After reading pre-budget advice on Red Alert and The Standard the National party have announced late changes to the budget.
* No spending cuts, so they can’t be accused of “gutting the public service”.
* Removing GST on Double Downs as the poor like them more than fruit and veg. This will trickle down into the cheese, poultry and private health industries.
* To balance right wing bias in media anyone who posts on left wing blogs will get an internet use tax credit and will get priority connections to superfast internet so the truth spreads more quickly.
* A CV tax will be introduced – anyone earning more than $50k will pay 50% tax. This will encourage people not to earn too much. Rich pricks will move to Australia but we don’t want any of those bastards here anyway.
* Zero tax for anyone who can arrange their financial affairs so they look poor. Tax handouts for WFF and KiwiSaver will still apply. Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff has agreed to do a “Stop Tax” tour of the country by bus explaining how to invest in property and set up trusts.
… tried to read this, presumably, attempt at humour or sarcasm. It’s garbage and a waste of space. I guess the only positive in “PeteG” commenting is that ups the viewing and posting numbers for the Standard.
Not even funny PeteG. You should go out and get yourself a sense of humour. And while you are at it you should get a book on economics and have a read. You could use the upskilling.
You’re “guessing” wrong again. I have a 2.5 hectare garden, and have planted 25 fruit and nut trees, numerous berries, 75 firewood trees, 150 rhododendrons and numerous other trees and shrubs. I maintain about half a hectare of regenerating native bush. We enjoy many birds, including kererū, tui, bellbirds, fantails (there’s a black one or something similar hanging around) plus occasional visits by ducks and herons. We grow our own mutton and free range eggs. Our aim is to produce as much as possible ourselves.
It’s the opposite of a wasteland, especially this year as it’s been quite wet and we have more grass growth than ever.
You know if this was actually clever or insightful, it would be funny. I don’t care that it’s poking fun at the Labour party – if it was done well, it would be laugh-worthy.
But it really is very lame and pedestrian, not clever, and not funny.
By the same token, there have been multiple attempts at “satire” about the Nats, both as posted articles and in the comments which I haven’t found funny either.
Young dickhead Tory lout occasions the Law School to can Harawira’s address at Auckland University last evening. The Maori National Party, and the National and Labour parties thrash themselves into “Harawira The Anti-Christ” frenzy.
People in Tai Tokerau standing back going “What………..?”.
Support for Harawira muscles up. And it’s more and more visceral because of your bullshit. Quite simply you’re pissing people off. Kia Ora. Keep at it !
Just in case you’ve missed it you frightened wahanui, this is not “your” election. I know it’s a rum deal that “these Maoris” are in control in this instance but you just gotta man-up and face it !
Disempowerment ain’t a great feeling is it my bro’ ?
The media seem to have taken an unusually sympathetic slant on it.
Anyone who thinks that Harawira is a reactionary jerk should watch that video and listen to his considered, thoughtful responses on racism and what’s required to change it. I really hope the media shows more of this kind of thing.
Electricity, Water, Broadcasting, Mining, Tourism, Farms, Education et cetera is already ours.
“Whatever you sell Joky Hen, you should tell your buyers to beware. Those assets will be taken back at cost less all conveyancing. The message needs to be made very clear. And the Rich MumsandDads masquerading as folksy mums and dads get the message. It includes you.”
Why are we not hearing this simple message from the left?
“the following four issues were rated as the most pressing for Maori in Te Tai Tokerau:
access to quality education for their children (92 per cent – very important)
positive future for their children (89 per cent)
a sense that people can feel safe in their homes or out on the street (87 per cent)
access to affordable quality health services (84 per cent).
Of secondary importance are the issues of:
good jobs in my area (77 per cent)
access to affordable quality housing in my area (68 per cent)
and fair settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims (64 per cent).”
I think the secondary issues have risen up for this election.
A poll had about 70% of voters wanted Maori Party to go with Labour in the electorate.
Remember NZ First Maori Seats when he defied the electorate and went with National.
The Maori Party are yet to be punished for this – Maori in the North are not dumb.
“…voters interviewed in Te Tai Tokerau were less convinced that the Labour Party would be best placed to deliver on these important issues facing them. While 42 per cent of this electorate’s sample regarded Labour as being best placed to deliver on quality education for their children, only 32 per cent believed that Labour could ensure a positive future for their children.”
Hone Kelvin
% %
Can be trusted 48.4 20.6
Will deliver on promises 49.4 21.2
Knows the needs of the local people 67.8 16.2
Is experienced in politics 60.0 16.6
Is a capable leader 59.4 19.2
Would be good in a crisis 56.6 19.6
Has lots of personality 71.4 11.2
“Horizon Research poll finding that the Mana Party could 15.1 of party votes cast by Maori voters shows the Maori Party risks losing all its remaining seats”
“Only 30 percent of people who voted for the Maori Party last election will remain loyal, less than one third. Forty two percent say they will move to Man and the rest will move to Labour. It’s pretty clear what’s going to happen. They Maori Party is going to lose all their seats,” Mr McCarten says. http://waatea.blogspot.com/2011/05/poll-shows-maori-party-losing-repeat.html
These numbers dont seem to support a great victory for Labour or the Maori Party in the by election.
This is interesting looking back but the Horizon poll is too soon to take much from it – Harawira has had a lot of media exposure, Davis hardly any and we don’t know who the Maori Party candidate is yet. Six weeks could be a long time in the TTT by-election.
PeteG……….thought you weren’t gonna engage that quick, cheap practice ’til round 2 o’clock this afternoon ? Never mind, if needs be…….
Anyway, yeah, I agree. Harawira’s had lots of exposure of late. But how sure are you that when the National Maori Party announce their candidate Harawira’s gonna suddenly fall from peoples’ minds ?
I’ll wager that the “comparison factor” (FYI – a well known Crosby Textor identified political dynamic) will have Harawira looking even more credible to the voters of TTT. Certainly no tipped name doing the rounds up here has anything like Harawira’s punch. In fact several of them are drawing belly laughs. The others get no reaction. Not actually likely to push Harawira out of sight I reckon.
And don’t forget that even while you and yours insist on Harawira as a dolt/demon/dog/dastardly, Harawira’s still telling it straight-up and actually, looking quite the leader in the broader sense. Did you see his response when little Tory vandal boy from Auckland University had his 22 seconds of telly fame as “the wrecker” re the university address. You see him on Te Karere few days ago, or were you vomiting ?
Couldn’t call them Churchillian performances (Praise The Lord for that) but definitely striking in the terms employed by you wise-“acher” fullas.
Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT. Pompous, know-it-all tone in delivery don’t mask that. Come to think of it this fantasy stuff is not actually unrelated to “that practice” mentioned above. You’re getting into it much more than is good for you my bro’.
