Nakba Day marks the day in 1948 when over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and lands my Israeli colonists.
This Sunday Nakba Day is especially poignant coming as it does after the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, who dedicated her life to documenting the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians by the Israeli State. And was silenced forever by the occupation foreces.
Have you never been to Te Papa or Wellington Hospital and stopped to put your hand on the great pounamu boulder in one or other of those foyers? Or been moved to tears in front of Roimata Pounamu, Tears on Greenstone, the largest jade (nephrite) structure in the Southern Hemisphere, at Waiouru's National Army Museum? https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/visit/exhibitions/memorial-area-tears-on-greenstone/
Symbolism thing given the circumstances, I would think.
Obviously a waste of money as imagine it is a replica used for media, so doesn't need the security, but kind of understandable if you happen to be into the royals.
Following advanced war strategy that seems to have been gleaned by watching episodes of Blackadder goes forth the Russians are making multiple unsuccessful attempts to lay a pontoon bridge across the Siverskyi Donets river in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.
The rinse and repeat strategy for the Ukrainians appears to be to allow the Russians to lay down a pontoon bridge and get some troops and armour across. The pound the pontoon bridge with artillery, cutting off the troops that have just crossed and causing massive Russian losses on both sides of the river. And, just as in the Blackadder episode, the Russians appear to think that doing the same thing again gives them the element of surprise because no-one would expect them to be so stupid again.
Russia can't blame the west for their appalling performance in this war. It is the brainless strategy and tactics from the Russians more than anything else that explains why things are going so badly for them.
This is a horrible war, but this represents genuine innovation and lateral thinking in IT & GIS
I would reccommend reading the entire Trent Telenko tweet roll, but TL;DR is as follows:
"…Ukraine has developed and refined a groundbreaking artillery targeting solution that is, in many ways, better than anything else out there. It’s not U.S. tech. It’s not Israeli tech. It’s homegrown.
At the heart of it is Ukraine’s “GIS Art for Artillery” software package, written by Yaroslav Sherstyuk — one of many talented earth observation / geospatial (GIS) specialists working in Ukraine.
Sherstyuk's software is reminiscent of Uber or Lyft's taxi software. It’s a true distributed software environment that assigns targets to the nearest gun, mortar, rocket launcher, drone or SF team.
The software can coordinate targeting among a distributed group of multiple guns, with multiple trajectories, spanning a whole front, all focused on hitting one target at one time.
Just like Uber can get you a ride much faster than calling a cab company switchboard, “GIS Art for Artillery” can dramatically reduce the time “from call to trigger pull” — from around 20 minutes, to around 30 seconds (!)…"
This is not the only example of Russians doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For instance, they keep sending ships across to Snake Island, just off the Ukrainian coast, and the Ukrainians keep hitting them.
That is an interesting article, btw. I had the impression that the Ukrainians were a lot more accurate with their artillery, though hard to know whether it was just selection bias.
Ukraine's 'GIS Art for Artillery' app combined with Starlink actually gives the Ukrainian military measurably better than US Military standard artillery command and control.
The Ukraine War is the first Starlink War & the side with Starlink is beating the side without.
37/
There are a lot of implications in that thought.
Now comes the kicker. When the lasercom equipped SpaceX Gen 1.5 & 2.0 satellites come on-line.
38/
The ability to move huge amounts of bandwidth with zero ground based infrastructure will utterly subvert the ability of national governments & corporations to block or surveil Starlink communications.
39/
The only way the US Government will be able to monitor Starlink communications is with @elonmusk active cooperation.
The power shift involved in that fact is…profound…and something for another thread
40/
Meanwhile, a whole lot of very powerful people are going to have to rethink their place in the world as the Starlink juggernaut remakes the world by helping Ukraine win "The 1st Starlink War."
I don't think Russia can afford to lose this. So how does one translate the words "fat man" and "little boy" into Russian. Perhaps the Ukranians are being too smart for their own good.
[Please check and correct your user name in the next comment, thanks]
Whether Russia can afford to lose or not. Russia are losing.
Mikesh,your reference to the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and your slight that by winning the Ukrainians are being too smart for their own good.
Your claim that Russia cannot afford to lose, and your implication that if the Russian Federation cannot win with conventional weapons they will turn to nuclear weapons, and so Ukraine would be better to surrender now if they were smart.
Spoken like a true bully.
If Germany had had the nuclear weapon and threatened to use it if they Allies were to intervene in stopping the Nazi genocide and occupation of Europe. Would the Allies leave the Nazis to commit genocide and occupation?
I don't think so.
Everyone knows that you appease a bully, their violence and intimidation and blackmail will only increase.
We now have the highest petrol price we've ever had.
By itself this could sink this government, let alone the supermarkets.
What is particularly dark for those who want a carbon Zero future is that the rush-hour traffic grind is still there, indicating that there is very little elasticity in total petrol use at all.
Yep. PT options are simply not present (or ridiculously time consuming and therefore not practicable) for the majority of the people currently driving in Auckland's rush hour.
Of course, there are some (SAHM or nanny driving Tristan and Athena to private school) for whom neither time nor money are an issue.
But the majority of the people on the roads simply have no other alternative.
PT, where it's viable to use, is already significantly cheaper than driving a single-user car and paying for parking in the CBD.
Many many children if not most in akl are driven to their public schools too and elsewhere, as literally that is the cheaper option, and faster in many cases. And to be fair, there are also walking buses, car pooling etc. But a nice cheap shot at those that must be the reason for the problem we have, Stay at home Mothers (SAHM) and the kids they take to school for whom money and time may or may not be an issue, or is an issue and they are taking the kids to school before continuing on to work because they are too poor to be a Stay at home Mother. Also, sperm donators also drive their kids to school, and many do walk/bus.
The fact is that AKL has public transport and while it could be better and more varied it is not a bad coverage, but it is too expensive, and does not run on time most of the time. Which makes it unattractive if you have to be in school or work on time. In fact, it can be a detriment to ones job prospects if they are dependend on public transport. 🙂
And Yes, yes, i know the half price fare…..lol, set to expire in a few days, still waiting on the glorious announcement that this will be extended for another three month, while the fare structure should be overhauled and reconsidered and re-thought.
Set public transport at 1 NZD each – per trip, advertise the heck out of that, and watch kids may tell mum that they rather take the bus with their mates or Mum tell the bigger kids to take the bus dear. If they live in an area that is served and with a good time table.
Both cost for PT and availability of PT are the result of decades of not giving a shit by official on all level. By everyone, a nice buslane here and there is not a fix in a town that is huge and has over a million + people living there.
