There is a couple of good articles on nef about the zero hours contracts in the UK.
A succinct paragraph is: “Even if the Government successfully prepares people to enter employment, it is doing nothing to make sure that employment actually improves people’s livelihoods or well-being. You can’t make work pay simply by reducing benefits and sanctioning claimants for failing to turn up to jobs-training workshops.”
I would say – Paula Bennett take note, but she doesn’t seem to be a rational thinker.
Welfare cuts that are meant to get the jobless back to work are driving down the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people who are in no position to find a job, an assessment of the Coalition’s welfare reforms says today.
Researchers, who have used data to forecast what will happen to the 1.18 million households where no one works, have calculated that 155,000 (roughly one in eight) can mitigate the effect of the cuts by finding work near their home, while another 115,000 will have the opportunity to move to more affordable housing. The rest – more than three-quarters of the total – will simply see their incomes drop, according to an independent study carried out for the Local Government Association by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion.
Bubble bubble gulp gulp…..its so great being popular, more popular than spies us snapper are…swish swish….whats that????? a bottom feeder, yuck, lower than shark shit…must be a prime minister. Pollution, pollution, swim away………
Last week I posted a wee comment about a personal hero who recently passed away. He was one of NZ’s best sportsmen ever in his chosen field and he also did significant things for manwomankind. This post elicited a reply from karol around middle new Zealand values and how wrong they were. To karol’s eyes this highlighted flaws within the average kiwi and what they consider to be worthy. To my eyes karol’s response highlighted the arrogance of the far left and the contempt for “middle” New Zealand which its inhabitants so often show (just like the pricks on the far right – just a different form). The sneering so often just below the surface around here towards middle nz broke the surface. The thread is here http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08082013/#comment-676953
When is a person a hero? How many heroes can there be? Is it subjective or objective? And equally importantly, why the fuck is there so much sneering by the left and far left at “middle” New Zealand? Contempt for a group of people is often described as bigotry. In addition, this sneering robs the left of a large swathe of potential voters as they turn away from such arrogance (read, ignorance)……….
If Heroism is the willingness to risk one’s self to protect others, then I would agree that Vinton-Boot had performed at least one heroic act:
“When he was 21, he was part of a daring rescue in which he, his younger brother and a friend swam 300m out to sea in a strong rip to save a drowning man.
The trio were alerted to the Asian tourist’s plight by one of his relatives and dived into the Christchurch surf immediately to spend 30 minutes cradling the semi-conscious man back to shore. ”
Lots of people (myself amongst them) see sports as a colossal distraction from important things – a contempt for sporting news is not necessarily contempt for middle NZ (who might see politics or art as a distraction from sport). Going from the Stuff acticles you link to; without further biographical details, I couldn’t say that Byrne had shown any degree of Heroism. He might have also been a surf-life saver, or rescued comrades under fire while in the RNZAF which might qualify him for the title, but that was not mentioned there.
Why is “great surfer” not enough of an accolade in Byrne’s case? Using the tag of “Hero” in this instance would seem to diminish the term when applied to others (such as Vinton-Boot).
“The hero piece was clearly my opinion. Heroism is, again if you think about it, subjective. ”
“… you and Karol save hero status for only the very most exceptional of people.”
The comment above looks like you are disagreeing with yourself on both those statements, and want to engage with others whose ideas of heroism align with yours, so you can say “See. Heroism is definitive – and I nailed it!”
” equally importantly, why the fuck is there so much sneering by the left and far left at “middle” New Zealand” Does it not occur to you that this is a snide comment in itself?
I just think we decide for ourselves who our personal heroes are. If your personal values include sporting achievements – then you will be admiring of those who achieve in that field. Not for me, BTW, although Sir Ed does spring to mind – not because of knocking the bugger off, but for his refusal to state whether he or Tenzing reached the summit first, by refusing to using his fame for advertising, for his life-time commitment to Nepal and for his comments regarding leaving a climber to die on the path to the summit.
just cos someone wants your vote doesn’t mean they have to like you eh….I think it illustrates a huge disconnect….I’m pretty sure I’ve even seen a suggestion that Grant Robertson could lead a Labour party to victory….. maybe in Wellington, but I’m not 100% sure.
We need a lot more heroes of all the different kinds there could be.
Grant Robertson is ineligible to be the Leader: he was beaten by the Greens and the Nats for party vote in Central. The performance at the last election by Labour in the wellington hutt region was very worrying.
@VTO. Just read the thread from last week and fully understand your question about the sneering Left. Bored went AWOL because of this unthinking “correctness”, Ennui is still bored with it. There is a lot of unthinking dogma around here and it reflects in how the electorate view large chunks of the “Left”.
Yesterday Sanctuary gave us a view of the Left that is uncomfortably close to the mark, even if I did not give it total credence. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-12082013/#comment-678454 Parts of his message were rightly panned, but the core accusation drew so little response. Sad, because unless we examine our dark corners we will remain undesirable and un-electable.
The trait of being triumphantly superior over others with regards supposed intelligence is one piece of shit many of the left most definately need to dump.
Another risible aspect of the left is the widespread inability to recognise the political/cultural roots of some left thoughts/beliefs/habits…so for example, the habit to smooth over of the authoritarian past, meaning it gets preserved in the present and projected into the future (both by left cultists and social democrats) and who then, inevitably by dint of excusing and perpetuating past habits, cut the legs off any chance there may be of developing a society that embraces leftist values.
But then, from my (allegedly) hard left perspective, I would say that – wouldn’t I? 😉
Nicely put Bill: I sort of reside on the “hard left”. One of the salutary lessons I learnt as a (former) Marxist is that a prescribed ideology that has as a core belief its’ own undeniable “truth” is a cop out for non thinkers. Therein lies no wriggle room nor forgiveness. No shades of grey. In short entrenched materialist ideologies like Marxism, Neo Liberalism, etc lack humanity, so I dropped them.
You’re giving Marxism too hard a time, and too little credit.
Marxism did something that almost no other political-economic philosophy did at the time: it gave an insightful, yet brutal, critique of capitalism as a system, and as capitalism as the basis of a society. It pointed out what is obvious to every serious Lefty today: that in a capitalist system it is those people who own the assets and the capital who make out like bandits, and those people who only have their labour, who get fucked.
Do you know why so many Labour MPs sound completely wishy-washy about the problems in our society, despite their good intentions?
Because even as they go on the attack over an important issue like say…child poverty…hardly any of them go on to recognise and attack the actual neoliberal machinery which is behind the problem. So we get “solutions” like…a Ministry for Children, more healthcare checks, food in schools, transfer payments for families with kids, and meanwhile…the neoliberal machinery just keeps rumbling on in the background.
CV, I still think some of the analysis by Marx such as relationship to production, surplus value, capital accumulation etc is incredibly valuable.
Where I diverge from Marx is that he, like all of Voltaires children is a rationalist who uses logical constructs to prove his point…which in the example of his historic dialectic is obviously wrong. The neo libs, leftist libertarians etc do much the same…its a one trick pony. If you begin an argument at a set point (of your precise choosing) you can logically prove anything…until you get into the real world. There you meet Ennuis First Law…”if theory and reality by some random chance ever meet they are already probably divergent”.
Our leftist parliamentarians…how many of them have ever actually pulled the levers of the neo lib machinery? Or ever been any closer than taking a cheque to keep quiet about the realities? Their role is the application of band aids, not the removal of the knife.
same applies to the general analysis of the implications of greater surveillance by the state and corporates; analysis not going much deeper than each individual’s assessment of their own current data histories and context. Guess they’ll learn in time with the cadence.
It just looks to me like those who question the dominance of values skewed towards the white male establishment are dismissed as “hard left” and “arrogant” and “sneering”?
Seems to me a lot of pots and kettles.
What exactly is “hard left” about, for instance, the Claudia Bell quotes above?
The morale of a people is heavily affected by their heroes, whether they be quiet unassuming ones recognised only in a family, neighbourhood or community, and the ones seen leading the story of the 6pm news.
I’m really surprised that feminism doesn’t recognise any heroes amongst its own ranks.
It just looks to me like those who question the dominance of values skewed towards the white male establishment
I understand that black South Africans and indigenous Burmese have their own local home-grown political heroes too.
In which case K should the “hard left” not be allowed to include white male values? Are we to be categorised, condemned and thrown into the outer darkness as beyond redemption?
It may be a little subtle but once on this blog I was “advised” (upon point of excommunication) to read and adhere to Feminism 101…..I did. I also reread Alice in Wonderland, which made perfect sense. It clearly stated that “nothing is as it seems”. Maybe we would all do better to only write when under the influence of vast quantities of lordinum.
In which case K should the “hard left” not be allowed to include white male values? Are we to be categorised, condemned and thrown into the outer darkness as beyond redemption?
Ennui, I’m not sure how this relates to my comments critical of sports focused heroes & the dominant culture in NZ? Yes I did say something about such dominant values being skewed towards the white male establishment.
You “far left” point doesn’t seem to relate to anything I have said on this issue.
For being critical of the individualistic heroic man vs wild (“man alone”) ethos, I have been personally attacked as being a “bigot”, “arrogant”, “far left” and dismissive of “middle NZ”
But I said nothing about white male* values being included or excluded from the “hard left” (or that it was only embraced by white males*) – and indeed, I have question being called “far left” – a term often used in a very subjective way – see for instance the way John Key calling anyone critical of his pro-corporate and wealthy elite agenda as “far left”. I have never considered myself to be hard of far left.
It was vto who started saying my criticism of the white male values are “far left” – I have never owned that.
* I should have said traditional white masculine values – it’s about cultural values not biological sex.
Interesting, vto, that the examples you give, and that are particularly promoted by the MSM, are male sportsmen in the old man vs wild narrative – and individualistic.
They did carry out very commendable actions at risk to themselves. Many other people, in diverse (non-sporting) fields, get far less attention for their heroic actions. Or if they do get attention, like Jon Stephenson, they tend to be called something other than heroes.
The women protesting at the removals of people from Glen Innes state houses, are carrying out on-going heroic acts, with little media spotlight, and, when they are mention, the hero word is not used.
When I was growing up I tended to admire individuals – I’m not sure I would have used the “hero” word. But they were people who i thought did noble and worthy things in their lives:
“Far left”? Really? That’s not how I think of myself. it sounds like a very subjective term. What exactly does that mean? Ditto “Middle New Zealand”? Is it like Brash’s “mainstream New Zealand”? Is any challenge to the NZ status quo deemed contemptuous of “middle New Zealand?
Agree with you on the use of the word “Hero”. Never feel comfortable using it myself – reminds me of Greek mythology and the unquestioning subservience of mere mortals to the Gods…
Don’t have the same disquiet referring to heroic acts though, – perhaps, because I’m comfortable with the idea that people are made up of many parts – and sometimes one could be honorable, brave and inspiring and at other times petty, dishonest and shrill.
