Still having tons of problems with commenting from my tablet usually cant get focus in comments pane, sometimes can make new comment but not reply, often there is no replies sidebar …. then exit reload and get a working unit
GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – What is the purpose of an economy?
Last week RNZ reported on two stories that should give us all pause to think about who we are , what we stand for and the ACTUAL rather than the pretend economic policy by which our country is run .
The first was on the queues of people lining up at the Manurewa MSD office on Thursday to get emergency assistance .Some had been there, in the cold and rain since 2 am.
The Minister Carmel Sepuloni put the blame on the Auckland Action Against Poverty group because that’s the day they have their advocates there to advise people about their rights and they won’t spread out their advocacy over the week, through pre appointments and at other offices
Bullet points from Bryan Bruce's article. Really to the heart of it. And no bullets in sight, may we get there and without any shooting.
…the fact that so many people are so desperate for assistance the government itself has had to increase the amount it has allocated for hardship grants to $128.5 million, tells you there is something very wrong with the way we are running our economy…
Again the problem lies in the way we run our economy . The government, for all it’s recent PR about wellbeing is still running to the neoliberal agenda which promotes selfishness and competition over cooperation and the common good…
neoliberal economics has turned us into a low wage economy – a Gig economy – where many people have to work 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet.
It [the Government] is still running an austerity budget with $3.5 Billion surplus when food parcel distribution at the Auckland City Mission is up 50% on last year…
What do we want? We want our economy (I think) –
…to deliver the greatest good for the largest number of our citizens over the longest time? (Progressive economics)
I’m for the progress ‘greatest good’ approach to running our economy.
I'm not a landlord. If I had my way there would be at least a CGT of 60% on this social parasitism which is a blight on all societies. So bad our young couples cannot afford to buy starter houses. I believe in social housing and keeping house prices as low as possible including restricting immigration. NZ had it right until Roger the pig farmer came along! 🙁 It's a disgrace the capital Gain these types get away with. This Government refuses to address the problem.
There’s the crux of it Johnm what you believe and reality There is a capital tax on housing and CGT is not the prime reason for supply and demand issues in housing, nor as history show us is communism or rent : price controls the answer. The government can’t build houses cheaper than the market as kiwibuild has shown , start their and work backwards
Newsroom has a very interesting story about farmers being "shafted" by ANZ over "interest rates swaps." Even quoting for Sir John's head:
Newsroom’s Nikki Mandow tells the extraordinary story of the Taranaki dairy farmers who unwittingly got caught in the world of high finance, got shafted by the ANZ Bank following the global financial crisis, refused to take a Commerce Commission-brokered settlement because it was worth only a tiny fraction of what they had lost, took the country’s biggest bank to court – and against the odds, won.
How 2030 is the new 2100: Global Food Yields Already Dropping from Abrupt Climate Change
2030 is the new 2100. Climate change is ALREADY reducing global food yields TODAY, with an average 1% annual reduction in the worlds top ten global crops, providing 83% of food calories to humanity: top ten food crops: barley, cassava, maize (corn), oil palm, rapeseed (canola), rice, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane, wheat. Most reduced: oil palm (-13.4%); increased: soybeans (+3.5%). Negatively affected regions are Europe, South Africa, and Australia; +ve is Latin America; mixed is Asia, North and Central America. Growing season temperatures over all harvested areas is up 0.5 to 1.2 C since the early 1970s.
They will happily spend 30,000,000 on one bomb yet will not spend a penny on healthcare and the environment. This world is going down the pan very very fast and whoever is at the top you know the one that holds all the cards and has all the money. well they too will also diminish you could ask the question are they even human, because in my experience humanity is a collective and at the moment is falling apart. is anyone going to do anything? I doubt it
Here is a very good piece from the ever reliable FAIR on NYTimes peddling more bullshit and disinformation…seems one of the most important things do do during the coming US election cycle will be sorting through the mountains of misdirection, disinformation and straight out lies that the so called liberal MSM will spew forth in their vain attempt to derail the progressive wave building in the USA…keep your eyes peeled and your bullshit detectors set on high!
In the future (and today's research), conventional plastics will be biodegradeable.
Scientists have already discovered an enzyme that breaks down PET, and within a wireworms microbiome lies the secrets to breaking down polystyrene. The search is on for more promising enzymes, and how we might harness them upon discovery.
Leading the charge is consumer demand for sustainable products. Those without the tech will lose more and more public support, and as alternative options become available, consumer led protest over polluters will see government support withdrawn and even government opposition to recalcitrant industry.
While we see enormous resources today dedicated to PR and legal fees to hide/justify industrial activities, the far easier and cheaper way will be to work with ethical and environmental consideration.
Leading vehicle manufacturers are switching to EV production. Oil companies to carbon capture techniques and investment in renewable research and development.
In the interim, we need to plant 1.2 trillion trees.
If the boomers could understand the difference between hemp and marijuana, what a difference that would make.
2 crop cycles of hemp remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere as 30 years of pine trees.
Hemp is also a far more sustainable, low impact crop. It also regenerates the soil and isn't required to have rotation planting like so many other crops do.
Hemp is wonderful. There are so many functional uses for hemp, and way more sustainable than trying to develop enzymes.
So true – hemp is a wonderful plant – you can pretty well use all of it – I can't understand why farmers aren't getting serious about creating diversity by laying some hectares in hemp – get out of the way regulation – and for the numbnuts – your dope people don't like being near the hemp too much – too much pollen floating around.
Flax too – we used to have a whole industry for this and we can get it back again – get ready to create more wetland, plant more flax, clean more rivers for transport, fix up the old docks and so on and before you know it we will have travelled back in time to the future.
The Virtual Whurl is amusing ain't it? Open to mis-interpretation and contests between virtual egos.
Funny as a fart at times.
Have to say how pleasantly surprised I was the last time I returned from regions where hemp grows wild and where it serves as an inherent part of a natural cycle.
Customs' Doggy Doos took a liking to me because I'd been living for a few months amongst it all. Thankfully, simply declaring all that was sufficient to prevent an anal search.
It was either that, or arrival was close to midnight and everyone just wanted to get home, or maybe that the Customs Ossifer was quite obviously a total stoner
I have been waiting for the current incarnation of the Wool Board to maximise wool's properties against the horrid polypropylene clothing that is popular at the moment.
Very sobering thinking that fish have a gut full of fossil fuel based plastic fibres because…. vanity? cheaper?
I was talking to a local farmer who has had a few trial crops of hemp. He seemed to think he could use some tired old gear to process it. He spent more time fixing equipment.
I was thinking too about time that wool started being promoted strongly again. They used to have fashion shows and original garments featured. This wedding dress is an example of the way that wool was promoted and the effects that could be gained working with it.
They should use Jones fund and build a hemp plant in the Canterbury plains . Gaurentee a purchase price for any cockies that want to grow 5 % of their farm area in hemp for 10 years . Get the ball rolling.
Who has the ear of Jonesy? That idea should be rounged out, and fed to him, along with his favourite beverage, plus a goody bag filled with hemp products which seem to be varied and extensive.
He looks like he'd be partial to some of the hemp steam pudding.
Not tonight though, rhubarb crumble it is. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the tart/sweet combo. Luscious. A favorite.
I do think he'd go for something so progressive if someone made a sound business case. A group of farmers/landholders might do very well to pursue such a thing.
We don't have a hemp seed de-huller in the country either, so we'll be wanting an industrial one of those too.
This is a clear case for another viable industry, perhaps we could slow down the dairy and diary for targets for hemp – a five year plan. Let's have some Chinese central planning, it seems to have done them good as far as economic progress is concerned.
Introduction: For half a century, a high level of total cholesterol (TC) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been considered to be the major cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and statin treatment has been widely promoted for cardiovascular prevention.
However, there is an increasing understanding that the mechanisms are more complicated and that statin treatment, in particular when used as primary prevention, is of doubtful benefit.
I found this the other day – it sorta shows (in a funny way) why bernie won't get there – this is the truth of it – no big conspiracy. He is consistent, he is on message, he is who he is. lol
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Titirangi Village chicken infestation, but there's something important missing from the discussion. About a year ago I had a chat with the woman who feeds the chickens. (The one referred to by Andre as the "crazy duck lady".) She told me that she regularly arranges for chickens to be rehomed on a farm, but that the Titirangi population is maintained by regular dumping of chickens/roosters in the village by members of the public. Thus, a one-off removal of the entire chicken population will not solve the problem.
…I had a chat with the woman who feeds the chickens.
What?! You actually went and engaged with this person? You held a conversation with her? You found out from her information not as yet in the media? Oh, the horror!/sarc
I was having a chuckle yesterday thinking how much easier it is going to be to round up these chooks if they are being regularly fed. Even better if this lady is catching and re homing them. "Crazy" indeed.
If one has no problem with chooks becoming food, then there are no doubt lots of folk more than happy to take unwanted chooks of the hands of the dumpers. Or have we all become too precious to even think about folks killing their own chickens to eat?
Onya phantom snowflake, and thanks for sharing that information.
That's more like it. Some truth to the matter rather than sneering contempt.
The same occurs at Western Springs (Pet dumping). I view turtles in the lake, chooks all over the place, and if you go there on a moonlit night, rabbits and guinea pigs mowing the lawns.
With a Zoo next door housing many carnivores, I can think of a sustainable solution…
But the public would rather dump pets and have exterminators do the job, rather than think Fluffy has been eaten by a lion. As for the chook populations, some culling of the roosters (wherever dumped animals form flocks) would be an efficient way to keep numbers down. That and infrequent round-ups.
Rosemary & WtB: Similarly clichéd mental health-related slurs about the woman concerned are thrown about in the Titirangi community as are on this site, sadly. In person, what is most striking is her huge love and compassion towards chickens in particular, and I can't see why that's something to sneer at. In my view, when it comes to the chicken issue she is definitely a stakeholder, and I hope that the Waitakere Ranges local board will engage with and involve her as they seek a solution.
Apparently there will soon be an egg shortage, so the 'chicken lady' could have the last laugh as she may get the opportunity to charge top dollar for her rescued chickens eggs 🙂
Very true Cinny. Mr Jilly Bee and I recently became the owners of a couple of scrawny looking Red Shaver hens – we went on an hour and a half drive to pick them up, and back again. After a comfortable night in their new home, there were a couple of eggs in the nest and they have continued to each lay regularly (the more scrawny one, who is just coming out of her moult, manages one every second day. We're getting about a dozen a week at present. All good, and they're weeding the gardens for us as well – including getting rid of the accursed violets, which had pretty much taken over everywhere. Looking to plant some goodies for them to feast on. I believe they like comfrey – we've fenced off the rhubarb as they had started to eat the leaves, which can are toxic.
Locals have engaged with this woman for many, many years. Her views are well known. Her behaviour is antisocial and if she were living in earlier times the village would have ousted her by now. She has earned any contempt people here are divining.
First up, why I call her "crazy duck lady": she goes out of her way to create traffic hazards in front of her home. One time I was going down the hill in front of her home in my old-skool Landrover with a moderately loaded trailer on behind, and she marches out into the road from behind a flaxbush to shake a roadkill duck at me. She did it when I was way too close to have stopped even if I hadn't had the trailer on, so I had to swerve around her into the other lane.
Her habit of feeding ducks at home means there's often ducks crossing the road where the road narrows, there's vegetation close to the road reducing visibility and the ducks have zero road sense so they will walk out directly in front of you so it can be difficult to avoid them, even if you're going unreasonably slow. The duck carnage on the road directly in front of her is all on her, not the drivers, yet by her behaviour she seems to have no comprehension of that.
Then there's the health hazard and other nuisance she's creating for her neighbours by encouraging the massive concentration of ducks. There have been times I've gone past and the concrete of her driveway was literally completely covered in duck shit and ducks.
When it comes to her and the chickens, I've seen her feeding the chickens numerous times. I have never seen her in any activity that even vaguely looked like trying to capture them for rehoming. Over the past few months, there have been many of the chickens in various stages of juvenile development (possibly a majority of the chickens). They are breeding prolifically, not just being dumped. And her regular feeding encourages that successful breeding.
While some of her activity might need to be curtailed, so does the lack of understanding.