Get a hold of yourself man !…….oh nah bro’……..wait……that’s not what I meant………
But how sure are you that when the National Maori Party announce their candidate Harawira’s gonna suddenly fall from peoples’ minds ?
He won’t, but the other candidates will become known and will be able to compete.
while you and yours insist on Harawira as a dolt/demon/dog/dastardly
I don’t say anything like that. I do think he will be even more ineffective in parliament than he was in the Maori Party (if he gets back in). He probably won’t have as much time to spend looking after his electorate if he is trying to lead a new party and is seeking the party vote in November.
Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT.
Why do you think that? I don’t really care what the result of the by-election is, I’m interested in it, that’s all. I agree that whoever ends up standing for the Maori Party will struggle to impress, but I think Kelvin Davis will at least help the electorate examine Harawira’s suitability and give him a good nudge.
You’re getting into it much more than is good for you my bro’.
Do you think the rest of the country should butt out and ignore the by-election and the development of a new party?
If Harawira is returned and the Mana Party gets established and seeks party votes that will involve the interests of the whole country. Won’t it?
Kelvin Davis will have to toe the general seat labour party line in the by election.
Kelvin will be hurt each time his leaders commitment to not working with Hone or Mana are brought up.
Dont forget 70% of maori in TTT wanted the maori party work with labour, Phil is saying to at least 60% of electorate Fu..K You.
It may end up Phil may have to go as leader to from a minority left labour government after the general elections when Mana is elected and is a King Maker.
Phils message of not working with Hone or Mana is for the mainstream white voters that caused helen to introduce the F&S Legislation, gee wis i think thats how the maori party started.
Sorry, but Mana will never be King Maker because Hone has said he will never ever work with Act, and somewhat less vehemently that he cannot work with National.
That puts him firmly on the left, therefore not a swing party that either side needs to court – Labour can just take him for granted and not pay any attention to anything he does, because if he starts voting alongside National he’ll piss off his supporters. All Labour needs is for Mana to abstain from bringing the government down – and I don’t think Hone would be stupid enough to attempting forcing a general election because he didn’t win enough seats to have a big influence on policy direction.
Similarly NZF is unlikely to be a true king-maker because it seems unlikely Winston could ever work with Brash or John Key. He could possibly end up sitting on the cross benches, as he’s indicated could be an outcome.
Peter Dunne, if he gets back in, isn’t likely to be kingmaker because he won’t bring in any other votes. He’s also burned his bridges with Labour recently.
The Maori Party could be kingmaker, but again they might only end up with 2-3 seats after this election, therefore much weaker.
My view was national was going to be a two term government, however the way things are panning out there is a slim chance National may not be able to form a government come the general election.
I thought people wouldnt be hurting to much yet, but they are starting too.
The right never wins, elections are decided by the left voting or not voting.
If the economy doesnt improve and we lose the World Cup can be blame KEY?
Get real PeteG………you constantly engage the pejorative re Hone Harawira. And then when checked you hide in the faux reasonable pose of the right-wing political analyst caught out. You’re not kidding anyone. It’s crystal clear where you’re at. And ‘onya of course, that’s your right, but less disingenuousness…….please.
Moreover, when apposite comment is made about your worrying proclivity to engage “that practise” in relation to TTT you come over all like the parson who didn’t hear the thunderous fart in the middle of his righteous sermon.
Fact is you lot anticipate that Hone Harawira WILL put an end to the dependable impotence of “our good maori folk” which the Maori Party contributes to the National Maori Party and the aspirational, non-existent, “One Nation”.
I grant you’re not the worst reflection of it but that’s what all the Hone hatred is really about.
North to PeteG, “Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT.”
Well I freely admit that as a British descendant I wouldn’t have a clue what the voters in TTT are thinking, so when I have some free time in the car I’ve been switching onto Radio Waatea now and again.
And I have to say, it’s interesting listening (to the bits I can understand, not speaking Maori …:))
Let’s just say, it’s not only us non-Maori that consider what you call “telling it straight-up” to be nothing more than arrogant rudeness on the part of Hone.
Ashcroft, John Key’s chum. Wonder whether he’ll fly into NZ in his private jet before the election to have a secret meeting with Key, like last time. Ashcroft is the UK’s equivalent of Douglas Myers, lives out of the country, pays no income tax but wants to have major political influence. Scum!
The influence is not just confined to politics Mman with libertarian billionaire Charles Koch buying himself the hiring and firing rights in the economics department of a state university.
I like my tax cut, $70/wk. However, I think interest free student loans should be hauled in and WFF reduced as this is giving hard working tax payers like myself extra burden to pay. At least my tax cut is my own money I have grafted for unlike the un affordable WFF & IFSL.
[lprent: This would all have somewhat more validity if the comment actually came from a IP that pings inside of NZ and isn’t a external proxy server. I’ll let this through, but I will be watching this handle for possibly being a astro-turfer or troll (just as I do with a few others). Your choice of method to access the site along with the spinner logic makes me rather suspicious. ]
I’ve really never understood this constant bitching about interest free student loans by the right-wing. If you’re so concerned about migration to Australia (Key used to be when it was Labour who was in power – now, not so much) and the ‘brain drain’, then putting interest back on student loans is one of the last things you’d want to do.
Also it’s not just students and the young who are in favour of interest free student loans – many in the older generations who got free education think that it’s only fair that we accommodate the current generation as best as we possibly can when it comes to education. They also don’t want to see their children and grandchildren move overseas and never return.
Tightening up on eligibility on interest free student loans, I am all for. I think giving out full-funding for all sorts of useless certificates and qualifications that are not actually useful in the real world would be a good place to start (I’m not talking accredited universities here – but private training institutes offering courses that are realistically on-par with secondary education). Generally raising university entry requirements and putting conditions on 2nd and 3rd year student loans requiring passing grades for the 1st year is another thing that we desperately need. It’s damaging to the country, and to individuals, if they go to university and drop out after 1 or 2 years and achieve nothing and removing things that enable this behaviour is a good and easy place to start.
Also it’s not just students and the young who are in favour of interest free student loans – many in the older generations who got free education think that it’s only fair that we accommodate the current generation as best as we possibly can when it comes to education. They also don’t want to see their children and grandchildren move overseas and never return.
It’s not only the young with student loans. In hopes of getting a job, I did the Cert. TESOL in 2009, having ammost paid of the student loan I incurred in 1999 through doing the special needs qually. The Cert TESOL has got me a few months of casual work over the last 2 years (next to useless in other words) and at 50-mumble (over 55, is all I’ll say) I have a new student loan, plus the fag-end of the old one. Whether I will ever pay it off in my lifetime, I don’t know, and if I can’t get work, well can’t pay it, interest free or not (though obviously if it’s interest free then there is a hope!)