After months on TradeMe’s saved searches I finally managed to buy a copy of Claudia Bell’s – Inventing New Zealand – everyday myths of pakeha identity. I borrowed it from Auckland libraries a few months ago, and felt like it was a book written straight out of my head. But of course – with better sentence structure and form.
I understand Paul Moon has released something similar, but from the excerpts I’ve read, seems fairly lightweight.
A couple of excerpts: The strongest place in public representations of New Zealand way of life is claimed by the events, celebrations, lifestyle and material consumption of the more advantaged group. Just as the economic and political interests of the most powerful in the Pakeha group are manipulated into prominence and maintained there, so does this same group have most access to constructing national imagery. This is available because of the social status and political power of Pakeha: symbols of Pakeha culture are the dominant icons for national identity. The loudest voice proclaiming identity is the one that persuades the nation. Television has the loudest voice of all.”
Because the book was published in 1996, she gives the example of the America’s Cup: A brilliant illustration of this was the America’s Cup welcome-home parade up Queen Street, Auckland in May, 1995, sponsored by TV One.
The America’s Cup was shown on every news broadcast, so this event looked like a very important part of national culture. This occurred through negotiation by several agencies: the sponsors, the event organisers, the decision-makers in the media (who made what mileage they could out of the event by being ‘good sports’ and stating ‘how good this is for the country’), and the audience, who gradually ‘learned’ to be interested.
…Winning the cup was claimed by television as being a win for the nation as a whole: ‘we’ salute ‘our’ heroes; ‘we’ won the cup! – an especially delicious win, given the far greater resource power of the opposition.
…It might seem a bit unlikely to match an expensive sport like yachting to the tradition of achievement of ordinary New Zealanders. The nature of the race – offshore, far away, out of sight – is such that without television it was not and could not be a spectator sport. Ordinary New Zealanders could not go along for a few hours and watch and cheer. An event thousands of kilometres away raced by an exclusive group of white male professionals with access to a vast amount of money was seen as a major milestone in national history. Converted from offshore race to media spectacle, it allowed ‘everyone’ in the nation to participate.
The America’s Cup win conveniently distracted us from more contentious events occurring at the same time, that ‘we’ would not want to be taken as ‘representative’ of ‘us’. Race relations issues were also in the news that week, with Maori activist Mike Smith taking a chainsaw to the iconic pine tree on One Tree Hill, the Motua Gardens demonstration in Wanganui, and two Members of Parliament playing racist games on a daytime radio talk show. Politicians and media people do not want these latter occurrences to be seen as ‘representative’ events. The ‘Welcome Home’ America’s Cup parades could be described a therapeutic symbolic displays of nationalism. Appropriately fostered, patriotic feelings cut across class groups, and affect women and men, adults and children, alike. With all eyes on the screen, a nation could feel united.”
Fast forward to 2013… seems not a lot has changed.
Molly, you might have mentioned the original Hero. She (yes Hero was a female) lit a candle for her lover Leander who would swim the Hellespont for her embrace. One stormy night the candle blew out, Leander lost his way and drowned, and Hero in a fit of grief threw herself from a cliff to join her lover in death. make of it what you will.
… don’t gamble your life on someone else’s swimming prowess….
…expect your lover to own his own compass…
…candles may be environmentally friendlier, but LEDs rule…
…forget about sex on a stormy night, unless you live on the same peninsula…
I consider John Minto a hero, far more than someone who takes personal risks in the interests of following their recreational pursuits. Assange has some heroic qualities. A woman who works 2 or 3 jobs to feed and clothe her kids is a heroine. If that makes me a sneering far lefty in your cataloguing system, too bloody bad.
Thanks to all the posters above for your feedback. Unfortunately circumstances intervened yesterday short-circuiting intended conversations…
It seems there are several related tangents. Firstly, that sport is put on a pedestal that is above its reasonable position and I agree that is the case. It is interesting that nobody put up anything about how sports arrived at that place, how sport developed as not just recreation but a form of practice for running down the wounded impala, or cutting the most lumber in a day. From a time when physical prowess had a direct and immediate impact on provision for the family. This was lost just a few generations ago and so of course such a central feature of life for milleniums doesn’t change overnight.
And heroism is certainly subjective. Imo heroism does not arise solely because of sporting success (in these particular cases), it arises due to more humane acts – putting ones life at risk, dedicating ones life to good causes, even bad causes have their heroes though too. It arises in all sorts of spheres – the local nurse, the ed Hilary, the forgotten foster parents. We all know this I think. Heroic acts can be small and forgotten the next day – they can be large and remembered for a lifetime and beyond.
Then of course the sneering. That subject will most definitely arise again, most probably by way of example when some stupid person stereotypes all middle nz as having some equal set of values, unable to realise that you cannot judge a driver by their vehicle. Good bit of sneering going on in a mini-thread just below about stupid people though.
An article in Friday’s Independent warns that world wide there has been an increasing over-investment in farming, making agriculture particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters.
The threat posed to agriculture by environmental hazards such as climate change and water scarcity is now so great that it could wipe as much as £5 trillion off the value of the world’s farm land, equipment and stock in any one year, a heavyweight study is warning.
Agriculture in the UK and worldwide is under huge financial and physical stress. A surge of investment on the back of a boom in the global food commodities market meets an increasingly precarious physical environment for farming – creating a dangerous asset bubble that threatens to burst, according to the Oxford University research.
Suspected! 15 Quadrillion becquerels of radioactive material in the trench that TEPCO is now admitting water is leaking from into the groundwater. Muwahahahaha, but hey I’m just the alarmist!
About 0.0002. (I think I have the right number of zeroes)
This is based on the assumption that the people who work for Google, and are therefore in the Googleplex which is the name of their headquarters, are worth about $200 billion between them.
It also uses the American definition of quadrillion which is 10 to the power of 15.
There, wasn’t that something you were just dying to know?
A lot. In fact it is theorised that if you had fine dust particles each a micron in size you could fit approx a googol of them in the volume of the universe. Easy to write out though, just 1 with a hundred zeroes.
A googolplex however would require a different mindset to quantify. Each of those dust particles would carry a zero to write it out in full. Now consider a “googolplexian” – a 1 with a googolplex of zeroes after it. Possibly the largest number with a name, although I can’t determine if Graham’s number is larger. Cerebral torture trying to work it out.
Reporter says they are doing a piece on the GCSB bill on Campbell Live…he doesn’t answer her question(s), but says that they would get more viewers if they did a piece on the snapper quota instead. Whatever the reporter says he comes back to the snapper….because “people fish”.
We New Zealanders are one of the dullest, most stupidly conservative, most unenterprising races on this planet. By a long course of self-hypnotism extending over several decades we have persuaded ourselves of the opposite – that we are bold, enterprising, progressive, intelligent people, unhampered by the shackles of the past. The sooner we realise what damned nonsense this is, the better for us.
Our national vice is stupidity. It is not that, individually, we are more stupid than other people. The trouble is that we have such a solid respect for stupidity. The result is that it pervades every department of our life, and chokes all growth.
It is still possible for the industrial workers and the working farmers, who form the core of the population, to let themselves be persuaded to support the most outrageous commercial and political rackets, of which they are the willing victims, and to defend them as if they were the pillars of human freedom. (Even dogs don’t undertake benevolent work on behalf of fleas).
Karol – “stupid” people, exist at all/every level of so called society, however depending on the definition of “stupid”, the parameters which is exits in, will depend on the message attempting to conveyed.
In this instance, I would expect the parameteres are all encompassing, because “stupid”, is everywhere, all with contributing levels of negative influence!
I’m somewhat more judgemental of judgemental people myself.
Comes of many long hours moderating and deciding that there is only one effective way to deal with such people. That is to hold an high-handed and quite extremist mirror to their own extremist behaviour. In other words if they are arrogant, then be even more arrogant to them. If they are boring pedants, then be a even more effective pedant commenting on their pedantic behaviour. If they run insults under superficial politeness, then do the same but without any veneer of politeness. If they are obsessively sarcastic to others, then be withering about their personal characteristics. If they pontificate, then pontificate about their pontification. etc etc.
I tend to find after a few sessions on the receiving end with the powers of a sysop, then such people tend to either adapt or run away. In either case the behaviour gets moderated.
Besides, it amuses me 😈
BTW: Been off with the flu in the last few days. Lyn has no voice and coughs all night. But I am short of sleep and have a headache, a low tolerance level. Must restrain myself…
I get sick of anyone who dares to speak for any entire ‘people’. It’s nationalism at its worst. It can be used to deride a minority nd for bs nationalistic fervour.
Don’t ever speak for me. ‘We New Zealanders…’ It’s a stupid phrase.
Our national vice is stupidity. It is not that, individually, we are more stupid than other people. The trouble is that we have such a solid respect for stupidity. The result is that it pervades every department of our life, and chokes all growth.
Now that is something I can agree with and it shows in our worship of sportspeople and our disdain for the intellectual.
Excellent Pete, Excellent. There are also loose links to the theme of vto’s earlier post. Anyway, watching Campbell Live certainly challenges some assumptions, while confirming others, around the make-up of the ‘middle-New Zealand’ collective psyche.
Oh well, great scenery though (for now).
That looks like it’s more a discussion of leftist writing in NZ, which looks pretty interesting, all the same. I have a physical copy of Fairburn’s book in hand and was thumbing through it and chanced on that quote. It seemed to have struck a chord in its day, though. It’s quoted in this review.
Australia’s best-known writer Henry Lawson nearly became a New Zealander. Lawson made three trips to “Maoriland”, the first in 1894 in time to celebrate women voting for the first time in history, the last to teach at a Maori school in a remote and tiny settlement in the South Island. Lawson left after finding “the noble savage a fraud” and New Zealanders “a narrow paltryminded dog-in-the manger lot”, but later remembered that the “most pleasant days of his life were spent on an old telegraph line in New Zealand” and that he was “inclined to prefer it to all the colonies”.
So Key will have a Govt. inquiry into the Fonterra fuckup and then he says he will visit China to assure them there is no systemic problems with NZ food regulations.
Sounds like he’s already determined the outcome of yet another inquiry before it’s even been conducted.
I agree, fender, that it sounds like Key has already determined the outcome of the inquiry.
I have also been pondering on his statements (for almost a week now) that he will fly to China – initially he seemed to want to do so almost immediately; now he is saying after the inquiry. On RNZ Morning Report today, he said something to the effect that “he wanted to look down the barrels of their television cameras …”.
It just does not compute to me for a PM to do this. And Rob Oram has also just said on Nine to Noon that he considers this completely inappropriate on all sorts of levels. Replay is not yet up.
