NZDF has now conceded its claim there were no photographs is contrary to three images it published itself and additional unpublished images taken during the NZSAS raid.”
Insightful article by David Fisher. Will the outgoing PM change his mind and now call for an enquiry or just bury it? I’m so sick of the gutless lack of leadership from English on this matter.
Been subjected to manipulation by those in question in order to create forgetfulness; obfuscation, denial, distraction, delay, misdirection.
“Don’t care”, James? Is that your position? You don’t care?
I’m sure when you wrote, “or don’t believe Hagar”, you meant “Hagar and Stevenson”. I’m mindful that the NZDF recently expressed disbelief in claims by Mr Stevenson, but that ended badly for them. You remember that, James, or do you also suffer “severe medium term memory loss”?
You don’t believe the accounts of Mr Stevenson and others described in “Hit and Run”?
Why not, James?
Which accounts do you disbelieve?
It would appear from today’s article, that the NZDF account regarding photographs, was incorrect and not to be believed.
Your thoughts?
You’re coming across as extremely callous, James; you “don’t care” about the reported actions, despite not knowing whether or not they are true. Are you not even reservedly concerned that what Stephenson and others in Afghanistan reported could be true? Where does you confidence that the accounts are false come from? (an anatomical feature suggests itself)
Robert, when someone like James calls you “sanctimonious”, or “a do-gooder” or “a bleeding heart” or “politically correct”, it’s nothing more than an admission of defeat on his part. He has nothing to offer, and shutting down the conversation is his only option.
It’s the same strategy as that used by talkback radio hosts on the extremely rare occasions someone with a clue happens to ring them up…
Robert – forget about James – he isn’t worth wasting your breath over. There are people in this life that we call acceptors – they soak up everything that is bandied about – never have the energy or intelligence to critique or research what is put out in cyber space. They trust everybody and are hypocrites when they dismiss a statement or person out of hand ,- because they have never researched the information or the person to be able to dismiss or accept it. I don’t think he has much going for him upstairs really.
Thanks for that Kate, I appreciate your views. I do agree that James lacks breadth and depth in his thinking, but I like to trade comments with him in order to tease out his position. At times I’m astonished by his restricted views, the limits to his imagination and the difficulty he has in assimilating new ideas, but all in all it’s instructive to hear where he and his ilk sit. Irksome, perhaps, but you’ve gotta keep tabs.
Bill English just has to stick to the information given to him by the Army Leadership. That way the responsibility is not his but in this case Keating’s.
Simple but effective.
I think the Labour/Green bloc will poll 45 (30/15, 31/14, 32/13, 33/12) against the Nats 40. Where Winston goes from there is anybody’s guess, I agree.
I think, old chep, you miss the “we are tired of this lot, time to give the others a go” factor. and the “English is not Key’ factor and the “there will be no KDC this time” factor.
To Andre,
Many people tell us that Trump is unpredictable and impulsive, however upon close scrutiny his behaviour is very much true to form, cunning and planned. The firing or “staged execution” of Comey sends a strong message to anyone who doesn’t serve Trump with blind obedience. Trump is defined as an authoritarian, honours power over reason, we have seen these flaws in Nixon, Mussolini, Hitler etc. The sooner the citizens of the USA gets rid of Trump the better for all concerned.
Ah, the multidimensional chess grandmaster theory of Trump.
It seems to me the flaw in that argument is every time Trump does something, there needs to be another dimension or three added to the game he’s playing for it to make sense.
Whereas the alternative explanation, that he’s simply acting on whatever impulse feels good to him at the moment, remains a coherent and plausible explanation for everything he’s done. (Except his televised apology for “grab them by the pussy”, but his body language during that showed every sign there were a bunch of aides just off camera armed with cattle-prods to make sure he read out his prepared message and nothing else)
Meanwhile, there remains the tiny comfort that all the time and and effort he and his team put into dealing with the brushfires he lights is taking away from the nasty shit the Republicans really want to do. Which they would actually be successfully getting on with if someone like Pence were president.
So far there don’t seem to be signs Trump’s shit is peeling away support from his base or Republicans in Congress. The senators and representatives that have criticised firing Comey have mostly been the ones that were critical about other issues. So I don’t see impeachment getting any closer.