It is the Mast season allowing prolific rat breeding, a nationwide phenomenon in which Titirangi is no special case except they've found a scapegoat who has pissed a few people off by the sounds of things. The dumping of unwanted roosters and mast year is causing the prolific breeding of chooks. Clutch numbers rise as food availability rises, hence this is not such an issue in non-mast years, years this lady is still feeding the flocks.
It would be good to seat this lady at the table with others and work through these issues. Creating a traffic hazard is not on, dismissing her as a kook is also not on.
How we see things is not necessarily how others do. Context required, understanding required. For all stakeholders.
The rats in the village have been knocked back to normal levels by a combination of poisoning and trapping. A few months ago I too had the worst rat and mouse problem I've ever had in my 19 years there (possibly not having any cats anymore contributed), but a solid campaign of poisoning and trapping has knocked them back around my place, too.
Crazy duck lady's habits of feeding pest animals and creating traffic hazards are simply anti-social. Why should her foibles be accorded any more respect than those who have obnoxiously loud parties into the wee hours, or enjoy doing burnouts on public streets? As just a couple of examples of obnoxious anti-social behaviour that society curtails.
The South Titirangi Environmental Network has got specials on the gas-fired rat traps. Mostly our cats get them, but on occasion it gets a mouse or two.
My Timms trap dealt to the rats quite satisfactorally. But lately the local possums seem to be treating it as the signpost to their bonking tree directly above it. Bastards.
Hell's teeth Andre. You're so overflowing with compassion and understanding for others in your community that I wonder what on Earth you are doing hanging around on a left wingish blog site.
All of us with vision clear enough to see have people who are 'different' living in our communities.
The real lefty trick is to not only to tolerate difference but to endeavor to understand the factors that make these individuals, well, different.
The bigger lefty challenge is knowing when to support the community when shared interests are threatened by individuals. The quirky underdog is not always in the right.
The intolerance is as palpable as it is unsurprising.
Smears and insults indicate the levels of intolerance on display.
Edit: Titirangi many decades ago, used to be a bush surrounded vibrant hub of all wonderful flavours and types of folks…some of them possibly still remain in the area…
…But as the housing markets have gone up, the areas will have been overrun by the intolerant types who moved into those once eclectic bush suburbs in the Waitakere Rangers …
Same as can be seen in other areas in that part of West Auckland….areas which families had generations of heritage…very few likely remain…
I mean who are these types…what actual benefit would those who use insults, bigoted smears against others inside their own community bring to that community with such intolerant traits…communities which they have only recently moved into no less…
The language being used to describe the circumstances is symptomatic of the very real problems which all communities are facing…that being the hypocritical do-gooders …who are anything but….
Why should her foibles be accorded any more respect than those who have obnoxiously loud parties into the wee hours, or enjoy doing burnouts on public streets? As just a couple of examples of obnoxious anti-social behaviour that society curtails.
and
Her views are well known. Her behaviour is antisocial and if she were living in earlier times the village would have ousted her by now. She has earned any contempt people here are divining.
She sounds like a hard case. That's the shitty thing with poultry, the sloppy poo.
Go to any park/Queens gardens in NZ with a pond and it's sloppy poo city, just like the ladies drive way. Part of the parcel and all that.
Maybe you could make her a ducks crossing sign. Actually you might be able to pick one up at a garden centre or Farmlands etc. We've one up at the commune in a certain location on the driveway. Lolz there are places I do not walk in bare feet up there even in the summer due to poultry poo, it's always runny lmao. Peacocks are the worst, that's super sized runny shit that stuff.
Re the breeding…. too many roosters huh? Roosters can be eaten, the trick is once you've caught them, to lock them up in the coup for about a week, then they aren't using their muscles as much tearing around the place, helps to tenderise the meat as such, then off with their heads and let the plucking begin.
Are people just giving up on keeping chooks and dumping them at Titirangi? Must be super annoying for the locals. WTB is correct in suggesting to seat the lady at the table with others to form a plan.
Why respond sourly to an informative thought-through comment from Cinny? I see you taking potshots quite often Sacha. Doesn't add anything to the discussion.
There used to be at least one homeless guy apparently living in one of the bush patches currently over-infested with chickens. But I haven't seen any of them since what used to be a carpark right next to the bush patch became a construction zone. Maybe he/they had something to do with controlling the chicken population…
Wouldn't that be ironic 🙂 There's a rest stop up the valley that seems to be a popular place for rooster dumping. Friends have been gathering up the roosters when they see them.
Maybe it's as innocent as a child wanting a chicken and to hatch it from an egg and then hello it's a rooster. I know in the suburban areas of our district that people aren't allowed to keep roosters. So maybe the most sympathetic way they think to get rid of them is to drop them off at a lush looking rural area, like Titirangi. And then it literally all turns to shite.
Oh, and as far as a duck crossing sign, there's proper official duck signs at the correct distance going both ways. They got put in a few years ago.
I'll speculate it was the result of a deal the council made with her to stop her lining up and displaying roadkill on the side of the road encroaching into where buses need to use the full width. Or even occasionally hanging roadkill ducks (guts hanging out and all) from trees on the side of the road.
Got a couple of neighbors I'll trade for the duck lady. Specifically the gang members who like to intimidate other neighbors. While they don't mess with me I've had to call them off their treatment of others a couple of times. That's anti-social. Eccentricity is different.
In a perfect world that lady would be working at an aviary, or a free range farm.
Well, Peter "Pedro" Cleven was just a couple of driveways down from my place for years, and he was less of a worry than someone attracting pest animals to that house and feeding them would have been.
She may have always been eccentric, or she may have dementia. There are more people with dementia than ever before living amongst us.
They cannot be reasoned with, their remaining strength of mind is focussed on their own drives. Soon every second person will have a slightly mad old person living near them. Get used to it.
We oldies are living longer, and those of us with a desire to be living all the time they are alive, would also like to be able to decide when we realise it is time to arrange our affairs and pass away otherwise it will only be medical intervention that keeps us going at cost to the state, and great emotional cost to our families or carers.
I've got a mildly demented old being just behind me. We disagreed about something, and he got an axe and chopped it down. My friend has one who constantly stares out of the windows opposite to my friend's house, sometimes apparently kneeling on the floor to peek. The woman has accused her and neighbours of stealing things from her garden. It is unpleasant and annoying and the delusions from the mentally incapacitated take many forms. This woman's one is feeding the dear birds, without consideration for the dear people affected. Watch out you people working for the environment, for signs that you or fellow advocates, don't become as narrowly focussed and then have bad faith to ordinary humans, ignoring the needs of people suffering and without help and consideration. I'm already hearing people comment scornfully, almost with hate, about people having children – they are 'breeding' and are to be despised as (bloody) irresponsible.
I wrote a comment the othr day on the spread of retirement villages and who might own them.
There was a recent news item about some owners finding that they are required to pay an extra $100 a week they hadn't realised they were liable for. Apparently the small print is extensive. Perhaps it is as bad as that coming with your cellphone.
Federal Aged Care and Senior Australians Minister Senator Richard Colbeck thanked Queensland Health, local emergency services and the staff members who took care of residents.
"It appears that this incident arose from a contractual dispute between the approved aged care provider and a sub-contractor who was providing administrative, nursing, catering and other support services," he said.
"It appears that the sub-contractor, without notice, withdrew all services and proceeded to remove equipment from site, leaving the facility unsuitable for residents to occupy.
Government response:
"I will be using the full suite of resources available to investigate the circumstances of this matter and I have issued instructions to that effect to my department last night.
That's if they don't contract out of doing anything responsible for their citizens. I wonder how Oz people will feel as they become aware that their government cares as little for them, as the citizens do for the refugees held on island penitentiary hellholes, shades of French penal colony Devil's Island and Papillon.
A petty criminal, Papillon is wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in a French penal colony in 'Guiane' (French Guiana, South America).
"I'm pretty sure our text machine is going to get very BUSY with this choice." Yadana Saw nervously transgresses the fatwa against Michael Jackson.Music 101, RNZ National, Saturday 29 June 2019, 4:10 p.m.
Over many years, RNZ National has played host to some of the most heinous people imaginable. Kim Hill has provided an open platform for liars and propagandists such as the odious hatchet-man Alex Gibney [1] and the discredited Grauniad hacks Luke Harding and Jonathan Freedman. [2] Jesse Mulligan last year gave the war criminal Alistair Campbell half an hour—uninterrupted by any troubling questions like "Why did you expose Dr. Kelly?" or "How do you sleep at night?"—to talk about his incessantly self-advertised "battle with depression." Jim Mora and his producer sat schtum one day as that malevolent old sod Michael Bassett croaked, ludicrously, that Nicky Hager was "a holocaust-denier." Noelle McCarthy conducted a fawning interview with a former U.S. Navy SEAL, nodding along vacantly as he enthused: "Everybody wanted a piece of Grenada!" [3]
As I type this out, Kim Hill is interviewing the "Australian academic and media artist" Mitch Goodwin about "the history and cultural significance" of David Bowie's pop song "Space Oddity."
KIM HILL: Bowie, I mean he KNEW what he was talking about didn't he.
MITCH GOODWIN: He did, he was one of the cultural commentators of our time…. zeitgeist…. The space race and the Cold War, I mean Bowie saw both of those. et cetera.
Kim Hill knows as well as anyone that Bowie was notorious for preying on young, under-age girls. I wonder if she'd be so unabashed in her admiration for him if he was a black American instead of a white Englishman with a Home Counties accent; four years ago, she and the chatty "theatre-maker" Stella Duffy were in carnival mode as they enthusiastically expressed their support for the Key government's refusal to let black U.S. rapper Chris Brown into New Zealand. [4]
This peculiar and highly selective corporate "morality" at RNZ National reached its nadir two weeks ago, when the grimly chirpy Music 101 host Yadana Saw became very nervous about playing a song by that monster Michael Jackson….
The Mixtape: Ardijah. As Ardijah celebrates 40 years of making music, lead singer Betty-Anne Monga reflects on her life of waiata and whānau for the RNZ Mixtape.
YADANA SAW:[brightly and chirpily] Kia ora koutou, this is the RNZ Music Mixtape, with me-e-e-e, Yadana SAW, and joining us as the selector for THIS episode of the Mixtape is Ardijah's Betty-Anne Monga. Kia ora ehoa!
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Kia ora, Yadana.
YADANA SAW: Aaaaaahhh, it's SO LOVELY to have you as our Mixtape selector this, um, this afternoon, ahhhh…..
….. and so on. Betty-Anne Monga had many interesting things to say about living in Otara, singing in a band while still at school, and the music business. The talk was interspersed with musical selections, including Ardijah's cover of the Phoebe Snow hit "Every Night" and Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Then she told Yadana Saw that she left school to join the band—"I ran away from home," she laughed.
YADANA SAW:[carefully, delicately] All right, well let's get to your—speaking of CONTROVERSY, this one sounds quite controversial for a, y' know, a YOUNG WOMAN to be doing that in those times, in South Auckland, um, I hope you don't mind me saying that your NEXT song is a LITTLE bit of a controversial CHOICE, a-a-a-a-and….
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Hmmmmm.
YADANA SAW: I'm really interested why you were brave enough to be choosing a MICHAEL JACKSON track—
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Oh, okay.
YADANA SAW: — at this time.
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Well, you know, for me, once I joined the band and I was able to buy music, you know, that I quite loved, Michael Jackson, yeah he was the—I think I only purchased that album. That was about it, but everything else has been— hmmm, it's the era. That song there and that album is quite influential for me, anyway.
YADANA SAW: Betty-Anne, the—w-w-what will happen is that, I'm pretty sure our text machine is going to get very BUSY with this choice.
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Hmmmm.
YADANA SAW:[very delicately, nervously] What would you SAY to-o-o-o listeners, and to our audience, who may say "We CAN'T listen to this music any more"?
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Yeah. Well you know I think that's everybody's prerogative, you know, and I respect that, and I think it is about people making that choice for themselves. You know what, and honestly, Yadana, I didn't even think. I was looking at the music, the journey, you know, that I've walked, and that I know that other people have as well. But bringing it, discussing it, and talking about it now, um, yeah, I can't really, gosh, you know, but people have their—it's freedom of speech. And share it, you know, so we can see where others are coming from, and how they feel about it. It's okay to talk about it.