So last time he went there to promote trade he announced that we would go to war against their ally North Korea if push came to shove, which was rather quickly followed by the ‘administrative error’ that lead to our meat being barred entry to China. Now this, and he wants to “look down the barrels of their television cameras” after the state broadcaster made it really, really clear that they are a hair’s breath away from kicking us to the curb.
Got any more language of confrontation to use there John? Oh yeah, send John “Let’s talk about snapper instead” Key over there to sort them out, I’m sure the Chinese will love that.
Officials have demanded that an advertising firm stop using a network of high-tech trash cans to track people walking through London’s financial district.
The Renew ad firm has been using technology embedded in the hulking receptacles to measure the Wi-Fi signals emitted by smartphones, and suggested that it would apply the concept of “cookies” – tracking files that follow Internet users across the web – to the physical world.
“We will cookie the street,” Renew Chief Executive Kaveh Memari said in June.
High-tech rubbish bins, are presumably on public land. How did they get to be installed?
The public service of emplacing the bins would have been contracted out. Probably something similar to the AdShel bus stops we have here where they’re installed at no cost to the council and the company rents them out as advertising space.
“The more we know about each other, the safer we’ll be.”
The slogan for propaganda videos in Argentina where Police now collect fingerprints at random traffic stops. They have around 20% of the population (around 8 million prints) so far.
Well if that worries you, consider that the NZ government has a blood sample of most babies born in NZ since the 1960s. It’s only a matter of resourcing for them to have a DNA profile of a large proportion of the population.
a blood sample it needs to save lives.
Much more of a classic ethical problem than just the big brother – ticking bomb bullshit totalitarians usually come up with.
If you have been given patient consent to take a blood sample for a specific reason, once that reason is fulfiled, you have no grounds on which to either keep the sample or use it for myriad other puposes.
not really – their individual health uses don’t just finish at the initial tests. An obvious one is if the child does manifest later on a condition for which the Guthrie screening was negative. Was there a testing failure? Was it an error within the known bounds? Do we have a systemic misunderstanding about the condition? Who else is affected – everyone in that period/ that batch of cards/that lab/ that lab technician? Do we need to retest a large sample of cards to audit the system?
All of that’s strictly within the purpose of the test.
More interesting questions concern the balance between the preservation of privacy and dignity rights vs the value of the collection for health research. Then you get into more concerning issues like the divorce case where they got a court order to use the card in a paternity test, and the dividing line between using a card as the last chance to identify/rule out the most likely identity of an unidentifiable body vs the worst-case “police dragnet” scenario.
.All of that’s strictly within the purpose of the test.
So, you hold the samples for 6 months. Or 12 months.
And not like the NSA, forever more until the end of time.
vs the value of the collection for health research.
There’s no confusion or leeway here. If the patient did not consent to participate in medical research, you can’t use the samples as such. The Cartwright Inquiry was pretty clear on this point.
So, you hold the samples for 6 months. Or 12 months.
And not like the NSA, forever more until the end of time.
It’s not like there’s an expiry date on possibly finding problems in the system or comparing old processes and tests with new ones. And a bigger sample set for that is always better. So yes, you do keep them for as long as possible.
If the patient did not consent to participate in medical research, you can’t use the samples as such. The Cartwright Inquiry was pretty clear on this point.
Fucking lucky that researchers need to meet that standard then, eh. In addition to all the other ethical review criteria, of course. You leapt up onto that high horse so quickly you’re in danger of hitting your head on the stable roof.
It’s not like there’s an expiry date on possibly finding problems in the system or comparing old processes and tests with new ones. And a bigger sample set for that is always better. So yes, you do keep them for as long as possible.
Just be aware that is exactly the same rationale that the NSA uses to determine if it is capturing communications “relevant” to terrorism and national security.
That is, at any time in the future, any given set of communications may be relevant to a future investigation, therefore all communications are relevant to be targeted now to be kept indefinitely.
Fucking lucky that researchers need to meet that standard then, eh. In addition to all the other ethical review criteria, of course.
Gimme a break McFlock, there have been numerous ethical breaches by researchers not dotting eyes and crossing T’s, and you know it. Baby parts kept without permission is only one example from just a few years ago. Fucking blase “trust us and our standards” attitude doesn’t cut it.
Just be aware that is exactly the same rationale that the NSA uses to determine if it is capturing communications “relevant” to terrorism and national security.
That is, at any time in the future, any given set of communications may be relevant to a future investigation, therefore all communications are relevant to be targeted now to be kept indefinitely.
Exactly the same rationale? Some fundamental differences there, not least of which is the warrantless gathering of private data to incriminate people (including themselves). As opposed to systems being in place to prevent that happening with the Guthrie cards.
A system being designed to warrantlessly-gather and use private information is not “exactly the same” as a system designed to protect information and material from that abuse.
Gimme a break McFlock, there have been numerous ethical breaches by researchers not dotting eyes and crossing T’s, and you know it. Baby parts kept without permission is only one example from just a few years ago. Fucking blase “trust us and our standards” attitude doesn’t cut it.
I know what we could do – make you the Minister of Health, because you’re fucking perfect when it comes to healthcare. Hell, you know exactly how much fluoride you need and can apply the precise amount down to a fraction of a microgram each day, and you sure know exactly who should or should not be vaccinated and for what. And on top of that, you need absolutely no knowledge or experience in dealing with ethical matters because you already know everything. Fuck, who needs a school of medecine, royal commissions, or health councils – just ask CV.
Exactly the same rationale? Some fundamental differences there, not least of which is the warrantless gathering of private data to incriminate people (including themselves).
biological samples are rich in personal data, and yes they can certainly be used to incriminate the people that they come from and others associated with them.
What were you saying about “fundamental differences”? Doesn’t seem to me like you’ve thought it through very far, as there are in fact many fundamental similarities.
This is why we need employment regulations that protect work rights:
Ms Ryan found Mr Smith had only been paid $12.50 an hour, under the minimum wage, for the amount of work he was doing. She said the company’s behaviour was unfair.
”I consider Kereru’s apparent expectation that Mr Smith work 13 1/2 hour days, Monday to Friday, without rest or meal breaks to be unreasonable,” she said.
What really needed to happen here is that the employer be banned from owning a business or being in a management position for a few years.
Interesting Draco. I’ve chatted with a few ex couriers in recent years. It seems to be an industry that has a rep for exploiting drivers. One particular ex courier driver I spoke to said she calculated that one week she ended up working for $5 per hour. She told me that drivers can be paid per delivery/pick up only rather than be given a rate per hour. I’m not sure how this works but I think it occurs when a driver becomes a “contractor” for the courier company, rather than an employee.
I’ve banged on before about the practice of supermarket suppliers having to provide “merchandisers” to unload and stack supermarket shelves, but it is an important topic because it highlights the direction our work rights are heading in NZ, – down the toilet. This is effectively the supermarket outsourcing their work to the supplier. That means the supermarket doesn’t have to hire people in inwards goods and shelf stacking. Merchies, as they’re known are often contracted by an agency and must provide their own cell phone, computer and vehicle for the uncertain and non guaranteed hours they are hired to work. Out of their wage they pay their own ACC, tax, sick pay and holiday pay. Recently on SEEK I saw an ad where the agency wanted a worker that already had their “store safe” pass, which is a supermarket health and safety I.D card. That is the agency expected the worker was going to stump up the cost of their H&S training themselves.
This is not respectable work. It is precarious work, such as Helen Kelly discussed in her recent article on The Standard. With the National Govt eroding work rights, right from the very beginning with the 90 day bill, their 33 changes to the ERA a few years ago and now with Simon Bridges gutting whats left with his contemptuous anti Union anti worker policies, workers are now in a seriously vulnerable and powerless position. It’s going to take a lot to claw back our rights, once this side show of a govt finally comes to an end, and it’s hard to know whether anything will ever be the same again.
“The third dream was about Elsie and Jenny. I was in bed with Elsie. We were just lying sleeping together, the way Jenny and I used to lie. And she said to me, ‘Is this is it?” And I said, is it what?” And she said, “Just this. is this all there is?” And I said, “Yes”. And she turned to kiss me, and it wasn’t Elsie, it was Jenny, and a huge wave of sadness rolled over me. If I was deliriously happy walking in the hills with the Devil, this was the opposite. Happiness missed. I knew the sadness was because of some fault in me, but I didn’t know what the fault was. It was as if there was something I didn’t have, a part missing.”
-excerpt from The Testament of Gideon Mack.
–
What would you look for when comparing colleges for your child? Just NCEA results??
by Rach 12:50 PM yesterday
NCEA results, in fact tell you very little about how a school can support your child. You need to look at the academic, cultural and sporting opportunities that are important to your child. Go visit.
by Angela Roberts 12:51 PM yesterday
and
Some private schools offer assessment other than NCEA e.g. International Baccalaureate. What are the advantages of these alternative assessments?
by Jo 12:58 PM yesterday
To me, NCEA offers everything that our students need. When I met the top NCEA scholars at the start of this year, I was reassured that NCEA is able to bring out the best in our best students.
Why, oh why, is there no-one from Labour being listed for anti- GCSB public meeting in Auckland next Monday ? How many more votes do Labour plan to lose to Mana, NZF and Greens? Wtf ??
That’s just nasty, nasty, nasty. Shame you chose to repeat it .. and racist twice noting the accent in which it was delivered. There are many valid issues on which to attack this sad and unfortunate human being, but being anti-semitic hardly helps. And yes, I think you enjoin yourself to the anti-Semitism in the re-posting of it. Racism of any kind is simply not accceptable. Ugh.
Jews are not ‘a race’, they are a religion, and if you think that referring to someones heavy European,(i should have put East European), accent to be racist then i can only LOLZ at you and wonder what it’s like inside that bubble,
PS, having read widely of the progroms and many other fates suffered by those of the Jewish religion prior to the establishment of the state of Israel i once harbored a deep sympathy for such a persecuted religion,
However, the actions of the Jewish State in the modern age has evaporated such sympathies i once held…
Aaaw is you the victim now, poor poor you, yelling racism at me will just have me LOLZ one hell of a lot more,
Are Jews a race???, nope Jews hail from all over the world, all sorts of races connected by the Jewish religion so your raving of racism at me is to say the least silly and the fact that you consider anyone mentioning the language or tone of language that they have heard someone speak in as racist, in my opinion makes you far more than just silly…
There is no such thing as race. But there is such a thing as racism and to suggest that Jewish people don’t experience it is ridiculous in the extreme.
I don’t know if you were being racist in your comment, but the quote from the supermaket most definitely is. Interesting though.
Please don’t confuse the government of Israel with Judaism. Even though the Israeli government would like you to think otherwise, they are quite separate.
Actually “Jews” are define as a culture and a religion, and by bloodline. Whether one is a “Jew” or not, is usually based on their mother having been “Jewish” – a bloodline, un-connected with religion.
