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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Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
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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.