That’s who he is: a disregulated bundle of impulses, being manipulated by a cast of crooks and incompetents, supported by a Republican Party willing to bet the stability of the country against upper-income tax cuts. We need to stop looking for a more complicated story.
True, that Vox article feels grounded and accurate. But Trump is manifestly not an idiot and everyone made a bad mistake in underestimating him from the very outset.
Scott Adams made himself unpopular by pointing out Trump’s master skills as persuader and manipulator of the nation’s subconscious motivations, well before most other commentators.
I suspect that the master manipulator angle is a case of mistaking luck with intent.
Did he consciously reflect and adapt to the mood of the nation, or was he simply the candidate most suited to the situation: the loudest one dominated the room with the crowd of republican contenders in the primaries, and the republicans have spent twenty years disenfranchising minorities and rigging the system against anyone with a brain. And then there’s the simple fact that their electoral college also means that the winner of the popular vote might still lose the presidency.
I don’t see any evidence of intelligence: ego, insecurity, paranoia, corruption, nepotism, and other traits more suited to a feudal thug than a democratically-elected leader, sure. But all evidence I’ve seen points to him being a lucky idiot.
Good questions Mc Flock. I didn’t suggest Trump is a genius either. But he most certainly is a gold-plated, 100% certifiable, high functioning narcissist. Absolutely the only thing important to Trump is himself. All his behaviour confirms this.
And because narcissists literally don’t care the slightest what other people think of them, it is very easy for them (and their related cousins the psychopaths) to instinctively read other people’s motivations, weaknesses, manipulate, lie, cheat and generally do whatever it takes to win … with absolutely no conscience, guilt, nor any of the emotional cost that inhibits most other people. .
When most people are criticised for something they’ve just done, they immediately start to defend themselves. Trump doesn’t care about the attack, he has zero regard for what anyone else thinks, and simply forges on to the next outrage/tweet. It works because he’s a constantly moving target. This is why narcissists should never be underestimated. Especially when they have money, power and status. (Which of course they crave.)
For example the ‘pussy grabbing’ thing would have ended any normal politician, with Trump it’s an almost forgotten niggle from the distant past, buried under a constant torrent of daily outrages. In a few months time this Comey thing will have been forgotten while the world is transfixed by his latest WTF.
A simple approach Andre, ” If you don’t play ball with me then, YOU’RE FIRED!
Sounds familiar? He merely replaces one person for a yes-man. To control the department of the FBI is a powerful weapon, towards Trump’s end-game.
Yeah, he can try for a yes-man. But the new FBI director will need to be confirmed by the Senate. While I’m not sure if the Dems can filibuster it, I’m fairly confident that whatever honeymoon Trump had with the Senate is over and there’s at least three Republicans who will require the nominee to be someone with a few principles that will stand up to Trump when needed. Even if those principles are recidivist conservative ones that horrify us liberals.
Oh, perhaps on a weekend when everything Labour is everything good. Coz that means that nothing fucked up can be anything other than good if it’s coming from Labour quarters, and calling out something good is, of course, fucked up.
Least, that’s the best I can do by way of helping you overcome your struggling. Hope it helped.
Noted RWNJ journalists Trevett, Watkins, and Young will be all over this Congress and Andrew Little, criticising Labour and Little, and framing them negatively at any and every opportunity.
Watkins does so here, unhappy Little is consistently communicating Labour’s message and unhappy he’s not John Key.
Just watched an interview between Andrew Little and Paddy Gower on the Nation. As a life long supporter of the left, this interview gave Jacinda Ardern a tremendous political boost.
I almost feel sorry for the guy, then I remember the nastiness simmering under his angry countenance. Labour is past it’s use by date. Winstone will be the leader of the opposition after the election.
New book “shattered” autopsy of failed clinton campaign, plenty of hits on google and coverage in MSM but funnily enough so for none of them seem to cover this
pic.twitter.com/NDUk90Jp5q
Leaked documents reveal serious concerns about KiwiRail’s decision to switch from electric trains to diesel
“KiwiRail announced the decision last year, and said diesel would improve reliability and efficiency.
But an external peer review by engineering consultants WorleyParsons warns diesel trains bought from China have “a very high failure rate”.
Seven to nine are out of service at any one time for maintenance, repair and asbestos removal. And their performance has been “extraordinarily poor”.