But hey, buy an electric car if you are rich enough, you will get a nice juicy several thousand dollar subsidy so that that Stay at Home Mother of Athena and Tristan can now drive teir children to private school in a tax payer subsidized EV. Now that is winning!
And were it is viable to use, it is ONLY significantly cheaper using PT then driving a single user car if only one person is in that car. And even then, depending on the time used – if you were to apply the 21.20 NZD(plus HP, SP, KWS) min wage per hour spend in traffic in a bus or in a train from Hamilton that only leaves twice a day, you might be still better of using a car, single serve.
disclaimer: have no car, never had a car, walked from Grey Lynn to New Market or Down town as it was faster. Have used bus for all other travel if needed. Rode a bicycle in Auckland in 98 when it was unfashionable and Lycra was still unheard of in NZ.
Sabine. That wasn't intended to be a cheap shot – but a recognition that for some families neither time nor money are a deterrent to driving.
In Auckland, at least in the city and suburbs (recognize that 'Auckland' also encompasses a significant rural area) – most kids can walk or bus to school. There is an extensive school bus network (my son uses it regularly), and primary schools (at least) are mostly within reasonable walking distance for the kids in their zone.
And, just saying – none of the kids I know who use PT to go to school would 'prefer' it over being driven….
Of course, if you are out of zone – then your transport needs may vary.
Auckland's bus system (which is most of the PT) only works if you are travelling into the CBD (or stopping along the route). It's pretty useless if you're going elsewhere – and a heck of a lot of people are going 'elsewhere' – especially with the hollowing out of the CBD post Covid and with the CRL disruptions.
In Auckland, unless you have 'free' parking at your work – you'd have to have 2-3 people in the car for driving (including CBD parking and petrol costs – but excluding depreciation – since no one counts that anyway) to be cheaper than PT.
However, the 'one-person' driving trips is significant – since it's the number of them that we continually have drummed in our ears as examples of 'selfish car drivers'. No one is interviewing these drivers to see if there are (realistic) alternatives….
My disclaimer: I have a car. Drive to work (15 min against the traffic) because there are no viable PT options across suburbs in Auckland. When I worked in the CBD I used PT regularly. My son uses PT to go to school (unless he's taking the bari sax – in which case I drive him)
At the moment the same people that can afford neither a car or the bus are subsidizing the very expensive green washed EV cars for the rich. Just saying.
I lived in Auckland and i worked in Auckland. I know Auckland. I am also raised on public transport so don't have the obsession that kiwis have with their cars to the point where they feel they are incomplete if they don't have one.
As for Stay at home Mums, or Mum who work, Woman just can't do it correctly so for some. Drive your kids to school – lazy polluting rich mum, don't drive your kids to school – lazy poor mum. Never mind that i would guess most women drive their kids to school and then themselves to work. And many do a hybrid version of kids take themselves and sometimes are driven to school – and that is irrespective of income.
What about the one person driving trips of men to the booze store? Or to the pup? or the rugby game? Could they not take the bus? How many people drive to the dairy? Do you need to drive to the supermarket? Or do you need to do that holiday trip with the boat and the gadgets to go cycling several hundreds of kilometres from where one lives to dash around a mountain bike ruining some lovely mountainside?
If we really want to be serious we need to make public transport cheap, fast, often, safe, – even at night time, specifically for those that are not be-penised, and that is what we don't do. We would need to build bus shelters, run buses every 10 min during rush hour and every 20 min for the rest of the day. Maybe run smaller shuttles during the low use times etc. Have decent drivers that are trained, actually know the stops on their route and who are paid a decent wage. But that thinking is not yet being done out lout. WE celebrate a train that runs twice a day and costs up to 30 NZD half price for both trips or 60 NZD full price for both trips from Hamilton to AKL and that does not include kids, it is cheaper and faster to drive a bloody car then. https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/fares/
But we really believe that tinkering on the edges with full price – unaffordable to anyone who is not in full time position well over the min wage, is the way to go and that is why we are here in this postion. Not because some men and non men n use their private vehicle the way they see fit or must.
So personally i believe that the fault of the public transport misery in AKL and the rest of NZ for that matter is not the fault of an individual that may be too rich for some, or too lazy for some others, but the fault of Polititans that have no vision, no guts, no spine, and above all no idea of how to get something like this even up and running. We like cheap band aids, and that is what we get in all cases.
A good percentage of children are not driven by car to school and use other modes of transport. Why would it be cheaper to drive your child to school if you have a School Bus that does the same thing and you won’t even have to get out of your PJs?
I think there are 2 things going on here.
Convenience. It's just easier for Mum (and it usually is Mum) to drive the kids, than organize them to get up on time for the bus. [I speak from experience – the leave-the-house-to-catch-the-bus-deadline is a constant struggle in my household]
Stranger danger. Parents (especially upper-middle-class parents) have had stranger danger drummed into them as a huge and significant risk – which shapes their willingness to let their kids out of their sight in public.
Real-life story. When my son was 6 he asked me to let him walk home alone from the school bus stop – about a 5 minute walk. Up to then, I'd been meeting him as he had to cross a major road. I agreed, and we decided I'd shadow him the first time, to make sure he was safe crossing the intersection. He demonstrated excellent safety skills (so cute! Mama heart beating with pride)- and I was happy for him to fly solo. In that first fortnight – I must have had 20 calls from concerned parents and friends asking me if I knew he was walking home alone – with the very strong subtext being that I was a bad mother for letting him do this.
Stranger-danger is a thing but how and when are our children meant to get the social skills to navigate safely and survive in ‘the jungle’? Are we going to drop them off and pick them up from uni, from work, and from rugby practice forever? Of course not!
Oh, I agree that kids need to develop life skills- and it's best to do that within reasonably expanding boundaries from the time they are small.
I'm just pointing out what's going on in the parents' minds.
FWIW – I think stranger danger is way overhyped – kids are statistically at hugely greater risk from family or close personal friends – but that's not a point that's easy to make 😉
Agreed. Some parents though are not doing their children any favours by being over-protective and warping [Edit: I meant wrapping] them in cotton wool. And I’m not referring to just physical protection either. With the increased use of and time spent on-line I believe that people’s social/people skills will deteriorate. Swipe left or swipe right, that’s the question
I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills.
"I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills."
It would appear so, but what is the remedy, when no one (or very few) appear willing to abandon or even curtail its use?….it may be like housing affordability, the widespread calls for remedy will only occur when the damage is done and the remedies so painful their adoption are still resisted until they occur by force of nature.