Vicky32 I feel cynical when I remember the way that we were told that life was going to be interesting and challenging with new directions and careers within a lifetime for each individual. All you had to do was keep retraining and update your education. Then the state made this necessity a charge on future earnings, which were supposed to be plentiful. Rhetoric is what our pollies are good at, and that word is just around the corner from ‘lies’.
My daughter is down to her last 2 payments after 14 years. She’s worked full-time for all but one of those 14 years but couldn’t keep up with the interest payments until the interest was dropped. Thank goodness, or else she’d would have been paying all her working life.
Hi LPrent, I am a fairly new reader (and very occasional comment-provider) of the Standard, and of blogs in general. Wonder if you could please define the terms “troll” and “astro-turfer”. I see these terms come up from time to time. Other new readers may also appreciate some definition.
logie97 said this on yesterday’s open mike: “Kerr and his mates in the Round Table…have said that it is not the responsibility of business to be involved in socially responsible issues. It is their business to be as efficient and as profitable as possible.”
This being the case, you would suppose that they should be regulated and controlled from the outside, as is the case with other gangs who do not count social responsibility among their concerns. But no, we can’t have that either since it would bring a “distortion” to bear on the market, though bailouts etc, do not seem to be met with the same complaint. What a load of nonsense: if you are going to insist that business functions more or less like weather, you must surely allow that people take steps to guard against weather – umbrellas “distort” the fall of raindrops, but they do help to save people from getting soaked. The above is not a philosophy – it is a rationalisation that one might expect from a schoolyard bully!
I take it you are talking to me, so I have copied out the quote from which the two sentences were taken. I have not altered the punctuation but have removed a “however” – my interest was in how ludicrous the BR line of thought is when looked at unadorned, and thought that you expressed it well.
“Employers and employees are going to have to shoulder more of the burden.”
and Phil O’Reilly agrees.
Kerr and his mates in the Round Table, however, have said that it is not
the responsibility of business to be involved in socially responsible issues.
It is their business to be as efficient and as profitable as possible.
Seems they would assert that the employee should be providing for himself, work harder, get more money and find his/her own retirement scheme.
if you are like me you will have noticed a large number of puns (or whatever the correct term is) on John Key’s name – shonkey being a good example – I wonder if a list may be helpful so that rather than spray multiples all over the place, we could concentrate on the really good ones and get a bit of cut-through – like smile and wave. My contribution is Kingkey, which may have limited uses 🙂
Here is Joke that I found on the net.. or is it the real future
John Key goes to a science exhibition and is shown a time machine which can see a 100 years into the future. The man in charge invites him to ask any question he likes.
John Key asks “How will Australia be in a 100 years?”. The machine wh…irrs and pops out a printout, which the man reads.
“The country is in good hands under the new P.M, crime is non existent, there is no conflict, the economy is healthy, there are no worries”.
He has another go “How will China be in a 100 years?”.
Another printout, “The country will be the worlds leading economy, and everyone there will enjoy the highest standards of living in the world”.
John Key then asks, “What will N.Z be like in a 100years?”
The machine whirrs and beeps and goes into action. The man gets a printout, but just stares at it.
“Come on” says John Key “What does it say?”
The man replies, “I don’t know! It’s all in Maori!”
No being Maori is to be celebrated not brought down, like any other culture.
It was a joke pulled form MANAs facebook
I had a good chuckle, then thought what will NZ be like in 100 years, with the population growth stats Maori shall become the backbone of any future economy.
Lets work together for a better future than maori bashing which this country does all the time.
joe90 – Read Canadian piece. Makes good points which might explain a shift to right-wing pollies. But it does sound right-wing biased. It angers low-income voters to see secure middle-class bureaucrats getting pay hikes. Those trapped in entry-level service jobs seethe when public employees who earn far more than they ever will are rewarded simply for showing up. Those living on public assistance — employment insurance, welfare, old age security — dislike being treated with contempt by government officials. In both cases, cutting the public payroll has a lot of appeal.
Having a go at bureaucrats is always easy targeting – but when needed, being able to see one quickly without lingering waiting for appointments is appreciated. This comment seems to be quoting the particularly red-necked with a permanent slant of being hard-done-by.
But it can’t be ignored- there is a shift from the left here as Jim Anderton found when he spoke about his new party years ago to meetings of older guys in ‘cardigans’.
The Republican strategy is to split the vast middle and working class — pitting unionized workers against non-unionized, public-sector workers against non-public, older workers within sight of Medicare and Social Security against younger workers who don’t believe these programs will be there for them, and the poor against the working middle class.
By splitting working America along these lines, Republicans want Americans to believe that we can no longer afford to do what we need to do as a nation. They hope to deflect attention from the increasing share of total income and wealth going to the richest 1 percent while the jobs and wages of everyone else languish.
Interesting to see the predictable thinking of some bloggers here. Pete G starts them off like a rabbit at a racetrack and all the whippets and greyhounds bound after him with but a single ‘thought’ in their head. Pete G has fun, never gets caught, and ends up knowing he is superior in his ability to manipulate most reciprocators. No good arguments will persuade him, he is not only firmly rightist, but enjoys being contrary. Do good points arise in the detailing of the arguments though? Merely gainsaying Pete G would seem a waste of time.
Hear hear prism. The only value of Pete’s suspiciously well-informed commentary is that it gives an insight about how the “enemy” thinks. A bit like planting a microphone into Steven Joyce’s office.
Mr Smith – Yes I will stop it. There has to be room for some amusement amongst the daily political chaff. It really doesn’t adulterate the fare, and he enjoys it and so do others, so I shall say no more and as I wondered before perhaps his remarks force clarity in opposing views. He’s a bit like a cocnout shy at a fair and everyone chucks things at him, but he bounces up each time. I guarantee we’ll never win that coconut.
“RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms.” A very watchable analysis of the changes that are failing to cope with the changing needs of society. The view that Academics are the best and those who are not academic are failures. But what about Lateral Divergent thinking? The intriguing graphics make this rather fun to watch. If you care about education for your kids or your grandkids watch it.
This is an English chap, Ken Robinson, talking about USA trends but surprise surprise, it sounds like current NZ National Standards. Where did Key get his “ideas” from?
News – PM savaged by own aged demented dog, muses regretfully “It’s hard to predict what animals may do, even one from within the family. The killer instinct is always lurking”.
Gosh MS – the NBR article on it has comments starting from 10:53, the article will have been posted before that. TVNZ have theirs timed at 10:28am. CT are everywhere.
By the way, it looks like you are spaced out again.
HOUSING NZ ADVERTISES FOR ‘PROPERTY DIVESTMENT MANAGER’
” This crown owned entity owns a vast amount of property assets and they currently require the services of an experienced Divestment Officer to join their Assets team.
…..role’s key purpose includes developing plans and strategies in relation to the disposal of assets, including engagement with other social housing partners, Iwi organisations and commercial residential property developers as well as with internal stakeholders.”