The review said KiwiRail should be switching its whole fleet to electric, but it said a paper from the company’s board was “biased towards the diesel option”.
And there are more concerns from a separate internal report, which says KiwiRail over-inflated expected savings – and upgrading electric trains was actually $230m cheaper than replacing them with diesel.
And Treasury also had concerns. Cabinet advice given to the Green Party under the Official Information Act shows officials weren’t convinced by the business case.
They warned KiwiRail “provided no basis for its cost estimate” that electrifying the whole main trunk line could be up to $1bn.”
yeah well it didn’t take leaked documents to see that was a dumb idea!
but yes very interesting to see that kiwirail bosses also realised that
SO…. What was the real reason for that decision. Kickback? , govt policy of discouraging renewals?, CIA??.. hmm i wonder if this info will come out too
I knew a few senior KiwiRail engineers socially; and while they never told me anything I shouldn’t know it was clear they believed the Minister has politically interfered with the Board on a number of occasions.
The DL loco deal was corrupt. That was well understood.
And because KiwiRail is so dependent on govt funding to re-build it’s shattered infrastructure the pressure and meddling continues on all manner of decision big and small.
No surprises here … except perhaps that WorleyParsons (who have specific expertise in this area) used such blunt language.
“Mothballing” the NIMT electrification is a dumb idea. Just dumb. Switching the locos at Te Rapa and Palmy only takes about 10-20 mins, and can be quite easily timed with the engineer’s breaks. The DL’s are bascially crap from what I have heard, spening half their time in the shop.
It is also very well to say that the catenary will be left in place, but who’s to say that it will not be allowed to deterioarate? A few stormy winters and KR will be removing parts of the traction equipment due to storm damage.
When Toll’s above rail assets were purchased 9 years ago (that long!) it was supposed to be a new era for rail in this country. When National came in, they realised that they couldnt just turn around and flog it off as a going concern, so they decided to instead run it down and sell it off bit by bit. the mothball/closure of various lines (some not even announced) the sale of railway land and buildings, scrapping of locomotive classes, etc and so on.
The DL’s are bascially crap from what I have heard, spening half their time in the shop.
Specifically the major components like the German MTU engines are ok. But the integration of all the elements into a reliable machine takes decades of experience and many design iterations to nail all the gremlins. And the Chinese simply did not have that history when these locos where purchased.
So is this Solid Energy all over again? Just make stupid business decisions until it can’t function? It’s hard not to see this as deliberate, mostly because I can’t conceive of people being so inept. But hey, National, bringing us inept *and greedy since 2008.
Certainly looks that way. The private sector costs more, is less efficient than government departments and provides worse service and so National has to undermine them to make the private sector look good.
Inequality – (look at this in the context of the passenger that was recently beaten by airport staff at United Airlines when they decided to forcefully take his seat.)
At LA airport’s new private terminal, the rich can watch normal people suffer
Bradbury had nothing to do with it, the information was emailed to him. He didn’t publish any details about how it was done, nor did he publish the files anywhere.
However he did publish one document in the public interest — because ACT want to suppress iwi consultation in RMA decisions
James, on a day when you have been revealed as callous and uncaring on this very thread, how can you pop up again with your puerile witterings and hope to be taken seriously? Just askin’
Example #1, OneTwo commented: “This is base level, even by your handles low standards. Whatever ‘you’ are…”
What a sad indictment of yourself.”
“If you’re an actual human being, take a good look at how you’re conducting yourself on this topic, and in general”
Ed added, “You don’t care how a 3 year old was killed by NZ soldiers in her own village.
The transcripts of the Standard show what you do care about.”
Answer a question from a callous RWNJ who doesn’t care?
Why?
“Ed 1.1.2.1.2
13 May 2017 at 9:24 am
You don’t care how a 3 year old was killed by NZ soldiers in her own village.
The transcripts of the Standard show what you do care about.
While the vulnerability might be similar, the actions of the blogging political opponents are completely different. And the bulk of the uproar was in regards to the actions of the blogger and his political paymasters in the first case.
To James,
Yes indeed, Theresa May will probably increase her popularity, as she plays the Them vs Us game (Britain vs Europe). Perhaps we should listen to the experts James and get a reality check;-))))
Labour needs to figure out how to win without Corbyn’s new hard left supporters blaming everyone except themselves. They need to figure out their political egos.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Is admitting you are wrong different from lying? I guess it depends which way you spin it or if you are the NZDF and need to bury/cover something up.