YADANA SAW: Uh, thank you, Betty-Anne! Umm, fro-o-o-om the album Off the Wall, this is Michael Jackson's "Rock With You."
…. Cue three minutes of music from the Devil Incarnate, according to Yadana Saw and no doubt the chatty "theatre-maker" and scourge of Chris Brown, Stella Duffy. *
YADANA SAW: That's "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson, from the album Off the Wall, the choice of Betty-Anne Monga from Ardijah, who's our Mixtape selector today-y-y-y.
Bloody hell Morrissey. I can't stand saints. Or are you a whited sepulchure that is going to find fault with all those we know and appreciate and be the one to triumphantly show them up? I think this is a terrible burden for you and will warp your life. Certainly you are beginning to warp mine.
I don't claim to be a saint, Mr Shark. The people closest to claiming such status are the likes of Stella Duffy and Yadana Saw, with their highly selective emphasis on the crimes of black singers —-of course the crimes are totally unproven in the case of Michael Jackson, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Ms. Saw from expressing her disdain and disapproval.
Quite the contrast with the treatment of David Bowie.
No, I'm not. And neither is Kim Hill. But they and others in the media lack the courage to speak out against or refuse to accept these informal and unwritten kinds of groupthink. It's interesting, and disturbing, to see how readily people will join in with an ostracism or a denunciation as long as it has the imprimatur of a few opinion gauges such as —God help us— Grauniad or BBC “journalists.” We've seen—or heard— how ostensibly decent people can be led into laughing at the suffering of a prisoner, and expressing contempt for him in the manner of Red Guards in 1960s China.
That fear of standing up to the prevailing political climate is what leads to such otherwise inexplicable phenomena as Kim Hill's willingly providing an uncritical audience to the most ridiculous and obscene conspiracy theories as peddled by the likes of Alex Gibney and Luke Harding.
That fear of falling out of favour with the mob is the reason that Yadana Saw was so nervous when she brought up the subject of Michael Jackson and made that ludicrous comment about "our audience, who may say 'We CAN'T listen to this music any more'."
I am pleased that you don’t consider either Kim or Yadana racists, because your first comment was a bit ambiguous.
Moving on to what you have said in your reply about Yadana Saw, I laughed.
While you are obviously entitled to your opinion, your claim that “fear of falling out of favour with the mob” is so off the mark in relation to Yadana; and I therefore assume that you possibly know very little about her (other than as a RNZ Music 101 host), her ethnicity, her background as an activist, and that of her older whanau.
Although part pakeha,Yadana is in fact one of a very small community of Burmese here in Wellington. As well as being known for her activism and leadership in saving a well loved Crossways Community Creche a couple of years ago, she is now on the Board of Trustees of my own first primary school Newtown School, well known for its multiculturalism and leadership in the local community – and is apparently doing a very good job in that role.(Note – she is young enough to be a daughter or probably a granddaughter of mine!)
More than that, however, she is also known for being active in standing up for human/civil rights in Myammar. While 12 years ago now, Yadana was organizer and MC of a Vigil for Burma back in 2007 which saw a very big turnout in Wellington from a wide range of the community and political leaders.
This activism is very much in her blood, as she is the granddaughter of one of Wellington’s most loved restauranteurs, “Aunty Mabel” who ran Wellington’s only Burmese restaurant the “Monsoon” for many years after arriving in NZ in 1976. Aunty Mabel was well known for her outspokenness and support of refugees and others of all ethnicities.
Even better known however, was Mabel’s older brother, Bill Maung. Bill (Yadana’s great uncle, a former judge and high level political figure in Burma) arrived in NZ as a political exile in 1967; and went on to become a political force in his own right – known for standing up to Muldoon, becoming a good friend of James K Baxter, and going on to be a friend and very active supporter and mentor to Rei Harris and Black Power.
For many years, Bill was a well known figure and friend to many in the Southern suburbs of Wellington, including me. He was also a good friend of Bruce Stewart (founder), and active supporter and member of my local marae, Tapu Te Ranga Marae (which sadly burnt down a couple of weeks ago). The work Bill Maung did over many years through the marae and Black Power in relation to Maori men and gangs is immeasurable, despite the difference in ethnicities, religious beliefs etc. .
So, with that family background, Yadana afraid “of falling out of favour of the mob” or “lacking the courage to speak out”– No way!!!!!!! LOL.
—————————————————————————–
Here is an interview in 2014 with Yadana where she goes into more detail (mainly in the second half).
Thanks for that very interesting info, Viper. I had guessed she was Burmese, going by her surname, but I had no idea she was related to the legendary Bill Maung.
I don't agree with you, however, that her ethnicity or her activism means that she is not susceptible to the very real pressure of hivemind syndrome. She had no good reason to make those ridiculous comments about Betty-Anne Monga being "brave" in choosing that song by Michael Jackson, and her fanciful, entirely unjustified suggestion about the thinking of "our audience, who may say 'We CAN'T listen to this music any more'."
I'm sure that Yadana Saw has devoted practically no time at all to following the fantastical and spectacularly unsuccessful attempted takedown of Jackson by James Safechuck and Wade Robson; what she does know, however, is that many of the chattering set in Wellington have made their minds up that he must have been guilty, and she's decided not to swim against the tide.
Why are we so fixated on everything USA. As if we don't have much to talk about at home and in Oz. Up the USA, they have more citizens than we have and more furores in the news therefore. But I am concerned about NZ and what is going on with us. You sound Irish Morrissey, have you always lived in NZ, or did you come from another country and remained pulled between the two, lost at sea virtually.
Looks like democratic eating their own Pelosi now is also a racist ( ouch) which is simply what you are if you don’t agree with anybody to your left, no matter how left you maybe
Meanwhile, the locals are having conniptions with regards to not getting their road sealed. Some have business that would benefit, and are not prepared to wait, or are afraid funding will vanish.
So there's concern on both sides. One trying to do it right, the others wanting to just get on with it. Both understandable.
We've tried business models of just get on with it to the detriment of the environment forever. It's made the whole planet untenable run the way it is. This new road seal could open an entire new (global) industry for the region. The same region Tuhoe detractors say is only good for tourism, and that they're 'wrecking it'.
I thought kiwis didn't want their parks overrun by tourists and freedom campers? Here we have Tuhoe leading the way, limiting numbers. Thank god someone is doing it, and building green roads to boot, amazing! Or are you happier with green washing BS like charging a tourist levy…
Sux to be the white minority who can’t blindly reap profits from Te Urewera I guess. lol
Brexit could well see the end of Corbyn as well as many other British politicians. However, the main point here is that the infernal machinations of old Yenta Hodge, Tom Watson, and the rest of the Blairite rump have had virtually no effect on the voters. The Blairites think that the British people are stupid; they're not, and they can recognize crude political smearing when they see it. Clearly no one with an I.Q. above room temperature believes a word that comes from the mouth of Yenta Hodge and her cronies.
Degrees of separation creepiness. It seems one of Epstein's first jobs was teaching at a private school in New York, headmastered by a Donald Barr, whose son is the ultimate overseer of Epstein's prosecution, William Barr …
Just as well the attack was on Christianity and Jewish faiths otherwise some would be asking for a lot more than as mild a response as you can possibly make.
“That was not my intention and I unreservedly apologise. " so what is Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman apologising for. So we can make offensive statements but not have that intention and it is OK ??
The Quran was written about 600 years later so has zero eye witnesses to the 'prophet not God or son of God' [according to the Quran] portrayed as Jesus.
"although some scholars had in the past supported the Slavonic Josephus, to my knowledge no one today believes that they contain anything of value for Jesus research"
Chilton, Bruce; Evans, C.A. (1998). Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research.
Iterations of iterations. Chinese whispers by believers over centuries.
Ok then what are your thoughts of an MP mis representing religion and history to further her own agenda ?
And when it was pointed out her errors that her comments were offensive, gives what some could consider the bird ? and what contrite has been displayed ?
Please God don't let them fight over whether you exist from their puny position on earth. If someone tried to believe in someone good and lasting over centuries, and in general that person also tries to be good inspired by the belief, then please don't start trying to unpick the belief either of you.
Well GG and I both agree that Jesus existed, WTB goes off tangent (and takes me with them) diverting from the issue. Making a statement and then making the IMO the worst form of apology and The Green's leadership also seem to fail that what was commented on is wrong and Both The Greens Leadership and GG should have appreciated that for some how offensive such a comment is.
apology lacks accountability when you focus on how the other person feels instead of what you did.
Edit:
Why do you have to fight about your religion. It is important to you but Christianity is about bringing peace surely.
It seems that the Jewish spokesperson has a set approach which gets wheeled out. She said that the woman said that Jesus was not Jewish. Actually she made the point that Mary and Joseph were refugees (in their own land). They were escaping Herod weren’t they!
What about arguing for others being treated badly in NZ – about getting things better for people. Argue for people rather than dogma.
I've just been reading this. It is possible you already advocate for people having a rough time. If so please do more – there is such a need.
…I'm now 37, and I've been on and off the benefit since I was 18. I've done odd jobs, but they mostly haven't lasted long either because the role was temporary or I didn't fit in with the other workers….
When my parents died suddenly in 2010, I got no empathy from Work and Income. In fact, they told me to let it go and move on just two weeks after it happened, and kept threatening to cut my benefit.
They did end up cutting it for two weeks, which left me eating beans and rice or nothing. That was traumatising and hurtful.
Cut to 2019, I recently asked if they would be able to help me pay for a course I wanted to do, because it didn't fit in with Studylink funding and didn't qualify for the training allowance. They refused to help me. This course could have got me an internship and a paid job in a position I would love, and be happy to do every day. They wouldn't even loan me the money.
Even for the muddled and discredited NZJC, that was a moronic press release. The NZJC does not speak for Jewish people of New Zealand; it is an extreme right, racist organization that promulgates hatred and supports apartheid. The fact you quote that discredited organization is not at all helpful to your reputation, my befuddled friend.
18.) The so-called “friends of Israel”, who support Israel automatically and blindly: this has nothing to do with friendship. They are enemies of Israel—they corrupt us. The Jewish establishment in Australia kept saying to me: “Israel right or wrong.” Well, Israel is wrong and they need to stop supporting it. Continuous support by Western governments and by the Jewish establishment is anything BUT friendship.
That GG was placed in the naughty corner by her leaders, gave an apology and directed to work closer with the Jewish community doesn’t say much about how others have viewed her actions. Perhaps some within the greens are attempting to hold to their principles.
Funny how those who espouse tolerance are sometimes found lacking 😉
Grey, ponder this. If you walked down town and asked people who their local council CEO is, most wouldn't even know, let alone know what they are paid. More could probably name the contestants on the Block. And that is most likely a big part of the problem.
Most are looking the other way and it becomes like taking candy off a baby.
Most people have no idea how big their council's annual budget, asset base, or staff numbers are. Nor how that compares with other organisations in their region or their pay rates.
Is The Chair agitating for cheaper local government?
In this instance, I'm questioning profuse CEO salaries.
The new CEO is from the United Kingdom and her new pay is $100,000 more than the £210,000 ($NZ397,000) she earns in her current role as chief executive of Birmingham City Council – despite the British city being more than twice the size of Christchurch (see link above).
Local government organisations aim to provide public services and facilities at or below cost – they're not in the business of making a profit.
"Chief executives at New Zealand's biggest companies got a 2.2 per cent pay rise last year, taking their average earnings to $1,755,352 in the 2017 financial year."
"While CEO earnings increases were modest compared to some previous years, 38 of the 50 chief executives in the survey still received more than $1 million in remuneration, and their average was 55 times the median annual income Kiwis received in that year, recorded at $31,928, according to Statistics NZ."
Some of those 'private' companies have been bailed out by the NZ taxpayer, and some receive generous corporate welfare so that they may continue to return a dividend to their shareholders.
But by all means take a pot shot at local government – it’s your “lefty” choice.
It's not only local Government where CEO salaries are profuse, but unlike the private sector, the public have far more say. But they don't seem to be using their power to slow down these outrageous salaries. A sustained media campaign is required.
Do you support the new CEO salary? If not, why have a go at me?