Listing #: 374822613
Location: Auckland City, Auckland
Type: Full time, Permanent
Listed: Sun, 08 May
Your reference #: WG18046
This crown owned entity owns a vast amount of property assets and they currently require the services of an experienced Divestment Officer to join their Assets team.
Reporting into the Redevelopment and Upgrade Manager this role’s key purpose includes developing plans and strategies in relation to the disposal of assets, including engagement with other social housing partners, Iwi organisations and commercial residential property developers as well as with internal stakeholders.
The successful candidate will need to have a good balance of both public and private sector property disposals experience. The ability to relate to a wide variety of people and stakeholders will allow you to flourish in this specialised role.
Your property skills will include a mixture of valuations, rental agreements, disposals, financial analysis and general property negotiations.
Your ideal background would include a mixture of property expertise gained from a local or regional council, government department, power/utility company or property consultancy.
A relevant tertiary qualification in business, property or legal combined with an understanding of the social housing sector will give you the grounding to work across multiple projects.
For further information please contact Mike Westbury on 04 4941523 or apply through the link below.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(I rang Mike Westbury, who confirmed that this ‘crown owned entity’ was Housing New Zealand.)
This is setting up for massive privatisation of publicly-owned State housing assets.
Whether housing is devolved to unaccountable NGOs, corporate charities, or corporate iwi – this is STILL privatisation.
Privatisation of public assets/services starts by ‘devolution’ to these supposedly ‘not-for-profit’ private sector ‘trojan horses’ – then they get flicked off to the ‘for-profit’ private sector.
Wonder how many big, slobbering snouts are lining up behind the scenes for THIS development – at a time of housing crisis?
Wonder what Mr Popular smiley, wavy ‘shonky’ John Key has to say about THIS sneaky development – happening on HIS watch?
I talked about this issue on Radio Waatea last night, and Sue Henry (advocate for years for State Housing tenants from the Housing Lobby) talked about it the night before on Titewhai Harawira’s Radio Waatea show.
This is a VERY big deal – especially when you combine it with the unelected Auckland ($upercity) Council’s Property CCO selling property assets behind the public’s back.
(Have blogged a press release on this matter, co-signed by Lisa Prager – fellow Community Activist and ‘Public Watchdog’.
STEPEHN JOYCE STEPHYEN JOYCE STEPHEN JOYCE.
are you deaf. I watched you go on and on on teevee last night about speed cameras and boy racers and a whole lot of fiddle faddle ad hoc garbage about speed cameras and at the end of the item a boy racer car sped off with the exhaust going flat out. I’m beginning to think you are simple minded. the way to get rid of these vermin is to concentrate on their noise emissions and take demerits off of that instead of the other tortuous rigmaroles the nitwits at the minsitry are dreaming up. these kids have got you buffaloed and you cant even work them out. the police are are styimied too because they have beocme infantilised by too much teevee, motorbikes, speedboats and leaf blowers so they cant hear noise any more. get to the root of the problem and get the top cops to sharpen up the attitudes of the guys on the beat and stop them being impressed by hunks of metal and weird hairdos. there has been a car parked on the footpath in high street masterton for the last week but no one has done anything about that either. every body just does what they like nowadays and nobody does anything till there is a fatality and then they start wringing their hands and blaming when the solution is quite easy..
it seems like nobody can do anything properly anymore. unfotunately there is no rewind button on reality.
…it seems like nobody can do anything properly anymore. unfotunately there is no rewind button on reality.
You are assuming that you have an adequate grasp of reality.
So much vitriol and so little punctuation. Perhaps there is an age gap of huge proportions between you and ‘boy racers’ but why call them vermin. They belong to parents and too many of them are dying on our roads. That is the reality.
The authorities, in fact, should try alternatives to waving a big stick and imposing more fines, more demerits, and criminalisisng their behaviours. Perhaps they should be made to knit ear muffs for the noise challenged.
Kia ora Adele. Vitriol is dangerous acid, Randal’s having a rant and rather a despairing one it seems. He is entitled to some sympathy as not only boy racers have parents, and perhaps some parents dislike their children who are boy racers too.
What is needed in NZ is parent education from the time before children are born and definitely before they start to walk A plan designed by informed parents to bring up their kids would mean happy parents enjoying and guiding their kids right through to driving age with less problems all around.
I notice that the BMW smear hasnt gone anywhere. Probably because Mallard and Hipkins are filthy liars and even the one eyed authors at the standard can see it.
It’s all right… just imagine that everyone looking at that is now associating new helicopters with free rides to photo-ops and totting up the $$ in their heads….. feel better??
There is a great piece on weatherwatch.co.nz about global warming. I guess some people will just say ‘it’s from friends of science so it’s trash’ and some will say ‘it’s from friends of science so it’s totally accurate’.
Either way it’s a concise road map for the debate.
“The Land and Water Forum’s recommendations on the management of New Zealand’s most precious natural resource – water – are a model for dealing with contentious issues.
Regrettably, the Government has snapped the model over its knee. ”
Had to check.Yes It is a Dom Editorial. What? Yes!
The Govt brought together 58 Organisations who agreed that a set of National Standards on water quality was the role of Government. ……
But it ends:” Speculation among forum members is that Dr Smith, a minister with a history of championing the environment, has been rolled by Cabinet colleagues philosophically opposed to any restrictions being placed on the ability of farmers or industrialists to maximise their profits.” http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/4997589/Editorial-Water-water-everywhere-but
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Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
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Late changes to budget.
After reading pre-budget advice on Red Alert and The Standard the National party have announced late changes to the budget.
… tried to read this, presumably, attempt at humour or sarcasm. It’s garbage and a waste of space. I guess the only positive in “PeteG” commenting is that ups the viewing and posting numbers for the Standard.
Oh well PeteG – guess you’ve answered ya urges til round 2 o’clock this afternoon.
Algud !
Not even funny PeteG. You should go out and get yourself a sense of humour. And while you are at it you should get a book on economics and have a read. You could use the upskilling.
It’s hard to have a sense of humour when contemplating Labour policies, isn’t it.
Tax rich people more
Tax poor people less
Then grizzle at Key
when he can’t clean up the mess.
I think the mess is because national borrowed for Tax cuts!!!
Not labour policy
Love the way parasites like Pete George try to imply that there’s something wrong with taxing rich people more and poor people less.
His garden must be a wasteland.
You’re “guessing” wrong again. I have a 2.5 hectare garden, and have planted 25 fruit and nut trees, numerous berries, 75 firewood trees, 150 rhododendrons and numerous other trees and shrubs. I maintain about half a hectare of regenerating native bush. We enjoy many birds, including kererū, tui, bellbirds, fantails (there’s a black one or something similar hanging around) plus occasional visits by ducks and herons. We grow our own mutton and free range eggs. Our aim is to produce as much as possible ourselves.
It’s the opposite of a wasteland, especially this year as it’s been quite wet and we have more grass growth than ever.
