increasing specific tax credits.
The bottom line is that the "parliamentarian" has a statutory role to ensure the legality of the process by which legislation is enacted. If that role was demonstrably performed incompetently or in bad faith, then fine, fire them.
But firing officials because one doesn't like their impartial, competent decisions about the legality of what one wishes to do is exactly the sort of presidency from which the USA needs to move away.
and moderate Democrat Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona.
As Dr, King once said, its not the radicals that he fears, the KKK's and the likes as they are open in their attitude, it is the moderates that he fears, as they have no issue with the status quo and thus are happy to maintain it to the detriment of everyone else.
A pox on the house of all moderates that hide among so called liberals and progressives.
The 15 min wage was killed because of these two Democrats. Sinema even tried to pull of a little John McCain, and did a little curtesy when she gave it that thumps down. Sounds a bit like the moderates in our so called progressive party.
With friends like these who needs enemies. But it would really help if people actually looked a bit further.
So for the moment budget reconciliation it is and sometimes that is what one needs to do to get something done. That is still better then do fuck all, and state before the election that 'the beneficiaries will get nothing more then what we gave them'. Moderates. Just no.
But even without those two, it did not work because minimum wage levels are extraneous to the government's budget reconciliation process.
However, there is more than one way to skin a cat, especially with the repugs beginning their own little civil war. Dems have the moderate bloc and the coastal lefties, but the repugs have the magamob vs the corporate shills.
Thinking back over the years it used to be people became politicians and get into govt because they wanted to enact real change ie the Labour movement but with the rise of the career politician we are seeing a change where the aim is to become the govt for govts sake ie reach the top of the career ladder….
I'm not sure you'd pick it for a career. Doesn't pay that much and it looks very stressful.
I think politics picks them. They all seem to have an intense belief their opinion matters. Unfortunately, most are of the opinion that the boat shall not be rocked.
It may not pay much, but think of the ego trip these people relish. Not sure politics chooses them rather they choose politics cos no one else would employ them, sure, there are exceptions to this rule.
I think unlimited sick leave, guaranteed wage increase, a pension after just 3 years etc… helps. All financed by those who have a battle on their hands to keep afloat.
They will invest in commercial property – not restrictions of any kind there. A person i know asked for a pop up shop here and was quoted i kid you not, 4500NZd plus GST, plus outgoings, plus insurance – a month. And we wonder why our towns are dying.
The principal of Hutt Valley High School is blaming the Ministry of Education saying officials have known about the problems for years and failed to act.
From next term, Year 12 and Year 13 students will have to do their work from home for two-and-a-half days a week because there's not enough room for them at school.
Two weeks ago teachers were given 30 minutes to clear their desks before a whole building was shut down and sealed off.
Thirteen classrooms, three bathrooms and a dance studio have been deemed unsafe.
This left the school struggling for space to teach its 1700 pupils and it resorted to holding multiple classes at a time in the hall and library.
On Monday it decided it would have to send at least 500 senior students home.
Parent at the school, Miranda Cross, was furious……………..
Cross said parents were asked to pay an infrastructure donation on top of other fees because of the underfunding………………….
Acting principal Denise Johnson has been at the school for nine years, and stepped in to the role after former principal Ross Sinclair died in December.
She said Johnson had spent a decade fighting the ministry for more funding and officials knew millions were needed to fix the leaking roofs.
"The ministry have a company that they engage to do an assessment of a school, and that company determines what are the critical infrastructure needs of the school going forward, which would include things like roofing and aged piping and electrics I suspect, all that sort of really important stuff.
"That company assessed the school as needing $10 million… We weren't given $10 million."
Last week’s eruption of La Soufrière volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,has left the entire population of the main island without clean water and electricity, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.
Emphasizing that access to the island is limited, Mr. Dujarric said that along with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the UN has mobilized pre-positioned water and sanitation hygiene supplies, currently stored in nearby Barbados….
“Explosions and accompanying ashfall of similar or larger magnitude are likely to continue to occur over the next few days”, according to the UN humanitarian office.
This is a government managing a country that has good financial standing, oh yes. It's just that a lot of people living in this country are being rorted by a system that no-one has the guts to change because it would involve some very wealthy people getting really pissed off. I'm doing all right, if other people did this…. or that…. (various well-worn recipes for cakes that won't rise) – that is why we are like this. But hey look over here, there's a tv celebrity with white teeth and wearing a Trelise Cooper or such, to take your mind off the probs.
Ordinary people at state schools have to put up with underfunding and not just plain and basic surroundings but neglected buildings that bureaucrats wouldn't work in. Cold, unpleasant and unhealthy.
From next term, Year 12 and Year 13 students will have to do their work from home for two-and-a-half days a week because there's not enough room for them at school.
Two weeks ago teachers were given 30 minutes to clear their desks before a whole building was shut down and sealed off. Thirteen classrooms, three bathrooms and a dance studio have been deemed unsafe…
[Acting Principal Denise Johnson]… Johnson told Morning Report the ministry has known about these issues for years. She said it's only now that "we're in a crisis" that the ministry's response has been brilliant. "This was a train wreck waiting to happen."
The building in question is 50 years old and ventilation is minimised by the design, being surrounded by other buildings, Evans said. ((Ministry of Education's head of property delivery and infrastructure services Scott Evans)
In Nelson the Min of Ed refuse to provide extra classrooms for the nearest co-ed school and so people are forced to send their children to either of the one-sex schools in the city, though everybody wants choice. It certainly is not good for those who would benefit from a mixed gender environment such as the children of single parents, or those who want education amongst average society.
Can't an empty or underutilised stadium be found for them? They have a doubtful productivity record and we can't afford to build another hive for people who have proved to be drones.