If those types were truly Eastern European, they have a far finer sensibility for this shit than the 99% of NZers who couldn’t tell the difference between Croation, Serbian and Hungarian if you poked them in the eye with it.
The Electoral Commission has agreed to re-register ‘ the Hairdo’s’ defunct party so the great leader rises form the ashes once more,
i heard He was thinking of a new name for the firm having besmirched the old one to it’s limits of tolerance,
Dunne is the black hole in space of New Zealand politics having sucked them all in from Christians to hunters and fishers said all have disappeared never to be heard from again…
IMO it was pretty inevidable that UF would be re-registered – 500 members is not a high number to get.
I thinkk I heard on Morning Report that Dunne was considering calling his party simply United.
In my half-awake state at the time, it crossed my mind that this could be very confusing, with both positive and negative results. That is, some people might think that his party was connected to the Unite union – and vote for it on this misapprehension. OTH, others would not vote for it if they thought the two were connected!
Dunne – shamelsss – so now we see Key praising him and talking about having him back in the cabinet – no wonder Dunne kept saying he’ll vote for the GCSB Bill against all rational arguments.
Yes but the problem for Key is that Dunne is now a busted flush. It’s very odd but every time I see Dunne now (since his resignation) he seems to me to lack any mana/confidence/credibility. Is this just me? If we could just replace Shearer with Cunliffe I would be pretty confident that we would wave bye bye to Key and his ‘orrible cohorts in 2014. That would make me feel soooo goooooood.
Yes Muzza — getting us ready for full-on GMOs … the RMA changes are clearing the way, TPPA will ensure it, and changes to food regs will guarantee we cannot oppose it. Sad days for NZ. Oh, for a life free of those acronyms !
I agree, Muzza — I think the TPPA is without doubt the most dangerous of the intentions of this government. And that all is being negotiated and signed in 100% secrecy and allowed to be signed with absolutely no reference back to Parliament must surely verge on treason. Somewhere hidden in all the regs there must be a law preventing this ?
Mai Chen, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Professor Jane Kelsey, please?
Muzza .. I have to hope and pray that extraordinary efforts will be made to ensure everyone who can vote actually will register and vote in the next general election. This will be our only chance. After that, as you say, all bets will be off. Scary, very scary.
This is what I told the QLDC full Council today at the Public Forum:
The government is in the process of “gutting the RMA”. These are not my words, they are the words of respected financial commentator Rod Oram in last week’s Sunday Star Times. 13277 submissions were received from the public on the proposed changes to the Act- 99% opposed the changes.
The changes allow new subdivision and development anywhere and everywhere unless a council expressly restricts this through a plan rule. The QLDC has a discretionary regime in its DP for subdivision and development which means no subdivision is expressly restricted. This change is a recipe for urban sprawl and ad hoc rural subdivision anywhere in the mountains and along around lakes and rivers in this District. This has the potential to devastate the landscape values-values that that this District largely relies upon for its economic wellbeing.
Anyone who has a secluded rural residence should be scared because under the changes a subdivision will be able to be dumped next to you as of right.
Commissioners at QLDC resource consent hearings will be powerless to decline subdivision and development. Council’s power to control adverse effects will be massively reduced. The changes overturn decades of planning law.
There are major changes to s.6 and s.7 of the Act that will dilute provisions relating to matters of national importance. The requirements to maintain and enhance “amenity values” and the “quality of the environment” are deleted.
There is a new requirement that ONL and ONF’s must be “specified”. In this District there is a gradual process taking place to identify landscape categorization boundaries through the Court. This process is far from complete. The changes will mean that large areas of ONL currently non-specified in the QLDC will be removed from protection from inappropriate subdivision and development.
The changes reduce public participation. Councils currently notify only 4 to 6 per cent of applications for public submissions and only 1% of applications are appealed. The changes further reduce the need to publicly notify applications and further limit who is an affected party. The changes also further limit matters that submitters can comment on.
The changes to the Act are based on ideology rather than any evidence of the need for change. They will make 22 years of case law largely irrelevant.
The Society respectfully asks that when the Bill goes through the Select Committee process the QLDC submits in opposition to the changes described above especially any that reduce the protection of landscapes from inappropriate development.
So, so refreshing to hear Gary McCormack on RNZ this afternoon.
A very welcome respite from the usual, mainly Auckland, yuppy wanker, big-fish-putrid-little pond, wannabees. A guy who while retaining his jocularity has steel to his voice on poverty, greed, and the inevitable vileness of the socially poisonous and destructive experiment of the last 30 years.
And then we have ShonKey Python, the poncey, akshully vicious rat-like when backed into a corner, idol of the greedies and the snobs – Schnapper………sorry………snapper. For Christ’s Sake !
McCormack was great – calling poverty the elephant in the living room that no-one wants to talk about, but is the thing we should be doing something about.
Then Jim Fucking Moira said ‘oh yes, but we don’t know how much poverty contributes to child abuse, the research (which I’ve read) says… blah blab blah’. I had to get out of the car and walk away from the radio. I really don’t understand that mentality, it’s like looking for an excuse to let poverty exist. Even if research proved that poverty doesn’t increase incidence of child abuse (which it won’t), it would still be a societal wrong we should do somethign about. The ‘we don’t know how much poverty is responsible for’ argument is a completely nonsensical red herring.
I heard the programme too, North, and yes, Gary McCormick was quite excellent. Let’s hope he keeps it up. He hasn’t always been as good as he was today. Two years ago, he and Raybon Kan put on an unfunny and particularly stupid double act… http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11032011/#comment-306974
You could hear McCormack becoming increasingly frustrated with Mora’s wordy evasions.
Surprised he tolerated the nonsense Mora was spouting.
What a pathetic liberal Mora is!
http://destinationfiji.org
Campaign worth supporting, why holiday on others misery? “Voreqe” Bainimarama tries to put the guilts on previous Aussie and NZ sanctions and censure while instituting a clampdown on Fijian workers, why do those holidays seem so cheap again…
Plus while researching was reminded that Colonel Frank was trained by experts in military coups and repression having spent some time in 1979 on the Chilean torture ship Esmeralda, plus Fiji military and individuals profited from the US “attack on Iraq” as contractors and still receive United Nations funding. Stuff ’em, don’t go there.
TV3 News – now we know the price extracted by Scummy Dunney and paid by ShonKey Python for GCSB vote. Sorted UF membership figures – renewed ministerial warrant. $100K of funding thrown in. And that’s just for now. Cup of tea in 2014 ?
Sorry – correction – $100K happens on proving the membership – ministerial salary then. Piece of sanctimonious shit ! We’re not forgetting the silly old man skeleton-in-cupboard bizo though are we ? The cupboard ShonKey Python will open at will.
Thank God we’ve got Sir Kiwi Kim Dotcom with his yet unrevealed proof (audio and visual) of ShonKey Python knowing ALL about him WELL prior to the date he claimed, thus misleading Parliament.
It’s good news in reality. Key will look a dork taking support from 2 discredited wallies-Dunne and Banks. Some of the public will pick up on this. Got to be worth 2/3 points off National’s polling at the election.
” Two large public transport organisations – Auckland Transport and KiwiRail – are holding inquiries into separate allegations of corruption over contracts.
Serious fraud investigators are waiting on findings from the inquiries before deciding whether to swoop.
Auckland Transport has put a senior manager in its road maintenance division on indefinite leave until it completes an internal investigation into what it says are “serious allegations relating to the potential misuse of public monies”.
KiwiRail has called in outside forensic accountants to make an independent review of infrastructure contracts after receiving what it says were anonymous allegations about them.
“There is no evidence of wrong-doing at this time and, as a result, we have not stood anyone down,” the state-owned rail operator’s chief executive, Jim Quinn said late yesterday in a statement to the Herald.
The Serious Fraud Office says it is aware of the two sets of investigations, and has spoken to both transport organisations.
Both had undertaken to contact the SFO if their investigations found evidence of possible fraud, a spokeswoman for the office said yesterday.
A spokesman for Auckland Mayor Len Brown said he knew of the council-controlled transport organisation’s investigation but had no comment to make about the allegations which prompted it.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee’s office referred Herald questions to State-Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall, whose office referred the newspaper to KiwiRail.
Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton said a senior manager had been placed on indefinite leave after a review of procurement procedures in its road corridor maintenance operations…”
“The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government.”
Who elected this unholy alliance of the New Zealand Property Council and the hugely powerful private lobby group the Committee for Auckland to effectively run our Auckland region “like a business, by business, for business”?
The mechanism for this corporate control of the Auckland region is through council-controlled organisations – run by boards of appointed business people and executive private-sector staff.
CCOs must go!
Key council officers effectively run Auckland Council as if it were their own private business.
I support citizens’ lawful rights to privacy, but transparency and accountability for those in public office. … ”
6. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,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, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
is there any legal redress for a case like this..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/zero-hours-contracts-are-they-bad-for-workers-five-minute-video-debate-comment-and-how-local-scumbag-employers-are-screwing-over-workers-a-case-study/
phillip ure..
There is a couple of good articles on nef about the zero hours contracts in the UK.
A succinct paragraph is:
“Even if the Government successfully prepares people to enter employment, it is doing nothing to make sure that employment actually improves people’s livelihoods or well-being. You can’t make work pay simply by reducing benefits and sanctioning claimants for failing to turn up to jobs-training workshops.”
I would say – Paula Bennett take note, but she doesn’t seem to be a rational thinker.
And an article in the Independent: ‘The real cost of benefits squeeze: £1,600 per family’
Bubble bubble gulp gulp…..its so great being popular, more popular than spies us snapper are…swish swish….whats that????? a bottom feeder, yuck, lower than shark shit…must be a prime minister. Pollution, pollution, swim away………
Last week I posted a wee comment about a personal hero who recently passed away. He was one of NZ’s best sportsmen ever in his chosen field and he also did significant things for manwomankind. This post elicited a reply from karol around middle new Zealand values and how wrong they were. To karol’s eyes this highlighted flaws within the average kiwi and what they consider to be worthy. To my eyes karol’s response highlighted the arrogance of the far left and the contempt for “middle” New Zealand which its inhabitants so often show (just like the pricks on the far right – just a different form). The sneering so often just below the surface around here towards middle nz broke the surface. The thread is here http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08082013/#comment-676953
And now we have another similar hero, on the front page this time. A life-saver and a leader and champion at his ‘sport’. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9032564/Climbing-community-mourns-Kiwi-hero
So what gives?
When is a person a hero? How many heroes can there be? Is it subjective or objective? And equally importantly, why the fuck is there so much sneering by the left and far left at “middle” New Zealand? Contempt for a group of people is often described as bigotry. In addition, this sneering robs the left of a large swathe of potential voters as they turn away from such arrogance (read, ignorance)……….