You know if this was actually clever or insightful, it would be funny. I don’t care that it’s poking fun at the Labour party – if it was done well, it would be laugh-worthy.
But it really is very lame and pedestrian, not clever, and not funny.
By the same token, there have been multiple attempts at “satire” about the Nats, both as posted articles and in the comments which I haven’t found funny either.
What known Labour policies did I miss?
If you were trying to satirise specific policies, you did a pretty poor job.
Ha ha ha…….ain’t life poetic sometimes ?
Young dickhead Tory lout occasions the Law School to can Harawira’s address at Auckland University last evening. The Maori National Party, and the National and Labour parties thrash themselves into “Harawira The Anti-Christ” frenzy.
People in Tai Tokerau standing back going “What………..?”.
Support for Harawira muscles up. And it’s more and more visceral because of your bullshit. Quite simply you’re pissing people off. Kia Ora. Keep at it !
Just in case you’ve missed it you frightened wahanui, this is not “your” election. I know it’s a rum deal that “these Maoris” are in control in this instance but you just gotta man-up and face it !
Disempowerment ain’t a great feeling is it my bro’ ?
This is bad and I’m surprised it hasn’t been picked up on. Glad to hear it’s backfiring within TTT though 😀
I’m not on FB, does anyone know what the NACT crowd were planning to do protest wise?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4996046/Harawira-lecture-axed-because-of-redneck-racism
The media seem to have taken an unusually sympathetic slant on it.
Anyone who thinks that Harawira is a reactionary jerk should watch that video and listen to his considered, thoughtful responses on racism and what’s required to change it. I really hope the media shows more of this kind of thing.
Electricity, Water, Broadcasting, Mining, Tourism, Farms, Education et cetera is already ours.
“Whatever you sell Joky Hen, you should tell your buyers to beware. Those assets will be taken back at cost less all conveyancing. The message needs to be made very clear. And the Rich MumsandDads masquerading as folksy mums and dads get the message. It includes you.”
Why are we not hearing this simple message from the left?
What like Kiwi rail was taken back at cost less conveyancing ?
… too many years were allowed to pass between sale and renationalising.
This time should be clear cut – moment government changes, asset comes back.
This was a poll from Maori Television for 2008 election
http://media.maoritelevision.com/default.aspx?tabid=207&pid=477
I think the secondary issues have risen up for this election.
A poll had about 70% of voters wanted Maori Party to go with Labour in the electorate.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/670511
Remember NZ First Maori Seats when he defied the electorate and went with National.
The Maori Party are yet to be punished for this – Maori in the North are not dumb.
Hone Kelvin
% %
Can be trusted 48.4 20.6
Will deliver on promises 49.4 21.2
Knows the needs of the local people 67.8 16.2
Is experienced in politics 60.0 16.6
Is a capable leader 59.4 19.2
Would be good in a crisis 56.6 19.6
Has lots of personality 71.4 11.2
These numbers dont seem to support a great victory for Labour or the Maori Party in the by election.
This is interesting looking back but the Horizon poll is too soon to take much from it – Harawira has had a lot of media exposure, Davis hardly any and we don’t know who the Maori Party candidate is yet. Six weeks could be a long time in the TTT by-election.
Maori Party Candidates maybe?
David Rankin 202 votes in 2008 TTT election
Mere Mangu 1250 votes in 2005 TTT election
Naida Glavish is chairwoman of Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua. Not sure if that would sit well in TTT
Pita Tipene Nagti Hine – not sure if he would up to the national stage – ex teacher
Harmi Piripi – turned them down
The Maori Party has lost before even it selects its candidate.
PeteG……….thought you weren’t gonna engage that quick, cheap practice ’til round 2 o’clock this afternoon ? Never mind, if needs be…….
Anyway, yeah, I agree. Harawira’s had lots of exposure of late. But how sure are you that when the National Maori Party announce their candidate Harawira’s gonna suddenly fall from peoples’ minds ?
I’ll wager that the “comparison factor” (FYI – a well known Crosby Textor identified political dynamic) will have Harawira looking even more credible to the voters of TTT. Certainly no tipped name doing the rounds up here has anything like Harawira’s punch. In fact several of them are drawing belly laughs. The others get no reaction. Not actually likely to push Harawira out of sight I reckon.
And don’t forget that even while you and yours insist on Harawira as a dolt/demon/dog/dastardly, Harawira’s still telling it straight-up and actually, looking quite the leader in the broader sense. Did you see his response when little Tory vandal boy from Auckland University had his 22 seconds of telly fame as “the wrecker” re the university address. You see him on Te Karere few days ago, or were you vomiting ?
Couldn’t call them Churchillian performances (Praise The Lord for that) but definitely striking in the terms employed by you wise-“acher” fullas.
Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT. Pompous, know-it-all tone in delivery don’t mask that. Come to think of it this fantasy stuff is not actually unrelated to “that practice” mentioned above. You’re getting into it much more than is good for you my bro’.
Get a hold of yourself man !…….oh nah bro’……..wait……that’s not what I meant………
But how sure are you that when the National Maori Party announce their candidate Harawira’s gonna suddenly fall from peoples’ minds ?
He won’t, but the other candidates will become known and will be able to compete.
while you and yours insist on Harawira as a dolt/demon/dog/dastardly
I don’t say anything like that. I do think he will be even more ineffective in parliament than he was in the Maori Party (if he gets back in). He probably won’t have as much time to spend looking after his electorate if he is trying to lead a new party and is seeking the party vote in November.
Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT.
Why do you think that? I don’t really care what the result of the by-election is, I’m interested in it, that’s all. I agree that whoever ends up standing for the Maori Party will struggle to impress, but I think Kelvin Davis will at least help the electorate examine Harawira’s suitability and give him a good nudge.
You’re getting into it much more than is good for you my bro’.
Do you think the rest of the country should butt out and ignore the by-election and the development of a new party?
If Harawira is returned and the Mana Party gets established and seeks party votes that will involve the interests of the whole country. Won’t it?
Kelvin Davis will have to toe the general seat labour party line in the by election.
Kelvin will be hurt each time his leaders commitment to not working with Hone or Mana are brought up.
Dont forget 70% of maori in TTT wanted the maori party work with labour, Phil is saying to at least 60% of electorate Fu..K You.
It may end up Phil may have to go as leader to from a minority left labour government after the general elections when Mana is elected and is a King Maker.
Phils message of not working with Hone or Mana is for the mainstream white voters that caused helen to introduce the F&S Legislation, gee wis i think thats how the maori party started.
Sorry, but Mana will never be King Maker because Hone has said he will never ever work with Act, and somewhat less vehemently that he cannot work with National.