I say stop these expensive building plans that the creme de la creme are dreaming up around the country*; put a moratorium on them. We have to get basic matters seen to first, and Parliamentarians should just have to double-bunk if necessary.
Also remember the Parl.. part of their name, they are talkers, and how. But we now need doers of practical things more than chewing gum and advancing exciting ideas at the same time.
I am serious in this concern. I believe that many others will also feel the same way. Should we start a movement about it?
Christchurch stadium that will never pay for itself – $400 million. But can't afford to maintain swimming pool with proud community use and is doing away with mobile library bus to save money!!
Plus another moan – school buses are being run on such a lean budget that pupils who need it, are being refused transport even when it goes past their properties. Education was always the way that countries were told to increase to lift them up in the world, standards of living. So we no longer want to do that? Is that part of why NZ is diminishing?
Nelson which has an attractive library but talking up $44 million for another one at same level on side of river which would be affected by rising sea levels probably needing flood protection in future, costly. I think that the words – Better or as good as the finest, or world standard et al might have been mentioned. Something to beware of, this chest-thumping.
Education was always the way that countries were told to increase to lift them up in the world, standards of living. So we no longer want to do that? Is that part of why NZ is diminishing?
All over the country I think we would find feverish plans to do this or that new mainly to cater for the tourists they hope will come, when they have present attractions that could be flossied up and the emphasis should be on local performance which gives work to people, and advances skills, and which is unique and ihas the multiplier effect on the local and national economy.
Boomers lose what remains of their teeth when their two favourite shows Fair go, which which is about other Boomers being ripped off by brown people, and Casketeers, which is about the coffins they will soon be in…
…temporarily make way for a show about emerging young talent.
andrew little is acting irrationally in his opposition to fixing the cannabis laws.
to date 17 American states have legalised cannabis with the latest being New Mexico just yesterday.
His refusal to do anything is more or less archaic and comes with no explanation except his other irrational fixation which is he is going to mend and repair the mental health of the whole nation in one budget.
does he come by this fixation by himself or who is feeding him his lines?
well there goes a big delusion right there.
as they say over there either shit or get off the pot!
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Easily fixed.
So when will President Biden and the "Democrats" fix it?
https://twitter.com/AWKWORDrap/status/1381262710483136512
At the same time when we could give our empty Ghost Houses to the homeless – or government could instruct Winz to pay weekly rents rather then overpriced stays in slum motels.
Easily fixed that homeless problem, right? Good grief, Morrissey i get it you don't like these guys, but don't complain about other peoples doorstep when in our country we can't even see ours.
"slum motels" Sabine? That is a little emotive. You lose the argument when you overdo the invective, though I agree that it is scandalous that so many people are being put in motels.
In Northland some of the motels are not exactly top draw Git. Some are repurposed, worn out hotels which I am not going to name and shame-the North gets enough flak.
We have good things happening too with Papakainga projects and trusts like He Korowai and others that are supplying housing.
Sabine is not wrong because units that are designed for short stay, low impact use, by one or two people end up with families in them for months, and can turn into slum like conditions quickly enough.
Motels are designed to be slept in nightly. Assuming the unit has two bedrooms and a bathroom (usually the case) and is kept clean by the inhabitants, while this might not be palatial, a family of 4 should be able to live reasonably in such a unit. (I accept the this is not ideal-see my comment above)
To call this a "slum" (def: "a squalid and overcrowded urban street") is invective-go and see the favelas in San Paolo or the slums of Kolkata
Slum actually isnt to far off, I stayed in one near the airport… feral cats, rubbish overflowing in the carpark, minimal cleaning in common areas, mouldy bathrooms, families of four in 25m2 twin rooms no laundaru facilities…
Was only one night would never go back… I feel very sorry for the families stuck there its a national disgrace
nothing stopping the inhabitants from doing a bit of cleaning.I presume they are getting a roof over there heads for free. I rent a house but dont expect landlord to do the cleaning and yardwork. I agree some of these motels are pretty crappy, but a little bit of an effort by some of the inhabitants could do wonders.
IS that the oldopen the bathroom window if you have black mold growing in your 580$ two week bedroom flat. Why don't you clean the house? A bit of bashing down, to feel good?
Yeah, woodart, i agree, why not blame the down trotten and poorest of this country for the failure of successive governments.
Also. you do realise that people in emergency housing also can have jobs? They are just HOMELESS.
Or is that something that would ruin you worldview? That working people, newborn babies, and retirees in New Zealand are homeless because of the last thirty odd years of 'poo poo you so as long as i have mine' mentality of NZ.
get off your high horse.I live in a falling down cottage that had been abandoned for three yrs before I moved in, reroofed half of it, repiled half of it, insulated the ceilings with old real estate signs because there is no roof hatch, painted it, all on MY dollar, cheap rent ,but I have to get off my arse and do these things, not just sit on a forum and whinge. it is MUCH easier to be a victim, but my worldview is that your worldview(constantly looking at others for solutions)is for losers. get off your arse, if there is mould on window sills(a constant problem in my cottage) go buy a cheap bottle of bleach and wipe them all down.
Good on ya, guess its all fault of the people stuck in shit motels cause 'they didnt get off their arse' so I guess lets just forget about em…
Very soon we encourage young mothers and their babies to live in sheds and insulate the accommodation with straw and old rags…… hang on, was this not something out of the Dickensian times?
But who would know that these days, those kids will never get a proper school education anyway…. yeah, let go back to the good ol' 1800's. Maybe some workhouses, we need someone to pick fruit. Yes? Is this where we going and strife for, the brutalization of the human spirit?