@ VTO
If Heroism is the willingness to risk one’s self to protect others, then I would agree that Vinton-Boot had performed at least one heroic act:
“When he was 21, he was part of a daring rescue in which he, his younger brother and a friend swam 300m out to sea in a strong rip to save a drowning man.
The trio were alerted to the Asian tourist’s plight by one of his relatives and dived into the Christchurch surf immediately to spend 30 minutes cradling the semi-conscious man back to shore. ”
Lots of people (myself amongst them) see sports as a colossal distraction from important things – a contempt for sporting news is not necessarily contempt for middle NZ (who might see politics or art as a distraction from sport). Going from the Stuff acticles you link to; without further biographical details, I couldn’t say that Byrne had shown any degree of Heroism. He might have also been a surf-life saver, or rescued comrades under fire while in the RNZAF which might qualify him for the title, but that was not mentioned there.
Why is “great surfer” not enough of an accolade in Byrne’s case? Using the tag of “Hero” in this instance would seem to diminish the term when applied to others (such as Vinton-Boot).
vto – you said it yourself in the last thread:
“The hero piece was clearly my opinion. Heroism is, again if you think about it, subjective. ”
“… you and Karol save hero status for only the very most exceptional of people.”
The comment above looks like you are disagreeing with yourself on both those statements, and want to engage with others whose ideas of heroism align with yours, so you can say “See. Heroism is definitive – and I nailed it!”
” equally importantly, why the fuck is there so much sneering by the left and far left at “middle” New Zealand” Does it not occur to you that this is a snide comment in itself?
I just think we decide for ourselves who our personal heroes are. If your personal values include sporting achievements – then you will be admiring of those who achieve in that field. Not for me, BTW, although Sir Ed does spring to mind – not because of knocking the bugger off, but for his refusal to state whether he or Tenzing reached the summit first, by refusing to using his fame for advertising, for his life-time commitment to Nepal and for his comments regarding leaving a climber to die on the path to the summit.
NZ Herald May 24 2006
But Sir Edmund was in no doubt.
“On my expedition there was no way that you would have left a man under a rock to die.
“It simply would not have happened. It would have been a disaster from our point of view.”
As you say – subjective.
just cos someone wants your vote doesn’t mean they have to like you eh….I think it illustrates a huge disconnect….I’m pretty sure I’ve even seen a suggestion that Grant Robertson could lead a Labour party to victory….. maybe in Wellington, but I’m not 100% sure.
We need a lot more heroes of all the different kinds there could be.
finally RIP AB. legend.
http://surf.co.nz/blogs/surf-search/2011/11/2448-amco-hauraki-nz-surf-nats-1976-piha
Grant Robertson is ineligible to be the Leader: he was beaten by the Greens and the Nats for party vote in Central. The performance at the last election by Labour in the wellington hutt region was very worrying.
@VTO. Just read the thread from last week and fully understand your question about the sneering Left. Bored went AWOL because of this unthinking “correctness”, Ennui is still bored with it. There is a lot of unthinking dogma around here and it reflects in how the electorate view large chunks of the “Left”.
Yesterday Sanctuary gave us a view of the Left that is uncomfortably close to the mark, even if I did not give it total credence. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-12082013/#comment-678454 Parts of his message were rightly panned, but the core accusation drew so little response. Sad, because unless we examine our dark corners we will remain undesirable and un-electable.
The trait of being triumphantly superior over others with regards supposed intelligence is one piece of shit many of the left most definately need to dump.
Another risible aspect of the left is the widespread inability to recognise the political/cultural roots of some left thoughts/beliefs/habits…so for example, the habit to smooth over of the authoritarian past, meaning it gets preserved in the present and projected into the future (both by left cultists and social democrats) and who then, inevitably by dint of excusing and perpetuating past habits, cut the legs off any chance there may be of developing a society that embraces leftist values.
But then, from my (allegedly) hard left perspective, I would say that – wouldn’t I? 😉
You are not alone in the wings Bill.
Nicely put Bill: I sort of reside on the “hard left”. One of the salutary lessons I learnt as a (former) Marxist is that a prescribed ideology that has as a core belief its’ own undeniable “truth” is a cop out for non thinkers. Therein lies no wriggle room nor forgiveness. No shades of grey. In short entrenched materialist ideologies like Marxism, Neo Liberalism, etc lack humanity, so I dropped them.
You’re giving Marxism too hard a time, and too little credit.
Marxism did something that almost no other political-economic philosophy did at the time: it gave an insightful, yet brutal, critique of capitalism as a system, and as capitalism as the basis of a society. It pointed out what is obvious to every serious Lefty today: that in a capitalist system it is those people who own the assets and the capital who make out like bandits, and those people who only have their labour, who get fucked.
Do you know why so many Labour MPs sound completely wishy-washy about the problems in our society, despite their good intentions?
Because even as they go on the attack over an important issue like say…child poverty…hardly any of them go on to recognise and attack the actual neoliberal machinery which is behind the problem. So we get “solutions” like…a Ministry for Children, more healthcare checks, food in schools, transfer payments for families with kids, and meanwhile…the neoliberal machinery just keeps rumbling on in the background.
CV, I still think some of the analysis by Marx such as relationship to production, surplus value, capital accumulation etc is incredibly valuable.
Where I diverge from Marx is that he, like all of Voltaires children is a rationalist who uses logical constructs to prove his point…which in the example of his historic dialectic is obviously wrong. The neo libs, leftist libertarians etc do much the same…its a one trick pony. If you begin an argument at a set point (of your precise choosing) you can logically prove anything…until you get into the real world. There you meet Ennuis First Law…”if theory and reality by some random chance ever meet they are already probably divergent”.
Our leftist parliamentarians…how many of them have ever actually pulled the levers of the neo lib machinery? Or ever been any closer than taking a cheque to keep quiet about the realities? Their role is the application of band aids, not the removal of the knife.
same applies to the general analysis of the implications of greater surveillance by the state and corporates; analysis not going much deeper than each individual’s assessment of their own current data histories and context. Guess they’ll learn in time with the cadence.
It just looks to me like those who question the dominance of values skewed towards the white male establishment are dismissed as “hard left” and “arrogant” and “sneering”?
Seems to me a lot of pots and kettles.
What exactly is “hard left” about, for instance, the Claudia Bell quotes above?
The morale of a people is heavily affected by their heroes, whether they be quiet unassuming ones recognised only in a family, neighbourhood or community, and the ones seen leading the story of the 6pm news.
I’m really surprised that feminism doesn’t recognise any heroes amongst its own ranks.
I understand that black South Africans and indigenous Burmese have their own local home-grown political heroes too.
In which case K should the “hard left” not be allowed to include white male values? Are we to be categorised, condemned and thrown into the outer darkness as beyond redemption?
It may be a little subtle but once on this blog I was “advised” (upon point of excommunication) to read and adhere to Feminism 101…..I did. I also reread Alice in Wonderland, which made perfect sense. It clearly stated that “nothing is as it seems”. Maybe we would all do better to only write when under the influence of vast quantities of lordinum.
In which case K should the “hard left” not be allowed to include white male values? Are we to be categorised, condemned and thrown into the outer darkness as beyond redemption?
Ennui, I’m not sure how this relates to my comments critical of sports focused heroes & the dominant culture in NZ? Yes I did say something about such dominant values being skewed towards the white male establishment.
You “far left” point doesn’t seem to relate to anything I have said on this issue.
For being critical of the individualistic heroic man vs wild (“man alone”) ethos, I have been personally attacked as being a “bigot”, “arrogant”, “far left” and dismissive of “middle NZ”
But I said nothing about white male* values being included or excluded from the “hard left” (or that it was only embraced by white males*) – and indeed, I have question being called “far left” – a term often used in a very subjective way – see for instance the way John Key calling anyone critical of his pro-corporate and wealthy elite agenda as “far left”. I have never considered myself to be hard of far left.
It was vto who started saying my criticism of the white male values are “far left” – I have never owned that.
* I should have said traditional white masculine values – it’s about cultural values not biological sex.
OK, we can be “we hard lefties”.
OK, we can be “we hard lefties”.
may we detect an intentional spelling error therein oh nonchalant one…
Does one heroic act a hero make?
Interesting, vto, that the examples you give, and that are particularly promoted by the MSM, are male sportsmen in the old man vs wild narrative – and individualistic.
They did carry out very commendable actions at risk to themselves. Many other people, in diverse (non-sporting) fields, get far less attention for their heroic actions. Or if they do get attention, like Jon Stephenson, they tend to be called something other than heroes.
The occupiers of Noble Discoverer all collectively (not just Lucy Lawless) participated in a heroic act.
The women protesting at the removals of people from Glen Innes state houses, are carrying out on-going heroic acts, with little media spotlight, and, when they are mention, the hero word is not used.
When I was growing up I tended to admire individuals – I’m not sure I would have used the “hero” word. But they were people who i thought did noble and worthy things in their lives:
Helen Keller, for instance.
“Far left”? Really? That’s not how I think of myself. it sounds like a very subjective term. What exactly does that mean? Ditto “Middle New Zealand”? Is it like Brash’s “mainstream New Zealand”? Is any challenge to the NZ status quo deemed contemptuous of “middle New Zealand?
Agree with you on the use of the word “Hero”. Never feel comfortable using it myself – reminds me of Greek mythology and the unquestioning subservience of mere mortals to the Gods…
Don’t have the same disquiet referring to heroic acts though, – perhaps, because I’m comfortable with the idea that people are made up of many parts – and sometimes one could be honorable, brave and inspiring and at other times petty, dishonest and shrill.
After months on TradeMe’s saved searches I finally managed to buy a copy of Claudia Bell’s – Inventing New Zealand – everyday myths of pakeha identity. I borrowed it from Auckland libraries a few months ago, and felt like it was a book written straight out of my head. But of course – with better sentence structure and form.
I understand Paul Moon has released something similar, but from the excerpts I’ve read, seems fairly lightweight.
A couple of excerpts:
The strongest place in public representations of New Zealand way of life is claimed by the events, celebrations, lifestyle and material consumption of the more advantaged group. Just as the economic and political interests of the most powerful in the Pakeha group are manipulated into prominence and maintained there, so does this same group have most access to constructing national imagery. This is available because of the social status and political power of Pakeha: symbols of Pakeha culture are the dominant icons for national identity. The loudest voice proclaiming identity is the one that persuades the nation. Television has the loudest voice of all.”
Because the book was published in 1996, she gives the example of the America’s Cup:
A brilliant illustration of this was the America’s Cup welcome-home parade up Queen Street, Auckland in May, 1995, sponsored by TV One.