That puts him firmly on the left, therefore not a swing party that either side needs to court – Labour can just take him for granted and not pay any attention to anything he does, because if he starts voting alongside National he’ll piss off his supporters. All Labour needs is for Mana to abstain from bringing the government down – and I don’t think Hone would be stupid enough to attempting forcing a general election because he didn’t win enough seats to have a big influence on policy direction.
Similarly NZF is unlikely to be a true king-maker because it seems unlikely Winston could ever work with Brash or John Key. He could possibly end up sitting on the cross benches, as he’s indicated could be an outcome.
Peter Dunne, if he gets back in, isn’t likely to be kingmaker because he won’t bring in any other votes. He’s also burned his bridges with Labour recently.
The Maori Party could be kingmaker, but again they might only end up with 2-3 seats after this election, therefore much weaker.
My view was national was going to be a two term government, however the way things are panning out there is a slim chance National may not be able to form a government come the general election.
I thought people wouldnt be hurting to much yet, but they are starting too.
The right never wins, elections are decided by the left voting or not voting.
If the economy doesnt improve and we lose the World Cup can be blame KEY?
Get real PeteG………you constantly engage the pejorative re Hone Harawira. And then when checked you hide in the faux reasonable pose of the right-wing political analyst caught out. You’re not kidding anyone. It’s crystal clear where you’re at. And ‘onya of course, that’s your right, but less disingenuousness…….please.
Moreover, when apposite comment is made about your worrying proclivity to engage “that practise” in relation to TTT you come over all like the parson who didn’t hear the thunderous fart in the middle of his righteous sermon.
Fact is you lot anticipate that Hone Harawira WILL put an end to the dependable impotence of “our good maori folk” which the Maori Party contributes to the National Maori Party and the aspirational, non-existent, “One Nation”.
I grant you’re not the worst reflection of it but that’s what all the Hone hatred is really about.
Kia Ora.
North to PeteG, “Seems like you’re burdened with pakeha perspective wishful thinking re TTT.”
Well I freely admit that as a British descendant I wouldn’t have a clue what the voters in TTT are thinking, so when I have some free time in the car I’ve been switching onto Radio Waatea now and again.
And I have to say, it’s interesting listening (to the bits I can understand, not speaking Maori …:))
Let’s just say, it’s not only us non-Maori that consider what you call “telling it straight-up” to be nothing more than arrogant rudeness on the part of Hone.
Not all Maori see things in the same way, who knew?
I know, I was just … shocked
Ashcroft and co are at it again with UK workers rights and unions under attack..
Ashcroft, John Key’s chum. Wonder whether he’ll fly into NZ in his private jet before the election to have a secret meeting with Key, like last time. Ashcroft is the UK’s equivalent of Douglas Myers, lives out of the country, pays no income tax but wants to have major political influence. Scum!
The influence is not just confined to politics Mman with libertarian billionaire Charles Koch buying himself the hiring and firing rights in the economics department of a state university.
I like my tax cut, $70/wk. However, I think interest free student loans should be hauled in and WFF reduced as this is giving hard working tax payers like myself extra burden to pay. At least my tax cut is my own money I have grafted for unlike the un affordable WFF & IFSL.
[lprent: This would all have somewhat more validity if the comment actually came from a IP that pings inside of NZ and isn’t a external proxy server. I’ll let this through, but I will be watching this handle for possibly being a astro-turfer or troll (just as I do with a few others). Your choice of method to access the site along with the spinner logic makes me rather suspicious. ]
I’ve really never understood this constant bitching about interest free student loans by the right-wing. If you’re so concerned about migration to Australia (Key used to be when it was Labour who was in power – now, not so much) and the ‘brain drain’, then putting interest back on student loans is one of the last things you’d want to do.
Also it’s not just students and the young who are in favour of interest free student loans – many in the older generations who got free education think that it’s only fair that we accommodate the current generation as best as we possibly can when it comes to education. They also don’t want to see their children and grandchildren move overseas and never return.
Tightening up on eligibility on interest free student loans, I am all for. I think giving out full-funding for all sorts of useless certificates and qualifications that are not actually useful in the real world would be a good place to start (I’m not talking accredited universities here – but private training institutes offering courses that are realistically on-par with secondary education). Generally raising university entry requirements and putting conditions on 2nd and 3rd year student loans requiring passing grades for the 1st year is another thing that we desperately need. It’s damaging to the country, and to individuals, if they go to university and drop out after 1 or 2 years and achieve nothing and removing things that enable this behaviour is a good and easy place to start.
It’s not only the young with student loans. In hopes of getting a job, I did the Cert. TESOL in 2009, having ammost paid of the student loan I incurred in 1999 through doing the special needs qually. The Cert TESOL has got me a few months of casual work over the last 2 years (next to useless in other words) and at 50-mumble (over 55, is all I’ll say) I have a new student loan, plus the fag-end of the old one. Whether I will ever pay it off in my lifetime, I don’t know, and if I can’t get work, well can’t pay it, interest free or not (though obviously if it’s interest free then there is a hope!)
Vicky32 I feel cynical when I remember the way that we were told that life was going to be interesting and challenging with new directions and careers within a lifetime for each individual. All you had to do was keep retraining and update your education. Then the state made this necessity a charge on future earnings, which were supposed to be plentiful. Rhetoric is what our pollies are good at, and that word is just around the corner from ‘lies’.
My daughter is down to her last 2 payments after 14 years. She’s worked full-time for all but one of those 14 years but couldn’t keep up with the interest payments until the interest was dropped. Thank goodness, or else she’d would have been paying all her working life.
Hi LPrent, I am a fairly new reader (and very occasional comment-provider) of the Standard, and of blogs in general. Wonder if you could please define the terms “troll” and “astro-turfer”. I see these terms come up from time to time. Other new readers may also appreciate some definition.
logie97 said this on yesterday’s open mike: “Kerr and his mates in the Round Table…have said that it is not the responsibility of business to be involved in socially responsible issues. It is their business to be as efficient and as profitable as possible.”
This being the case, you would suppose that they should be regulated and controlled from the outside, as is the case with other gangs who do not count social responsibility among their concerns. But no, we can’t have that either since it would bring a “distortion” to bear on the market, though bailouts etc, do not seem to be met with the same complaint. What a load of nonsense: if you are going to insist that business functions more or less like weather, you must surely allow that people take steps to guard against weather – umbrellas “distort” the fall of raindrops, but they do help to save people from getting soaked. The above is not a philosophy – it is a rationalisation that one might expect from a schoolyard bully!
Sorry, can you check the punctuation in that…?
I take it you are talking to me, so I have copied out the quote from which the two sentences were taken. I have not altered the punctuation but have removed a “however” – my interest was in how ludicrous the BR line of thought is when looked at unadorned, and thought that you expressed it well.
“Employers and employees are going to have to shoulder more of the burden.”
and Phil O’Reilly agrees.
Kerr and his mates in the Round Table, however, have said that it is not
the responsibility of business to be involved in socially responsible issues.