“After 20 days checking and then asserting there were no photographs, it has now had to admit it was wrong and there were photographs taken during Operation Burnham.
NZDF has now conceded its claim there were no photographs is contrary to three images it published itself and additional unpublished images taken during the NZSAS raid.”
Insightful article by David Fisher. Will the outgoing PM change his mind and now call for an enquiry or just bury it? I’m so sick of the gutless lack of leadership from English on this matter.
Truth is. While some in here thinks it’s a “big deal” in the real world – most people have forgotten this already.
Sad but true.
Killing civilians = “big deal” but it’s okay because “most people have forgotten.”.
That’s craven.
Forgotten, or don’t care, or don’t believe Hagar.
Been subjected to manipulation by those in question in order to create forgetfulness; obfuscation, denial, distraction, delay, misdirection.
“Don’t care”, James? Is that your position? You don’t care?
I’m sure when you wrote, “or don’t believe Hagar”, you meant “Hagar and Stevenson”. I’m mindful that the NZDF recently expressed disbelief in claims by Mr Stevenson, but that ended badly for them. You remember that, James, or do you also suffer “severe medium term memory loss”?
Correct. You can also put me in the don’t believe Hagar camp as well.
You don’t believe the accounts of Mr Stevenson and others described in “Hit and Run”?
Why not, James?
Which accounts do you disbelieve?
It would appear from today’s article, that the NZDF account regarding photographs, was incorrect and not to be believed.
Your thoughts?
That’s a foolish thing to write, James. On what basis would anyone choose to “not believe Hagar”?
Assuming you are correct and “most people” have severe medium term memory loss, The Herald just reminded them.
Diddums.
Perhaps don’t really care about it would have been a better wording.
James, everyone knows you are a callous piece of shit. Stop smearing your betters.
It hasn’t been proven as fact. So if Im callous I’ll go with you being gullible.
You’re coming across as extremely callous, James; you “don’t care” about the reported actions, despite not knowing whether or not they are true. Are you not even reservedly concerned that what Stephenson and others in Afghanistan reported could be true? Where does you confidence that the accounts are false come from? (an anatomical feature suggests itself)
And you are coming across all sanctimonious about the reported actions despite not knowing if they are true or not also.
“despite not knowing if they are true or not also.
AH so you would be is favour of an inquiry to sort out the truth James
Nope there was one already.
This is base level, even by your handles low standards. Whatever ‘you’ are…
If you’re an actual human being, take a good look at how you’re conducting yourself on this topic, and in general
Why can’t we vote James off this site ? He brings nothing but nastiness in every post.
That would be a bit yuk, plus
Quote my sanctimonious statements, James, if you can.
I’m happy to paste your callous ones in return.
Robert, when someone like James calls you “sanctimonious”, or “a do-gooder” or “a bleeding heart” or “politically correct”, it’s nothing more than an admission of defeat on his part. He has nothing to offer, and shutting down the conversation is his only option.
It’s the same strategy as that used by talkback radio hosts on the extremely rare occasions someone with a clue happens to ring them up…
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29062011/#comment-346709
https://thestandard.org.nz/us-election-day-discussion-post-91116/#comment-1257997
Robert – forget about James – he isn’t worth wasting your breath over. There are people in this life that we call acceptors – they soak up everything that is bandied about – never have the energy or intelligence to critique or research what is put out in cyber space. They trust everybody and are hypocrites when they dismiss a statement or person out of hand ,- because they have never researched the information or the person to be able to dismiss or accept it. I don’t think he has much going for him upstairs really.
Thanks for that Kate, I appreciate your views. I do agree that James lacks breadth and depth in his thinking, but I like to trade comments with him in order to tease out his position. At times I’m astonished by his restricted views, the limits to his imagination and the difficulty he has in assimilating new ideas, but all in all it’s instructive to hear where he and his ilk sit. Irksome, perhaps, but you’ve gotta keep tabs.
You don’t care how a 3 year old was killed by NZ soldiers in her own village.
The transcripts of the Standard show what you do care about.
What a sad indictment of yourself.
If you wanted the right thing done then you wouldn’t be bringing out the false excuse that most people have forgotten about this.
So, why don’t you want the truth known?
Truth is your claim has no facts to back it up James, are your misconceptions a deliberate deception?
Maybe some people are numb to needless death and government cover ups? At least they are until it affects them, then things change rather rapidly.
Trump appears to be gagging many too, just like the outgoing government of NZ.
It’s a mad world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W9kKhJd3zQ
Bill English just has to stick to the information given to him by the Army Leadership. That way the responsibility is not his but in this case Keating’s.
Simple but effective.
Do you mean identify someone else to blame? National? No, surely not…
Read on twitter that the latest UMR poll had labour at 28%.
I guess they are used to polling around there as their natural home now.
Wondering if labour will break 30 % in the election.
Edit the tweet didn’t link to actual results but it falls in line with the last several years results so sounds about right.
@ James
Labour have been polling around 30+ on average recently.
30+15+12=57….it’s MMP old bean. English can’t get more than 40%.
Well for starters English can get over 40 and has done in every poll to date. (Although lower 40’s at the moment).
And you keep believing in that magical unicor that allows you to think Winston will go with Labour and the greens.
James is just trying to undermine Labours weekend plans.
…still trolling James???
Else it is 52 v. 45 to confuse seats with percentages…… more accurate is 67 v.52 or 54 v. 52 with 13 plus not known.
Greens wont get fifteen and Winston will not be in your equation, old bean.
I think the Labour/Green bloc will poll 45 (30/15, 31/14, 32/13, 33/12) against the Nats 40. Where Winston goes from there is anybody’s guess, I agree.
I think, old chep, you miss the “we are tired of this lot, time to give the others a go” factor. and the “English is not Key’ factor and the “there will be no KDC this time” factor.
Colbert reviews Trump’s last 48 or so hours.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-donald-trump-mocks_us_5915d399e4b00f308cf4d1e5?g7q&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
To Andre,
Many people tell us that Trump is unpredictable and impulsive, however upon close scrutiny his behaviour is very much true to form, cunning and planned. The firing or “staged execution” of Comey sends a strong message to anyone who doesn’t serve Trump with blind obedience. Trump is defined as an authoritarian, honours power over reason, we have seen these flaws in Nixon, Mussolini, Hitler etc. The sooner the citizens of the USA gets rid of Trump the better for all concerned.
Ah, the multidimensional chess grandmaster theory of Trump.
It seems to me the flaw in that argument is every time Trump does something, there needs to be another dimension or three added to the game he’s playing for it to make sense.
Whereas the alternative explanation, that he’s simply acting on whatever impulse feels good to him at the moment, remains a coherent and plausible explanation for everything he’s done. (Except his televised apology for “grab them by the pussy”, but his body language during that showed every sign there were a bunch of aides just off camera armed with cattle-prods to make sure he read out his prepared message and nothing else)
Meanwhile, there remains the tiny comfort that all the time and and effort he and his team put into dealing with the brushfires he lights is taking away from the nasty shit the Republicans really want to do. Which they would actually be successfully getting on with if someone like Pence were president.
So far there don’t seem to be signs Trump’s shit is peeling away support from his base or Republicans in Congress. The senators and representatives that have criticised firing Comey have mostly been the ones that were critical about other issues. So I don’t see impeachment getting any closer.
Best explanation so far –
That’s who he is: a disregulated bundle of impulses, being manipulated by a cast of crooks and incompetents, supported by a Republican Party willing to bet the stability of the country against upper-income tax cuts. We need to stop looking for a more complicated story.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/12/15621140/interpret-trump
True, that Vox article feels grounded and accurate. But Trump is manifestly not an idiot and everyone made a bad mistake in underestimating him from the very outset.
Scott Adams made himself unpopular by pointing out Trump’s master skills as persuader and manipulator of the nation’s subconscious motivations, well before most other commentators.
During the campaign he was a huckster salesman and showman, basically a (not-chilled-out) entertainer. Things he’s spent a lot of his life doing.
Now he’s in a totally different game that he doesn’t have the instinctive reactions for.
I suspect that the master manipulator angle is a case of mistaking luck with intent.
Did he consciously reflect and adapt to the mood of the nation, or was he simply the candidate most suited to the situation: the loudest one dominated the room with the crowd of republican contenders in the primaries, and the republicans have spent twenty years disenfranchising minorities and rigging the system against anyone with a brain. And then there’s the simple fact that their electoral college also means that the winner of the popular vote might still lose the presidency.
I don’t see any evidence of intelligence: ego, insecurity, paranoia, corruption, nepotism, and other traits more suited to a feudal thug than a democratically-elected leader, sure. But all evidence I’ve seen points to him being a lucky idiot.
“Being There” meets “The Godfather”.
Good questions Mc Flock. I didn’t suggest Trump is a genius either. But he most certainly is a gold-plated, 100% certifiable, high functioning narcissist. Absolutely the only thing important to Trump is himself. All his behaviour confirms this.
And because narcissists literally don’t care the slightest what other people think of them, it is very easy for them (and their related cousins the psychopaths) to instinctively read other people’s motivations, weaknesses, manipulate, lie, cheat and generally do whatever it takes to win … with absolutely no conscience, guilt, nor any of the emotional cost that inhibits most other people. .
When most people are criticised for something they’ve just done, they immediately start to defend themselves. Trump doesn’t care about the attack, he has zero regard for what anyone else thinks, and simply forges on to the next outrage/tweet. It works because he’s a constantly moving target. This is why narcissists should never be underestimated. Especially when they have money, power and status. (Which of course they crave.)
For example the ‘pussy grabbing’ thing would have ended any normal politician, with Trump it’s an almost forgotten niggle from the distant past, buried under a constant torrent of daily outrages. In a few months time this Comey thing will have been forgotten while the world is transfixed by his latest WTF.
A simple approach Andre, ” If you don’t play ball with me then, YOU’RE FIRED!
Sounds familiar? He merely replaces one person for a yes-man. To control the department of the FBI is a powerful weapon, towards Trump’s end-game.
Yeah, he can try for a yes-man. But the new FBI director will need to be confirmed by the Senate. While I’m not sure if the Dems can filibuster it, I’m fairly confident that whatever honeymoon Trump had with the Senate is over and there’s at least three Republicans who will require the nominee to be someone with a few principles that will stand up to Trump when needed. Even if those principles are recidivist conservative ones that horrify us liberals.
It’s a big weekend for Andrew Little and Labour. It’s critical that some solid policy is announced, and that Maori issues are properly addressed.
It’s sad to see this from the opening.
That’s awful.
Will you be OK?
Everyone take a moment to pity poor Peter.
I’m struggling to see a context where Lester’s comment would have been ok, given who he is and where he was speaking.
I’m more concerned about poor Peter.
Oh, perhaps on a weekend when everything Labour is everything good. Coz that means that nothing fucked up can be anything other than good if it’s coming from Labour quarters, and calling out something good is, of course, fucked up.
Least, that’s the best I can do by way of helping you overcome your struggling. Hope it helped.
These are politicians we’re talking about right? An allegedly ‘representative’ crowd.
I think Peter’s reaction is a little overblown. Demonstrative of obvious bias, possibly even a sort of blancmange malice.
As for Labour, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of ‘awful’ to go around once they start making policy announcements.
“reaction is a little overblown” – you really are a joker, aren’t you.
“possibly even a sort of blancmange malice” – more irony.
Are you aware that your overblown malice can be counterproductive to your agenda?
“These are politicians we’re talking about right? An allegedly ‘representative’ crowd.”
Making incest jokes is so the incestuous Labour voters don’t feel left out? Or maybe the incestuous Labour members and activists?
I get that you think having a go at PG is more important.
Good grief Pete lighten up.
“people are surprised you’re not married to your sister.”
The Invercargill people obviously mistook him for a member of ACT.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11210373
Noted RWNJ journalists Trevett, Watkins, and Young will be all over this Congress and Andrew Little, criticising Labour and Little, and framing them negatively at any and every opportunity.
Watkins does so here, unhappy Little is consistently communicating Labour’s message and unhappy he’s not John Key.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/92524621/andrew-little-stays-on-message-and-sounds-offkey
And Young here, using language like ‘sheer nightmare’.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11854696
Don’t forget Patrick “I am the story” Gower.