It doesn't have to be a binary choice between personal agency and collective support – we can and should require both.
I really hope you own that cottage or are you doing this work in exchange for free living. Cause that would be the only reason for you to do that.
If you rent that shitter and get the pleasure to fix it up for a greedy landlord than like with all the other in that situation i have nothing but pity for you.
Sure, keep your room tidy, clean a little. But with no laundry, no cooking facilities, cramped space, only outdoor area over run with rubbish and feral cats, living on shit takeaway food it'd be fucking soul destroying after a week or so….
details details. s/
dont you think theres a link between shit takeaway food, rubbish everywhere and feral cats? have stayed at some shitty motels, havent found one without a powerpoint. get a cheap one ring cooker(or gas canister camp stove) for less than the price of a feed of maccas, go to the sallies, get a couple of saucepans and cook ,instead of wasteing what money you have on takeaways….or you can continue to whine and play the victim. have seen families living in dirt floor huts in the third world who can cook good meals in one pan, AND keep there houses spotless. its all about the mindset, obviously many on here have a "whats the world going to do for us"mindset. yeah right, continue on that way, see how far down you can go, before someone else holds your hand..
woodart you have a point. People don't realise that they have abilities to help themselves even in dire surroundings. But I think it may be less helplessness or laziness, but a feeling that this is slipping back into the 19th century past and ‘I don't want to go there. I want to progress and move ahead and if I accept these conditions and manage at this level, the authorities will be prepared to leave me here saying 'Oh they're all right'.’
For years people were not able to get a state house with its affordable rent and security of tenure unless they were living in a draughty garage. Now I think that might be regarded as suitable accommodation of a long-term temporary nature.
Life is quite complex when you are struggling. What seems straightforward behaviour to adopt can actually not be the best if you know how the system works. For instance it may seem good for someone on a benefit to get some work. But it won't pay much, involves the cost of travel, and the authorities take away the grant that you rely on, by a dollar for every gross dollar you earn, which then has tax taken out and the net amount received leaves you worse off overall. It can be brutal when you are up against the mindset of judgmental people who condemn others' humanity who have less, regarding them as scruffy rejects of society when all have their gifts as well as their lacks.
Think you'll find the motels dont allow in room cooking… and I am well aware that what we regard as poverty in NZ is comparativly wealthy compared to many other countries. Ive seen that first hand living in a falling apart communist era tower block in eastern Europe.
We just dont know how lucky we are?
I just dont accept that as an arguement as to why we cant be doing much better than we are currently given the living situation for many is steadily worsening.
When it comes to a fridge I expect the old bar style fridge is still used in a motel. Those in emergency housing need to apply every 7 days to MSD and the occupant can be disrupted if the unit is required for a booking due to the amount of guests.
Even if there was a fridge freezer to hold a week of groceries some of the groceries would spoil without refrigeration and go to waste. Carting around open packets of staples would be annoying.
I find this darkly ironic because 'end of life motel' is an accurate description of exactly where we're living at present.
It's not so much the fact of it being not an ideal home, but we're OK with it we're doing this as a short term measure and we have some control and choices. Being trapped there long-term with little prospect of change would be quite different – and very corrosive on family life.
they are slums. if only because no money is spend upgrading and actually making them fit for purpose.
they are slums because we dump people there without any access to mental health, protection from crime, and even help to the motel operators who suddenly have people on home D there, people with addiction health issues, people who are gang involved / related and no help from government, winz, or any other services.
the Favelas and the slums of kolkata are different because here in NZ our homeless have yet to take to the hills and just start building shanty towns, And personally i wonder just how far away we are from that.
Um Sabine, if you check my comments above you will see that I said it is scandalous that we have to resort to putting people in hotels. My problem is people overstate how bad the conditions are-I repeat that they are not close to being slums.
Re the comments above-surely a launderette would be walking distance from most motels. And even when you pay to stay in a motel you are expected to keep it clean.
We all need "protection from crime", not just the people housed in motels. Similarly mental health is not just an issue related to people staying in motels.
again, why don't you come and visit.
and bring a duffle bag of dirty clothes and linnen and then we walk to the next laundromat hang out there for the time your clothes wash and dry and then we walk bac. and if you have a toddler or two bring them too, just so that we can experience the awesomeness of poverty full throttle. But in syaing that, you need to have the ten bucks it would cost you to not only wash the clothes but to also dry it. And people who recieve tens of dollars in benefits may find that hard to afford.
Poverty is very expensive. Just saying.
I live in Rotorua, come for a visit and check out the slum motels that we house the homeless in – in fact the government is currently financing the landbanking of businesses that should have gone out of business a long time and if only because they are not fit for anything else then house some stag party where then no one cares about the damage.
Once you did, come and visit and we go have a chat about the substandard accommodation that we shove these people in, out of sight out of mind, and btw, in which newborns are shoved into too – and in which babys have died (can't think of a most wasted life there, born into poverty, three days old in emergency housing) , cause we as a country really don't care.
I don't care about the polite society in NZ, they are for the most part responsible for the misery that is happening across NZ in motels called 'emergency accommodation' for which the tax payer forks out a million + a night.
So yeah, if my emotive comment upset you, just drink a glass of 'she'll be right, lucky it ain't me' and you will feel better in a second.
Very much a case of 'out of sight out of mind' remember how fiercely the Nats were casitgated for using hotels as emergency housing, politicans having sleep outs in solidarity with the homeless … strangely quite now and the problem is getting steadily worse… but its ok now cause 'kindness'
Its a disgrace and pressure on politicians needs to be immense, how are babies, children growing up in the places going to go in later life. We are busy building massive societal issues and not many people seem overly bothered.
yep, that is what i am pointing out every now and then, ]
i am still making the same comments i did under National. Nothing, absolutly nothing has changed, other then Covid we are were we were in 2016.
I would argue its far worse than it was in 2016. Next to nothing has actually been achieved ie completed to alleviate the issue.
Lots of talk fuck all action and spare me the it's less worse than it would have been under National brigade.
Sabine:"Nothing, absolutely nothing has changed,"
This is simply wrong Sabine. National sold off state houses, reducing the stock in NZ. This government has increased the number of state houses and is further increasing numbers. Search the Standard for the total number of state houses-this is an issue that has been much discussed.
Try to include facts and a sense of perspective in your comments.
i do.
But when it comes to our homeless nothing has changed.
Don't look at it from our comfortable view, look at it from the view of the guy who lost his job, who is trying to survive on unemployment benefits. Look at it from the view of the women on a fixed benefit that will have a rent increase soon, another 80 – 100$ and who will end up in emergency housing or a ditch near anyone of us.
Rents sky high. Mortgages so out of reach that the government increases help ot first home buyer who are trying for an affordable house of around 700.000 + .
Look at it from the view of the kid that goes from unsecured rental to car to motel to car to motel to maybe an unsecured rental. And who can't get on with schooling cause they move every few weeks/month.
One could call it the emergency housing to prison pipeline.
Nothing much has changed.
I include facts often enough, in fact i am a stickler for links to support my argument. And currently a fact is that the first three years of Labour were to some extend squandered, and the Covid housing boom made it worse for everyone. These too are facts.
The grand housing plan from Grant Roberston is well nice, but lacks in teeth.
and I don't need to again rehash what national did not do, and chances are will not do next time they get in again, as they are currently not running the show. I will moan about them when it is their turn, i am bipartisan that way.
And for those in emergency housing, for those fearing to end up in emergency housing nothing has changed.
From January this year
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-zealands-public-housing-crisis-waiting-list-grows-nearly-1000-in-two-months/UFYUW4QAUXIYZARA2ASC2L56VY/
dead baby in emergency housing – reason may not be known for month!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/124783505/wellington-babys-cause-of-death-may-not-be-known-for-months-coroner-to-investigate
from March this year
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/438289/fears-for-children-in-motels-growing-up-next-to-gang-members
For the poorest and most ignored in our country, women and children on social beggar benefits, retirees that can't afford rent on their fixed income, working poor who can't afford a house / flat/ditch even with an accom benefit there is no discernable difference between National Housing issues and Labour Housing issues. It is them that will always pay the bills of the failures of successive governments. And that is my opinion, nothing more nothing less.
Just a few facts.
Sabine: I agree with you that the level of poverty in NZ is totally unacceptable-we are not so far apart at all on this issue. I am looking for a major increase in benefits in the upcoming budget.
But if you look back over my posts you will see that I have said many times that I support the Green Party's Wealth Tax which is specifically designed to make serious inroads into poverty (or even eliminate it) by taxing only rich people-couples who have net assets over $2 million.
Until we have a quantum shift like a Wealth Tax, which in the case of the Green Party proposal is estimated to raise $7.9 billion annually, poverty will continue in this country.
again, this is not a failure of one party vs the other. Its a failure by Government. I go to great pains to call for 'government' action ,not party action.
It does not matter atm which party to support. Everyone here was scared into voting for Labour cause Judith!!!!!! Never mind she could not get elected dog catcher ourside her own electorate. And all the third parties suffered and here we are.
And now we have a party in majority and they squander every bit of their advantage and only the gods know why. but it certainly not to our benefit.
I guess i am moaning again.
BG at 1.1.1 – I hope this is not a measure we want to put on the table. I mean, substandard conditions are a health hazard and really trap families in a hopeless situation. You can use these accommodations temporary but not instead of housing. And talking about housing….
F Waka-see my comment above where I say it is scandalous that NZ is housing people in motels.
On a recent holiday, we stayed in a campground north of Thames.
Another aspect of children living in a motel/campground is the places to play, socialize, ride bikes. Most surfaces are concreted.
Also having yr neighbours change every day or other day. Not good.
Impose squatters rights on the 40,000 ghost houses in Auckland as a start. Then move to the other 60,000 in the rest of the country.
I disagree that it is a financial constraint, it is a lack of will.
Fair point, Sabine—however it's not a case of me "not liking these guys"; I was simply reminding everyone of where public money is going, as opposed to where it should be going. In this case of course, it is the USA, but obscene mis-prioritizations of funding occur here as well, although not on the same scale.
You obviously haven't been listening. Biden has a 1.9 trillion infrastructure proposal before the Congress right now. That proposal includes funding for housing the homeless as well as many other social justice issues. If only our government was as proactive.
I doubt that Mossie reads WaPo.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/08/homeless-hud-marcia-fudge/
+1
"If only our government was as proactive. "
Is this in any way serious? NZ is so far ahead of the US in handling the pandemic that we don't have remotely similar problems. The US stimulus will allow further housing of people in motels, something which NZ is already doing.
You do realise that there was a change of govt in the US on 20 Jan 2021. Up until that time, the do nothing Chump was in charge. Since that time (in 83 days to be precise) the country has been rolling out vaccines at a phenomenal rate. The rate of infection, while still high, has dropped and has steadied at around 70,000 cases per day from a peak of over 225,000 cases per day under Trump in Jan this year. Half of the adult population (150 million) have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The stimulus package (which has been approved) is not the same thing as the Infrastructure Package which is aimed not at housing people in motels – but in building homes.
You thought the clear difference between the challenges faced by the US and NZ should be highlighted?
And if you think housing people in motels is not an outcome of the infrastructure proposal then you should read the WaPo link.
Just as in NZ, in the US there is a lack of suitable social housing, and the initial stimulus package included funds to immediately house homeless people, as explained in the WaPo article.
But.
It then goes on to explain further the initiatives that are also included in the Infrastructure package that has just been revealed a week ago.
my bold.
Where’s Mossie gone?
Sounds like you want Kiwibuild to be given another crack. But as far as I am aware the govt is building and running the state housing stock, reversing a prior National govt sell off. I just can't see how its possible to claim our govt is not proactive with reference to policies well under way in NZ.
It is true there are some steps being made by the current govt here in NZ to reverse the damage done under previous administrations, but it is far too little IMHO. The emphasis on Kiwibuild is fine for those who might be able to afford to buy a home, but there are many others for whom that vision is simply out of the question. The reliance on private developers to do the work is also a problem. Having worked for a time in the civil construction industry, developers are only in the game for the end dollar. "Cheap" is not an attractive option for them. The money is always in the middle to upper end of the market.
Furthermore for many they are really not interested in 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom and garage, even if one was offered. I work on a voluntary basis here with a group of rough sleepers, and all they want is someplace to have a shower, go to the toilet, cook a meal, and have a chat if they feel the need for some company. When it is raining they would like a dry place they can doss down for the night. We have around 20 -30 rough sleepers in our town right now. I have written to the Ministers for Housing, Social Development, Maori Housing, and Associate Minister for Homelessness, outlining a proposal for a Hub providing such amenities, and ongoing staffing through an acceptable NGO. I have not had the courtesy of a reply.
Every commentator on the MSM whether from real estate or developers or advocacy groups all say that the government should just embark on a massive house-building programme. The leftie ones continue that sentence … "just like Michael Joseph Savage".
This government has found that the states' capacity to execute policy anywhere let alone in housing construction is far, far weaker than they imagined.
The amount of support that Minister Twyford got for trying to start such a programme was next to zero including from his caucus and his PM. They let him swing on the manifesto promises they all signed up to. And he was the only one in this government with enthusiasm for forming anything new that would deliver. So no other Minister is going to try that again.
Good on you for your volunteer efforts that's more than I do. I'd recommend the staff of Megan Woods. She's a solid unit, and about as active as this lot are going to get.
That’s just one impact of the School Strikes for Climate Action.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/climate-emergency/school-strikes-give-govt-mandate-to-act-on-climate
Being visible, being heard, having a strategy and action taken by governments is the way forward when it comes to climate change and ecological sustainability.
Indeed, and while smart young people flex their voices, pale stale male National is trying to bog it down in bickering, as usual, about modelling assumptions and technical details. Stall, stall, stall, in the hope that it will be watered down so much it becomes a meaningless toothless toad, just like the National Party.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300275333/national-wont-vote-for-climate-change-commission-proposals-in-current-form
Oh well said sir!
At the moment the best Shaw can come up with is replacing coal boilers for school heaters….
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2104/S00079/carbon-neutral-government-a-step-closer.htm
… which amounts to pretty much doing nothing at all.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/new-zealands-greenhouse-gas-emissions
I'm sure he's going to shock us with his boldness on May 31st.
I do not think science has yet come up with an alternative technology which will be used to stop greenhouse gas emissions. For now it is about cutting the gas emissions.
A new lever on the standard model. This could be the answer once muons are worked out. There are other forms of energy which will be discovered.
If you are a Minister outside of Cabinet, there is really very little policy one can initiate, because you do not have a seat at the table where the real decisions on what is to be done and prioritised, are made.
Oh horseshit. He's generated the legislation he wanted, the Commission he wanted, and the recommendations he wanted all on his policy area. The release from Shaw today shows how proud he is of getting prioritiations through. He knows how to influence effectively. He's just weak.
He has $200 million to play with. That's his limit. That was approved in 2019, when he did have a seat at the table.
It has been said that I am always negative on TS (not actually true) however here is a little something to give readers a few laughs…a great look back at some of the funniest and most over the top anti Russian Mccarthyite hysteria headlines to come from the Liberal press over the past few years …enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr2SmniV0HY&t=48s
What a wonderful world we live in when a pot head comedian is regularly more switched on, informed and informative than flagship liberal media and their vast readerships …
Word for the day: Running dog is a pejorative term for an unprincipled person who helps or flatters those more powerful and often evil.
But that's not what's going on in that video
No flattery of Putin whatsoever, rather criticism of the soviet type propaganda exercise , taken up by corporate news media in the west ,blaming outsiders for internal dysfunction, and amplifying secret "intelligence" allegations
Anybody disputing the official govt story is promptly gaslighted as unwitting Kremlin dupes, or "running dog"losers .What a brilliant way to cower people into keeping their mouths shut for fear of being cut loose from the pack
.
Oh, get off the grass.
It is only the raging Putin dupes who find it necessary to impose their lack of judgement upon us, day in, day out.
Let us be explicit here, your fellow travelers are promoting a murderous kleptocrat and former head of the Stasi, on a leftwing site, and for some reason expect not to be greeted with universal contempt.
How's that working out for you?
Putin headed the Stasi, did he? Where did you learn that—from Rachel Domdaw?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPpyn3QwSj0
criticism of the soviet type propaganda exercise , taken up by corporate news media in the west ,blaming outsiders for internal dysfunction, and amplifying secret "intelligence" allegations
Were you not Putin dupes, menkurt dependents of his propaganda sources, you would find yourself a few eastern European sources, folk who suffered the Soviet occupation for preference. People from Byelorussia or the Ukraine would soon put you straight about the crap you regurgitate here ad nauseum. The style of that propaganda is instantly recognizable – and often relies on drawing false parallels between less compromised organs like the NYT, and fully compromised ones like RT.
In your naivete, you are dangerous. Do some homework – get the real story on the monster whose work you are doing.
While you amplify hegemonic US talking points
You are dangerous for any journalist who speaks out against a war mongering western elite
While you amplify hegemonic US talking points
The funny thing, ma petite choux choux, is that I don't. It's not me that, day in, day out posts pathetic drivel in support of a genocidal sonofabitch – that would be you Putin dupes.
America doesn't talk about Chechnya – it coincided with and took advantage of the US invasion of Iraq – it's not a US talking point at all. But I imagine, to the tragic pawn of a murderous despot, that level of compromise must seem natural, even inevitable.
My reply is "awaiting moderation"
heh
I mean, we could all try a bit more moderation in some way or another 🙂
Censorship—don't you love it!
Sometimes words have two meanings 🙄
Same thing just happened to me, francesca. I challenged Mr Munro over his remarkable claim that the President of one country ("R") headed the spy agency of another ("E.G.") and I asked him if he had received that information from a particularly foolish and discredited MSNBC commentator, and provided a clip of that commentator insanely repeating the name of the country "R" and its President.
Lo and behold, I found my post marked "awaiting moderation."
There's a lot of it about.
Ok KGB, not Stasi – though these despotic intelligence organizations are very alike and cooperated – sharing files and methodologies.
Advocates and journalist calling for even greater property inflation….what the hell are they thinking?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/governments-first-home-loan-scheme-totally-redundant
maybe this is the problem?
And increasing the thresholds simply puts a higher floor under the market….as they should all understand.
still, why exclude do-er uppers. Maybe really that is an issue, specifically if that is the only house you can buy for the money the government thinks is the amount you could buy for in any given area.
You get nigh to nothing in Rotorua for 500.000 grand. Before covid no issue, but thanks to a year of low interest rates and cashed up 'expat' kiwis coming home, no longer. Just to show you how obscene it is, the property that i bought 4 years ago for 200.000 grand is now worth over 500.000 grand. And between Christmas and March it increased almost 100.000 in value. I did put in heatpump, insulation, bathroom fan etc – yes this was a rental property – but nothing that would allow for that type of increase other then speculation and desperation. Sad thing, well funny too, if i were to sell, i could not afford a new property. Luckily, this is my forever home, and hopefully i can keep it.
Maybe the inflation is driven by desperation.
Excluding doer uppers is indeed foolish but I guess if you are promoting 'healthy homes' allowing it gives opposition voices a stick to beat you with…politics trumps common sense.
I suspect the thresholds were set with one eye on where they would like the lower quartile to settle…..maybe inflation is set by expectations.
i bought an 'unhealthy home' and fixed it for about 6 grand to make it healthy and that includes a heat pump.
that should not be a reason.
Inflation currently is set by desperation. Not expectations. Heck, i have yet to do the driveway. lol……………………… But i got the drain dudes in last week and i dug out hte broken piece of drain and fixed it! Woot.
And just wait until the rates increases are coming through. Porirua, one of the poorer areas around Wellington except Aotea, has been told to expect 8% increase. On top of that they talk about a separate levy for waste water pipes maintenance. Yep, I am sure the council staff is well heeled whilst the rest will be loosing their roof over the head. Why is inflation being said to be low? There is a 10% increase of rates which represents some 30-50% of your living costs. No longer, its then 40-60%. I know that supermarkets have increased their pricing in the last 12 months and judging by my weekly bill that hasn't really changed in terms of product bought, I look at 7-8% minimum depending whether I allow myself some meat.
Maybe inflation figures assessed are of all those who can deduct GST, this would be 1-2% inflation alright.
"what the hell are they thinking?"
They are obviously thinking about themselves and their business models. A bigger government subsidy to 1st home buyers, means more people knocking on these guys' doors looking for the balance of the purchase price. That this increases demand and will likely push prices still higher, they don't give a flying f*ck about – it's all about them and the perpetual drive to make even more money. There are so many bad faith actors in this scummy little thing called a 'housing market' that it's hard not to puke.
Sadly I fear you are correct….though why the journalist didnt ask those questions is disturbing.
Macro you think Biden's 1.9trillion package will solve the US "s homeless problem you are joking .
When you look at where it's going to be spent and the fact that it could be filibuster by the GOP .
look up the term budget reconciliation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(United_States_Congress)#:~:text=The%20Senate%20filibuster%20effectively%20requires,majority%20support%20in%20the%20Senate.
Man what could our people here – those who don't work from home, and who are not rich, and who have lost their jobs and who live of begger welfare payments – do with a bit of a stimulus payment. Lol….our people did not even get a christmas bonus payment for some slices of Pams Ham. Go figure.
Just a little trickle down to the people rather then shoveling money to connected people and their 'shovel ready' projects.
While its clear that the democrats control the US govt to the extent they can pass as much legislation as they want, they also already managed to reneg on the $15 federal minimum wage which was a campaign promise. It will hardly be surprising if such a large spending bill gets markedly reduced while negotiating it through government, especially with the corporate tax hikes coupled with it.
Of course as Mozzy highlighted no similar scale military budget has such problems passing (or changes corporate taxes by a cent).
Repugs will vote for aircraft carriers and filibuster wage increases.
It's that simple. For the dems to pass legislation in the Senate they need to change the filibuster rules or get 60
$% (the dollar sign was a typo but was too appropriate to leave out, lol) of the seats.The democrats could easily have avoided the filibuster in the minimum wage case, using the same procedure Sabine highlighted. They decided to make it a problem which makes one think they also didn't want the minimum wage increase to go through.
They tried that procedure. It didn't work.
Yes, I am well aware that the democrats have been telling everyone just how incompetent they are at passing legislation.
On the other hand say an unelected office holder stood in the way of govt policy, say the reserve bank governor refused to reimplement LVR restrictions, do you think they could keep their position?
If they are doing their job, yes.
Especially if that job includes the function of ensuring that the legislative body follows the legislative process as defined by law, in this case the Congressional Budget Act (section 313).
What next, firing judges who hold that the minimum wage law was illegal because it didn't follow the legislative process?
Amazing.
Sticking to your gas lighting I see.
Of course the Republicans have previously fired the senate parliamentarian. Not that it would have come to that had they made it clear that $15 was expected to be in there.
It's not gaslighting to actually focus on the case in question.
What is your argument that the Senate Parliamentarian made the legally incorrect decision? Was the minimum wage change an intrinsic part of the budget legislation, or was it being piggy-backed onto budget legislation in order to bypass the legislated process?
In your opinion, is the issue of minimum wage "extraneous" to a budget bill?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Care_and_Education_Reconciliation_Act_of_2010
This went through that process in 2010.
No, a minimum wage increase will quite clearly effect the budget. Boosting both income tax collected and the pay of some federal employees.
A number of democrat senators didn't support the $15 minimum wage rate Biden wanted, so it still wouldn't have passed if they sacked they senate parliamentarian and put it to a vote.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/541860-the-eight-democrats-who-voted-no-on-15-minimum-wage
Agree. This could have made things difficult for democrats who were against the increase in their electorates.
A bill that (by your link) changes specific federal budget expenses and taxes/charges is not extraneous to a budget, no.
The closest you could get to that with minimum wage is to itemise how many federal employees are on the minimum wage, if any.
Just saying that the downstream economic effects would affect the budget in some unknown way would make everything from the death penalty to speed limits non-extraneous to the budget.
Just pretending words mean whatever they want so they can avoid legislative restrictions was the hallmark of the orange regime, not rule of law.
Yes, its just a fact that the govt budget and the economy are intertwined. There are clear reasons why treasury produces a forecast as part of the budget and when its not accurate then the deficit is off budget to the tune of a billion dollers (within 6 months). Same with the CBO, but with bigger numbers.
Unless you can propose a more accurate way of forecasting I see little way of splitting impacts up by budget impact, but the minimum wage clearly will impact the federal bottom line.
There is a fundamental interconnectedness of all things, but minimum wage increases are not connected to the budget in as direct a way as e.g. a clause explicitly increasing specific tax credits.
The bottom line is that the "parliamentarian" has a statutory role to ensure the legality of the process by which legislation is enacted. If that role was demonstrably performed incompetently or in bad faith, then fine, fire them.
But firing officials because one doesn't like their impartial, competent decisions about the legality of what one wishes to do is exactly the sort of presidency from which the USA needs to move away.
Yes, it did not work thanks to
moderate Democrat Jo Manchin from West Virginia
and moderate Democrat Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona.
As Dr, King once said, its not the radicals that he fears, the KKK's and the likes as they are open in their attitude, it is the moderates that he fears, as they have no issue with the status quo and thus are happy to maintain it to the detriment of everyone else.
A pox on the house of all moderates that hide among so called liberals and progressives.
The 15 min wage was killed because of these two Democrats. Sinema even tried to pull of a little John McCain, and did a little curtesy when she gave it that thumps down. Sounds a bit like the moderates in our so called progressive party.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/sinema-gives-a-thumbs-down-to-federal-minimum-wage-increase-to-15-per-hour/2021/03/05/2428d425-2370-4ed1-91f5-21b4a9495301_video.html
and funny it is these two that are upset that they have to give up the fillibuster for their friends in the republican party.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/us/politics/joe-manchin-filibuster-reconciliation.html
With friends like these who needs enemies. But it would really help if people actually looked a bit further.
So for the moment budget reconciliation it is and sometimes that is what one needs to do to get something done. That is still better then do fuck all, and state before the election that 'the beneficiaries will get nothing more then what we gave them'. Moderates. Just no.
But even without those two, it did not work because minimum wage levels are extraneous to the government's budget reconciliation process.
However, there is more than one way to skin a cat, especially with the repugs beginning their own little civil war. Dems have the moderate bloc and the coastal lefties, but the repugs have the magamob vs the corporate shills.
Thinking back over the years it used to be people became politicians and get into govt because they wanted to enact real change ie the Labour movement but with the rise of the career politician we are seeing a change where the aim is to become the govt for govts sake ie reach the top of the career ladder….
I'm not sure you'd pick it for a career. Doesn't pay that much and it looks very stressful.
I think politics picks them. They all seem to have an intense belief their opinion matters. Unfortunately, most are of the opinion that the boat shall not be rocked.
It may not pay much, but think of the ego trip these people relish. Not sure politics chooses them rather they choose politics cos no one else would employ them, sure, there are exceptions to this rule.
I think unlimited sick leave, guaranteed wage increase, a pension after just 3 years etc… helps. All financed by those who have a battle on their hands to keep afloat.
sure does.
Gee, that was quick.* Why didn't we do something sooner?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2021/04/investors-losing-interest-in-property-survey.html
*I doubt they are telling the truth, they are not the type.
They will invest in commercial property – not restrictions of any kind there. A person i know asked for a pop up shop here and was quoted i kid you not, 4500NZd plus GST, plus outgoings, plus insurance – a month. And we wonder why our towns are dying.
Obviously not a shovel ready project.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/440348/hutt-valley-high-school-principal-beyond-angry-as-classrooms-close-due-to-mould-leaks
They should contact James Shaw, get him to re-direct that $11.9m that went to the 'green' school. This school seems far more deserving.
Are you a disingenuous or just an ignorant troll?
Let’s just assume it was the least worse option: an ignorant troll. Next time we’ll see a flying troll
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/green-schools-11-7-million-grant-now-100-per-cent-government-loan
That's good to hear it is now only a loan to the Green school, I was unaware of that.
Thanks for advising. It annoyed me at the time as there are so many other public schools badly in need of funding.
I expect more structural defects will be found. Maybe a rebuild is the smarter decision.
The UN comes to the rescue, it is so good that we have it.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2104/S00128/volcanic-eruption-leaves-entire-population-of-saint-vincent-without-clean-water.htm
Last week’s eruption of La Soufrière volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,has left the entire population of the main island without clean water and electricity, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.
Emphasizing that access to the island is limited, Mr. Dujarric said that along with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the UN has mobilized pre-positioned water and sanitation hygiene supplies, currently stored in nearby Barbados….
“Explosions and accompanying ashfall of similar or larger magnitude are likely to continue to occur over the next few days”, according to the UN humanitarian office.
This is a government managing a country that has good financial standing, oh yes. It's just that a lot of people living in this country are being rorted by a system that no-one has the guts to change because it would involve some very wealthy people getting really pissed off. I'm doing all right, if other people did this…. or that…. (various well-worn recipes for cakes that won't rise) – that is why we are like this. But hey look over here, there's a tv celebrity with white teeth and wearing a Trelise Cooper or such, to take your mind off the probs.
Ordinary people at state schools have to put up with underfunding and not just plain and basic surroundings but neglected buildings that bureaucrats wouldn't work in. Cold, unpleasant and unhealthy.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/440348/hutt-valley-high-school-principal-beyond-angry-as-classrooms-close-due-to-mould-leaks
From next term, Year 12 and Year 13 students will have to do their work from home for two-and-a-half days a week because there's not enough room for them at school.
Two weeks ago teachers were given 30 minutes to clear their desks before a whole building was shut down and sealed off.
Thirteen classrooms, three bathrooms and a dance studio have been deemed unsafe…
[Acting Principal Denise Johnson]… Johnson told Morning Report the ministry has known about these issues for years.
She said it's only now that "we're in a crisis" that the ministry's response has been brilliant.
"This was a train wreck waiting to happen."
The building in question is 50 years old and ventilation is minimised by the design, being surrounded by other buildings, Evans said. ( (Ministry of Education's head of property delivery and infrastructure services Scott Evans)
In Nelson the Min of Ed refuse to provide extra classrooms for the nearest co-ed school and so people are forced to send their children to either of the one-sex schools in the city, though everybody wants choice. It certainly is not good for those who would benefit from a mixed gender environment such as the children of single parents, or those who want education amongst average society.
True to form, MediaJerks says: Nothing to see here.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mediaworks-harassment-inquiries-anger-after-internal-probe-finds-no-misconduct-at-the-rock/B5SJYS4H3IH2GWKRTIV7ISGKDA/
This despite multiple complaints about workplace culture.
edit
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/440374/new-parliament-building-to-house-mps-staff-planned-for-2022-build
Can't an empty or underutilised stadium be found for them? They have a doubtful productivity record and we can't afford to build another hive for people who have proved to be drones.
I say stop these expensive building plans that the creme de la creme are dreaming up around the country*; put a moratorium on them. We have to get basic matters seen to first, and Parliamentarians should just have to double-bunk if necessary.
Also remember the Parl.. part of their name, they are talkers, and how. But we now need doers of practical things more than chewing gum and advancing exciting ideas at the same time.
I am serious in this concern. I believe that many others will also feel the same way. Should we start a movement about it?
Plus another moan – school buses are being run on such a lean budget that pupils who need it, are being refused transport even when it goes past their properties. Education was always the way that countries were told to increase to lift them up in the world, standards of living. So we no longer want to do that? Is that part of why NZ is diminishing?
Education was always the way that countries were told to increase to lift them up in the world, standards of living. So we no longer want to do that? Is that part of why NZ is diminishing?
All over the country I think we would find feverish plans to do this or that new mainly to cater for the tourists they hope will come, when they have present attractions that could be flossied up and the emphasis should be on local performance which gives work to people, and advances skills, and which is unique and ihas the multiplier effect on the local and national economy.
Gawd, how pathetic. JuCo has a cry because old racist Phil
GlücksburgBattenburgthe Greek had such a hard time growing up.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip,_Duke_of_Edinburgh
Silly old bat.
What a surprise.
Boomers lose what remains of their teeth when their two favourite shows Fair go, which which is about other Boomers being ripped off by brown people, and Casketeers, which is about the coffins they will soon be in…
…temporarily make way for a show about emerging young talent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300275881/tvnz-backlash-grows-after-popstars-replaces-fair-go-this-is-a-joke
Good news they seem to have caught up with this bloke finally.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124808216/judge-tells-horticultural-contractors-to-prepare-for-jail-after-they-admit-to-17m-tax-evasion
Yes, it's good the whole industry is under the microscope now. The growers were complicit in this and a bit of sunlight is doing everyone some good.
andrew little is acting irrationally in his opposition to fixing the cannabis laws.
to date 17 American states have legalised cannabis with the latest being New Mexico just yesterday.
His refusal to do anything is more or less archaic and comes with no explanation except his other irrational fixation which is he is going to mend and repair the mental health of the whole nation in one budget.
does he come by this fixation by himself or who is feeding him his lines?
well there goes a big delusion right there.
as they say over there either shit or get off the pot!