If you consider that new CEO's salary to be "outrageous", then you must have been ‘positively’ apoplectic about Speiring's $8,000,000+ renumeration package, for all the good he did!
Could you use Givealittle to fund your "sustained media campaign"?
"Since 1989 New Zealand has witnessed a gradual reduction in the number of locally elected positions." [see table & figure on page 7]
"The Taxpayers’ Union, in collaboration with Fairfax Media, this morning launched "Ratepayers’ Report" hosted by Stuff.co.nz."
"For the first time, New Zealanders now have an interactive online tool to compare their local council to those of the rest of the country. Go to http://www.ratepayersreport.nz/ to compare your local council including average rates, debt per ratepayer and even CEO salaries."
Good point about the media holding power to account – been making that point long, have you?
I absolutely agree that the lot of most NZers would improve gradually if Labour turned (more) left, but given MMP (which I support), keeping National (aren't they just stinkers) out requires continued broad public support. Bridges is doing a fine job in that regard.
If, in changing tack, Labour fails to take enough voters with them, then it's back to asset sales, setting up public services for failure and privatisation, tax cuts for the wealthy (actually that'll be first, just like last time), GST increases, inequality increases, flags, tax havens, etc. etc.
This report on Matata, Bay of Plenty and its residents, many elderly, being shunted around by an inept local Council displays that small Councils are out of their depth in trying to get their heads around climate change and its effects. It is full and factual by Nikki Macdonald on Stuff and is another example of Stuff doing a great job of informing us about our country's challenges and triumphs.
It shows graphically how remiss our Local Government central body is. They should have seen this coming because they have seen for decades central government withdrawing from responsibility and local govt is still noting that there is more being pushed on them, more expectations. Years ago Local Government should have had square-table meetings laying the problems on the table and the consequent costs and difficulties.
Without that careful thinking their Council has misled Matata people after one weather event to invest their insurance money back into their homes and land, only to tell them to shift and offer them inadequate money for their homes which will be abandoned.
It's time for government to consult with Councils and people affected, set up a system that enables a coastal retreat, and erects shelters for emergencies and a fund must be set up to provide for alternative housing.
Forethought of some sort by voters, not to keep electing a Party whose leader was willing to play the clown to amuse the hoi polloi would have given us three years extra to start facing such problems, part of our dire future. But no, why shift yourself when you aren't forced to. Others can go and jump. And many Councils seem to have caught the same Rip-van-Winkle sleeping sickness.
Listen to MP Eugenie Sage saying little Westland will have to pick up all its own rubbish, yet it is known that it needs to be done quickly now before the historic spring rain. Of course that might not happen, because of disruptive climate change, but as the saying goes about being flummoxed, 'Expect the unexpected, but remember you can't count on it'.
Can some wealthy triad put their money in and buy them out? The wealthy have had a go at banner businesses that traditionally have been bought by the kingpins of finance, eg Bill Gates bought into a Canadian railway. But Stuff is there and presumably still for sale. It's not a big building that you can put your name on, but Murdoch made his name with newspapers and anyone who had a desire to own a newspaper that runs well and supports the country and both sides of Parliament, would be a god to many of us. All our wealthy can't be warped lightweights morally?
Would have thought that the democratic processes of the collected representatives of the directly elected E.U. govt. nations, would take precedent over that of the E.U. elecs
&
that the results of the E.U. elecs. would take precedent over those in national parliaments in the arrangements of rewarded working majorities to those proportions.
Would seem like the basic win win default convenant of all pro E.U. vote reps. to their support bases, that would carry the best guarantee of getting a good shake of the stick at some point.
I’ve been thinking about the left and their plight.
For me, being left is pretty simple, it’s people vs money and things.
We all like money and things, lefties place people at the top.
A standard contributor recently posted the observation that 2 of us have as much wealth as 1.5 million of us.
It’s an imbalance that can’t be conducive to the betterment of New Zealand. Rich and poor alike can only predict calamity ahead.
I think the inevitable rise of the left will not come from stomping our feet and demanding houses, food grants and dollars. It will come from stomping our feet and demanding humanity. "Hello my friend"
Can someone tell me if you can make two submissions on a bill. I have made one myself but would also like to sign Forest and Bird's for the Zero Carbon Bill. It's not like a vote is it. I have put in a different submission than Forst and Bird with different points in each.
Thanks to national for the Tsunami of homeless people. Eco Maori just about end up in a motel but I didn't want to put up with all the actors the sandfly's throw at me .
A black out in New York wow that must have been fun .
It's cool to see all the people enjoying All the beautiful sight that Aotearoa has to offer like hump ridge track I have a awesome view were I'm going to build.
There you go Whanau these puppets are using the Orange tamariki problems like they used the forshaw and sea bed issue to try and discredit our government that treats Maori and the poor common tangata better than the last lot wake up you puppets .
I don't think that Google te reo will be that accurate in translating te reo as the dialects are different for each Iwi.
Bullshit any person with a brain know don't go to war unless you are going to win. taniana last war you lost the forshaw and seabed and gave national the power to stuff up Maori and the poor people for NINE YEARS FOOL you will cause more harm to tangata whenua that good if there actions let national back in power .Ngati Porou own our sea bed right.
Awesome to see Maori getting into online video gaming that is the industry to chase it ten times the revenue of Hollywood. Ka kite ano
It was a exciting day for Papatuanuku Cricket Lloyd.
Our Blackcaps Stars did Aotearoa fine even with the final results.
Banks is just a national puppet . national are desperate for a win in any political seen.
trump is just showing his true colors.
It is cool that China is going to help save the Godwit bird . China is going to preserve some mud flats in the yellow sea were the Goodwit stop halfway on there yearly migration ka Pai.
It's cool our government is going to change some system in Whanau Ora to consult with the Whanau more .
Those people and culture that are in Oranga tamariki are the same ones that the national party you back so you need to stand up and take responsibility for YOUR Actions Tainana .
It cool to see plastic being recycled to in Aotearoa and seeing it being turned in New products.
Eco Maori is a birdwatcher they are such beautiful creature.
It's awesome that our government is going to put money into normalising Te reo in Aotearoa society you should see heads turn when I say ki Ora in A shop .
Awesome to see a Wahine elected as European union commission President. Congratulations Ursula
Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the European commission’s first female president and the first German in the job for more than 50 years.
In a secret ballot, MEPs voted narrowly to support the German defence minister as a replacement for Jean-Claude Juncker when he steps down on 31 October She won the support of 383 MEPs, nine votes more than required to secure an absolute majority but below the 400 threshold that would have given her a stable majority to get her policies through parliament over the next five years
Eco Maori tau toko supports Equality for Wahine equality for all. KIA KAHA stay strong all Wahine championing this cause
This is a huge problem with charity's all the money doesn't make it to the cause. Its burned up by administration and other things .
Only 1% of gender equality funding is going to women’s organisations – why?
There’s been a $1bn boost in support in the last two years, but only tiny pots of money are trickling down to feminist groups
In the past two years alone, governments and international institutions have announced more than $1bn (£0.8bn) in new commitments to support gender equality globally.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Still having tons of problems with commenting from my tablet usually cant get focus in comments pane, sometimes can make new comment but not reply, often there is no replies sidebar …. then exit reload and get a working unit
Hi Xanthe, I have the same problem in Chrome but followed someone here and their advice and use Brave.
No probs with commenting.
ahh will give it a go thanks
chrome is nasty anyway
GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – What is the purpose of an economy?
Last week RNZ reported on two stories that should give us all pause to think about who we are , what we stand for and the ACTUAL rather than the pretend economic policy by which our country is run .
The first was on the queues of people lining up at the Manurewa MSD office on Thursday to get emergency assistance .Some had been there, in the cold and rain since 2 am.
The Minister Carmel Sepuloni put the blame on the Auckland Action Against Poverty group because that’s the day they have their advocates there to advise people about their rights and they won’t spread out their advocacy over the week, through pre appointments and at other offices
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/07/08/guest-blog-bryan-bruce-what-is-the-purpose-of-an-economy/
A good opinion piece Johnm but I wonder how the wealth of the two richest could be undone.
Bullet points from Bryan Bruce's article. Really to the heart of it. And no bullets in sight, may we get there and without any shooting.
…the fact that so many people are so desperate for assistance the government itself has had to increase the amount it has allocated for hardship grants to $128.5 million, tells you there is something very wrong with the way we are running our economy…
Again the problem lies in the way we run our economy . The government, for all it’s recent PR about wellbeing is still running to the neoliberal agenda which promotes selfishness and competition over cooperation and the common good…
neoliberal economics has turned us into a low wage economy – a Gig economy – where many people have to work 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet.
It [the Government] is still running an austerity budget with $3.5 Billion surplus when food parcel distribution at the Auckland City Mission is up 50% on last year…
What do we want? We want our economy (I think) –
…to deliver the greatest good for the largest number of our citizens over the longest time? (Progressive economics)
I’m for the progress ‘greatest good’ approach to running our economy.
Johnm
Why did you Tell Lies about Work An Income ?
You are so untrustworthy –
Your friends the Landlords place excessive Rents on people in New Zealand. You should have a chat to your Wealthy mates.
I'm not a landlord. If I had my way there would be at least a CGT of 60% on this social parasitism which is a blight on all societies. So bad our young couples cannot afford to buy starter houses. I believe in social housing and keeping house prices as low as possible including restricting immigration. NZ had it right until Roger the pig farmer came along! 🙁 It's a disgrace the capital Gain these types get away with. This Government refuses to address the problem.
There’s the crux of it Johnm what you believe and reality There is a capital tax on housing and CGT is not the prime reason for supply and demand issues in housing, nor as history show us is communism or rent : price controls the answer. The government can’t build houses cheaper than the market as kiwibuild has shown , start their and work backwards
Observer why do you attack JohnM for stating truths. And make up stories about him. You seem unreliable.
Please state exactly what JohnM said that was lies. And how do you come to say that his friends are landlords?
Newsroom has a very interesting story about farmers being "shafted" by ANZ over "interest rates swaps." Even quoting for Sir John's head:
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/07/12/678226/the-taranaki-farmers-who-took-on-a-2bn-bank-and-won
Still, all the three MPs in the Taranaki area are National Party. Seems they are pretty happy with being shafted overall.
How 2030 is the new 2100: Global Food Yields Already Dropping from Abrupt Climate Change
2030 is the new 2100. Climate change is ALREADY reducing global food yields TODAY, with an average 1% annual reduction in the worlds top ten global crops, providing 83% of food calories to humanity: top ten food crops: barley, cassava, maize (corn), oil palm, rapeseed (canola), rice, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane, wheat. Most reduced: oil palm (-13.4%); increased: soybeans (+3.5%). Negatively affected regions are Europe, South Africa, and Australia; +ve is Latin America; mixed is Asia, North and Central America. Growing season temperatures over all harvested areas is up 0.5 to 1.2 C since the early 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SModhHUpcj0
Hey John
Have you seen any bandwidth in the NZ MSM regards this dissonance ?
https://www.rt.com/news/464051-finnish-study-no-evidence-warming/
I'm not ascribing any credence to the claim – just an aghast reaction to the Nihilism exhibited by NZHERALD / STUFF.
Oh John
But there's still more to assimilate;
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1907.00165.pdf
David Attenborough speaks in parliament about climate change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv3DPaMaS2g
Dr. Respect 2 days ago
They will happily spend 30,000,000 on one bomb yet will not spend a penny on healthcare and the environment. This world is going down the pan very very fast and whoever is at the top you know the one that holds all the cards and has all the money. well they too will also diminish you could ask the question are they even human, because in my experience humanity is a collective and at the moment is falling apart. is anyone going to do anything? I doubt it
Here is a very good piece from the ever reliable FAIR on NYTimes peddling more bullshit and disinformation…seems one of the most important things do do during the coming US election cycle will be sorting through the mountains of misdirection, disinformation and straight out lies that the so called liberal MSM will spew forth in their vain attempt to derail the progressive wave building in the USA…keep your eyes peeled and your bullshit detectors set on high!
For NYT, Inconvenient Facts Equal ‘Russian-Style Disinformation’
https://fair.org/home/for-nyt-inconvenient-facts-equal-russian-style-disinformation/?awt_l=CnT3e&awt_m=gcztzYGTwIR._TQ
In the future (and today's research), conventional plastics will be biodegradeable.