No remedy necessary when it has not been officially and formally declared a problem by the authorities, which is usually preceded by experts & others raising the alarm for years if not decades.
Due to Covid I spent a long time working from home and I don’t think it was beneficial to my ‘social energy’. Banter, chats, OTC exchanges, et cetera, are a glue that binds and holds us together, the ‘weak forces’ of human nature (love & sex being among the ‘strong forces’, obviously).
That's an excellent point, and one I have made in ECan submissions before – the cost issue is not hugely relevant for single users who live in walking distance of major routes, it's people with limited access and families where the issues/costs lie.
Auckland has plenty of bus stops, but wait times are too long, new research has found.
The research, published by The Lancet Global Health, found just 56 per cent of Aucklanders have access to public transport running every 20 minutes or less.
Erica Hinckson, professor of physical activity and the environment at AUT, said Auckland was doing well with bus stops every 500m, but that was not enough.
"There needs to be a regular service. People are not going to use public transport because it is not convenient.
"You hear the stories of people saying 'I waited at the bus stop for an hour and then I was late for everything'," Hinckson said.
Make sure you keep smiling at us all when floods smash peoples' houses, seas crash through their doors, northern forests die from drought, and fuel-driven food inflation hits supermarkets at an annual 10%.
You seem to miss the point Ad. These things are less likely to happen if the price of fuel goes so high that people can't afford to use much of it, which is what I support…..except the inflation bit of course, but even that will wane.
You clearly have no idea how little elasticity there actually is in our petrol and diesel use.
Even Auckland which has the best public transport system in New Zealand, you would be lucky to ever find Aucklanders taking more than 15% of trips taken by non-car means. Hey maybe in a dream state we'll get to 20%.
Even for Auckland's small percentage who do take public transport, it's on diesel buses.
There one quarter of Auckland where public transport truly competes against the car is the North Shore. Auckland's wealthiest quarter. Done on diesel buses.
Outside of Auckland and Wellington there is no useful public transport in New Zealand and mostly it's only used by the very, very poor and the Gold Card people. Barely 5% of trips taken pre-COVID. Now it's worse.
Those who laugh at suffering as you do have no place in any reform movement.
But with high petrol prices if people can't take PT they will buy cars that use much less fuel and they will cut down on journeys and even bicycle short distances.
3 years ago I bought a new Suzuki Swift that uses less than half of the petrol of my previous car which was made in 2006.
Incidentally fuel is only 40% of the cost of running a car.
Here is a very interesting BBC video on how the current conflict is changing the nature of war. One of the key points is how the all-seeing nature of war now makes it very difficult for attacking forces to make progress, and a likely move to more autonomous attack methods. As Sanctuary points out above, the Ukrainians appear to be adapting better to modern technological advances in term of targeting for instance.
Anyone else starting to feel sorry for poor old Bob Harvey? He is becoming that silly old duffer with name recognition who gets wheeled out whenever some transport snake oil salesmen come to town…
This government ditched an $800m shared path, failed to give even 1 bridge lane to cyclists, and has spent over $100m designing the full bridge replacement without 1 wheelbarrow of concrete down.
NZTA's efficiency is not measured at all by the size of its Comms team.
If you want to try and find a comms person to put into ATOC, WTOC, or CTOC, or indeed to put into CRL, Te Ara Tuhono, Waikato Expressway System, or any of the others, and price them under $100k, then my friend as ever you will get what you pay for. And it won't be pretty.
If you are really implying that communications staff are by definition non-productive, and also are therefore somehow inflationary, you should spell out why that is.
The astonishing pig ignorance of what the public service actually does continues.
Transport comms does pretty things like AT Hop Card, responds to Ministerial inquiries and all media inquiries, operational changes like road detours via ATOC, formal documents like RLTP and Annual Plans and Annual Reports, Te Reo in all train announcements, street sign standardisation, all engagement with the public whether that be digital or in-person, all advertising across the city, marketing programmes to persuade people out of cars, public announcements of fare changes, and all the other pretty things that they are tasked with doing.
Ah yeah, the hop card. wow. that technological invention that came in 2012 and it sure needs a PR person now in 2022 to be published?
Some secretary who answers letters and emails? So innovative and never heard of before.
A PR person to announce detours for road works? really? And at a high wage too?
Annual plans and Annual reports, would that not be departmental, or do they all have a few PR persons per department, and are there more PR persons then actual analysts and doers? And will each report have their own PR person?
Te Reo in train announcement, that is grand indeed it is, and they then need a different PR person to announce it in english too or is done by a bilingual PR person? And do they just get paid when they tape the announcements or do they get royalties ever time the train announcements run? And will the person who wrote the announcements also be paid a full PR salary, if it is a different person to the one that reads the announcement?
Yeah, nah, nah, you do not need "public relations' persons, you need office staff that does their jobs, i.e. updates webpages, fare pages, digital or in person, bus drivers that know where they drive, and so on.
But is sure sounds like a good job program for the kids of the well to do that did Gender studies, arts and cookery for 10 years between 20 – 30 and now have a student loan they would want forgiven and who are otherwise unemployable. Give them a job at AT or another Government department, such as Alphabetsoup ambassador to the Pacific.
This is why you are such a poor commenter. You have no idea how the public service upon which you and the rest of the population actually relies. You simply have no experience so you just rely in jeering.
You need to shut up your keyboard because dripping bile and foolishness just makes you look more pig ignorant about how any part of the system actually functions.
It's pretty sad how the current inflationary economy is resulting in resentment against public servants and a surge in popularity for the gNats. Public sentiment is completely divorced from the actual causes.
Blaming the government for inflation is like blaming the police for white collar crime. They are trying to stop it but the perps are slippery bastards and the issues are systemic, so there is no easy fix like pulling a few levers at the Reserve Bank.
Only harsh medicine (i.e. tough regulations on capitalist thievery) would actually fix the problem, but that is not something the public will swallow. So the government kicks the can down the road and tries to mitigate the worst examples.
It’s not. Every fuel company has a pricing team, those figures are either sent to the store using internal comms and then updated from site, or they are centralised and updated at head office.
Arguing that waka kotahi needs twice as many comms people when we’ve had the largest reduction in road traffic ever due to covid is mental.