It is their business to be as efficient and as profitable as possible.
Seems they would assert that the employee should be providing for himself, work harder, get more money and find his/her own retirement scheme.
if you are like me you will have noticed a large number of puns (or whatever the correct term is) on John Key’s name – shonkey being a good example – I wonder if a list may be helpful so that rather than spray multiples all over the place, we could concentrate on the really good ones and get a bit of cut-through – like smile and wave. My contribution is Kingkey, which may have limited uses 🙂
Joky Hen is an anagram …
And a clever one. 😀
Here is Joke that I found on the net.. or is it the real future
John Key goes to a science exhibition and is shown a time machine which can see a 100 years into the future. The man in charge invites him to ask any question he likes.
John Key asks “How will Australia be in a 100 years?”. The machine wh…irrs and pops out a printout, which the man reads.
“The country is in good hands under the new P.M, crime is non existent, there is no conflict, the economy is healthy, there are no worries”.
He has another go “How will China be in a 100 years?”.
Another printout, “The country will be the worlds leading economy, and everyone there will enjoy the highest standards of living in the world”.
John Key then asks, “What will N.Z be like in a 100years?”
The machine whirrs and beeps and goes into action. The man gets a printout, but just stares at it.
“Come on” says John Key “What does it say?”
The man replies, “I don’t know! It’s all in Maori!”
ugh… can’t help but feel that joke is in poor taste…
Why? Please Explain.
Population statistics might back the joke up in the real world
Sounds like the typical racist BS from some ignorant RWNJ.
Draco T Bastard 9.2
Sounds like the typical racist BS from some ignorant RWNJ.
What would be wrong if in 100 years the Language was Maori and not English here?
It would make it difficult for everyone who moves to Australia.
The Maori language may be used more by then, but I don’t see English being dropped as a language, even by people who identify as Maori.
How many english will be in NZ in 100 years time?
I think they will be a very small minority.
“English” is quite different to English speakers. Those who don’t speak English are likely to be in a very small minority.
How many “Maori” will be in New Zealand in 100 years?
We’ll be mostly a Polynesian country in a 100 years. I don’t get the joke though, is being most Polynesian or Maori meant to be a bad thing?
No being Maori is to be celebrated not brought down, like any other culture.
It was a joke pulled form MANAs facebook
I had a good chuckle, then thought what will NZ be like in 100 years, with the population growth stats Maori shall become the backbone of any future economy.
Lets work together for a better future than maori bashing which this country does all the time.
The jokes punchline may become reality?
Ah, ok, so the joke is on Key.
I didn’t say anything would be wrong – the attempt at humour you posted did.
So why isn’t the Chinese printout in Mandarin?
Newshoggers links to a couple of good log form posts from inside Egypt:
http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2011/05/egypt-two-imbaba-retrospectives.html
well worth reading.
Thanks for that PB. And it reminds me again that behind any half decent sectarian conflict there’s blokes in frocks inciting dirty deeds.
An opinion piece from Canada.
Why the poor cast votes for Conservatives.
joe90 – Read Canadian piece. Makes good points which might explain a shift to right-wing pollies. But it does sound right-wing biased.
It angers low-income voters to see secure middle-class bureaucrats getting pay hikes. Those trapped in entry-level service jobs seethe when public employees who earn far more than they ever will are rewarded simply for showing up. Those living on public assistance — employment insurance, welfare, old age security — dislike being treated with contempt by government officials. In both cases, cutting the public payroll has a lot of appeal.
Having a go at bureaucrats is always easy targeting – but when needed, being able to see one quickly without lingering waiting for appointments is appreciated. This comment seems to be quoting the particularly red-necked with a permanent slant of being hard-done-by.
But it can’t be ignored- there is a shift from the left here as Jim Anderton found when he spoke about his new party years ago to meetings of older guys in ‘cardigans’.
All part of Nactional and the right’s strategy Prism, blame the haves for the plight of the have nots.
Robert Reich: The Republican Strategy
The Republican strategy is to split the vast middle and working class — pitting unionized workers against non-unionized, public-sector workers against non-public, older workers within sight of Medicare and Social Security against younger workers who don’t believe these programs will be there for them, and the poor against the working middle class.
By splitting working America along these lines, Republicans want Americans to believe that we can no longer afford to do what we need to do as a nation. They hope to deflect attention from the increasing share of total income and wealth going to the richest 1 percent while the jobs and wages of everyone else languish.
Interesting to see the predictable thinking of some bloggers here. Pete G starts them off like a rabbit at a racetrack and all the whippets and greyhounds bound after him with but a single ‘thought’ in their head. Pete G has fun, never gets caught, and ends up knowing he is superior in his ability to manipulate most reciprocators. No good arguments will persuade him, he is not only firmly rightist, but enjoys being contrary. Do good points arise in the detailing of the arguments though? Merely gainsaying Pete G would seem a waste of time.
Hear hear prism. The only value of Pete’s suspiciously well-informed commentary is that it gives an insight about how the “enemy” thinks. A bit like planting a microphone into Steven Joyce’s office.
Yeah so i generally just take the piss out of him nowadays, for amusement you know.
Stop it prism, I thought he was working for the Labour party.
Mr Smith – Yes I will stop it. There has to be room for some amusement amongst the daily political chaff. It really doesn’t adulterate the fare, and he enjoys it and so do others, so I shall say no more and as I wondered before perhaps his remarks force clarity in opposing views. He’s a bit like a cocnout shy at a fair and everyone chucks things at him, but he bounces up each time. I guarantee we’ll never win that coconut.
“RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms.” A very watchable analysis of the changes that are failing to cope with the changing needs of society. The view that Academics are the best and those who are not academic are failures. But what about Lateral Divergent thinking? The intriguing graphics make this rather fun to watch. If you care about education for your kids or your grandkids watch it.
This is an English chap, Ken Robinson, talking about USA trends but surprise surprise, it sounds like current NZ National Standards. Where did Key get his “ideas” from?
Hat tip Millhouse.
News – PM savaged by own aged demented dog, muses regretfully “It’s hard to predict what animals may do, even one from within the family. The killer instinct is always lurking”.
Interestingly Farrar blogged about it at 10:54 am but ACT did not release it on their site until 11:13 am.
Do I sense the dark hand of Crosby Textor here or am I being too cynical?
The language is somewhat extreme and suggests an attempt to try and blur the very clear fact that a National takeover of ACT has occurred.
Gosh MS – the NBR article on it has comments starting from 10:53, the article will have been posted before that. TVNZ have theirs timed at 10:28am. CT are everywhere.
By the way, it looks like you are spaced out again.
No need to be like that PeteG. I did leave open the possibility that I was being overly cynical.
Interestingly the author of the document was someone called “John” and the document was produced at 9:49 this morning.
WHISTLE-BLOWER ALERT!!