The America’s Cup was shown on every news broadcast, so this event looked like a very important part of national culture. This occurred through negotiation by several agencies: the sponsors, the event organisers, the decision-makers in the media (who made what mileage they could out of the event by being ‘good sports’ and stating ‘how good this is for the country’), and the audience, who gradually ‘learned’ to be interested.
…Winning the cup was claimed by television as being a win for the nation as a whole: ‘we’ salute ‘our’ heroes; ‘we’ won the cup! – an especially delicious win, given the far greater resource power of the opposition.
…It might seem a bit unlikely to match an expensive sport like yachting to the tradition of achievement of ordinary New Zealanders. The nature of the race – offshore, far away, out of sight – is such that without television it was not and could not be a spectator sport. Ordinary New Zealanders could not go along for a few hours and watch and cheer. An event thousands of kilometres away raced by an exclusive group of white male professionals with access to a vast amount of money was seen as a major milestone in national history. Converted from offshore race to media spectacle, it allowed ‘everyone’ in the nation to participate.
The America’s Cup win conveniently distracted us from more contentious events occurring at the same time, that ‘we’ would not want to be taken as ‘representative’ of ‘us’. Race relations issues were also in the news that week, with Maori activist Mike Smith taking a chainsaw to the iconic pine tree on One Tree Hill, the Motua Gardens demonstration in Wanganui, and two Members of Parliament playing racist games on a daytime radio talk show. Politicians and media people do not want these latter occurrences to be seen as ‘representative’ events. The ‘Welcome Home’ America’s Cup parades could be described a therapeutic symbolic displays of nationalism. Appropriately fostered, patriotic feelings cut across class groups, and affect women and men, adults and children, alike. With all eyes on the screen, a nation could feel united.”
Fast forward to 2013… seems not a lot has changed.
Yes, Claudia Bell’s book is worth a read. i read it several years back now, so don’t remember a lot of detail. Excellent quote, thanks, Molly.
Molly, you might have mentioned the original Hero. She (yes Hero was a female) lit a candle for her lover Leander who would swim the Hellespont for her embrace. One stormy night the candle blew out, Leander lost his way and drowned, and Hero in a fit of grief threw herself from a cliff to join her lover in death. make of it what you will.
… don’t gamble your life on someone else’s swimming prowess….
…expect your lover to own his own compass…
…candles may be environmentally friendlier, but LEDs rule…
…forget about sex on a stormy night, unless you live on the same peninsula…
…thanks, Ennui, for the redirection.
Lovely
I do believe the moral of the tale was: don’t bet your life on a woman operating complex equipment correctly 😈
or setting up the flat-screen and de-coder
Contrary to what appears to be popular belief, sporting achievements do not a hero make.
not even a personal hero?
would that be permitted?
I consider John Minto a hero, far more than someone who takes personal risks in the interests of following their recreational pursuits. Assange has some heroic qualities. A woman who works 2 or 3 jobs to feed and clothe her kids is a heroine. If that makes me a sneering far lefty in your cataloguing system, too bloody bad.
Thanks to all the posters above for your feedback. Unfortunately circumstances intervened yesterday short-circuiting intended conversations…
It seems there are several related tangents. Firstly, that sport is put on a pedestal that is above its reasonable position and I agree that is the case. It is interesting that nobody put up anything about how sports arrived at that place, how sport developed as not just recreation but a form of practice for running down the wounded impala, or cutting the most lumber in a day. From a time when physical prowess had a direct and immediate impact on provision for the family. This was lost just a few generations ago and so of course such a central feature of life for milleniums doesn’t change overnight.
And heroism is certainly subjective. Imo heroism does not arise solely because of sporting success (in these particular cases), it arises due to more humane acts – putting ones life at risk, dedicating ones life to good causes, even bad causes have their heroes though too. It arises in all sorts of spheres – the local nurse, the ed Hilary, the forgotten foster parents. We all know this I think. Heroic acts can be small and forgotten the next day – they can be large and remembered for a lifetime and beyond.
Then of course the sneering. That subject will most definitely arise again, most probably by way of example when some stupid person stereotypes all middle nz as having some equal set of values, unable to realise that you cannot judge a driver by their vehicle. Good bit of sneering going on in a mini-thread just below about stupid people though.
476 millon dollars write down in asset value +30 million dollars
The subsidy to Rio Tinto.
link? thx
An article in Friday’s Independent warns that world wide there has been an increasing over-investment in farming, making agriculture particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters.
Suspected! 15 Quadrillion becquerels of radioactive material in the trench that TEPCO is now admitting water is leaking from into the groundwater. Muwahahahaha, but hey I’m just the alarmist!
You said it.
I don’t think that “quadrillion” is a real number. I mean, how many “quadrillion” to the googleplex?
lol
About 0.0002. (I think I have the right number of zeroes)
This is based on the assumption that the people who work for Google, and are therefore in the Googleplex which is the name of their headquarters, are worth about $200 billion between them.
It also uses the American definition of quadrillion which is 10 to the power of 15.
There, wasn’t that something you were just dying to know?
And that’s assuming that the mass:volume unit conversion in the link was correct, which it would only be if they were talking about pure water.
I don’t really think you meant to reply to my comment did you?
I certainly wasn’t talking about the subject of the original comment re radioactivity.
Now that I observe it, you are in a state of being correct and a small piece of my ego has been converted into humility…
A lot. In fact it is theorised that if you had fine dust particles each a micron in size you could fit approx a googol of them in the volume of the universe. Easy to write out though, just 1 with a hundred zeroes.
A googolplex however would require a different mindset to quantify. Each of those dust particles would carry a zero to write it out in full. Now consider a “googolplexian” – a 1 with a googolplex of zeroes after it. Possibly the largest number with a name, although I can’t determine if Graham’s number is larger. Cerebral torture trying to work it out.
😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
+1 🙂
Graham’s number is larger than a googolplex.
John Key on Campbell last night – double *ugh*.
Reporter says they are doing a piece on the GCSB bill on Campbell Live…he doesn’t answer her question(s), but says that they would get more viewers if they did a piece on the snapper quota instead. Whatever the reporter says he comes back to the snapper….because “people fish”.
Patronising git.
keys’ comment on spooking vs fishing:..
..hubris with a fishy flavour..?
..phillip ure..
A.R.D. Fairburn, We New Zealanders, 1944, p.14.
The more things change, huh?
Are these “stupid” people, “middle New Zealand”?
Well, he does goes on to write:
Awesome quotes, Pete.
Karol – “stupid” people, exist at all/every level of so called society, however depending on the definition of “stupid”, the parameters which is exits in, will depend on the message attempting to conveyed.
In this instance, I would expect the parameteres are all encompassing, because “stupid”, is everywhere, all with contributing levels of negative influence!
I rarely use the word “stupid” to describe people. I am more likely to use it to refer to actions and words.
Intelligent people can say and/or do “stupid” things.
I’m somewhat more judgemental of judgemental people myself.
Comes of many long hours moderating and deciding that there is only one effective way to deal with such people. That is to hold an high-handed and quite extremist mirror to their own extremist behaviour. In other words if they are arrogant, then be even more arrogant to them. If they are boring pedants, then be a even more effective pedant commenting on their pedantic behaviour. If they run insults under superficial politeness, then do the same but without any veneer of politeness. If they are obsessively sarcastic to others, then be withering about their personal characteristics. If they pontificate, then pontificate about their pontification. etc etc.
I tend to find after a few sessions on the receiving end with the powers of a sysop, then such people tend to either adapt or run away. In either case the behaviour gets moderated.
Besides, it amuses me 😈
BTW: Been off with the flu in the last few days. Lyn has no voice and coughs all night. But I am short of sleep and have a headache, a low tolerance level. Must restrain myself…
and comb one’s hair at the same time.
I get sick of anyone who dares to speak for any entire ‘people’. It’s nationalism at its worst. It can be used to deride a minority nd for bs nationalistic fervour.
Don’t ever speak for me. ‘We New Zealanders…’ It’s a stupid phrase.
despite your understandable insistence of individualism…the quotes explain so much, don’t you think…
This reads as a reply to moi Tigger; personally, i’m Notoriously non-patriotic since completing the Tao Te Ching. (which I’m re-reading). 😀
To re-read, is to read for the very first time 😉
Now that is something I can agree with and it shows in our worship of sportspeople and our disdain for the intellectual.
“Nobody ever went broke overestimating the stupidity of the average New zealander….”
Excellent Pete, Excellent. There are also loose links to the theme of vto’s earlier post. Anyway, watching Campbell Live certainly challenges some assumptions, while confirming others, around the make-up of the ‘middle-New Zealand’ collective psyche.
Oh well, great scenery though (for now).
On line link to Fairbairn’s essay http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BarPopu.html
That looks like it’s more a discussion of leftist writing in NZ, which looks pretty interesting, all the same. I have a physical copy of Fairburn’s book in hand and was thumbing through it and chanced on that quote. It seemed to have struck a chord in its day, though. It’s quoted in this review.
And I had a copy of a Henry Lawson quote in front of me this morning. He said: that New Zealanders are
Though the full context isn’t as dismissive:
…prefer Patterson……
Trying again… http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/singleViewer.do?dvs=1376352925648~592&locale=en_GB&metadata_object_ratio=10&show_metadata=true&preferred_usage_type=VIEW_MAIN&frameId=1&usePid1=true&usePid2=true
So Key will have a Govt. inquiry into the Fonterra fuckup and then he says he will visit China to assure them there is no systemic problems with NZ food regulations.
Sounds like he’s already determined the outcome of yet another inquiry before it’s even been conducted.
I agree, fender, that it sounds like Key has already determined the outcome of the inquiry.
I have also been pondering on his statements (for almost a week now) that he will fly to China – initially he seemed to want to do so almost immediately; now he is saying after the inquiry. On RNZ Morning Report today, he said something to the effect that “he wanted to look down the barrels of their television cameras …”.
It just does not compute to me for a PM to do this. And Rob Oram has also just said on Nine to Noon that he considers this completely inappropriate on all sorts of levels. Replay is not yet up.
I have much respect for Rod Oram, imagine being lucky enough to have a PM with his insight and intelligence instead of a crooked rusty Key.
Ears pricked up at “…look down the barrels…” but, alas, was only a ‘side-by-side’ juxtaposition.
So last time he went there to promote trade he announced that we would go to war against their ally North Korea if push came to shove, which was rather quickly followed by the ‘administrative error’ that lead to our meat being barred entry to China. Now this, and he wants to “look down the barrels of their television cameras” after the state broadcaster made it really, really clear that they are a hair’s breath away from kicking us to the curb.
Got any more language of confrontation to use there John? Oh yeah, send John “Let’s talk about snapper instead” Key over there to sort them out, I’m sure the Chinese will love that.
Surveillance by corporate rubbish bin: ‘Minority Report’ in action:
Are wifi signals permanently on on smartphones? Or just when people are accessing hotspots?