A good way to deal with the absurd and poisonous BHL
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2017/05/11/bhl-has-gotten-so-inured-to-the-cream-pies-that-it-might-be-time-to-leaven-them-with-dog-feces/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/92500123/could-french-intellectual-bernardhenri-levy-be-the-most-pied-man-in-europe
Just watched an interview between Andrew Little and Paddy Gower on the Nation. As a life long supporter of the left, this interview gave Jacinda Ardern a tremendous political boost.
Yeah I didn’t enjoy that, the tv performances are crucial.
Thanks Johan – just watched it.
I actually laughed out loud.
I encourage little to do more tv interviews.
Interviews are not his strong point are they – this and the charter school interview on radio Nz being good recent examples of train wrecks.
Edit link added for your viewing pleasure. http://bit.ly/2rbbUK9
I almost feel sorry for the guy, then I remember the nastiness simmering under his angry countenance. Labour is past it’s use by date. Winstone will be the leader of the opposition after the election.
🙄
Your borrowed astroturf is worn and tatty around the edges.
“Winstone will be the leader of the opposition after the election”
God, I hope so.
Not exactly Little’s worst performance.
New book “shattered” autopsy of failed clinton campaign, plenty of hits on google and coverage in MSM but funnily enough so for none of them seem to cover this
pic.twitter.com/NDUk90Jp5q
A NASA animation shows how much the Earth has warmed since 1880: the period 2012 to 2016 is the warmest on record
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503080&gal_cid=1503080&gallery_id=175905
This is telling.
Leaked documents reveal serious concerns about KiwiRail’s decision to switch from electric trains to diesel
“KiwiRail announced the decision last year, and said diesel would improve reliability and efficiency.
But an external peer review by engineering consultants WorleyParsons warns diesel trains bought from China have “a very high failure rate”.
Seven to nine are out of service at any one time for maintenance, repair and asbestos removal. And their performance has been “extraordinarily poor”.
The review said KiwiRail should be switching its whole fleet to electric, but it said a paper from the company’s board was “biased towards the diesel option”.
And there are more concerns from a separate internal report, which says KiwiRail over-inflated expected savings – and upgrading electric trains was actually $230m cheaper than replacing them with diesel.
And Treasury also had concerns. Cabinet advice given to the Green Party under the Official Information Act shows officials weren’t convinced by the business case.
They warned KiwiRail “provided no basis for its cost estimate” that electrifying the whole main trunk line could be up to $1bn.”
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/leaked-documents-reveal-serious-concerns-kiwirails-decision-switch-electric-trains-diesel
yeah well it didn’t take leaked documents to see that was a dumb idea!
but yes very interesting to see that kiwirail bosses also realised that
SO…. What was the real reason for that decision. Kickback? , govt policy of discouraging renewals?, CIA??.. hmm i wonder if this info will come out too
Good hit Genter.
Was also important to see Braid from Mainfreight emphasising rail freight this week.
I’d prefer a Labour-Green govt committed to full grid electrification.
I knew a few senior KiwiRail engineers socially; and while they never told me anything I shouldn’t know it was clear they believed the Minister has politically interfered with the Board on a number of occasions.
The DL loco deal was corrupt. That was well understood.
And because KiwiRail is so dependent on govt funding to re-build it’s shattered infrastructure the pressure and meddling continues on all manner of decision big and small.
No surprises here … except perhaps that WorleyParsons (who have specific expertise in this area) used such blunt language.
“Mothballing” the NIMT electrification is a dumb idea. Just dumb. Switching the locos at Te Rapa and Palmy only takes about 10-20 mins, and can be quite easily timed with the engineer’s breaks. The DL’s are bascially crap from what I have heard, spening half their time in the shop.
It is also very well to say that the catenary will be left in place, but who’s to say that it will not be allowed to deterioarate? A few stormy winters and KR will be removing parts of the traction equipment due to storm damage.
When Toll’s above rail assets were purchased 9 years ago (that long!) it was supposed to be a new era for rail in this country. When National came in, they realised that they couldnt just turn around and flog it off as a going concern, so they decided to instead run it down and sell it off bit by bit. the mothball/closure of various lines (some not even announced) the sale of railway land and buildings, scrapping of locomotive classes, etc and so on.
The DL’s are bascially crap from what I have heard, spening half their time in the shop.
Specifically the major components like the German MTU engines are ok. But the integration of all the elements into a reliable machine takes decades of experience and many design iterations to nail all the gremlins. And the Chinese simply did not have that history when these locos where purchased.
Actual competition that reduces profits for National’s donors can’t be allowed.
So is this Solid Energy all over again? Just make stupid business decisions until it can’t function? It’s hard not to see this as deliberate, mostly because I can’t conceive of people being so inept. But hey, National, bringing us inept *and greedy since 2008.
Certainly looks that way. The private sector costs more, is less efficient than government departments and provides worse service and so National has to undermine them to make the private sector look good.
America has become so anti-innovation – it’s economic suicide
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/11/tech-innovation-silicon-valley-juicero
Inequality – (look at this in the context of the passenger that was recently beaten by airport staff at United Airlines when they decided to forcefully take his seat.)
At LA airport’s new private terminal, the rich can watch normal people suffer
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/lax-private-terminal-rich-people-celebrities
ACT got Hacked!
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/05/12/breaking-exclusive-massive-online-act-party-data-breach/
PG gets it wrong as usual —
https://yournz.org/2017/05/12/bradbury-does-dirty/
Bradbury had nothing to do with it, the information was emailed to him. He didn’t publish any details about how it was done, nor did he publish the files anywhere.
However he did publish one document in the public interest — because ACT want to suppress iwi consultation in RMA decisions
He went reading them when he knew he should not have. Then published stuff he thought could cause issues.
This is similar to the illegal actions of whale how ??
James, on a day when you have been revealed as callous and uncaring on this very thread, how can you pop up again with your puerile witterings and hope to be taken seriously? Just askin’
Example #1, OneTwo commented: “This is base level, even by your handles low standards. Whatever ‘you’ are…”
What a sad indictment of yourself.”
“If you’re an actual human being, take a good look at how you’re conducting yourself on this topic, and in general”
Ed added, “You don’t care how a 3 year old was killed by NZ soldiers in her own village.
The transcripts of the Standard show what you do care about.”
James? You okay?
I’m fine. Thanks for asking. You could just answer the question ….
Answer a question from a callous RWNJ who doesn’t care?
Why?
“Ed 1.1.2.1.2
13 May 2017 at 9:24 am
You don’t care how a 3 year old was killed by NZ soldiers in her own village.
The transcripts of the Standard show what you do care about.
What a sad indictment of yourself.”
All to complicated for me james. What happens now? -or could happen I probably should have said
It’s fucken strange how RWNJ’s don’t have a problem with Nacts endless lies and coverups but lose their shit when they are exposed.
Democracy requires transparency and honesty about what your party is doing or plans to do. Not lying to the public constantly .
““Don’t care”, James? Is that your position? You don’t care?”
James: “Correct”.
QFT
Act database left open online… mmm… smells like something that happened to Labour. I believe there was a massive uproar about that…
While the vulnerability might be similar, the actions of the blogging political opponents are completely different. And the bulk of the uproar was in regards to the actions of the blogger and his political paymasters in the first case.
+111
Standard please pay your power bill ,we miss you.
is TS hosted on windows?!? major worm outbreak. maybe lprent just patched it 😛
From memory I think he said it was a Linux OS.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/12/ukip-could-hand-theresa-may-landslide-victory-deciding-not-put/
The road for labour UK just got harder.
To James,
Yes indeed, Theresa May will probably increase her popularity, as she plays the Them vs Us game (Britain vs Europe). Perhaps we should listen to the experts James and get a reality check;-))))
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/11/bank-of-england-living-standards-interest-rates-inflation?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=225630&subid=19486408&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
perhaps you should listen to the votes and get a reality check.
Or are they all idiots for not agreeing with you and your chosen experts.
Labour needs to figure out how to win without Corbyn’s new hard left supporters blaming everyone except themselves. They need to figure out their political egos.
Some body turn off the main power switch again. james is back with vengeance, sorting out the poms now.
No need to sort them out. They seem to be doing very well by themselves.
Then maybe you should follow them and sort yourself out.
I’m all good thanks.
James your are a pet troll with some feelings . We can help.
James has feelings….what for….the act party website ???
A concise article about reframing: https://georgelakoff.com/2017/01/28/the-publics-viewpoint-regulations-are-protections/
‘regulations’ —> protections