HOUSING NZ ADVERTISES FOR ‘PROPERTY DIVESTMENT MANAGER’
” This crown owned entity owns a vast amount of property assets and they currently require the services of an experienced Divestment Officer to join their Assets team.
…..role’s key purpose includes developing plans and strategies in relation to the disposal of assets, including engagement with other social housing partners, Iwi organisations and commercial residential property developers as well as with internal stakeholders.”
_______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=374822613
Property Divestment Expert
Listing #: 374822613
Location: Auckland City, Auckland
Type: Full time, Permanent
Listed: Sun, 08 May
Your reference #: WG18046
This crown owned entity owns a vast amount of property assets and they currently require the services of an experienced Divestment Officer to join their Assets team.
Reporting into the Redevelopment and Upgrade Manager this role’s key purpose includes developing plans and strategies in relation to the disposal of assets, including engagement with other social housing partners, Iwi organisations and commercial residential property developers as well as with internal stakeholders.
The successful candidate will need to have a good balance of both public and private sector property disposals experience. The ability to relate to a wide variety of people and stakeholders will allow you to flourish in this specialised role.
Your property skills will include a mixture of valuations, rental agreements, disposals, financial analysis and general property negotiations.
Your ideal background would include a mixture of property expertise gained from a local or regional council, government department, power/utility company or property consultancy.
A relevant tertiary qualification in business, property or legal combined with an understanding of the social housing sector will give you the grounding to work across multiple projects.
For further information please contact Mike Westbury on 04 4941523 or apply through the link below.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(I rang Mike Westbury, who confirmed that this ‘crown owned entity’ was Housing New Zealand.)
This is setting up for massive privatisation of publicly-owned State housing assets.
Whether housing is devolved to unaccountable NGOs, corporate charities, or corporate iwi – this is STILL privatisation.
Privatisation of public assets/services starts by ‘devolution’ to these supposedly ‘not-for-profit’ private sector ‘trojan horses’ – then they get flicked off to the ‘for-profit’ private sector.
Wonder how many big, slobbering snouts are lining up behind the scenes for THIS development – at a time of housing crisis?
Wonder what Mr Popular smiley, wavy ‘shonky’ John Key has to say about THIS sneaky development – happening on HIS watch?
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
I heard somebody talking about this on Radio Waatea last night – was that you Penny?
Didn’t HNZ go through a program of buying a bunch of housing some years back? Can’t remember.
I talked about this issue on Radio Waatea last night, and Sue Henry (advocate for years for State Housing tenants from the Housing Lobby) talked about it the night before on Titewhai Harawira’s Radio Waatea show.
This is a VERY big deal – especially when you combine it with the unelected Auckland ($upercity) Council’s Property CCO selling property assets behind the public’s back.
(Have blogged a press release on this matter, co-signed by Lisa Prager – fellow Community Activist and ‘Public Watchdog’.
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
STEPEHN JOYCE STEPHYEN JOYCE STEPHEN JOYCE.
are you deaf. I watched you go on and on on teevee last night about speed cameras and boy racers and a whole lot of fiddle faddle ad hoc garbage about speed cameras and at the end of the item a boy racer car sped off with the exhaust going flat out. I’m beginning to think you are simple minded. the way to get rid of these vermin is to concentrate on their noise emissions and take demerits off of that instead of the other tortuous rigmaroles the nitwits at the minsitry are dreaming up. these kids have got you buffaloed and you cant even work them out. the police are are styimied too because they have beocme infantilised by too much teevee, motorbikes, speedboats and leaf blowers so they cant hear noise any more. get to the root of the problem and get the top cops to sharpen up the attitudes of the guys on the beat and stop them being impressed by hunks of metal and weird hairdos. there has been a car parked on the footpath in high street masterton for the last week but no one has done anything about that either. every body just does what they like nowadays and nobody does anything till there is a fatality and then they start wringing their hands and blaming when the solution is quite easy..
it seems like nobody can do anything properly anymore. unfotunately there is no rewind button on reality.
Teenaa koe, randal
…it seems like nobody can do anything properly anymore. unfotunately there is no rewind button on reality.
You are assuming that you have an adequate grasp of reality.
So much vitriol and so little punctuation. Perhaps there is an age gap of huge proportions between you and ‘boy racers’ but why call them vermin. They belong to parents and too many of them are dying on our roads. That is the reality.
The authorities, in fact, should try alternatives to waving a big stick and imposing more fines, more demerits, and criminalisisng their behaviours. Perhaps they should be made to knit ear muffs for the noise challenged.
Kia ora Adele. Vitriol is dangerous acid, Randal’s having a rant and rather a despairing one it seems. He is entitled to some sympathy as not only boy racers have parents, and perhaps some parents dislike their children who are boy racers too.
What is needed in NZ is parent education from the time before children are born and definitely before they start to walk A plan designed by informed parents to bring up their kids would mean happy parents enjoying and guiding their kids right through to driving age with less problems all around.
I notice that the BMW smear hasnt gone anywhere. Probably because Mallard and Hipkins are filthy liars and even the one eyed authors at the standard can see it.
Gosh, that gives me an idea for a post tomorrow.
There will be something new early next week to try and find a way of scoring some points over the budget.
So the difference between Mallard/Hipkins and John Key is that Key showers regularly and the other two (supposedly) don’t?
The wankey photo-ops are back. Now with chopper.
Nausea just developed.
Shouldn’t have checked the news while dinner is cooking.
It’s all right… just imagine that everyone looking at that is now associating new helicopters with free rides to photo-ops and totting up the $$ in their heads….. feel better??
Converted to his own personal fleet
Yes, I saw that big Chopper Key pic & decided not to stay on the Stuff site. Headed to google NZ news instead.
There is a great piece on weatherwatch.co.nz about global warming. I guess some people will just say ‘it’s from friends of science so it’s trash’ and some will say ‘it’s from friends of science so it’s totally accurate’.
Either way it’s a concise road map for the debate.
Oh, look at that, burt is linking to BS again.
This one is much more fun and actually references to climatologists.
Anne Tolley shows her complete lack of competence once again.
Most telling comment when commenting on increased ECE costs.
“it’s not valued unless there’s a cost to it.”
“The Land and Water Forum’s recommendations on the management of New Zealand’s most precious natural resource – water – are a model for dealing with contentious issues.
Regrettably, the Government has snapped the model over its knee. ”
Had to check.Yes It is a Dom Editorial. What? Yes!
The Govt brought together 58 Organisations who agreed that a set of National Standards on water quality was the role of Government. ……
But it ends:” Speculation among forum members is that Dr Smith, a minister with a history of championing the environment, has been rolled by Cabinet colleagues philosophically opposed to any restrictions being placed on the ability of farmers or industrialists to maximise their profits.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/4997589/Editorial-Water-water-everywhere-but
Am I surprised? ECan demolition was a warning.