Scientists have already discovered an enzyme that breaks down PET, and within a wireworms microbiome lies the secrets to breaking down polystyrene. The search is on for more promising enzymes, and how we might harness them upon discovery.
Leading the charge is consumer demand for sustainable products. Those without the tech will lose more and more public support, and as alternative options become available, consumer led protest over polluters will see government support withdrawn and even government opposition to recalcitrant industry.
While we see enormous resources today dedicated to PR and legal fees to hide/justify industrial activities, the far easier and cheaper way will be to work with ethical and environmental consideration.
Nature to aid tech:
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/plastic-bottle-waste-eating-enzyme-mutant/
Leading vehicle manufacturers are switching to EV production. Oil companies to carbon capture techniques and investment in renewable research and development.
In the interim, we need to plant 1.2 trillion trees.
Tech to aid nature:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/treeplanting-drones-could-help-restore-world-s-forests-a4116376.html
If the boomers could understand the difference between hemp and marijuana, what a difference that would make.
2 crop cycles of hemp remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere as 30 years of pine trees.
Hemp is also a far more sustainable, low impact crop. It also regenerates the soil and isn't required to have rotation planting like so many other crops do.
Hemp is wonderful. There are so many functional uses for hemp, and way more sustainable than trying to develop enzymes.
Excellent thoughts/facts. It was the cotton growers started the whole reefer madness/hemp ban to my (limited) knowledge.
Using hempcrete, hemp fibre… we could sequester the carbon FAST using hemp crops for building. And the seeds make top notch oils.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d_wsoZS6j0
The enzymes are required to remove the enormous volume of plastic pollution we have.
So true – hemp is a wonderful plant – you can pretty well use all of it – I can't understand why farmers aren't getting serious about creating diversity by laying some hectares in hemp – get out of the way regulation – and for the numbnuts – your dope people don't like being near the hemp too much – too much pollen floating around.
Flax too – we used to have a whole industry for this and we can get it back again – get ready to create more wetland, plant more flax, clean more rivers for transport, fix up the old docks and so on and before you know it we will have travelled back in time to the future.
Here's a relatively comprehensive talk on industrial hemp for some history, historical application and potential for applications.
We have some farms trialing hemp now, and I believe legislation has allowed its use for human food now? Is going to?
I can make a hemp (seed meal) & honey steam pudding that's pure goodness!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s599N6f-6s4
ta – I'm up to speed on hemp.
It's not all about you marty. We've got a few readers who are farmers here, others who are businessmen.
lol not about me? ffs…
Yeah I shoulda worded that better. The post was for other reader's interest, I know you know your stuff in this area.
all good 🙂
The Virtual Whurl is amusing ain't it? Open to mis-interpretation and contests between virtual egos.
Funny as a fart at times.
Have to say how pleasantly surprised I was the last time I returned from regions where hemp grows wild and where it serves as an inherent part of a natural cycle.
Customs' Doggy Doos took a liking to me because I'd been living for a few months amongst it all. Thankfully, simply declaring all that was sufficient to prevent an anal search.
It was either that, or arrival was close to midnight and everyone just wanted to get home, or maybe that the Customs Ossifer was quite obviously a total stoner
I have been waiting for the current incarnation of the Wool Board to maximise wool's properties against the horrid polypropylene clothing that is popular at the moment.
Very sobering thinking that fish have a gut full of fossil fuel based plastic fibres because…. vanity? cheaper?
I was talking to a local farmer who has had a few trial crops of hemp. He seemed to think he could use some tired old gear to process it. He spent more time fixing equipment.
That is the beauty of the stuff, very strong.
gsays
I was thinking too about time that wool started being promoted strongly again. They used to have fashion shows and original garments featured. This wedding dress is an example of the way that wool was promoted and the effects that could be gained working with it.
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/712450
http://www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz/tina-grenville/
http://www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz/gaye-bartlett/
http://www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz/michael-mattar
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/713938
https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2011/06/10/its-wool-week-celebrating-wool-in-fashion/
These are all womens clothes but there would have been men's gear designed as well.
It is border line criminal that the value of wool has slumped to where it is now.
Merino opossum blends are wonderful, in construction as an insulation….
They should use Jones fund and build a hemp plant in the Canterbury plains . Gaurentee a purchase price for any cockies that want to grow 5 % of their farm area in hemp for 10 years . Get the ball rolling.
+ 1 yep agreed
YES !!!! A thousand times yes 🙂
Perfect for the area. Get rid of (at least some of) the dairy and put trees back on the land to shelter the crops.
Who has the ear of Jonesy? That idea should be rounged out, and fed to him, along with his favourite beverage, plus a goody bag filled with hemp products which seem to be varied and extensive.
He looks like he'd be partial to some of the hemp steam pudding.
Not tonight though, rhubarb crumble it is. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the tart/sweet combo. Luscious. A favorite.
I do think he'd go for something so progressive if someone made a sound business case. A group of farmers/landholders might do very well to pursue such a thing.
We don't have a hemp seed de-huller in the country either, so we'll be wanting an industrial one of those too.
This is a clear case for another viable industry, perhaps we could slow down the dairy and diary for targets for hemp – a five year plan. Let's have some Chinese central planning, it seems to have done them good as far as economic progress is concerned.
LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease
Yay for me being stubborn and refusing the statins. Trying to contain my pie addiction and sweet tooth while awaiting further research…
Seems they've been flogging 'sugar pills' again. Wonder how much was made after the dodgy studies.
Possibly inflammation raising platelet counts… I'll stop already. Not a doctor…
bernie gold
I found this the other day – it sorta shows (in a funny way) why bernie won't get there – this is the truth of it – no big conspiracy. He is consistent, he is on message, he is who he is. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oxfzabpTWY
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Titirangi Village chicken infestation, but there's something important missing from the discussion. About a year ago I had a chat with the woman who feeds the chickens. (The one referred to by Andre as the "crazy duck lady".) She told me that she regularly arranges for chickens to be rehomed on a farm, but that the Titirangi population is maintained by regular dumping of chickens/roosters in the village by members of the public. Thus, a one-off removal of the entire chicken population will not solve the problem.
…I had a chat with the woman who feeds the chickens.
What?! You actually went and engaged with this person? You held a conversation with her? You found out from her information not as yet in the media? Oh, the horror!/sarc
I was having a chuckle yesterday thinking how much easier it is going to be to round up these chooks if they are being regularly fed. Even better if this lady is catching and re homing them. "Crazy" indeed.
If one has no problem with chooks becoming food, then there are no doubt lots of folk more than happy to take unwanted chooks of the hands of the dumpers. Or have we all become too precious to even think about folks killing their own chickens to eat?
Onya phantom snowflake, and thanks for sharing that information.
That's more like it. Some truth to the matter rather than sneering contempt.
The same occurs at Western Springs (Pet dumping). I view turtles in the lake, chooks all over the place, and if you go there on a moonlit night, rabbits and guinea pigs mowing the lawns.
With a Zoo next door housing many carnivores, I can think of a sustainable solution…
But the public would rather dump pets and have exterminators do the job, rather than think Fluffy has been eaten by a lion. As for the chook populations, some culling of the roosters (wherever dumped animals form flocks) would be an efficient way to keep numbers down. That and infrequent round-ups.
The homeless cull some of them
Rosemary & WtB: Similarly clichéd mental health-related slurs about the woman concerned are thrown about in the Titirangi community as are on this site, sadly. In person, what is most striking is her huge love and compassion towards chickens in particular, and I can't see why that's something to sneer at. In my view, when it comes to the chicken issue she is definitely a stakeholder, and I hope that the Waitakere Ranges local board will engage with and involve her as they seek a solution.
Apparently there will soon be an egg shortage, so the 'chicken lady' could have the last laugh as she may get the opportunity to charge top dollar for her rescued chickens eggs 🙂
Now that would be a cool ending.
Very true Cinny. Mr Jilly Bee and I recently became the owners of a couple of scrawny looking Red Shaver hens – we went on an hour and a half drive to pick them up, and back again. After a comfortable night in their new home, there were a couple of eggs in the nest and they have continued to each lay regularly (the more scrawny one, who is just coming out of her moult, manages one every second day. We're getting about a dozen a week at present. All good, and they're weeding the gardens for us as well – including getting rid of the accursed violets, which had pretty much taken over everywhere. Looking to plant some goodies for them to feast on. I believe they like comfrey – we've fenced off the rhubarb as they had started to eat the leaves, which can are toxic.
Locals have engaged with this woman for many, many years. Her views are well known. Her behaviour is antisocial and if she were living in earlier times the village would have ousted her by now. She has earned any contempt people here are divining.
That's really unfortunate Sacha.
It really is.
First up, why I call her "crazy duck lady": she goes out of her way to create traffic hazards in front of her home. One time I was going down the hill in front of her home in my old-skool Landrover with a moderately loaded trailer on behind, and she marches out into the road from behind a flaxbush to shake a roadkill duck at me. She did it when I was way too close to have stopped even if I hadn't had the trailer on, so I had to swerve around her into the other lane.
Her habit of feeding ducks at home means there's often ducks crossing the road where the road narrows, there's vegetation close to the road reducing visibility and the ducks have zero road sense so they will walk out directly in front of you so it can be difficult to avoid them, even if you're going unreasonably slow. The duck carnage on the road directly in front of her is all on her, not the drivers, yet by her behaviour she seems to have no comprehension of that.
Then there's the health hazard and other nuisance she's creating for her neighbours by encouraging the massive concentration of ducks. There have been times I've gone past and the concrete of her driveway was literally completely covered in duck shit and ducks.
When it comes to her and the chickens, I've seen her feeding the chickens numerous times. I have never seen her in any activity that even vaguely looked like trying to capture them for rehoming. Over the past few months, there have been many of the chickens in various stages of juvenile development (possibly a majority of the chickens). They are breeding prolifically, not just being dumped. And her regular feeding encourages that successful breeding.
While some of her activity might need to be curtailed, so does the lack of understanding.
It is the Mast season allowing prolific rat breeding, a nationwide phenomenon in which Titirangi is no special case except they've found a scapegoat who has pissed a few people off by the sounds of things. The dumping of unwanted roosters and mast year is causing the prolific breeding of chooks. Clutch numbers rise as food availability rises, hence this is not such an issue in non-mast years, years this lady is still feeding the flocks.
It would be good to seat this lady at the table with others and work through these issues. Creating a traffic hazard is not on, dismissing her as a kook is also not on.
How we see things is not necessarily how others do. Context required, understanding required. For all stakeholders.
The rats in the village have been knocked back to normal levels by a combination of poisoning and trapping. A few months ago I too had the worst rat and mouse problem I've ever had in my 19 years there (possibly not having any cats anymore contributed), but a solid campaign of poisoning and trapping has knocked them back around my place, too.
Crazy duck lady's habits of feeding pest animals and creating traffic hazards are simply anti-social. Why should her foibles be accorded any more respect than those who have obnoxiously loud parties into the wee hours, or enjoy doing burnouts on public streets? As just a couple of examples of obnoxious anti-social behaviour that society curtails.
The South Titirangi Environmental Network has got specials on the gas-fired rat traps. Mostly our cats get them, but on occasion it gets a mouse or two.
My Timms trap dealt to the rats quite satisfactorally. But lately the local possums seem to be treating it as the signpost to their bonking tree directly above it. Bastards.
Hell's teeth Andre. You're so overflowing with compassion and understanding for others in your community that I wonder what on Earth you are doing hanging around on a left wingish blog site.
All of us with vision clear enough to see have people who are 'different' living in our communities.
The real lefty trick is to not only to tolerate difference but to endeavor to understand the factors that make these individuals, well, different.
The bigger lefty challenge is knowing when to support the community when shared interests are threatened by individuals. The quirky underdog is not always in the right.
Threatened. Shared Interests.
Not much of a community then, is it.
Communities reconcile individual and shared interests.
The intolerance is as palpable as it is unsurprising.
Smears and insults indicate the levels of intolerance on display.
Edit: Titirangi many decades ago, used to be a bush surrounded vibrant hub of all wonderful flavours and types of folks…some of them possibly still remain in the area…
…But as the housing markets have gone up, the areas will have been overrun by the intolerant types who moved into those once eclectic bush suburbs in the Waitakere Rangers …
Same as can be seen in other areas in that part of West Auckland….areas which families had generations of heritage…very few likely remain…
Don't you worry One Two, next time there's outrage at yet another 'clean up' of the indigent Out West, I'll be reminding 'em.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11466807
Perhaps if this lady is living with health issues the Waipareira Trust could reach out?
I mean who are these types…what actual benefit would those who use insults, bigoted smears against others inside their own community bring to that community with such intolerant traits…communities which they have only recently moved into no less…
The language being used to describe the circumstances is symptomatic of the very real problems which all communities are facing…that being the hypocritical do-gooders …who are anything but….
and
What in the absolute f***
"who are these types"
Now there's a line of discussion that can only end well.
They out themselves, Sacha…
And it is ugly.
There are only two types: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I do not envy moderators your role.
I reckon it’s Karma.
lol very good
That’s a colourful picture you’re painting there, in B & W or is it shades of pink?
One Two back in your favourite role of acting as Lord High Announcer of Correctness and Rightness and negativity.
She sounds like a hard case. That's the shitty thing with poultry, the sloppy poo.
Go to any park/Queens gardens in NZ with a pond and it's sloppy poo city, just like the ladies drive way. Part of the parcel and all that.
Maybe you could make her a ducks crossing sign. Actually you might be able to pick one up at a garden centre or Farmlands etc. We've one up at the commune in a certain location on the driveway. Lolz there are places I do not walk in bare feet up there even in the summer due to poultry poo, it's always runny lmao. Peacocks are the worst, that's super sized runny shit that stuff.
Re the breeding…. too many roosters huh? Roosters can be eaten, the trick is once you've caught them, to lock them up in the coup for about a week, then they aren't using their muscles as much tearing around the place, helps to tenderise the meat as such, then off with their heads and let the plucking begin.
Are people just giving up on keeping chooks and dumping them at Titirangi? Must be super annoying for the locals. WTB is correct in suggesting to seat the lady at the table with others to form a plan.
What do you think Greg and the other local leaders have been doing for years?
Why respond sourly to an informative thought-through comment from Cinny? I see you taking potshots quite often Sacha. Doesn't add anything to the discussion.
Read the discussion above.
There used to be at least one homeless guy apparently living in one of the bush patches currently over-infested with chickens. But I haven't seen any of them since what used to be a carpark right next to the bush patch became a construction zone. Maybe he/they had something to do with controlling the chicken population…
Wouldn't that be ironic 🙂 There's a rest stop up the valley that seems to be a popular place for rooster dumping. Friends have been gathering up the roosters when they see them.
Maybe it's as innocent as a child wanting a chicken and to hatch it from an egg and then hello it's a rooster. I know in the suburban areas of our district that people aren't allowed to keep roosters. So maybe the most sympathetic way they think to get rid of them is to drop them off at a lush looking rural area, like Titirangi. And then it literally all turns to shite.
And then it literally all turns to shite.
An intelligent and resourceful person might see that shite as the most awesomest fertiliser for one's crops.
Pause on the way past and leap out with one's shovel and load up that trailer. Kill two birds with one stone. So to speak.
Good thinking Batman 🙂 There's the silver lining, love that type of thinking Rosemary
Oh, and as far as a duck crossing sign, there's proper official duck signs at the correct distance going both ways. They got put in a few years ago.
I'll speculate it was the result of a deal the council made with her to stop her lining up and displaying roadkill on the side of the road encroaching into where buses need to use the full width. Or even occasionally hanging roadkill ducks (guts hanging out and all) from trees on the side of the road.
Dang… ok now I can feel the frustration.
Got a couple of neighbors I'll trade for the duck lady. Specifically the gang members who like to intimidate other neighbors. While they don't mess with me I've had to call them off their treatment of others a couple of times. That's anti-social. Eccentricity is different.
In a perfect world that lady would be working at an aviary, or a free range farm.
Well, Peter "Pedro" Cleven was just a couple of driveways down from my place for years, and he was less of a worry than someone attracting pest animals to that house and feeding them would have been.
She may have always been eccentric, or she may have dementia. There are more people with dementia than ever before living amongst us.
They cannot be reasoned with, their remaining strength of mind is focussed on their own drives. Soon every second person will have a slightly mad old person living near them. Get used to it.
We oldies are living longer, and those of us with a desire to be living all the time they are alive, would also like to be able to decide when we realise it is time to arrange our affairs and pass away otherwise it will only be medical intervention that keeps us going at cost to the state, and great emotional cost to our families or carers.
I've got a mildly demented old being just behind me. We disagreed about something, and he got an axe and chopped it down. My friend has one who constantly stares out of the windows opposite to my friend's house, sometimes apparently kneeling on the floor to peek. The woman has accused her and neighbours of stealing things from her garden. It is unpleasant and annoying and the delusions from the mentally incapacitated take many forms. This woman's one is feeding the dear birds, without consideration for the dear people affected. Watch out you people working for the environment, for signs that you or fellow advocates, don't become as narrowly focussed and then have bad faith to ordinary humans, ignoring the needs of people suffering and without help and consideration. I'm already hearing people comment scornfully, almost with hate, about people having children – they are 'breeding' and are to be despised as (bloody) irresponsible.
I wrote a comment the othr day on the spread of retirement villages and who might own them.
There was a recent news item about some owners finding that they are required to pay an extra $100 a week they hadn't realised they were liable for. Apparently the small print is extensive. Perhaps it is as bad as that coming with your cellphone.
https://www.cffc.org.nz/news-and-media/news/cffc-demands-greater-clarity-from-retirement-village-operators/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/394199/retirees-paying-up-to-100-a-day-in-surprise-care-fees-report
http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/aec06adf/retirement-village-watchdog-calls-for-clarity-on-rules-costs.html
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/69112545/
Now there is a piece from the latest Nelson Mail about Australian experience headed Care residents abandoned.
This source info from the Brisbane Times that I found quickly online.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/retirement-home-ransacked-by-disgruntled-contractors-residents-abandoned-20190712-p526lq.html
Federal Aged Care and Senior Australians Minister Senator Richard Colbeck thanked Queensland Health, local emergency services and the staff members who took care of residents.
"It appears that this incident arose from a contractual dispute between the approved aged care provider and a sub-contractor who was providing administrative, nursing, catering and other support services," he said.
"It appears that the sub-contractor, without notice, withdrew all services and proceeded to remove equipment from site, leaving the facility unsuitable for residents to occupy.
Government response:
"I will be using the full suite of resources available to investigate the circumstances of this matter and I have issued instructions to that effect to my department last night.
That's if they don't contract out of doing anything responsible for their citizens. I wonder how Oz people will feel as they become aware that their government cares as little for them, as the citizens do for the refugees held on island penitentiary hellholes, shades of French penal colony Devil's Island and Papillon.
A petty criminal, Papillon is wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in a French penal colony in 'Guiane' (French Guiana, South America).
Papillon (1973) – Plot Summary – IMDb
"I'm pretty sure our text machine is going to get very BUSY with this choice." Yadana Saw nervously transgresses the fatwa against Michael Jackson. Music 101, RNZ National, Saturday 29 June 2019, 4:10 p.m.
Over many years, RNZ National has played host to some of the most heinous people imaginable. Kim Hill has provided an open platform for liars and propagandists such as the odious hatchet-man Alex Gibney [1] and the discredited Grauniad hacks Luke Harding and Jonathan Freedman. [2] Jesse Mulligan last year gave the war criminal Alistair Campbell half an hour—uninterrupted by any troubling questions like "Why did you expose Dr. Kelly?" or "How do you sleep at night?"—to talk about his incessantly self-advertised "battle with depression." Jim Mora and his producer sat schtum one day as that malevolent old sod Michael Bassett croaked, ludicrously, that Nicky Hager was "a holocaust-denier." Noelle McCarthy conducted a fawning interview with a former U.S. Navy SEAL, nodding along vacantly as he enthused: "Everybody wanted a piece of Grenada!" [3]
As I type this out, Kim Hill is interviewing the "Australian academic and media artist" Mitch Goodwin about "the history and cultural significance" of David Bowie's pop song "Space Oddity."
Kim Hill knows as well as anyone that Bowie was notorious for preying on young, under-age girls. I wonder if she'd be so unabashed in her admiration for him if he was a black American instead of a white Englishman with a Home Counties accent; four years ago, she and the chatty "theatre-maker" Stella Duffy were in carnival mode as they enthusiastically expressed their support for the Key government's refusal to let black U.S. rapper Chris Brown into New Zealand. [4]
This peculiar and highly selective corporate "morality" at RNZ National reached its nadir two weeks ago, when the grimly chirpy Music 101 host Yadana Saw became very nervous about playing a song by that monster Michael Jackson….
The Mixtape: Ardijah. As Ardijah celebrates 40 years of making music, lead singer Betty-Anne Monga reflects on her life of waiata and whānau for the RNZ Mixtape.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018701828
YADANA SAW: [brightly and chirpily] Kia ora koutou, this is the RNZ Music Mixtape, with me-e-e-e, Yadana SAW, and joining us as the selector for THIS episode of the Mixtape is Ardijah's Betty-Anne Monga. Kia ora ehoa!
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Kia ora, Yadana.
YADANA SAW: Aaaaaahhh, it's SO LOVELY to have you as our Mixtape selector this, um, this afternoon, ahhhh…..
….. and so on. Betty-Anne Monga had many interesting things to say about living in Otara, singing in a band while still at school, and the music business. The talk was interspersed with musical selections, including Ardijah's cover of the Phoebe Snow hit "Every Night" and Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Then she told Yadana Saw that she left school to join the band—"I ran away from home," she laughed.
YADANA SAW: [carefully, delicately] All right, well let's get to your—speaking of CONTROVERSY, this one sounds quite controversial for a, y' know, a YOUNG WOMAN to be doing that in those times, in South Auckland, um, I hope you don't mind me saying that your NEXT song is a LITTLE bit of a controversial CHOICE, a-a-a-a-and….
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Hmmmmm.
YADANA SAW: I'm really interested why you were brave enough to be choosing a MICHAEL JACKSON track—
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Oh, okay.
YADANA SAW: — at this time.
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Well, you know, for me, once I joined the band and I was able to buy music, you know, that I quite loved, Michael Jackson, yeah he was the—I think I only purchased that album. That was about it, but everything else has been— hmmm, it's the era. That song there and that album is quite influential for me, anyway.
YADANA SAW: Betty-Anne, the—w-w-what will happen is that, I'm pretty sure our text machine is going to get very BUSY with this choice.
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Hmmmm.
YADANA SAW: [very delicately, nervously] What would you SAY to-o-o-o listeners, and to our audience, who may say "We CAN'T listen to this music any more"?
BETTY-ANNE MONGA: Yeah. Well you know I think that's everybody's prerogative, you know, and I respect that, and I think it is about people making that choice for themselves. You know what, and honestly, Yadana, I didn't even think. I was looking at the music, the journey, you know, that I've walked, and that I know that other people have as well. But bringing it, discussing it, and talking about it now, um, yeah, I can't really, gosh, you know, but people have their—it's freedom of speech. And share it, you know, so we can see where others are coming from, and how they feel about it. It's okay to talk about it.
YADANA SAW: Uh, thank you, Betty-Anne! Umm, fro-o-o-om the album Off the Wall, this is Michael Jackson's "Rock With You."
…. Cue three minutes of music from the Devil Incarnate, according to Yadana Saw and no doubt the chatty "theatre-maker" and scourge of Chris Brown, Stella Duffy. *
YADANA SAW: That's "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson, from the album Off the Wall, the choice of Betty-Anne Monga from Ardijah, who's our Mixtape selector today-y-y-y.
et cetera….
[1] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-hatchet-man-speaks-alex-gibney.html
[2] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/04/freedland-uncritically-interviewed-by.html
[3] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/noelle-mccarthy-interviews-ex-navy-seal.html
[4] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/who-is-more-violent-and-despicable.html
Bloody hell Morrissey. I can't stand saints. Or are you a whited sepulchure that is going to find fault with all those we know and appreciate and be the one to triumphantly show them up? I think this is a terrible burden for you and will warp your life. Certainly you are beginning to warp mine.
I don't claim to be a saint, Mr Shark. The people closest to claiming such status are the likes of Stella Duffy and Yadana Saw, with their highly selective emphasis on the crimes of black singers —-of course the crimes are totally unproven in the case of Michael Jackson, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Ms. Saw from expressing her disdain and disapproval.
Quite the contrast with the treatment of David Bowie.
Are you suggesting that Yadana is being (gulp) racist?
No, I'm not. And neither is Kim Hill. But they and others in the media lack the courage to speak out against or refuse to accept these informal and unwritten kinds of groupthink. It's interesting, and disturbing, to see how readily people will join in with an ostracism or a denunciation as long as it has the imprimatur of a few opinion gauges such as —God help us— Grauniad or BBC “journalists.” We've seen—or heard— how ostensibly decent people can be led into laughing at the suffering of a prisoner, and expressing contempt for him in the manner of Red Guards in 1960s China.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-unusually-inane-and-depraved-edition.html
That fear of standing up to the prevailing political climate is what leads to such otherwise inexplicable phenomena as Kim Hill's willingly providing an uncritical audience to the most ridiculous and obscene conspiracy theories as peddled by the likes of Alex Gibney and Luke Harding.
That fear of falling out of favour with the mob is the reason that Yadana Saw was so nervous when she brought up the subject of Michael Jackson and made that ludicrous comment about "our audience, who may say 'We CAN'T listen to this music any more'."
I am pleased that you don’t consider either Kim or Yadana racists, because your first comment was a bit ambiguous.
Moving on to what you have said in your reply about Yadana Saw, I laughed.
While you are obviously entitled to your opinion, your claim that “fear of falling out of favour with the mob” is so off the mark in relation to Yadana; and I therefore assume that you possibly know very little about her (other than as a RNZ Music 101 host), her ethnicity, her background as an activist, and that of her older whanau.
Although part pakeha,Yadana is in fact one of a very small community of Burmese here in Wellington. As well as being known for her activism and leadership in saving a well loved Crossways Community Creche a couple of years ago, she is now on the Board of Trustees of my own first primary school Newtown School, well known for its multiculturalism and leadership in the local community – and is apparently doing a very good job in that role.(Note – she is young enough to be a daughter or probably a granddaughter of mine!)
More than that, however, she is also known for being active in standing up for human/civil rights in Myammar. While 12 years ago now, Yadana was organizer and MC of a Vigil for Burma back in 2007 which saw a very big turnout in Wellington from a wide range of the community and political leaders.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00082.htm
This activism is very much in her blood, as she is the granddaughter of one of Wellington’s most loved restauranteurs, “Aunty Mabel” who ran Wellington’s only Burmese restaurant the “Monsoon” for many years after arriving in NZ in 1976. Aunty Mabel was well known for her outspokenness and support of refugees and others of all ethnicities.
Even better known however, was Mabel’s older brother, Bill Maung. Bill (Yadana’s great uncle, a former judge and high level political figure in Burma) arrived in NZ as a political exile in 1967; and went on to become a political force in his own right – known for standing up to Muldoon, becoming a good friend of James K Baxter, and going on to be a friend and very active supporter and mentor to Rei Harris and Black Power.
For many years, Bill was a well known figure and friend to many in the Southern suburbs of Wellington, including me. He was also a good friend of Bruce Stewart (founder), and active supporter and member of my local marae, Tapu Te Ranga Marae (which sadly burnt down a couple of weeks ago). The work Bill Maung did over many years through the marae and Black Power in relation to Maori men and gangs is immeasurable, despite the difference in ethnicities, religious beliefs etc. .
So, with that family background, Yadana afraid “of falling out of favour of the mob” or “lacking the courage to speak out”– No way!!!!!!! LOL.
—————————————————————————–
Here is an interview in 2014 with Yadana where she goes into more detail (mainly in the second half).
https://bsidestories.org/2014/05/09/yadana-saw-holding-onto-independent-childcare-and-being-a-burmese-kiwi/
Bill Maung:
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-dominion-post/20110611/282153582892373
https://www.nzedge.com/magazine/kia-pakeke-ahau/
Thank you. What an interesting background.
Thanks for that very interesting info, Viper. I had guessed she was Burmese, going by her surname, but I had no idea she was related to the legendary Bill Maung.
I don't agree with you, however, that her ethnicity or her activism means that she is not susceptible to the very real pressure of hivemind syndrome. She had no good reason to make those ridiculous comments about Betty-Anne Monga being "brave" in choosing that song by Michael Jackson, and her fanciful, entirely unjustified suggestion about the thinking of "our audience, who may say 'We CAN'T listen to this music any more'."
I'm sure that Yadana Saw has devoted practically no time at all to following the fantastical and spectacularly unsuccessful attempted takedown of Jackson by James Safechuck and Wade Robson; what she does know, however, is that many of the chattering set in Wellington have made their minds up that he must have been guilty, and she's decided not to swim against the tide.
Why are we so fixated on everything USA. As if we don't have much to talk about at home and in Oz. Up the USA, they have more citizens than we have and more furores in the news therefore. But I am concerned about NZ and what is going on with us. You sound Irish Morrissey, have you always lived in NZ, or did you come from another country and remained pulled between the two, lost at sea virtually.
Looks like democratic eating their own Pelosi now is also a racist ( ouch) which is simply what you are if you don’t agree with anybody to your left, no matter how left you maybe
For those who think that handing over national parks to iwi is such a f**ing wonderful idea.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/114077524/tuai-community-affected-detrimentally-by-thoe-holdup-at-lake-waikaremoanahttps://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/114077524/tuai-community-affected-detrimentally-by-thoe-holdup-at-lake-waikaremoana
Quite the dishonest post there.
Tuhoe have been investigating – and have developed – a natural non-toxic road sealer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=116&v=QmlmwkAG_cE
That video comes with the article.
Meanwhile, the locals are having conniptions with regards to not getting their road sealed. Some have business that would benefit, and are not prepared to wait, or are afraid funding will vanish.
So there's concern on both sides. One trying to do it right, the others wanting to just get on with it. Both understandable.
We've tried business models of just get on with it to the detriment of the environment forever. It's made the whole planet untenable run the way it is. This new road seal could open an entire new (global) industry for the region. The same region Tuhoe detractors say is only good for tourism, and that they're 'wrecking it'.
I thought kiwis didn't want their parks overrun by tourists and freedom campers? Here we have Tuhoe leading the way, limiting numbers. Thank god someone is doing it, and building green roads to boot, amazing! Or are you happier with green washing BS like charging a tourist levy…
Sux to be the white minority who can’t blindly reap profits from Te Urewera I guess. lol
Their constant smears and attacks on Corbyn don't seem to be working
Britain Elects
@britainelects
· 5h
Westminster voting intention:
LAB: 29% (+3)
CON: 23% (-1)
BREX: 20% (-)
LDEM: 19% (-)
GRN: 3% (-2)
via @Survation, 10 – 11 Jul
Chgs. w/ 20 Jun
Corbyn did a massive policy shift on Brexit and managed to pull precisely 0% off the Libdems.
Do yourself a favour and buy a dictionary and look up "plurality".
Brexit could well see the end of Corbyn as well as many other British politicians. However, the main point here is that the infernal machinations of old Yenta Hodge, Tom Watson, and the rest of the Blairite rump have had virtually no effect on the voters. The Blairites think that the British people are stupid; they're not, and they can recognize crude political smearing when they see it. Clearly no one with an I.Q. above room temperature believes a word that comes from the mouth of Yenta Hodge and her cronies.
Wellington needs more roads! – Nat party local election offshoot reckon they're onto a winner: https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/114209468/rightwing-wellington-party-to-contest-council-elections
Nice deconstruction of conspiracy theories – worth your 7 and a half minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4stezD9MgsI&ab_channel=RebeccaWatson
Degrees of separation creepiness. It seems one of Epstein's first jobs was teaching at a private school in New York, headmastered by a Donald Barr, whose son is the ultimate overseer of Epstein's prosecution, William Barr …
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jeffrey-epstein-math-science-students-memories_n_5d28cf17e4b0060b11ebf987
But wait – there's more!
One of James Comey's daughters, Maurene, is apparently also on the prosecution team.
Plenty of links with more information if you google "James Comey daughter" but here is the first one I grabbed (am rushing out the door) –
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/comeys-daughter-named-to-epstein-prosecution-team
Just as well the attack was on Christianity and Jewish faiths otherwise some would be asking for a lot more than as mild a response as you can possibly make.
“That was not my intention and I unreservedly apologise. " so what is Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman apologising for. So we can make offensive statements but not have that intention and it is OK ??
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114200033/new-zealand-jewish-council-accuses-green-party-mp-of-antisemitism
I will wait for the lack of response and most peoples credibility will also go into the void of principle.
Faux outrage!
Cry me a river.
Buy a plant so that you will be doing some good to the plant, and you can tell the world, because just occupying a space does nothing for anyone.
They're arguing about the pedigree of a fictional character.
Definitely we should be outraged. They fight wars over these lies.
Make yourself useful: a case with evidence Jesus actually even existed.
Take a read of the Gospels. Matthew and Luke plagiarise Mark. Mark and John contradict each other…
And the bible is pretty much it for 'evidence'.
Yet now, even questioning the origin of this persona is an insult. Where's the evidence for any of it? Palestinian or Jewish. Where is it?
But as you know SOOOOO much I shouldn't have to direct you.
The Antiquities, Josephus for one, even the Koran has references.
Yes questioning is because that then goes against the link between the old and new testaments.
I am yet to see anything from you that is proactive, Just all negative. I hope it makes you feel worth something and gives you some self worth.
The Quran was written about 600 years later so has zero eye witnesses to the 'prophet not God or son of God' [according to the Quran] portrayed as Jesus.
"although some scholars had in the past supported the Slavonic Josephus, to my knowledge no one today believes that they contain anything of value for Jesus research"
Chilton, Bruce; Evans, C.A. (1998). Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research.
Iterations of iterations. Chinese whispers by believers over centuries.
Ok then what are your thoughts of an MP mis representing religion and history to further her own agenda ?
And when it was pointed out her errors that her comments were offensive, gives what some could consider the bird ? and what contrite has been displayed ?
Please God don't let them fight over whether you exist from their puny position on earth. If someone tried to believe in someone good and lasting over centuries, and in general that person also tries to be good inspired by the belief, then please don't start trying to unpick the belief either of you.
Well GG and I both agree that Jesus existed, WTB goes off tangent (and takes me with them) diverting from the issue. Making a statement and then making the IMO the worst form of apology and The Green's leadership also seem to fail that what was commented on is wrong and Both The Greens Leadership and GG should have appreciated that for some how offensive such a comment is.
apology lacks accountability when you focus on how the other person feels instead of what you did.
It really is a silly discussion, everybody knows that Jesus was Anglo-Celtic.
Edit:
Why do you have to fight about your religion. It is important to you but Christianity is about bringing peace surely.
It seems that the Jewish spokesperson has a set approach which gets wheeled out. She said that the woman said that Jesus was not Jewish. Actually she made the point that Mary and Joseph were refugees (in their own land). They were escaping Herod weren’t they!
What about arguing for others being treated badly in NZ – about getting things better for people. Argue for people rather than dogma.
I've just been reading this. It is possible you already advocate for people having a rough time. If so please do more – there is such a need.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114190512/im-doing-my-best-but-work-and-incomes-support-is-practically-nonexistent
…I'm now 37, and I've been on and off the benefit since I was 18. I've done odd jobs, but they mostly haven't lasted long either because the role was temporary or I didn't fit in with the other workers….
When my parents died suddenly in 2010, I got no empathy from Work and Income. In fact, they told me to let it go and move on just two weeks after it happened, and kept threatening to cut my benefit.
READ MORE:
* No new clothes, no haircuts, no fresh veg – the harsh reality of being a working poor mum
* My illnesses make it hard to live – WINZ makes it impossible
* Treated like a criminal for being on a benefit
They did end up cutting it for two weeks, which left me eating beans and rice or nothing. That was traumatising and hurtful.
Cut to 2019, I recently asked if they would be able to help me pay for a course I wanted to do, because it didn't fit in with Studylink funding and didn't qualify for the training allowance. They refused to help me. This course could have got me an internship and a paid job in a position I would love, and be happy to do every day. They wouldn't even loan me the money.
Some people think Jesus was an Alien. Is that anti-semitic too?
The only agenda here is you pushing the Gharaman-bad bandwagon.
Really, look at the issue; there is no issue – except people stirring it up.
Those poor victims.
Jesus was an Albanian punk rocker.
Even for the muddled and discredited NZJC, that was a moronic press release. The NZJC does not speak for Jewish people of New Zealand; it is an extreme right, racist organization that promulgates hatred and supports apartheid. The fact you quote that discredited organization is not at all helpful to your reputation, my befuddled friend.
"The fact you quote that discredited organization is not at all helpful to your reputation, my befuddled friend."
Great line.
That GG was placed in the naughty corner by her leaders, gave an apology and directed to work closer with the Jewish community doesn’t say much about how others have viewed her actions. Perhaps some within the greens are attempting to hold to their principles.
Funny how those who espouse tolerance are sometimes found lacking 😉
The new Christchurch City Council chief executive's $495,000 pay packet trumps that of Prime Minister.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/114189193/christchurch-city-council-chief-executives-salary-just-higher-than-pms
As most ratepayers oppose these profuse salaries, how do councils continually get away with paying out so much?
Good question The Chairman. What are your reckons?
Grey, ponder this. If you walked down town and asked people who their local council CEO is, most wouldn't even know, let alone know what they are paid. More could probably name the contestants on the Block. And that is most likely a big part of the problem.
Most are looking the other way and it becomes like taking candy off a baby.
Most people have no idea how big their council's annual budget, asset base, or staff numbers are. Nor how that compares with other organisations in their region or their pay rates.
Penny Bright did but she was rather unique.
She had little idea of the comparators.
Yes, that’s probably true.
Is The Chair agitating for cheaper local government? Anyone?
Bit like the Ratepayers Association. Or the Taxpayers' 'Union'
https://www.lgnz.co.nz/news-and-media/2019-media-releases/prod-comm-report-supports-lgnzs-calls-for-funding-and-financing-revamp/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/114014666/more-loose-panels-found-on-auckland-apartment-building-where-one-fell-causing-traffic-chaos
In this instance, I'm questioning profuse CEO salaries.
The new CEO is from the United Kingdom and her new pay is $100,000 more than the £210,000 ($NZ397,000) she earns in her current role as chief executive of Birmingham City Council – despite the British city being more than twice the size of Christchurch (see link above).
Local government organisations aim to provide public services and facilities at or below cost – they're not in the business of making a profit.
Some of those 'private' companies have been bailed out by the NZ taxpayer, and some receive generous corporate welfare so that they may continue to return a dividend to their shareholders.
But by all means take a pot shot at local government – it’s your “lefty” choice.
It's not only local Government where CEO salaries are profuse, but unlike the private sector, the public have far more say. But they don't seem to be using their power to slow down these outrageous salaries. A sustained media campaign is required.
Do you support the new CEO salary? If not, why have a go at me?
If you consider that new CEO's salary to be "outrageous", then you must have been ‘positively’ apoplectic about Speiring's $8,000,000+ renumeration package, for all the good he did!
Could you use Givealittle to fund your "sustained media campaign"?
"The Taxpayers’ Union, in collaboration with Fairfax Media, this morning launched "Ratepayers’ Report" hosted by Stuff.co.nz."
"For the first time, New Zealanders now have an interactive online tool to compare their local council to those of the rest of the country. Go to http://www.ratepayersreport.nz/ to compare your local council including average rates, debt per ratepayer and even CEO salaries."
Alternatively, the fourth estate could just do their job and hold power to account.
Good point about the media holding power to account – been making that point long, have you?
I absolutely agree that the lot of most NZers would improve gradually if Labour turned (more) left, but given MMP (which I support), keeping National (aren't they just stinkers) out requires continued broad public support. Bridges is doing a fine job in that regard.
If, in changing tack, Labour fails to take enough voters with them, then it's back to asset sales, setting up public services for failure and privatisation, tax cuts for the wealthy (actually that'll be first, just like last time), GST increases, inequality increases, flags, tax havens, etc. etc.
This report on Matata, Bay of Plenty and its residents, many elderly, being shunted around by an inept local Council displays that small Councils are out of their depth in trying to get their heads around climate change and its effects. It is full and factual by Nikki Macdonald on Stuff and is another example of Stuff doing a great job of informing us about our country's challenges and triumphs.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114151717/mismanaged-retreat-the-lifelimiting-limbo-of-matats-red-zone
It shows graphically how remiss our Local Government central body is. They should have seen this coming because they have seen for decades central government withdrawing from responsibility and local govt is still noting that there is more being pushed on them, more expectations. Years ago Local Government should have had square-table meetings laying the problems on the table and the consequent costs and difficulties.
Without that careful thinking their Council has misled Matata people after one weather event to invest their insurance money back into their homes and land, only to tell them to shift and offer them inadequate money for their homes which will be abandoned.
It's time for government to consult with Councils and people affected, set up a system that enables a coastal retreat, and erects shelters for emergencies and a fund must be set up to provide for alternative housing.
Forethought of some sort by voters, not to keep electing a Party whose leader was willing to play the clown to amuse the hoi polloi would have given us three years extra to start facing such problems, part of our dire future. But no, why shift yourself when you aren't forced to. Others can go and jump. And many Councils seem to have caught the same Rip-van-Winkle sleeping sickness.
Listen to MP Eugenie Sage saying little Westland will have to pick up all its own rubbish, yet it is known that it needs to be done quickly now before the historic spring rain. Of course that might not happen, because of disruptive climate change, but as the saying goes about being flummoxed, 'Expect the unexpected, but remember you can't count on it'.
Can some wealthy triad put their money in and buy them out? The wealthy have had a go at banner businesses that traditionally have been bought by the kingpins of finance, eg Bill Gates bought into a Canadian railway. But Stuff is there and presumably still for sale. It's not a big building that you can put your name on, but Murdoch made his name with newspapers and anyone who had a desire to own a newspaper that runs well and supports the country and both sides of Parliament, would be a god to many of us. All our wealthy can't be warped lightweights morally?
Faithful stenographer Stacy Kirk returns with a briefing from the Nats election campaign prep in Australia: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114171219/still-fatigued-from-the-last-election-gird-your-loins-for-2020–parties-deep-in-planning
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-jobs-vonderleyen-explainer/explainer-von-der-leyens-rocky-path-to-confirmation-as-eu-commission-chief-idUSKCN1U71M3
Would have thought that the democratic processes of the collected representatives of the directly elected E.U. govt. nations, would take precedent over that of the E.U. elecs
&
that the results of the E.U. elecs. would take precedent over those in national parliaments in the arrangements of rewarded working majorities to those proportions.
Would seem like the basic win win default convenant of all pro E.U. vote reps. to their support bases, that would carry the best guarantee of getting a good shake of the stick at some point.
I’ve been thinking about the left and their plight.
For me, being left is pretty simple, it’s people vs money and things.
We all like money and things, lefties place people at the top.
A standard contributor recently posted the observation that 2 of us have as much wealth as 1.5 million of us.
It’s an imbalance that can’t be conducive to the betterment of New Zealand. Rich and poor alike can only predict calamity ahead.
I think the inevitable rise of the left will not come from stomping our feet and demanding houses, food grants and dollars. It will come from stomping our feet and demanding humanity. "Hello my friend"
He Tangata He Tangata He Tangata
Can someone tell me if you can make two submissions on a bill. I have made one myself but would also like to sign Forest and Bird's for the Zero Carbon Bill. It's not like a vote is it. I have put in a different submission than Forst and Bird with different points in each.
Kia ora Newshub.
Thanks to national for the Tsunami of homeless people. Eco Maori just about end up in a motel but I didn't want to put up with all the actors the sandfly's throw at me .
A black out in New York wow that must have been fun .
It's cool to see all the people enjoying All the beautiful sight that Aotearoa has to offer like hump ridge track I have a awesome view were I'm going to build.
There you go Whanau these puppets are using the Orange tamariki problems like they used the forshaw and sea bed issue to try and discredit our government that treats Maori and the poor common tangata better than the last lot wake up you puppets .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te Ao Maori news.
I don't think that Google te reo will be that accurate in translating te reo as the dialects are different for each Iwi.
Bullshit any person with a brain know don't go to war unless you are going to win. taniana last war you lost the forshaw and seabed and gave national the power to stuff up Maori and the poor people for NINE YEARS FOOL you will cause more harm to tangata whenua that good if there actions let national back in power .Ngati Porou own our sea bed right.
Awesome to see Maori getting into online video gaming that is the industry to chase it ten times the revenue of Hollywood. Ka kite ano
Its was quite windy on the ranges
A "perfect storm" of earthquakes and high winds triggered Mt Ruapehu's eruption alarms on Sunday.
The mountain's Eruption Detection System (EDS) was activated after a cluster of earthquakes near Turangi, north of Mt Ruapehu, and strong wind gusts.
GeoNet reported 20 small earthquakes near Turangi on Sunday morning, ranging from magnitude 4 to 2.2.
"Nature is testing the Ski Area eruption alarms on Mt Ruapehu this morning," a post on the ski area's Facebook page explained
Ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/114233236/mt-ruapehu-eruption-alarms-triggered-by-earthquakes-and-wind-gusts
Kia ora Newshub.
It was a exciting day for Papatuanuku Cricket Lloyd.
Our Blackcaps Stars did Aotearoa fine even with the final results.
Banks is just a national puppet . national are desperate for a win in any political seen.
trump is just showing his true colors.
It is cool that China is going to help save the Godwit bird . China is going to preserve some mud flats in the yellow sea were the Goodwit stop halfway on there yearly migration ka Pai.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te Ao Maori News.
It's cool our government is going to change some system in Whanau Ora to consult with the Whanau more .
Those people and culture that are in Oranga tamariki are the same ones that the national party you back so you need to stand up and take responsibility for YOUR Actions Tainana .
It cool to see plastic being recycled to in Aotearoa and seeing it being turned in New products.
Eco Maori is a birdwatcher they are such beautiful creature.
It's awesome that our government is going to put money into normalising Te reo in Aotearoa society you should see heads turn when I say ki Ora in A shop .
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/hlfQVvsNLFk
These Hawksbay sandflys must have a bee in their bonnet I see heaps of marked cop cars in my travels around the place
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/h4DFXUndvbw
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/mOFvJVroAJE
Eco Maori story keeps getting Reka it will be worth heaps thanks
Awesome to see a Wahine elected as European union commission President. Congratulations Ursula
Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the European commission’s first female president and the first German in the job for more than 50 years.
In a secret ballot, MEPs voted narrowly to support the German defence minister as a replacement for Jean-Claude Juncker when he steps down on 31 October She won the support of 383 MEPs, nine votes more than required to secure an absolute majority but below the 400 threshold that would have given her a stable majority to get her policies through parliament over the next five years
Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/16/ursula-von-der-leyen-elected-first-female-european-commission-president
Eco Maori tau toko supports Equality for Wahine equality for all. KIA KAHA stay strong all Wahine championing this cause
This is a huge problem with charity's all the money doesn't make it to the cause. Its burned up by administration and other things .
Only 1% of gender equality funding is going to women’s organisations – why?
There’s been a $1bn boost in support in the last two years, but only tiny pots of money are trickling down to feminist groups
In the past two years alone, governments and international institutions have announced more than $1bn (£0.8bn) in new commitments to support gender equality globally.
These include: €500m (£440m) for the European Union and UN’s joint Spotlight Initiative, €120m by France for its feminist foreign policy and $114m by Norway to end sexual and gender-based violence in conflicts. Canada has announced CAD$490m (£290m) towards three programmes: women’s leadership($150m), the LGBTQ2 Fund ($40m), and the Equality Fund ($300m). This fund was among the nearly $600m committed to women and girls in June at the Women Deliver conference.
Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jul/02/gender-equality-support-1bn-boost-how-to-spend-it