High-tech rubbish bins, are presumably on public land. How did they get to be installed?
You can turn off. And you should..
More info
http://www.osimood.com/2013/02/you-should-really-turn-off-your-phones-wifi-when-you-do-not-use-it/
The public service of emplacing the bins would have been contracted out. Probably something similar to the AdShel bus stops we have here where they’re installed at no cost to the council and the company rents them out as advertising space.
“The more we know about each other, the safer we’ll be.”
The slogan for propaganda videos in Argentina where Police now collect fingerprints at random traffic stops. They have around 20% of the population (around 8 million prints) so far.
Source: Sovereign Man.
Well if that worries you, consider that the NZ government has a blood sample of most babies born in NZ since the 1960s. It’s only a matter of resourcing for them to have a DNA profile of a large proportion of the population.
a blood sample it needs to save lives.
Much more of a classic ethical problem than just the big brother – ticking bomb bullshit totalitarians usually come up with.
Oh, I have no objection to the tests. I just find the indefinite retention of them to be questionable.
highly questionable.
If you have been given patient consent to take a blood sample for a specific reason, once that reason is fulfiled, you have no grounds on which to either keep the sample or use it for myriad other puposes.
not really – their individual health uses don’t just finish at the initial tests. An obvious one is if the child does manifest later on a condition for which the Guthrie screening was negative. Was there a testing failure? Was it an error within the known bounds? Do we have a systemic misunderstanding about the condition? Who else is affected – everyone in that period/ that batch of cards/that lab/ that lab technician? Do we need to retest a large sample of cards to audit the system?
All of that’s strictly within the purpose of the test.
More interesting questions concern the balance between the preservation of privacy and dignity rights vs the value of the collection for health research. Then you get into more concerning issues like the divorce case where they got a court order to use the card in a paternity test, and the dividing line between using a card as the last chance to identify/rule out the most likely identity of an unidentifiable body vs the worst-case “police dragnet” scenario.
So, you hold the samples for 6 months. Or 12 months.
And not like the NSA, forever more until the end of time.
There’s no confusion or leeway here. If the patient did not consent to participate in medical research, you can’t use the samples as such. The Cartwright Inquiry was pretty clear on this point.
It’s not like there’s an expiry date on possibly finding problems in the system or comparing old processes and tests with new ones. And a bigger sample set for that is always better. So yes, you do keep them for as long as possible.
Fucking lucky that researchers need to meet that standard then, eh. In addition to all the other ethical review criteria, of course. You leapt up onto that high horse so quickly you’re in danger of hitting your head on the stable roof.
Just be aware that is exactly the same rationale that the NSA uses to determine if it is capturing communications “relevant” to terrorism and national security.
That is, at any time in the future, any given set of communications may be relevant to a future investigation, therefore all communications are relevant to be targeted now to be kept indefinitely.
Gimme a break McFlock, there have been numerous ethical breaches by researchers not dotting eyes and crossing T’s, and you know it. Baby parts kept without permission is only one example from just a few years ago. Fucking blase “trust us and our standards” attitude doesn’t cut it.
Exactly the same rationale? Some fundamental differences there, not least of which is the warrantless gathering of private data to incriminate people (including themselves). As opposed to systems being in place to prevent that happening with the Guthrie cards.
A system being designed to warrantlessly-gather and use private information is not “exactly the same” as a system designed to protect information and material from that abuse.
Gimme a break McFlock, there have been numerous ethical breaches by researchers not dotting eyes and crossing T’s, and you know it. Baby parts kept without permission is only one example from just a few years ago. Fucking blase “trust us and our standards” attitude doesn’t cut it.
I know what we could do – make you the Minister of Health, because you’re fucking perfect when it comes to healthcare. Hell, you know exactly how much fluoride you need and can apply the precise amount down to a fraction of a microgram each day, and you sure know exactly who should or should not be vaccinated and for what. And on top of that, you need absolutely no knowledge or experience in dealing with ethical matters because you already know everything. Fuck, who needs a school of medecine, royal commissions, or health councils – just ask CV.
Seems I hit a nerve. Sorry mate.
biological samples are rich in personal data, and yes they can certainly be used to incriminate the people that they come from and others associated with them.
What were you saying about “fundamental differences”? Doesn’t seem to me like you’ve thought it through very far, as there are in fact many fundamental similarities.
I suddenly remembered with whom I was trying to have a rational discussion about a health system.
The only common factor in the two examples is that personal data (in electronic or biological form) is held by a government organisation. That is it.
One system is especially designed to make off-spec gathering, use or abuse of that data as easy as possible.
The other system is especially designed to make such abuse as difficult, obvious and preventable as possible.
Ducks and ships are completely different things, even if they both float.
Hey mate, whatever.
Is the sample necessary, or just the blood type?
This is why we need employment regulations that protect work rights:
What really needed to happen here is that the employer be banned from owning a business or being in a management position for a few years.
Interesting Draco. I’ve chatted with a few ex couriers in recent years. It seems to be an industry that has a rep for exploiting drivers. One particular ex courier driver I spoke to said she calculated that one week she ended up working for $5 per hour. She told me that drivers can be paid per delivery/pick up only rather than be given a rate per hour. I’m not sure how this works but I think it occurs when a driver becomes a “contractor” for the courier company, rather than an employee.
I’ve banged on before about the practice of supermarket suppliers having to provide “merchandisers” to unload and stack supermarket shelves, but it is an important topic because it highlights the direction our work rights are heading in NZ, – down the toilet. This is effectively the supermarket outsourcing their work to the supplier. That means the supermarket doesn’t have to hire people in inwards goods and shelf stacking. Merchies, as they’re known are often contracted by an agency and must provide their own cell phone, computer and vehicle for the uncertain and non guaranteed hours they are hired to work. Out of their wage they pay their own ACC, tax, sick pay and holiday pay. Recently on SEEK I saw an ad where the agency wanted a worker that already had their “store safe” pass, which is a supermarket health and safety I.D card. That is the agency expected the worker was going to stump up the cost of their H&S training themselves.
This is not respectable work. It is precarious work, such as Helen Kelly discussed in her recent article on The Standard. With the National Govt eroding work rights, right from the very beginning with the 90 day bill, their 33 changes to the ERA a few years ago and now with Simon Bridges gutting whats left with his contemptuous anti Union anti worker policies, workers are now in a seriously vulnerable and powerless position. It’s going to take a lot to claw back our rights, once this side show of a govt finally comes to an end, and it’s hard to know whether anything will ever be the same again.
“The third dream was about Elsie and Jenny. I was in bed with Elsie. We were just lying sleeping together, the way Jenny and I used to lie. And she said to me, ‘Is this is it?” And I said, is it what?” And she said, “Just this. is this all there is?” And I said, “Yes”. And she turned to kiss me, and it wasn’t Elsie, it was Jenny, and a huge wave of sadness rolled over me. If I was deliriously happy walking in the hills with the Devil, this was the opposite. Happiness missed. I knew the sadness was because of some fault in me, but I didn’t know what the fault was. It was as if there was something I didn’t have, a part missing.”
-excerpt from The Testament of Gideon Mack.
My take on National party aspirations:
It’s not about keeping up with the Jones’s anymore. It’s about keeping the Smiths beneath you.
+1
That’s it exactly. They’re at the top and they want to stay there and so they work to keep everyone else down.
+1
That really needs to be on a gallery spot on TDB.
if only everyone had a bach at omaha…imagine the market for a permit to fish the leigh reserve.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9030855/Live-chat-School-advice-for-parents
–
What would you look for when comparing colleges for your child? Just NCEA results??
by Rach 12:50 PM yesterday
NCEA results, in fact tell you very little about how a school can support your child. You need to look at the academic, cultural and sporting opportunities that are important to your child. Go visit.
by Angela Roberts 12:51 PM yesterday
and
Some private schools offer assessment other than NCEA e.g. International Baccalaureate. What are the advantages of these alternative assessments?
by Jo 12:58 PM yesterday
To me, NCEA offers everything that our students need. When I met the top NCEA scholars at the start of this year, I was reassured that NCEA is able to bring out the best in our best students.
by Angela Roberts 12:59 PM yesterday
No mixed messages there…
Why, oh why, is there no-one from Labour being listed for anti- GCSB public meeting in Auckland next Monday ? How many more votes do Labour plan to lose to Mana, NZF and Greens? Wtf ??
Anne commented today that there will be a Labour speaker there.
thx karol .. appreciate it.
Overheard in the supermarket today in a heavy European accent, ”That f**king Jew has told one too many lies”,
Only took a nano-second to figure out who was the subject of that conversation…
That’s just nasty, nasty, nasty. Shame you chose to repeat it .. and racist twice noting the accent in which it was delivered. There are many valid issues on which to attack this sad and unfortunate human being, but being anti-semitic hardly helps. And yes, I think you enjoin yourself to the anti-Semitism in the re-posting of it. Racism of any kind is simply not accceptable. Ugh.
Jews are not ‘a race’, they are a religion, and if you think that referring to someones heavy European,(i should have put East European), accent to be racist then i can only LOLZ at you and wonder what it’s like inside that bubble,
PS, having read widely of the progroms and many other fates suffered by those of the Jewish religion prior to the establishment of the state of Israel i once harbored a deep sympathy for such a persecuted religion,
However, the actions of the Jewish State in the modern age has evaporated such sympathies i once held…
And none of which, including your odd attack on me, precludes the fact that re-posting racism enjoins you to it.
Aaaw is you the victim now, poor poor you, yelling racism at me will just have me LOLZ one hell of a lot more,
Are Jews a race???, nope Jews hail from all over the world, all sorts of races connected by the Jewish religion so your raving of racism at me is to say the least silly and the fact that you consider anyone mentioning the language or tone of language that they have heard someone speak in as racist, in my opinion makes you far more than just silly…
And nothing of which you write precludes the fact that re-posting racism enjoins you to it.
“Are Jews a race???”
There is no such thing as race. But there is such a thing as racism and to suggest that Jewish people don’t experience it is ridiculous in the extreme.
I don’t know if you were being racist in your comment, but the quote from the supermaket most definitely is. Interesting though.
Please don’t confuse the government of Israel with Judaism. Even though the Israeli government would like you to think otherwise, they are quite separate.
Actually “Jews” are define as a culture and a religion, and by bloodline. Whether one is a “Jew” or not, is usually based on their mother having been “Jewish” – a bloodline, un-connected with religion.
Oh well those folks in the pak’n’slave talking in that heavy Eastern European accent had their facts right then…
If those types were truly Eastern European, they have a far finer sensibility for this shit than the 99% of NZers who couldn’t tell the difference between Croation, Serbian and Hungarian if you poked them in the eye with it.