Arguing that people who don’t think waka kotahi need twice as many comms people are somehow ignorant of everything to do with the public service is laughable. It shows that the public service will be voracious is chewing up large amounts of tax payers money for little benefit if allowed. Helping fuel inflation
The tabloid press, bolstered by a sudden efflorescence of Twitter diagnosticians, certainly seems to think so. Since his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine got underway, the 69-year-old Russian president’s deteriorating health has been a subject of frenzied speculation — speculation that press secretary Dmitry Peskov has downplayed, citing Putin’s “excellent” health.
Nelson did this because he wanted to do that. The identifying as a female is just a thing to maybe get some 'stunning' 'brave' and 'most vulnerable marginalised' group discount and pity wave.
Nelson is a male, who entered a restaurant through the back door and ended up stabbing several people, one of whom is his expartner.
Nothing more then a bit spiced up domestic male on female violence.
But as Anker says, some rainbow lanyard will happily write this up as a female on female crime and lock the dude and his testicles up with non males in a womens prison.
Who cares why Nelson did it. It is irrelevant. Do the crime now do the time, and as Nelson was born a man, it's off to a mens prison for him. There all sorted.
Jimmy, I am not so sure whether Nelson is off to a men's prison.
And I wage money on it that his lawyer will appeal for a lighter sentence, because you know he's trans and they are the most marginalized etc etc. Just like Ashley Winter's lawyers did.
For those who haven't read about Ashley Winters crime I would issue a trigger warning (which is rare for me to do). It involved prolonged and sadistic torture and eventual murder of a vulnerable teen woman. The most horrific crime i have read of in NZ. And no one knows where he is imprissoned (at least I haven't heard about that)
Thanks for posting Muttornbird. Why people are violent is always complex, but what we do know is the men who identify as women retain male patterns of criminality. Obviously not all men who identify as women are criminals, but the pattern is the same for all natal males.
Idenifying as a women will mean Nelson may be housed in a women's prison. With self ID Nelson will be able to enter female change rooms, toilets, sporting competitions, female rape crisis services etc etc. It was a former partner Nelson stabbed as well as 2 workers. I am speculating here but we know a lot of women leave their partners when they start identifying as women and their are harrowing accounts of what some of these women have been through if their partners are autogynaphyles. They are referred to as Trans widows if you want to read about it.
Lastly its possible Nelson's crimes may be counted as an offence committed by a female. This is problematic for all the obvious reasons.
This morning there was an anti-mandate protest in Feilding. Why you need an anti-mandate protest anymore when the mandates are just about all gone suggests that many people don't ever read or listen to the news but there was one interesting point.
One protestor was holding a placard that suggested if you got the vaccine then you were somehow injected with a computer chip that allowed the state to spy on you. Like nanno technology – you will become Borg!
An elderly lady (nearly 90 years ago) told me that she questioned this person and asked them if they also believed the earth was flat, and apparently this person had to think about that for a while before they realised this lady was taking taking the mickey out of them. That made my morning!
When I looked at all the faces in the protest group I had to agree with her that the average IQ would likely be depressingly low.
Focused on masks in Wellington. Kind of annoying as the most available people to hastle are using public transport, so they expect commuters to create friction with the train guards or them.
Also showing how strong their convictions are, exactly one of the signs suggested using "masks might be harmful", in some undescribed way.
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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 ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
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From Auckland Peace Action
Sunday May 15 – Nakba Day
Rally for Palestine
Auckland Aotea Sq. 2pm
Nakba Day marks the day in 1948 when over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and lands my Israeli colonists.
This Sunday Nakba Day is especially poignant coming as it does after the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, who dedicated her life to documenting the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians by the Israeli State. And was silenced forever by the occupation foreces.
From Auckland Peace Action
Auckland Anti-War March June 5, 2022, 12pm
March from Aotea Sq. to the Auckland Domain where a 40 to 45 minute public meeting will be held.
In any weather, join this march from Aotea Sq to Auckland Domain.
March for peace and self-determination for the Ukrainian people, against war and authoritarian regimes!
Organised by the Auckland Ukrainian community.
Ash Sarkar sums up the UK so well…
https://twitter.com/AyoCaesar/status/1523971930642128896
I should have thought as a country we would understand the value of both symbolism and taonga.
Have you never been to Te Papa or Wellington Hospital and stopped to put your hand on the great pounamu boulder in one or other of those foyers? Or been moved to tears in front of Roimata Pounamu, Tears on Greenstone, the largest jade (nephrite) structure in the Southern Hemisphere, at Waiouru's National Army Museum? https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/visit/exhibitions/memorial-area-tears-on-greenstone/
Symbolism thing given the circumstances, I would think.
Obviously a waste of money as imagine it is a replica used for media, so doesn't need the security, but kind of understandable if you happen to be into the royals.
A world without ceremony, ritual, pageantry and symbolism would be a very boring one indeed.
Following advanced war strategy that seems to have been gleaned by watching episodes of Blackadder goes forth the Russians are making multiple unsuccessful attempts to lay a pontoon bridge across the Siverskyi Donets river in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.
The rinse and repeat strategy for the Ukrainians appears to be to allow the Russians to lay down a pontoon bridge and get some troops and armour across. The pound the pontoon bridge with artillery, cutting off the troops that have just crossed and causing massive Russian losses on both sides of the river. And, just as in the Blackadder episode, the Russians appear to think that doing the same thing again gives them the element of surprise because no-one would expect them to be so stupid again.
Russia can't blame the west for their appalling performance in this war. It is the brainless strategy and tactics from the Russians more than anything else that explains why things are going so badly for them.
This is a horrible war, but this represents genuine innovation and lateral thinking in IT & GIS
I would reccommend reading the entire Trent Telenko tweet roll, but TL;DR is as follows:
"…Ukraine has developed and refined a groundbreaking artillery targeting solution that is, in many ways, better than anything else out there. It’s not U.S. tech. It’s not Israeli tech. It’s homegrown.
At the heart of it is Ukraine’s “GIS Art for Artillery” software package, written by Yaroslav Sherstyuk — one of many talented earth observation / geospatial (GIS) specialists working in Ukraine.
Sherstyuk's software is reminiscent of Uber or Lyft's taxi software. It’s a true distributed software environment that assigns targets to the nearest gun, mortar, rocket launcher, drone or SF team.
The software can coordinate targeting among a distributed group of multiple guns, with multiple trajectories, spanning a whole front, all focused on hitting one target at one time.
Just like Uber can get you a ride much faster than calling a cab company switchboard, “GIS Art for Artillery” can dramatically reduce the time “from call to trigger pull” — from around 20 minutes, to around 30 seconds (!)…"
https://twitter.com/TrentTelenko/status/1523791050313433088
This is not the only example of Russians doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For instance, they keep sending ships across to Snake Island, just off the Ukrainian coast, and the Ukrainians keep hitting them.
And it's just been deja vu all over again with another ship being hit.
I think that is at least four Russian vessels lost in that area now.
That is an interesting article, btw. I had the impression that the Ukrainians were a lot more accurate with their artillery, though hard to know whether it was just selection bias.
Hey smithers, don't the Ukrainians know they are… winning?
Startling implications here.
Ukraine's 'GIS Art for Artillery' app combined with Starlink actually gives the Ukrainian military measurably better than US Military standard artillery command and control.
The Ukraine War is the first Starlink War & the side with Starlink is beating the side without.
37/
There are a lot of implications in that thought.
Now comes the kicker. When the lasercom equipped SpaceX Gen 1.5 & 2.0 satellites come on-line.
38/
The ability to move huge amounts of bandwidth with zero ground based infrastructure will utterly subvert the ability of national governments & corporations to block or surveil Starlink communications.
39/
The only way the US Government will be able to monitor Starlink communications is with @elonmusk active cooperation.
The power shift involved in that fact is…profound…and something for another thread
40/
Meanwhile, a whole lot of very powerful people are going to have to rethink their place in the world as the Starlink juggernaut remakes the world by helping Ukraine win "The 1st Starlink War."
41/End
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1523828149288583168.html
I don't think Russia can afford to lose this. So how does one translate the words "fat man" and "little boy" into Russian. Perhaps the Ukranians are being too smart for their own good.
[Please check and correct your user name in the next comment, thanks]
Mod note
Whether Russia can afford to lose or not. Russia are losing.
Mikesh,your reference to the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and your slight that by winning the Ukrainians are being too smart for their own good.
Your claim that Russia cannot afford to lose, and your implication that if the Russian Federation cannot win with conventional weapons they will turn to nuclear weapons, and so Ukraine would be better to surrender now if they were smart.
Spoken like a true bully.
If Germany had had the nuclear weapon and threatened to use it if they Allies were to intervene in stopping the Nazi genocide and occupation of Europe. Would the Allies leave the Nazis to commit genocide and occupation?
I don't think so.
Everyone knows that you appease a bully, their violence and intimidation and blackmail will only increase.
Ukraine are fighting for all of us.
Please explain how they are fighting for 'all of us'!
I'm not sure, but apparently "useful idiot", disappointingly not coined by Lenin but by Italian journalists, is "Полезный идиот".
Alternate view for you smithfield !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKX1MKW5wjE
We now have the highest petrol price we've ever had.
By itself this could sink this government, let alone the supermarkets.
What is particularly dark for those who want a carbon Zero future is that the rush-hour traffic grind is still there, indicating that there is very little elasticity in total petrol use at all.
Yep. PT options are simply not present (or ridiculously time consuming and therefore not practicable) for the majority of the people currently driving in Auckland's rush hour.
Of course, there are some (SAHM or nanny driving Tristan and Athena to private school) for whom neither time nor money are an issue.
But the majority of the people on the roads simply have no other alternative.
PT, where it's viable to use, is already significantly cheaper than driving a single-user car and paying for parking in the CBD.
Many many children if not most in akl are driven to their public schools too and elsewhere, as literally that is the cheaper option, and faster in many cases. And to be fair, there are also walking buses, car pooling etc. But a nice cheap shot at those that must be the reason for the problem we have, Stay at home Mothers (SAHM) and the kids they take to school for whom money and time may or may not be an issue, or is an issue and they are taking the kids to school before continuing on to work because they are too poor to be a Stay at home Mother. Also, sperm donators also drive their kids to school, and many do walk/bus.
The fact is that AKL has public transport and while it could be better and more varied it is not a bad coverage, but it is too expensive, and does not run on time most of the time. Which makes it unattractive if you have to be in school or work on time. In fact, it can be a detriment to ones job prospects if they are dependend on public transport. 🙂
And Yes, yes, i know the half price fare…..lol, set to expire in a few days, still waiting on the glorious announcement that this will be extended for another three month, while the fare structure should be overhauled and reconsidered and re-thought.
Set public transport at 1 NZD each – per trip, advertise the heck out of that, and watch kids may tell mum that they rather take the bus with their mates or Mum tell the bigger kids to take the bus dear. If they live in an area that is served and with a good time table.
Both cost for PT and availability of PT are the result of decades of not giving a shit by official on all level. By everyone, a nice buslane here and there is not a fix in a town that is huge and has over a million + people living there.
But hey, buy an electric car if you are rich enough, you will get a nice juicy several thousand dollar subsidy so that that Stay at Home Mother of Athena and Tristan can now drive teir children to private school in a tax payer subsidized EV. Now that is winning!
And were it is viable to use, it is ONLY significantly cheaper using PT then driving a single user car if only one person is in that car. And even then, depending on the time used – if you were to apply the 21.20 NZD(plus HP, SP, KWS) min wage per hour spend in traffic in a bus or in a train from Hamilton that only leaves twice a day, you might be still better of using a car, single serve.
disclaimer: have no car, never had a car, walked from Grey Lynn to New Market or Down town as it was faster. Have used bus for all other travel if needed. Rode a bicycle in Auckland in 98 when it was unfashionable and Lycra was still unheard of in NZ.
Sabine. That wasn't intended to be a cheap shot – but a recognition that for some families neither time nor money are a deterrent to driving.
In Auckland, at least in the city and suburbs (recognize that 'Auckland' also encompasses a significant rural area) – most kids can walk or bus to school. There is an extensive school bus network (my son uses it regularly), and primary schools (at least) are mostly within reasonable walking distance for the kids in their zone.
And, just saying – none of the kids I know who use PT to go to school would 'prefer' it over being driven….
Of course, if you are out of zone – then your transport needs may vary.
Auckland's bus system (which is most of the PT) only works if you are travelling into the CBD (or stopping along the route). It's pretty useless if you're going elsewhere – and a heck of a lot of people are going 'elsewhere' – especially with the hollowing out of the CBD post Covid and with the CRL disruptions.
In Auckland, unless you have 'free' parking at your work – you'd have to have 2-3 people in the car for driving (including CBD parking and petrol costs – but excluding depreciation – since no one counts that anyway) to be cheaper than PT.
However, the 'one-person' driving trips is significant – since it's the number of them that we continually have drummed in our ears as examples of 'selfish car drivers'. No one is interviewing these drivers to see if there are (realistic) alternatives….
My disclaimer: I have a car. Drive to work (15 min against the traffic) because there are no viable PT options across suburbs in Auckland. When I worked in the CBD I used PT regularly. My son uses PT to go to school (unless he's taking the bari sax – in which case I drive him)
At the moment the same people that can afford neither a car or the bus are subsidizing the very expensive green washed EV cars for the rich. Just saying.
I lived in Auckland and i worked in Auckland. I know Auckland. I am also raised on public transport so don't have the obsession that kiwis have with their cars to the point where they feel they are incomplete if they don't have one.
As for Stay at home Mums, or Mum who work, Woman just can't do it correctly so for some. Drive your kids to school – lazy polluting rich mum, don't drive your kids to school – lazy poor mum. Never mind that i would guess most women drive their kids to school and then themselves to work. And many do a hybrid version of kids take themselves and sometimes are driven to school – and that is irrespective of income.
What about the one person driving trips of men to the booze store? Or to the pup? or the rugby game? Could they not take the bus? How many people drive to the dairy? Do you need to drive to the supermarket? Or do you need to do that holiday trip with the boat and the gadgets to go cycling several hundreds of kilometres from where one lives to dash around a mountain bike ruining some lovely mountainside?
If we really want to be serious we need to make public transport cheap, fast, often, safe, – even at night time, specifically for those that are not be-penised, and that is what we don't do. We would need to build bus shelters, run buses every 10 min during rush hour and every 20 min for the rest of the day. Maybe run smaller shuttles during the low use times etc. Have decent drivers that are trained, actually know the stops on their route and who are paid a decent wage. But that thinking is not yet being done out lout. WE celebrate a train that runs twice a day and costs up to 30 NZD half price for both trips or 60 NZD full price for both trips from Hamilton to AKL and that does not include kids, it is cheaper and faster to drive a bloody car then. https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/fares/
We could do what done in Nice France, build the network, connect the town, help businesses affected by the build, make it a thing of pride and then keep the price to 1.50 NZD (in their case its Euro) and integrate this with the train system at a similar price.https://frenchriviera.travel/public-transport-nice/#:~:text=Public%20transport%20in%20Nice%20is,such%20as%20Cannes%20and%20Monaco.
But we really believe that tinkering on the edges with full price – unaffordable to anyone who is not in full time position well over the min wage, is the way to go and that is why we are here in this postion. Not because some men and non men n use their private vehicle the way they see fit or must.
So personally i believe that the fault of the public transport misery in AKL and the rest of NZ for that matter is not the fault of an individual that may be too rich for some, or too lazy for some others, but the fault of Polititans that have no vision, no guts, no spine, and above all no idea of how to get something like this even up and running. We like cheap band aids, and that is what we get in all cases.
Btw, the build of the PT system in Nice was actioned by a conservative. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Estrosi
A good percentage of children are not driven by car to school and use other modes of transport. Why would it be cheaper to drive your child to school if you have a School Bus that does the same thing and you won’t even have to get out of your PJs?
I think there are 2 things going on here.
Convenience. It's just easier for Mum (and it usually is Mum) to drive the kids, than organize them to get up on time for the bus. [I speak from experience – the leave-the-house-to-catch-the-bus-deadline is a constant struggle in my household]
Stranger danger. Parents (especially upper-middle-class parents) have had stranger danger drummed into them as a huge and significant risk – which shapes their willingness to let their kids out of their sight in public.
Real-life story. When my son was 6 he asked me to let him walk home alone from the school bus stop – about a 5 minute walk. Up to then, I'd been meeting him as he had to cross a major road. I agreed, and we decided I'd shadow him the first time, to make sure he was safe crossing the intersection. He demonstrated excellent safety skills (so cute! Mama heart beating with pride)- and I was happy for him to fly solo. In that first fortnight – I must have had 20 calls from concerned parents and friends asking me if I knew he was walking home alone – with the very strong subtext being that I was a bad mother for letting him do this.
Convenience is often a euphemism for laziness.
Stranger-danger is a thing but how and when are our children meant to get the social skills to navigate safely and survive in ‘the jungle’? Are we going to drop them off and pick them up from uni, from work, and from rugby practice forever? Of course not!
Oh, I agree that kids need to develop life skills- and it's best to do that within reasonably expanding boundaries from the time they are small.
I'm just pointing out what's going on in the parents' minds.
FWIW – I think stranger danger is way overhyped – kids are statistically at hugely greater risk from family or close personal friends – but that's not a point that's easy to make 😉
Agreed. Some parents though are not doing their children any favours by being over-protective and warping [Edit: I meant wrapping] them in cotton wool. And I’m not referring to just physical protection either. With the increased use of and time spent on-line I believe that people’s social/people skills will deteriorate. Swipe left or swipe right, that’s the question
I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills.
@Incognito
"I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills."
It would appear so, but what is the remedy, when no one (or very few) appear willing to abandon or even curtail its use?….it may be like housing affordability, the widespread calls for remedy will only occur when the damage is done and the remedies so painful their adoption are still resisted until they occur by force of nature.
No remedy necessary when it has not been officially and formally declared a problem by the authorities, which is usually preceded by experts & others raising the alarm for years if not decades.
Due to Covid I spent a long time working from home and I don’t think it was beneficial to my ‘social energy’. Banter, chats, OTC exchanges, et cetera, are a glue that binds and holds us together, the ‘weak forces’ of human nature (love & sex being among the ‘strong forces’, obviously).
What then is the Christchurch Call?
Pro Kathleen Stock speaks for an hour to Kim Hill tomorrow morning 9-10.
That's an excellent point, and one I have made in ECan submissions before – the cost issue is not hugely relevant for single users who live in walking distance of major routes, it's people with limited access and families where the issues/costs lie.
It's a repetitive failure to not consider those with limited options and no financial excess when coming up with such policies.
An assumption is made that people are driving because they are too snobbish or lazy to use public transport.
For many it is unaffordable, unreliable and not connecting them to where they need to go with any kind of efficiency.
+1
Indeed it should…for all
"Funding should be available to support Iwi/Māori that are not economically able to transition equitably."
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/115680/chief-executive-jo-hendy-sets-out-climate-change-commission%E2%80%99s-expectations
today in the Herald
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/transport-survey-aucklanders-waiting-too-long-for-buses-research-finds/R33ONDLC5KM7AFMEOXTWENJ7LM/
A global diesel shortage looms – the distribution implications are obvious.
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1523329724792991747
June 25th the cyclway from New Lynn into town opens and I'll have to get off my ass and leave the Peugeot at home.
Disaster capitalism at it's best. Every cloud has a silver lining (for the few)
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/29/big-oil-is-intentionally-profiteering-from-the-war-exxon-profits-double-after-putins-invasion_partner/
https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1520051958400397313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1520051958400397313%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2F29%2Frobbery-chevron-profits-quadruple-and-exxons-double-amid-ukraine-crisis
$$$$$$=WAR… Congress is giving another $33 billion in 'aid' to Ukraine.
Of course that $33billion goes to U. S arms manufacturers.
All done.. in the best possible taste.
And we're losing the Marsden Point refinery.
Ad-the petrol price should be far higher than it is now to reflect the damage it is doing to our planet.
I smile every time it goes up.
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2022/05/climate-change-betting-on-disaster.html
Make sure you keep smiling at us all when floods smash peoples' houses, seas crash through their doors, northern forests die from drought, and fuel-driven food inflation hits supermarkets at an annual 10%.
You seem to miss the point Ad. These things are less likely to happen if the price of fuel goes so high that people can't afford to use much of it, which is what I support…..except the inflation bit of course, but even that will wane.
Utter bullshit.
You clearly have no idea how little elasticity there actually is in our petrol and diesel use.
Even Auckland which has the best public transport system in New Zealand, you would be lucky to ever find Aucklanders taking more than 15% of trips taken by non-car means. Hey maybe in a dream state we'll get to 20%.
Even for Auckland's small percentage who do take public transport, it's on diesel buses.
There one quarter of Auckland where public transport truly competes against the car is the North Shore. Auckland's wealthiest quarter. Done on diesel buses.
Outside of Auckland and Wellington there is no useful public transport in New Zealand and mostly it's only used by the very, very poor and the Gold Card people. Barely 5% of trips taken pre-COVID. Now it's worse.
Those who laugh at suffering as you do have no place in any reform movement.
I agree entirely that PT needs major investment.
But with high petrol prices if people can't take PT they will buy cars that use much less fuel and they will cut down on journeys and even bicycle short distances.
3 years ago I bought a new Suzuki Swift that uses less than half of the petrol of my previous car which was made in 2006.
Incidentally fuel is only 40% of the cost of running a car.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/buying-and-running-a-car/how-to-find-the-right-car-for-your-budget
Here is a very interesting BBC video on how the current conflict is changing the nature of war. One of the key points is how the all-seeing nature of war now makes it very difficult for attacking forces to make progress, and a likely move to more autonomous attack methods. As Sanctuary points out above, the Ukrainians appear to be adapting better to modern technological advances in term of targeting for instance.
BTW, it looks like the Russians lost a whole battalion in the bridging attempt I mentioned above. Incredible and tragic losses of life.
Anyone else starting to feel sorry for poor old Bob Harvey? He is becoming that silly old duffer with name recognition who gets wheeled out whenever some transport snake oil salesmen come to town…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018841547/bob-harvey-backs-auckland-gondola-idea
No harbour crossing idea should be ignored.
This government ditched an $800m shared path, failed to give even 1 bridge lane to cyclists, and has spent over $100m designing the full bridge replacement without 1 wheelbarrow of concrete down.
I agree. If it's proven to work successfully in other cities around the world it should not be rejected out of hand.
But Waka Kotahi have great PR. Lots of 'huey', not much 'doey'.
'Genuinely quite shocked': AM hosts hit out at surge in PR staff at Waka Kotahi, $10,000 spend on campaign signs (msn.com)
Actually they and their contractors do more to support this country than any other part of government – outside perhaps Transpower.
That NZTA have a large Comms department to support this massive network should not surprise you.
But they have more than doubled the number of PR staff since 2017, and the majority of them are earning in excess of $100k!!!!!
So they are not very efficient.
NZTA's efficiency is not measured at all by the size of its Comms team.
If you want to try and find a comms person to put into ATOC, WTOC, or CTOC, or indeed to put into CRL, Te Ara Tuhono, Waikato Expressway System, or any of the others, and price them under $100k, then my friend as ever you will get what you pay for. And it won't be pretty.
Non productive costs are inflationary
If you are really implying that communications staff are by definition non-productive, and also are therefore somehow inflationary, you should spell out why that is.
lol…seriously?
What do they produce…apart from spin?
If you think you can run a transport system without what I have just provided, then you are simply ignorant about how the transport system works.
You would do well to stop the emotion and take time to figure out how each Department inside a major Crown entity actually works.
You have provided exactly what the PR employees have provided
If they are making others more productive – they themselves will be productive. It's a total sum game.
And how exactly do you suggest they are making others more productive?
and what pretty things will we have thanks to all the PR woos at AT?
The astonishing pig ignorance of what the public service actually does continues.
Transport comms does pretty things like AT Hop Card, responds to Ministerial inquiries and all media inquiries, operational changes like road detours via ATOC, formal documents like RLTP and Annual Plans and Annual Reports, Te Reo in all train announcements, street sign standardisation, all engagement with the public whether that be digital or in-person, all advertising across the city, marketing programmes to persuade people out of cars, public announcements of fare changes, and all the other pretty things that they are tasked with doing.
Ah yeah, the hop card. wow. that technological invention that came in 2012 and it sure needs a PR person now in 2022 to be published?
Some secretary who answers letters and emails? So innovative and never heard of before.
A PR person to announce detours for road works? really? And at a high wage too?
Annual plans and Annual reports, would that not be departmental, or do they all have a few PR persons per department, and are there more PR persons then actual analysts and doers? And will each report have their own PR person?
Te Reo in train announcement, that is grand indeed it is, and they then need a different PR person to announce it in english too or is done by a bilingual PR person? And do they just get paid when they tape the announcements or do they get royalties ever time the train announcements run? And will the person who wrote the announcements also be paid a full PR salary, if it is a different person to the one that reads the announcement?
Yeah, nah, nah, you do not need "public relations' persons, you need office staff that does their jobs, i.e. updates webpages, fare pages, digital or in person, bus drivers that know where they drive, and so on.
But is sure sounds like a good job program for the kids of the well to do that did Gender studies, arts and cookery for 10 years between 20 – 30 and now have a student loan they would want forgiven and who are otherwise unemployable. Give them a job at AT or another Government department, such as Alphabetsoup ambassador to the Pacific.
This is why you are such a poor commenter. You have no idea how the public service upon which you and the rest of the population actually relies. You simply have no experience so you just rely in jeering.
You need to shut up your keyboard because dripping bile and foolishness just makes you look more pig ignorant about how any part of the system actually functions.
It's pretty sad how the current inflationary economy is resulting in resentment against public servants and a surge in popularity for the gNats. Public sentiment is completely divorced from the actual causes.
Blaming the government for inflation is like blaming the police for white collar crime. They are trying to stop it but the perps are slippery bastards and the issues are systemic, so there is no easy fix like pulling a few levers at the Reserve Bank.
Only harsh medicine (i.e. tough regulations on capitalist thievery) would actually fix the problem, but that is not something the public will swallow. So the government kicks the can down the road and tries to mitigate the worst examples.
I take it you are a fan of consultants.. as well.
[Please check and correct your e-mail address in the next comment, thanks]
Mod note
$2.62 for 91 at NPD in chch this afternoon,no PR or marketing dept.
How did you hear of that?
They have big mandatory signs outside with the price on.
That's organised by their Comms team.
Granted if you're a price bottom-feeder you let your price do your PR for you.
It’s not. Every fuel company has a pricing team, those figures are either sent to the store using internal comms and then updated from site, or they are centralised and updated at head office.
Arguing that waka kotahi needs twice as many comms people when we’ve had the largest reduction in road traffic ever due to covid is mental.
Arguing that people who don’t think waka kotahi need twice as many comms people are somehow ignorant of everything to do with the public service is laughable. It shows that the public service will be voracious is chewing up large amounts of tax payers money for little benefit if allowed. Helping fuel inflation
Reminds me of a song along the same lines
[yb]ZDOI0cq6GZM[/yb]
Why have a gondola when you can have a monorail?
YES
..a monorail, that'll solve all our problems…,price (or effectiveness) no object.
He certainly doesn't look too flash.
Is Vladimir Putin sick or even dying?
The tabloid press, bolstered by a sudden efflorescence of Twitter diagnosticians, certainly seems to think so. Since his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine got underway, the 69-year-old Russian president’s deteriorating health has been a subject of frenzied speculation — speculation that press secretary Dmitry Peskov has downplayed, citing Putin’s “excellent” health.
https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/is-putin-sick-or-are-we-meant-to-think-he-is/
Then there's…'
Is Joe Biden OK? Health fears grow for 'confused' POTUS
Increasingly looking weak, the Delaware Democrat has continued to make gaffes and exhibited moments of confusion.
Is Joe Biden OK? Health fears grow for 'confused' POTUS | MEAWW
Yep. The state of the world. The two people in the positions of greatest power should both be in a rest home.
What is going on?
Right wing concern trolling from the usual suspects.
The ironic faultline….crack…appears.
With over 200 billion(us)$ lost in crypto in a day,will there be effects in electricity demand globally.
https://twitter.com/ira_joseph/status/1524786820927606785?cxt=HHwWgsCyuZ7ikKkqAAAA
Any luck and the demise of these mining schemes will shave a couple of points off rising global temperatures.
It will remove unnecessary electricity usage as global prices rocket.
It will also have effects in Mexico with the cartels estimated to launder 25$b through crypto.Very nervous accountants down there today.
So many questions:
Did Nelson do this because she was born a man?
Did Nelson do this because she self identifies as female?
Did name suppression lapse because Nelson didn't direct her lawyer to appeal?
Why did Nelson do this?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/128622831/name-suppression-lapses-for-cambridge-triple-stabbing-accused
Nelson did this because he wanted to do that. The identifying as a female is just a thing to maybe get some 'stunning' 'brave' and 'most vulnerable marginalised' group discount and pity wave.
Nelson is a male, who entered a restaurant through the back door and ended up stabbing several people, one of whom is his expartner.
Nothing more then a bit spiced up domestic male on female violence.
But as Anker says, some rainbow lanyard will happily write this up as a female on female crime and lock the dude and his testicles up with non males in a womens prison.
Who cares why Nelson did it. It is irrelevant. Do the crime now do the time, and as Nelson was born a man, it's off to a mens prison for him. There all sorted.
Jimmy, I am not so sure whether Nelson is off to a men's prison.
And I wage money on it that his lawyer will appeal for a lighter sentence, because you know he's trans and they are the most marginalized etc etc. Just like Ashley Winter's lawyers did.
For those who haven't read about Ashley Winters crime I would issue a trigger warning (which is rare for me to do). It involved prolonged and sadistic torture and eventual murder of a vulnerable teen woman. The most horrific crime i have read of in NZ. And no one knows where he is imprissoned (at least I haven't heard about that)
Thanks for posting Muttornbird. Why people are violent is always complex, but what we do know is the men who identify as women retain male patterns of criminality. Obviously not all men who identify as women are criminals, but the pattern is the same for all natal males.
Idenifying as a women will mean Nelson may be housed in a women's prison. With self ID Nelson will be able to enter female change rooms, toilets, sporting competitions, female rape crisis services etc etc. It was a former partner Nelson stabbed as well as 2 workers. I am speculating here but we know a lot of women leave their partners when they start identifying as women and their are harrowing accounts of what some of these women have been through if their partners are autogynaphyles. They are referred to as Trans widows if you want to read about it.
Lastly its possible Nelson's crimes may be counted as an offence committed by a female. This is problematic for all the obvious reasons.
With any luck – if convicted he will be sharing a cell in Paremoremo with "Ashley" Winter. These are not women and these are not women's crimes.
This morning there was an anti-mandate protest in Feilding. Why you need an anti-mandate protest anymore when the mandates are just about all gone suggests that many people don't ever read or listen to the news but there was one interesting point.
One protestor was holding a placard that suggested if you got the vaccine then you were somehow injected with a computer chip that allowed the state to spy on you. Like nanno technology – you will become Borg!
An elderly lady (nearly 90 years ago) told me that she questioned this person and asked them if they also believed the earth was flat, and apparently this person had to think about that for a while before they realised this lady was taking taking the mickey out of them. That made my morning!
When I looked at all the faces in the protest group I had to agree with her that the average IQ would likely be depressingly low.
Focused on masks in Wellington. Kind of annoying as the most available people to hastle are using public transport, so they expect commuters to create friction with the train guards or them.
Also showing how strong their convictions are, exactly one of the signs suggested using "masks might be harmful", in some undescribed way.
Pretty funny
Now we have Kiwis as both captain and coach of the England cricket test team.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/300587344/get-ready-for-the-ride-brendon-mccullum-named-new-england-test-coach
Wonder if I can get a job as a kiwi bringing the orange juice and sausage rolls on between innings?
You could try. (they would need to be good sausage rolls or a helping of hangi)?