The Electoral Commission has agreed to re-register ‘ the Hairdo’s’ defunct party so the great leader rises form the ashes once more,
i heard He was thinking of a new name for the firm having besmirched the old one to it’s limits of tolerance,
Dunne is the black hole in space of New Zealand politics having sucked them all in from Christians to hunters and fishers said all have disappeared never to be heard from again…
IMO it was pretty inevidable that UF would be re-registered – 500 members is not a high number to get.
I thinkk I heard on Morning Report that Dunne was considering calling his party simply United.
In my half-awake state at the time, it crossed my mind that this could be very confusing, with both positive and negative results. That is, some people might think that his party was connected to the Unite union – and vote for it on this misapprehension. OTH, others would not vote for it if they thought the two were connected!
Might be a Dunne case of United We Stand, Derided We Fall ( with apologies to Hot Chocolate).
“I thinkk I heard on Morning Report that Dunne was considering calling his party simply United”
lol Because the ‘future’ part no longer applies?
Dunne – shamelsss – so now we see Key praising him and talking about having him back in the cabinet – no wonder Dunne kept saying he’ll vote for the GCSB Bill against all rational arguments.
He’s been tamed. Owned by Key.
Yes but the problem for Key is that Dunne is now a busted flush. It’s very odd but every time I see Dunne now (since his resignation) he seems to me to lack any mana/confidence/credibility. Is this just me? If we could just replace Shearer with Cunliffe I would be pretty confident that we would wave bye bye to Key and his ‘orrible cohorts in 2014. That would make me feel soooo goooooood.
Picture of the day – from KDC’s Twitter. Obama and his Key dummy.
LOL – would make a good Cartoon Competition!
http://t.co/ukoPxXN7Pq
Food bill submission end on Friday, which has been cloaked by the GCSB discussions.
We are being systematically dismantled, on 360 degrees!
Yes Muzza — getting us ready for full-on GMOs … the RMA changes are clearing the way, TPPA will ensure it, and changes to food regs will guarantee we cannot oppose it. Sad days for NZ. Oh, for a life free of those acronyms !
Nicely joined up.
The changes are always sold in silo, as if there are no links or interdependencies, this is where the punters, get right royally shafted!
Nz = Monsanto Inc (incubation laboritory)!
How many years you reckon until it’s troops on the street enforcing these new laws?
My opinion, once the TPPA is in place, all bets are off, due to the speed at which the corporations will have open access, once we are locked in!
I agree, Muzza — I think the TPPA is without doubt the most dangerous of the intentions of this government. And that all is being negotiated and signed in 100% secrecy and allowed to be signed with absolutely no reference back to Parliament must surely verge on treason. Somewhere hidden in all the regs there must be a law preventing this ?
Mai Chen, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Professor Jane Kelsey, please?
Muzza .. I have to hope and pray that extraordinary efforts will be made to ensure everyone who can vote actually will register and vote in the next general election. This will be our only chance. After that, as you say, all bets will be off. Scary, very scary.
This is what I told the QLDC full Council today at the Public Forum:
The government is in the process of “gutting the RMA”. These are not my words, they are the words of respected financial commentator Rod Oram in last week’s Sunday Star Times. 13277 submissions were received from the public on the proposed changes to the Act- 99% opposed the changes.
The changes allow new subdivision and development anywhere and everywhere unless a council expressly restricts this through a plan rule. The QLDC has a discretionary regime in its DP for subdivision and development which means no subdivision is expressly restricted. This change is a recipe for urban sprawl and ad hoc rural subdivision anywhere in the mountains and along around lakes and rivers in this District. This has the potential to devastate the landscape values-values that that this District largely relies upon for its economic wellbeing.
Anyone who has a secluded rural residence should be scared because under the changes a subdivision will be able to be dumped next to you as of right.
Commissioners at QLDC resource consent hearings will be powerless to decline subdivision and development. Council’s power to control adverse effects will be massively reduced. The changes overturn decades of planning law.
There are major changes to s.6 and s.7 of the Act that will dilute provisions relating to matters of national importance. The requirements to maintain and enhance “amenity values” and the “quality of the environment” are deleted.
There is a new requirement that ONL and ONF’s must be “specified”. In this District there is a gradual process taking place to identify landscape categorization boundaries through the Court. This process is far from complete. The changes will mean that large areas of ONL currently non-specified in the QLDC will be removed from protection from inappropriate subdivision and development.
The changes reduce public participation. Councils currently notify only 4 to 6 per cent of applications for public submissions and only 1% of applications are appealed. The changes further reduce the need to publicly notify applications and further limit who is an affected party. The changes also further limit matters that submitters can comment on.
The changes to the Act are based on ideology rather than any evidence of the need for change. They will make 22 years of case law largely irrelevant.
The Society respectfully asks that when the Bill goes through the Select Committee process the QLDC submits in opposition to the changes described above especially any that reduce the protection of landscapes from inappropriate development.
More bloody treason by this government. Incredible post, thank you. Kia Kaha, BG.
It’ll be open slather down here on the West Coast. Expect McMansions along the Coast Road, particularly around Punakaiki
https://www.facebook.com/StandDownJohnKey
a growing collection of some of the adapted images honouring our great leader and his colleagues.
-many probably nsfw
So, so refreshing to hear Gary McCormack on RNZ this afternoon.
A very welcome respite from the usual, mainly Auckland, yuppy wanker, big-fish-putrid-little pond, wannabees. A guy who while retaining his jocularity has steel to his voice on poverty, greed, and the inevitable vileness of the socially poisonous and destructive experiment of the last 30 years.
And then we have ShonKey Python, the poncey, akshully vicious rat-like when backed into a corner, idol of the greedies and the snobs – Schnapper………sorry………snapper. For Christ’s Sake !
Calling Morrissey………
+1 North.
Oh to see and hear more from Gary McCormack.
McCormack was great – calling poverty the elephant in the living room that no-one wants to talk about, but is the thing we should be doing something about.
Then Jim Fucking Moira said ‘oh yes, but we don’t know how much poverty contributes to child abuse, the research (which I’ve read) says… blah blab blah’. I had to get out of the car and walk away from the radio. I really don’t understand that mentality, it’s like looking for an excuse to let poverty exist. Even if research proved that poverty doesn’t increase incidence of child abuse (which it won’t), it would still be a societal wrong we should do somethign about. The ‘we don’t know how much poverty is responsible for’ argument is a completely nonsensical red herring.
I heard the programme too, North, and yes, Gary McCormick was quite excellent. Let’s hope he keeps it up. He hasn’t always been as good as he was today. Two years ago, he and Raybon Kan put on an unfunny and particularly stupid double act…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11032011/#comment-306974
You could hear McCormack becoming increasingly frustrated with Mora’s wordy evasions.
Surprised he tolerated the nonsense Mora was spouting.
What a pathetic liberal Mora is!
The liberal elite are not particularly close friends of the underclasses or the working classes. That should be pretty clear to everyone.
http://destinationfiji.org
Campaign worth supporting, why holiday on others misery? “Voreqe” Bainimarama tries to put the guilts on previous Aussie and NZ sanctions and censure while instituting a clampdown on Fijian workers, why do those holidays seem so cheap again…
Plus while researching was reminded that Colonel Frank was trained by experts in military coups and repression having spent some time in 1979 on the Chilean torture ship Esmeralda, plus Fiji military and individuals profited from the US “attack on Iraq” as contractors and still receive United Nations funding. Stuff ’em, don’t go there.
TV3 News – now we know the price extracted by Scummy Dunney and paid by ShonKey Python for GCSB vote. Sorted UF membership figures – renewed ministerial warrant. $100K of funding thrown in. And that’s just for now. Cup of tea in 2014 ?
You’re asking why young people don’t respect ?
Sorry – correction – $100K happens on proving the membership – ministerial salary then. Piece of sanctimonious shit ! We’re not forgetting the silly old man skeleton-in-cupboard bizo though are we ? The cupboard ShonKey Python will open at will.
Thank God we’ve got Sir Kiwi Kim Dotcom with his yet unrevealed proof (audio and visual) of ShonKey Python knowing ALL about him WELL prior to the date he claimed, thus misleading Parliament.
Haere Ra………Aloha………overnight.
It’s good news in reality. Key will look a dork taking support from 2 discredited wallies-Dunne and Banks. Some of the public will pick up on this. Got to be worth 2/3 points off National’s polling at the election.
Seen this?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10911645
” Two large public transport organisations – Auckland Transport and KiwiRail – are holding inquiries into separate allegations of corruption over contracts.
Serious fraud investigators are waiting on findings from the inquiries before deciding whether to swoop.
Auckland Transport has put a senior manager in its road maintenance division on indefinite leave until it completes an internal investigation into what it says are “serious allegations relating to the potential misuse of public monies”.
KiwiRail has called in outside forensic accountants to make an independent review of infrastructure contracts after receiving what it says were anonymous allegations about them.
“There is no evidence of wrong-doing at this time and, as a result, we have not stood anyone down,” the state-owned rail operator’s chief executive, Jim Quinn said late yesterday in a statement to the Herald.
The Serious Fraud Office says it is aware of the two sets of investigations, and has spoken to both transport organisations.
Both had undertaken to contact the SFO if their investigations found evidence of possible fraud, a spokeswoman for the office said yesterday.
A spokesman for Auckland Mayor Len Brown said he knew of the council-controlled transport organisation’s investigation but had no comment to make about the allegations which prompted it.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee’s office referred Herald questions to State-Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall, whose office referred the newspaper to KiwiRail.
Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton said a senior manager had been placed on indefinite leave after a review of procurement procedures in its road corridor maintenance operations…”
______________________________________________________________
AUCKLAND TRANSPORT CONTRACTS:
http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/about-us/ProcurementAndSuppliers/Awarded-Contracts/Documents/AwardedContracts.pdf
Check for yourselves how many contracts are made by ‘direct appointments’.
Check how many contracts are for ‘professional services’.
(‘Consultants’? )
Check how many contracts are going to member companies of the unelected, hugely powerful private business lobby group ‘the Committee for Auckland’:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
______________________________________________________________________________
Want to stop this corrupt corporate control of the Auckland region?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899523
“The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government.”
Who elected this unholy alliance of the New Zealand Property Council and the hugely powerful private lobby group the Committee for Auckland to effectively run our Auckland region “like a business, by business, for business”?
The mechanism for this corporate control of the Auckland region is through council-controlled organisations – run by boards of appointed business people and executive private-sector staff.
CCOs must go!
Key council officers effectively run Auckland Council as if it were their own private business.
I support citizens’ lawful rights to privacy, but transparency and accountability for those in public office. … ”
Penny Bright
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
Ironing much.
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2013/08/12/2452621/olympic-committee-could-punish-athletes-for-speaking-out-against-russian-anti-gay-law/
6. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf