Yep, heard that. It completely contradicts John, Bill and Steve’s repeated line that a significant net amount of new jobs have been created under their watch….. and even then I think they are referring to more part time jobs amongst that alleged increase.
Bill was on the radio this morning, doing his best to confuse the issue by saying the household labour survey is what has always been used to measure unemployment, which is true, however the statistic that is being debated at the moment is the jobs creation figure, which definitely is not included in the household labour survey. Don’t let Bill confuse you.
But doesn’t the government reject using the Household Labour Survey as a measure of unemployment, preferring the registered unemployed figure?
Ah, Bill says the HLF Survey has always been used to measure “employment”.
Bill was confused himself first he said the data was from Treasury,until his office corrected saying it was the HH labour survey.
The RBNZ Statement had a significant point .
The bank said evidence of the Canterbury rebuild were becoming “more apparent” in official figures than three months ago.
“Offsetting this, fiscal consolidation is constraining demand growth, and the high New Zealand dollar continues to undermine export earnings and encourage substitution toward imported goods and services.”
Despite warning about the strength of the Kiwi dollar, the Reserve Bank appears to hold little hope that it will weaken in the near term.
The other problematic problem is the creation of poorly thought policy initiatives with employment rules eg
Reinhart at Jackson hole suggested this was a forcing mechanism for persistent economic contraction (and unempolyment).
Economic contraction and slow recovery might also feed back on the prospects for aggregate supply. A sustained stretch of below-trend investment and depreciation of human capital prompted by elevated and lengthy spells of unemployment could hit the level and growth rate of potential output. The unemployment rate stays high because it has been high, exhibiting hysteresis as described by Blanchard and Summers (1986).
The forcing mechanism for a reduction in aggregate supply might be policy itself. In adverse economic circumstances, political leaders sometimes grasp for quick fixes that impair, not improve, the situation. Included in the list of unfortunate interventions are restrictions on trade (both domestically and internationally), work rules and pay practices, and the flow of credit. The output effects of crises might be persistent because we make them so, in the manner posited for the Great Depression by Cole and Ohanian (2002).
They keep on quoting from the Household Labour force survey like it’s scripture, and not just another document. And even if you believe what joyce was quoting today, about the 54000 net jobs in the last 4 years, that’s only just above 15000 a year. Now in that time they have tipped about 60000 people out of work and how many left school in that time?? and thats before they get to us at the bottom of the pile. And we ALL want to work.
Frankly John, Bill and Steve are lucky it’s only 13,000. Imagine what the figure would be if we hadn’t had record emigration to Australia in the last few years. No wonder Key’s stopped blathering on about a brighter future.
The chill winds blow in Europe, the storm coming from this will affect the world. The insamity of the neo-lib financiers made plain to see by Ilargi at Theautomaticearth. This no doubt will be their recipe for all.
…demands the Troika placed on Greece today. They want to fire 150.000 civil servants, raise the retirement age to 67 years immediately, cut “lay-off compensation” by 50%, and, wait for it, introduce a 6-day working week, and stretch the working day to 13 hours. In theory, that could lead to a 78-hour working week.
Hey I want to live and buy a house in Holland. They can buy a house on interest only mortgage and the interest is tax deductible. Sounds like sound financing to me, not!
Prism, Nice story don’t you think…wish I had a Dutch income stream to do the deduct against.
What I find interesting about the stories on TAE and the other international sites are the implications for small countries like NZ. Whilst we Standardistas are busy bitching away on local issues (quite rightly), we are in danger of getting dry gulched by these offshore events. If we dont consider these implications we may win battles and lose the war. To use one of the contemptible management speak lines “think globally, act locally”.
Bored 3 1 1
Yes I sometimes feel we get too close to the pollies here, fascinated with their next reverse backwards flip and triplespeak. They could be regarded as a sideshow in a way, to the world, sort of like that fairground game of moving heads with open mouths that has been used as a graphic here I think. I’m hopeless at throwing balls and scoring points though I keep trying, and we all need to try looking at another show often.
I’m down at Turangawaewae for the water hui, and I just wanted to clear up a few things before I go in. You see John, there’s quite a bit of confusion about how Maori are being pushed to help you with your asset sales problem, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a push from your side to help Maori with any of our problems – like poverty, low wages, massive unemployment, poor housing, benefit cuts … you know the rest.
And in the middle, there’s this:
And water really is a taonga to us John, a treasure. It’s hard to explain in English but water is something to cherish, to care for, to respect and to protect for future generations. Moana Jackson says “every tribe has a river” and the people of Whanganui have a saying: “I am the river and the river is me”. Water is part of who we are.
And Maori water rights need to be understood in that context, John. Not as a tradeable commodity, but as part and parcel of our very existence.
Even Pakeha people get that; I think that might be why so many of them oppose asset sales too.
It seems as if some successful wealthy people who are into large scale fishing won’t be happy till they profit and take all the fish available to them. After the stock is so depleted that its uneconomical for them they will probably look at chopping down all the trees that are left or something of that nature. Or something else in the food business, force feeding cattle to make them grow faster perhaps.
The Dutch are trying to heavy Australia over the present two year ban which is very irresponsible of them to take this anti-ecological sustainability line. They have been working on this with the Australian government apparently for seven years. It may have been that the Oz govmnt has been reluctant to turn down investment, letting money and jobs and overseas finance cloud their realities. Dutch attack
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost, operators Seafish Tasmania say….”It seems that after we have met every rule, regulation and request made of us, after years of working with the relevant authorities, that in the end the government reacted to the size of the Abel Tasman and not the size of the quota and the science that supports it,” Mr Geen said. http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/super-trawler-ban-cost-50-063210851.html
It is confusing for a newbie to look at the way company formed 20/4/12 is made up and looking at the registration Dutch interests loom large. But only one share is listed under shareholding. http://www.scribd.com/doc/105580298/Seafish-Tasmania-Pelagic-Pty-Limited-ASIC-Report-Data
It can be embarrassing for politicians to admit they don’t understand scientific findings and ask naive questions that elicit where the facts are not what they appear. All the company needs to do is talk about extra jobs and eureka they get stuffed into a hole appearing in the employment stats.
Seafish partnered with the Dutch business have named this large trawler Abel Tasman.
I see that name as an insult to the person who was a great mariner of his time, and deserves a better memorial. They are reported as scooping up all the fish they can in volume – said to be sending much of it to Africa at $1 a kilo. Their explanation and justification will no doubt be ‘We are feeding the hungry in the world’. So they plan to profit from that and clean out fish stocks around the world. Apparently this large trawler has been in other areas and moved on as they have ‘vacuumed’ up the stocks.
A case for a Rainbow Warrior-type memento perhaps.
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost In my role as an honorary fish I would point out that when all we fish are caught and gone the jobs will be gone too….I say its a red herring.
Radio news on USA this day 13/9/12 No.1
USA ambassador to Libya has been killed plus others in bomb attack on embassy.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man’s You-Tube release denigrating Muhammed.
Republican Romney criticises President Obama for sympathising over deaths instead of first being outraged.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man
So said Radio NZ, but he is not really an Israeli, says 3 News. Lolwut? (To use Mandy Rice-Davies’ famous phrase, “they would say that, wouldn’t they?”)
When I walk through the UoA campus and watch people spilling out onto the streets, I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation. It’s really unsettling. Experience can’t always be trusted to see straight, but education can’t be applied by a mind with no experience – a Catch 22. When people can’t afford to eat properly, the argument about what a “positive impact” is, becomes obscene.
I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation.
Lets go back to the concept that education is primarily there to create a compliance and acceptance of the status quo…..educationalists constantly object to that idea and insist upon their independence. They are on the payroll still, what does that tell you?
It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded. Some there, in various disciplines, develop critical thinking. Most are there just go through the motions to get a qualification, and many get jobs… and their main aim is to keep the job, improve their status and pay, get the mortgage etc.
The rest are left to struggle to survive, probably with a certain amount of (non-productive) cynicism about the “system”.
There is always the claim of “critical thinking” being done in the meal ticket subjects. From the graduates I have employed I very much doubt that it becomes inculcated and readily available. We employ graduates who could be described as coming with the right certifications etc, and able to perform well rehearsed mechanistic functions. Usually these are well defined, and very rarely get changed because the graduates apply any thought to it. They do however perform the functions, quietly and without fuss probably because they have a huge debt attached to their pieces of paper.
Interestingly the much maligned (probably deservedly) Bob Jones reputedly said that he only hired arts grads as opposed to meal ticketers, the reason being they could think critically, and he could teach them the rest.
My personal take is that “Degrees” should generally be reserved for subjects that do NOT qualify the holder for a specialist technocratic role. We used to provide these certificates and skills at “Tech”, with excellent results.
Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.
Get really pissed off with this concept of getting an education to get a job. In it is the inherent assumption that you’ll be working for someone else and, IMO, it’s that socialisation that actually helps cause the mass inequality within our society.
Yep, Totally agree with that DTB. When I trained as a teacher and started teaching, my idea of education for all was a broad one, to do with education for participation in a democratic society. I am still angry about what has been done to education in the western world by “neoliberal” ideologues.
I understand your anger, I never cease to ask what the hell is taught when I get into conversations with young people who have “degrees” etc? So few have any broad literary, historic, scientific, geographic, language, philosophic knowledge. I don’t blame the teachers although I fear (and I would like to be wrong) that they too now know little either (as a result of their own education).
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject,it is so much easier to understand another culture if you know their language, and as peoples trapped on a couple of small islands together I reckon we need to do this.
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject…
I’d be supportive of that but you’d have to include a fairly significant teaching of the culture as well as it’s often knowing the cultural significance of a word grammatical position that will transfer the actual meaning.
Also, bi and multi-lingual people often show greater tendencies to creativity.
Additionally, learning a second language helps one understand one’s own language better…better linguistic, historical and cultural literacy all round with Maori taught as a compulsory subject.
As someone who’s done some uni teaching, I think there’s a big difference in capabilities of those that earn grades in the A range, and those that scrape through on Cs. I think the spread of performance between the highest and lowest grades has extended with the increase in numbers of people attending unis.
Some students turn in brilliant work, and are very knowledgeable…. others not so much.
Then there are still others who turn in C; nay – even D work (after moderation), then have their grades arbitrarily “upped” or “downed” at the whim of insecure people running the show. Can’t balme ’em though – all they’ve ever known themselves is a tik-a-box neo-lib inspired tertiary education regime.
“It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.”
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but my lecturers from within social science have always fully supported my critical stance…often pushing me to be more critical, and then be critical of myself.
They will often take the piss out of our university institutions, and then push the students to be critical of the uni. Did an amazing course on development and postcolonialism…almost the whole course was taught from a postdevelopment perspective. Although they work for an institution, they are hyper critical of it.
Oh, yes, I also think arts and social sciences lecturers still aim for students developing their critical faculties. But these disciplines also get pressure to be more vocationally relevant – many philosophy lecturers in the UK lost their jobs when I was there in the 80s – the subject tended to get recast as “philosophy of….[insert vocationally-oriented topic].
And there is pressure to pass students turning in work at a pretty mediocre and uncritical level.
Look above fatty – couldn’t agree more.
IT all changed when education was commodified. (oops….inadverted captalisation……but speaking of which) IT (now known as ITC) changed too. “Cloud Computing” FFS!
There are a number of other wheels that can be reinvented and repackaged just so long as there’s a buck to be made and silly people to get taken in by used car salesmen masquerading as Prime Minstas
The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America – Free download!
Being rolled out to your kids around the globe, ensuring that the gap between the have’s and have nots widens further.
Once the rot is in, the lowered standards, and poorly educated graduates, become “poor” teachers amd so they in turn educate the next generation.
Spiral down its goes, I wonder how dumbed down society will become.
I suspect its past the tipping point, as witnessing what people will tolerate and allow to happen to them, their families, and what they thought were their freedoms, all the while waiting, hoping that those reeking the madness, which they tolerate, are the same people taking their childrens future…
This is bullshit…the earthquake is the never ending excuse. The last thing East Christchurch needs is schools closing.
Stand up Labour…do it now, and make it effective. Do not be afraid to make the earthquake political…it has always been political.
“There is a real concern that the Government will take advantage of the disaster to supersize schools and carry out their undermining of the public education system,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today.
“We can see how the closure of these schools will allow the Government to accomplish their unpopular agenda.
The Education Ministry has announced an extraordinary backtracking over its proposal to merge Shirley Boys’ with Christchurch Boys’ High and the merger of Avonside Girls’ with Christchurch Girls’ High.
The ministry has issued a clarification this afternoon explaining that Avonside and Shirley Boys “may be able to stay on their existing sites” if they had favourable geotechnical reports.
1) the Ministry has now retracted the merges after being mauled in the press 😀
2)
The Press understands the plan will merge Shirley Boys’ and Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Even if there was the space for expansion available, the “refined” parents who send their spawn CHBS would revolt in terror at the thought of their snobbish, stupid investment in over-priced, in-zone housing (seriously, for the price of buying an in-zone house you could send a kid or two to Christ’s College, StAC or Bedes) being diminished by allowing the middle and lower class ruffians of SBHS (I should know, I went there).
Sheffield (UK) at Hillsborough 1989 where 96 died, after 23 years, the real story of what happened – and the subsequent cover-up by the police – have finally come to light.
Fresh out of the letterbox “Peter Dunne Reports”. Peter Dunnes’ newsletter to his constituents.
Irrational annoyance coming on at this
“Fair? I don’t think so.(Title of article) blah blah blah………….voted for Labours Mondayising of Waitangi and ANZAC day holidays Bill and the extension to the Paid Parental Leave Bill. In both cases he says his vote was the crucial one………….ok, alright.Then this
“what perplexes me is that Labour seems happy to accept my vote being the one that tips their Bills over the line, while only a few weeks later they were railing very personal and abusive terms against the fact the Mixed Ownership Model Bill was also passed 61-60 on the basis of my vote……………….Now in all three cases my vote was based on long standing UnitedFuture policy positions that I publicly and consistently stood for at the last election”
He then goes on to accuse Labour of being “inconsistent, extremely self serving and not a little hypocritical” What the F does he expect, they are in opposition. They got support from him for their bills, good, fine but like the rest of NZ may have got pissed off with him for supporting the M.O.M Bill.
Really. I might print a t shirt saying “I am surrounded by idiots” and wear it on polling day here in Ohariu. Too antigonistic?
uturn donthold your breath.
the standard of all roundedness is taking a rapid nosedive in this country.
just listen to a radio station like m*refm for example and you will hear the most inane banal drivel you have ever heard and these are the role models for the current crop of no-brainers.
There was a radio ad the other day for an educational something. Oh yeah, the NZIM. It said something like, “Ralph wants to be a manager…” and I shook my head and wondered, a manager of what? Turns out it doesn’t matter. You just have to want to manage something.
Then there was another really good one, some kind of workforce/labouring employment service with a motherly voice waffling on about how little Johnny was at school arguing with his little friends over whose Dad has the better Job. Mother voice says all jobs are good. I thought it was some kind of political broadcast. Turns out that Mother voice just wants all the Dads on her books.
alright already, u get me! Capiche (now there is a show that will remind you of NAct)
whomever writes as U-Turn is Very, Very, Clever (excellent)
any way, gotta go plant some beans and pumkins-soup while i am waiting for a job
(…waiting for the sun,….waiting,…..waiting,….waiting for U to come along)
for into this House we’re born, Maurice.
when u Open Your Eyes signs are everywhere
He certainly does move in Mysterious Ways and it will be October soon
(interesting music on 63 already)
any way, as i once said to the arresting police, who are now my friends, “opinions are like Bums-
everybody has got one”
yet,
Where will the Children Play
remember, “you don’t have to live like a Refugee”
what will be, will be
however, Great developments for Tuhoe (Russian, German, French and Scots connections)
they have had prophets in the past. i believe that this Time.
fnjckg. I hope you don’t mind me acknowledging your unique style. I appreciate the song titles you introduce into your conversation.
Yes, great developments for Tuhoe – a long time coming. They suffered like many Iwi under colonisation however their experience of it was unique and extremely brutal. They still held on and even thrived for some time during Rua Kenana’s leadership at Maungapohatu. They have spirit, perserverance and Mana. I hope the way ahead is now clearer for them and they can thrive again.
Mr D Parker has recently posted a series of posts in relation to the talks he has been having with overseas experts in the financial and economic fields. Mr D Cunliffe has also been researching in Finland recently and has posted an interesting post on this and Mr Parker’s activities.
I consider these activities that the 2 Labour Party members are conducting as extremely heartening and it would be great to see some of this information being posted & discussed on this site.
It appears to me that discussing National’s phony activities has distracted us all from some more positive things going on in our political scene.
[lprent: So write a guest post and sent it in to thestandardnz@gmail.com. If it is interesting, opinionated, and well written then one of the people who reads the email might decide to pop it up. Here are the previous ones to give you an idea – http://thestandard.org.nz/author/guest-post/
Authors pretty much write about whatever they find interesting. It is entirely likely that they haven’t read those posts or haven’t found them interesting.
Writing anything to “The Standard” will get me by default (since The Standard is a dumbarse computer program running a blog site that I maintain). Since I seldom write posts these days (http://thestandard.org.nz/author/admin/) it isn’t an appeal that is likely to get much of a proactive response… ]
Guess I was hoping for one of your articles that syndicates other posts.
I think that these Labour politicians are doing positive work and the focus is so easily placed on the negatives.
I noticed that Red Alert got more interest in a thread criticizing Nat than these series of posts regarding the researching of finances and different economical approaches.
I conclude it is not only the politicians that need to lift their game…we all do.
Problem is they’re too long. Few people have the time to spend reading them. I know this is something that Labour has been told over and over again. Make your points succinctly and you will get a better response.
There are some very bright people of both genders on this site who can do it. So why can’t our top Labour pollies do it?
Sometimes the National Party’s arrogance and contempt for ordinary people just blows me away.
This week the news coming into Parliament has been horrible and unrelenting. We have received report after report after report of lost jobs and lost hope.
And today we also have a joint Cunliffe/Parker post on the Labour website, and as a press release on Scoop.:
I think such press releases are aimed more at the media, which the journos don’t usually reprint in full – just pick out bits and summarise. But I guess a press release should aim to be reported as the author desires/
Yes, I agree Carol, Cunliffe’s posts are very good. Darien Fenton is another whose posts are succinct and to the point. It’s not surprising therefore that they usually attract a reasonable number of comments. I accept also there are occasions when longer articles are appropriate – such as David Parker’s recent posts on his overseas fact-finding tour.
However anyone who has been in Labour for any length of time would be well aware of the tendency of Labour pollies to produce long-winded diatribes simply for the sake of it. It’s almost as if they like the look of their own words as well as the sound of their own voices – the latter part of this sentence being attributed to pollies of all stripes of course.
Interesting result in the Dutch elections, with the centre right VVD edging the Labour party by 2 seats, 41-39. Both are well short of a majority in the 150 seat Parliament and the most likely outcome is for them to form a left/right coalition. Voters have rejected the anti-european parties, though the Socialist party will not lose any seats as a result and will probably come 4th.
The really good news is that the racist Freedom Party, led by the loony Geert Wilders, has taken a hammering, echoing the declining fortunes of England’s BNP.
Voters rejected anti eur0pean parties, which actually means the rac*sts are still holding power.
In case you can;t work it out, that those who are unelected and pulling the strings at the EU, who control the Central Banks, those types are the real rac*sts
All the while silly people focus in unimportant factors such as the BNP type political parties.
Ill spell it out for you: Most people are not rac*sts, but those in charge almost exclusively, and exhaustively will be!
Result for this election – Holland goes down the pan, because they voted for the rac*sts, you just don’t realise it because you only see the little picture, probably the same as the Dutch!
a thought, while raking; a recent aquaintence, and now friend of mine, is The head unionist at a local manufacturer, where they have established their own site-specific incorporated society Union.
-learn something every day
We were discussing backgrounds and concurred on the relationship between experiencing poverty as a child and the development of shopping (therefore consumption) habits/addictions
isn’t it interesting that there is a suggested positive correlation between
Poverty and Consumption
i hear about this phenomena regularly, now that boomers and Gen X are maturing and reflecting on their developmental histories
fnjckg 16
I heard the story that Sophia Loren who was a gorgeous voluptuous Italian film star had been a skinny hungry street kid. After her success and money came in, she stocked her pantry to overflowing with all sorts of pasta. It gave her great comfort to know she wouldn’t go hungry again.
Yet another case of screw you
Water Cares new regime has gone from quarterly charging to monthly, but how is it that in our case 3 months costs was $195 and now monthly it is $95. Because this CCO s giving it to its customers.
The unit rate has increased from $1.3/kL to $1.343/kT
Waste water fixed cost have reduced from $426.36 p.a. to $190, but also a NEW cost volumetric charging of Wastewater @ $2.81/kL with waste water being calculated as 78.5% of water usage. So to maintain the same annual waste water costs i.e. $426.36 less $190 = $236.36 variable costs which equate to 84.11 kL p.a. or the same usage as a single person household at 84kL or 230L/Day. Yet from Watercare’s own data a family of 4 uses 600L/day of 219 kL or an increase of $380 p.a. or in total a 25% increase. This when inflation is at less than 3%, and not factoring in the theoretical cost to a household from going from quarterly to monthly charging. Thanks Auckland council and your CCO.
It would be of interest to see how many others have picked up the cost increase as to those that have not noticed thru the shortening billing period. Just wait until summer hots us and watering the vege patch.
Herodotus
That comment should be copies by all concerned so they can read over it and then again and compare their past and present a/cs till they see just what this complicated system achieves. Does the 22% not going into the waste water go into you, or evaporate or where?
The 22.5% was to pacify many who claimed that there was no recognition for gardening and other water usage that does not flow back into the waste water system. What they don’t understand is that if 100% was used then the rate would reduce, so by reducing the % to 77.5% all that happened (Though I would find it hard to imagine anyone connect to confirm this) was that the $ rate was lifted over time. My experience related to Manukau Water activities. The same applies to normal rates whereby should valuations over the area increase/decrease then the $ rate to apply would increase/decrease accordingly, we all end up paying roughly the same amount (Unless something like the fixed charge component radically moves)
herodotus 17 1 1
On rates – I think that some Councils set up a particular area rating charge when they do large works that contribute to that area mainly. Which would stop the spread of cost over all. I think that’s a good idea.
We in Nelson have had meters installed which in theory is good because it helps you to monitor your use and control it. We had to put in a large filtering system because our water quality was I think low at D or E. I think we pay for it or most out of our meterage. When people started being more careful with water to keep their costs down, there was less cash coming in to meet the repayment of the new water system, so then the rates went up. Practical and follows logical principles but not what individuals had hoped.
Incidentally our chargeable rate is $1.62 per cubic metre (not litres as I suppose yours is) and daily line charge at 44.60c and 6 month charge is $174.
Did the media tell the Labour leader to disappear into the provinces? Are the media responsible for the Greens getting more and better coverage than Labour, most days?
If you’d like a basic tutorial on how to get stories into the media, ask the Greens, or Winston, or Hone, or Louisa Wall, or pretty much anybody … except Labour’s front man.
It’s HIS job. It’s tiresome and just false, to keep blaming the media for Shearer’s inability to communicate his message (last Sunday was the exception, but when else?).
I’m unclear of the details of how the game works, however I am capable of observing the general trends in reporting.
Perhaps you are right, that it is all up to the political party to keep their faces on the News, however, considering the massive fodder that is available on National stuff ups and has been all last term too, I question the NZ journalists interests in keeping the general public interested, let alone informed.
I wouldn’t make the previous comment had not the bias on NZ TV toward Key been palpable over the elections. This went so far as to ban one left-wing commentator and take another journalist to court for finding out a little too much against National’s interests.
I consider left wing parties are up against a distinct bias with our media at present, although, as you say, perhaps there are tactics that could be used to overcome this.
There has been highly faourable – fawning, in fact – coverage of John Key during the first term. No doubt about that.
It began to fade with the “teapot tape” story. Police raids on media organisations weren’t a great goodwill gesture by Key. The love-in ended.
So this year, the tone of the coverage has clearly changed, and the opportunities for the opposition have been there for the taking. The Greens (with far fewer resources) have been astute and effective, whereas Labour have been bumbling and stumbling.
We just can’t keep blaming the MSM. Labour need to have something to communicate, and know how to communicate it. Usually they don’t.
I agree the tone has improved, yet I note that still they are very quick to put in the Nat election line-for example the “see how they will find the money to afford it” comment after the piece about the recent education speech.
It would be nice if they were equally scathing about National-there is plenty of room for it.
You do make a good point about the Greens though, they do manage to get their point across regularly and clearly.
There appears to be some lack of savvy from Labour, yet on balance I still consider that the bias is toward the National paradigm (…or maybe JK worship based on money-whore-fawning-mentality…).
dunno.
If nat go up again next time I’ll start being wary. I’d expect a change in tack by labour post-pag, for better or worse (the new strategist could end up going even more vanilla, god forbid) .
Of course you are correct. Especially if it’s the unelected,hired strategists who determine how Left or Right (or “vanilla”) Labour is, not caucus, or god forbid, the Leadership.
My impression of the labour caucus collectively (one or two individuals are willing to call a spade a spade) is that what strategy their is is focus-group driven, and scheduled according to an imaginary “optimum” election cycle timetable rather than as circumstances change.
I could be very wrong, of course. It’s just what it looks like to me from the outside.
Interesting. The Maori hui on water is in progress still, but this report has King Tuheitia asking the powerful Iwi Leaders to stand down from individual negotiations with the government, until a pan-Maori agreement is completed:
A hui on water has called on the Government to halt asset sales till it negotiates a deal recognising Maori rights and interests with a new pan-Maori body.
It has also urged Iwi to “stand down” from individual negotiations with the Government on the effect of the sale of shares on the state owned power companies on their Treaty claims. The resolve to present a united front could throw the governments timetable for selling the SOE shares into turmoil.
….
Among the first speakers was Tuwharetoa chairman Sir Tumu te Heuheu, who said any enduring and sustainable framework for the future management of fresh water in New Zealand had to appropriately recognise and provide for the “rights, interests and responsibilities of iwi and hapu in relation to water.”
He urged attendees to separate the issues of Maori rights and interests in fresh water from the government’s plan to sell power company shares.
“Let us be clear, our rights and interests and responsibilities in relation to water do not just exist on awa and moana that are used by power companies.
Thanks Carol, that whole article makes interesting reading.
In a speech to as many as 1000 of Maoridom’s movers and shakers, King Tuheitia said Maori had always owned the water and their rights over the water had been handed down from generation to generation. “From birth we have been taught that the Waikato river is the life force of my people….simply, it has given life to our people.” But the crystal clear river which he used to swim in as a child was “a degraded body of water”. “From Ngaruawahia out to the sea you cannot swim or take kai from it. This is not the legacy I want to leave for our children.”
How can anyone own water?
I feel that the message that Maori are trying to give is being lost in the whole ownership argument that leaves most of us believing it is about greed
Cool, so I can use your pool? Be round in the morning. Oh yeah I’ll be bringing a few mates and having some beers in the afternoon, maybe a bit of a party friday night. We’ll be selling beers and Woodstocks to cover the cost of the sound system and the bands.
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Saturday we’ll run a sausage sizzle most of the day and if it all goes well we’ll be back to do the same every weekend this summer.
In the 1930’s Labour decided that every child should have a chance at secondary school. So, under the guidance of one Clarence Beeby, secondary education was universalised and made free for all students, and schools given the tools to ensure a quality education for ALL.
In the 2010’s National decided that every child should have a chance at early childhood education. So, under the guidance of one Paula Bennett, they forced the poorest of single parents to purchase ECE services of dubious quality, threatening to cut their benefits if they didn’t.
It goes to show how far to the dogs this country has gone really..
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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 14 February appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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A naughty Banksie… coveting the neighbours gal too.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7664819/John-Banks-told-lawyer-of-Dotcom-donation
jeez if the PM can let this slide because of the 6 month limit that Richard Worth must have been incredibly, majorly, naughty.
Me, I still want know who was it that stole his Harley…
statistics nz as reported by rnz says there is a net job loss of 13000.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/115734/nz-economy-lost-jobs
Yep, heard that. It completely contradicts John, Bill and Steve’s repeated line that a significant net amount of new jobs have been created under their watch….. and even then I think they are referring to more part time jobs amongst that alleged increase.
Bill was on the radio this morning, doing his best to confuse the issue by saying the household labour survey is what has always been used to measure unemployment, which is true, however the statistic that is being debated at the moment is the jobs creation figure, which definitely is not included in the household labour survey. Don’t let Bill confuse you.
But doesn’t the government reject using the Household Labour Survey as a measure of unemployment, preferring the registered unemployed figure?
Ah, Bill says the HLF Survey has always been used to measure “employment”.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/115734/nz-economy-lost-jobs
Bill was confused himself first he said the data was from Treasury,until his office corrected saying it was the HH labour survey.
The RBNZ Statement had a significant point .
The bank said evidence of the Canterbury rebuild were becoming “more apparent” in official figures than three months ago.
“Offsetting this, fiscal consolidation is constraining demand growth, and the high New Zealand dollar continues to undermine export earnings and encourage substitution toward imported goods and services.”
Despite warning about the strength of the Kiwi dollar, the Reserve Bank appears to hold little hope that it will weaken in the near term.
The other problematic problem is the creation of poorly thought policy initiatives with employment rules eg
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7666692/Work-trials-adding-to-skills-shortages
Reinhart at Jackson hole suggested this was a forcing mechanism for persistent economic contraction (and unempolyment).
Economic contraction and slow recovery might also feed back on the prospects for aggregate supply. A sustained stretch of below-trend investment and depreciation of human capital prompted by elevated and lengthy spells of unemployment could hit the level and growth rate of potential output. The unemployment rate stays high because it has been high, exhibiting hysteresis as described by Blanchard and Summers (1986).
The forcing mechanism for a reduction in aggregate supply might be policy itself. In adverse economic circumstances, political leaders sometimes grasp for quick fixes that impair, not improve, the situation. Included in the list of unfortunate interventions are restrictions on trade (both domestically and internationally), work rules and pay practices, and the flow of credit. The output effects of crises might be persistent because we make them so, in the manner posited for the Great Depression by Cole and Ohanian (2002).
They keep on quoting from the Household Labour force survey like it’s scripture, and not just another document. And even if you believe what joyce was quoting today, about the 54000 net jobs in the last 4 years, that’s only just above 15000 a year. Now in that time they have tipped about 60000 people out of work and how many left school in that time?? and thats before they get to us at the bottom of the pile. And we ALL want to work.
Frankly John, Bill and Steve are lucky it’s only 13,000. Imagine what the figure would be if we hadn’t had record emigration to Australia in the last few years. No wonder Key’s stopped blathering on about a brighter future.
And what percentage of these losses concern youth?
The chill winds blow in Europe, the storm coming from this will affect the world. The insamity of the neo-lib financiers made plain to see by Ilargi at Theautomaticearth. This no doubt will be their recipe for all.
…demands the Troika placed on Greece today. They want to fire 150.000 civil servants, raise the retirement age to 67 years immediately, cut “lay-off compensation” by 50%, and, wait for it, introduce a 6-day working week, and stretch the working day to 13 hours. In theory, that could lead to a 78-hour working week.
http://theautomaticearth.com/Finance/those-dutch-tulips-aint-looking-all-that-rosy.html
Hey I want to live and buy a house in Holland. They can buy a house on interest only mortgage and the interest is tax deductible. Sounds like sound financing to me, not!
Prism, Nice story don’t you think…wish I had a Dutch income stream to do the deduct against.
What I find interesting about the stories on TAE and the other international sites are the implications for small countries like NZ. Whilst we Standardistas are busy bitching away on local issues (quite rightly), we are in danger of getting dry gulched by these offshore events. If we dont consider these implications we may win battles and lose the war. To use one of the contemptible management speak lines “think globally, act locally”.
Bored 3 1 1
Yes I sometimes feel we get too close to the pollies here, fascinated with their next reverse backwards flip and triplespeak. They could be regarded as a sideshow in a way, to the world, sort of like that fairground game of moving heads with open mouths that has been used as a graphic here I think. I’m hopeless at throwing balls and scoring points though I keep trying, and we all need to try looking at another show often.
prism
Until after Holland’s election today – then watch this space.
fortran
Thanks I will. I’m not up on Dutch politics though I believe they were tilting right, with immigration being a sore point.
Surely this illustrates just how powerful those behind the scenes really are.
An Germany will be bankrupted to front the leveredged funds, following the court ruling yesterday!
Hone calls for “cup of tea” time…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10833597
well someone has to be the eager beaver linker each day…
Thanks. Excellent! It starts:
And in the middle, there’s this:
I wish they’d start throwing Rio Tinto and Norske Skog into the ring.
All too easy to blame the maaari’s when these 2 big companies (y’know that big business NACT love so much) are one of the major reasons to delay.
Wonder what dodgy deal they’ll attempt with those 2 to prop up the demand they place on our generation..
Thanks TM
It seems as if some successful wealthy people who are into large scale fishing won’t be happy till they profit and take all the fish available to them. After the stock is so depleted that its uneconomical for them they will probably look at chopping down all the trees that are left or something of that nature. Or something else in the food business, force feeding cattle to make them grow faster perhaps.
The Dutch are trying to heavy Australia over the present two year ban which is very irresponsible of them to take this anti-ecological sustainability line. They have been working on this with the Australian government apparently for seven years. It may have been that the Oz govmnt has been reluctant to turn down investment, letting money and jobs and overseas finance cloud their realities. Dutch attack
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost, operators Seafish Tasmania say….”It seems that after we have met every rule, regulation and request made of us, after years of working with the relevant authorities, that in the end the government reacted to the size of the Abel Tasman and not the size of the quota and the science that supports it,” Mr Geen said. http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/super-trawler-ban-cost-50-063210851.html
It is confusing for a newbie to look at the way company formed 20/4/12 is made up and looking at the registration Dutch interests loom large. But only one share is listed under shareholding. http://www.scribd.com/doc/105580298/Seafish-Tasmania-Pelagic-Pty-Limited-ASIC-Report-Data
It can be embarrassing for politicians to admit they don’t understand scientific findings and ask naive questions that elicit where the facts are not what they appear. All the company needs to do is talk about extra jobs and eureka they get stuffed into a hole appearing in the employment stats.
Seafish partnered with the Dutch business have named this large trawler Abel Tasman.
I see that name as an insult to the person who was a great mariner of his time, and deserves a better memorial. They are reported as scooping up all the fish they can in volume – said to be sending much of it to Africa at $1 a kilo. Their explanation and justification will no doubt be ‘We are feeding the hungry in the world’. So they plan to profit from that and clean out fish stocks around the world. Apparently this large trawler has been in other areas and moved on as they have ‘vacuumed’ up the stocks.
A case for a Rainbow Warrior-type memento perhaps.
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost In my role as an honorary fish I would point out that when all we fish are caught and gone the jobs will be gone too….I say its a red herring.
Radio news on USA this day 13/9/12 No.1
USA ambassador to Libya has been killed plus others in bomb attack on embassy.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man’s You-Tube release denigrating Muhammed.
Republican Romney criticises President Obama for sympathising over deaths instead of first being outraged.
So said Radio NZ, but he is not really an Israeli, says 3 News. Lolwut? (To use Mandy Rice-Davies’ famous phrase, “they would say that, wouldn’t they?”)
Where does the education go?
When I walk through the UoA campus and watch people spilling out onto the streets, I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation. It’s really unsettling. Experience can’t always be trusted to see straight, but education can’t be applied by a mind with no experience – a Catch 22. When people can’t afford to eat properly, the argument about what a “positive impact” is, becomes obscene.
I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation.
Lets go back to the concept that education is primarily there to create a compliance and acceptance of the status quo…..educationalists constantly object to that idea and insist upon their independence. They are on the payroll still, what does that tell you?
It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded. Some there, in various disciplines, develop critical thinking. Most are there just go through the motions to get a qualification, and many get jobs… and their main aim is to keep the job, improve their status and pay, get the mortgage etc.
The rest are left to struggle to survive, probably with a certain amount of (non-productive) cynicism about the “system”.
There is always the claim of “critical thinking” being done in the meal ticket subjects. From the graduates I have employed I very much doubt that it becomes inculcated and readily available. We employ graduates who could be described as coming with the right certifications etc, and able to perform well rehearsed mechanistic functions. Usually these are well defined, and very rarely get changed because the graduates apply any thought to it. They do however perform the functions, quietly and without fuss probably because they have a huge debt attached to their pieces of paper.
Interestingly the much maligned (probably deservedly) Bob Jones reputedly said that he only hired arts grads as opposed to meal ticketers, the reason being they could think critically, and he could teach them the rest.
My personal take is that “Degrees” should generally be reserved for subjects that do NOT qualify the holder for a specialist technocratic role. We used to provide these certificates and skills at “Tech”, with excellent results.
Get really pissed off with this concept of getting an education to get a job. In it is the inherent assumption that you’ll be working for someone else and, IMO, it’s that socialisation that actually helps cause the mass inequality within our society.
Yep, Totally agree with that DTB. When I trained as a teacher and started teaching, my idea of education for all was a broad one, to do with education for participation in a democratic society. I am still angry about what has been done to education in the western world by “neoliberal” ideologues.
I understand your anger, I never cease to ask what the hell is taught when I get into conversations with young people who have “degrees” etc? So few have any broad literary, historic, scientific, geographic, language, philosophic knowledge. I don’t blame the teachers although I fear (and I would like to be wrong) that they too now know little either (as a result of their own education).
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject,it is so much easier to understand another culture if you know their language, and as peoples trapped on a couple of small islands together I reckon we need to do this.
I’d be supportive of that but you’d have to include a fairly significant teaching of the culture as well as it’s often knowing the cultural significance of a word grammatical position that will transfer the actual meaning.
Also, bi and multi-lingual people often show greater tendencies to creativity.
+1 Bored and Draco T Bastard
Additionally, learning a second language helps one understand one’s own language better…better linguistic, historical and cultural literacy all round with Maori taught as a compulsory subject.
I am multi-lingual, in 5 European languages and one Asian language… Will that do?
That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. 😀
As someone who’s done some uni teaching, I think there’s a big difference in capabilities of those that earn grades in the A range, and those that scrape through on Cs. I think the spread of performance between the highest and lowest grades has extended with the increase in numbers of people attending unis.
Some students turn in brilliant work, and are very knowledgeable…. others not so much.
Then there are still others who turn in C; nay – even D work (after moderation), then have their grades arbitrarily “upped” or “downed” at the whim of insecure people running the show. Can’t balme ’em though – all they’ve ever known themselves is a tik-a-box neo-lib inspired tertiary education regime.
“It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.”
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but my lecturers from within social science have always fully supported my critical stance…often pushing me to be more critical, and then be critical of myself.
They will often take the piss out of our university institutions, and then push the students to be critical of the uni. Did an amazing course on development and postcolonialism…almost the whole course was taught from a postdevelopment perspective. Although they work for an institution, they are hyper critical of it.
Oh, yes, I also think arts and social sciences lecturers still aim for students developing their critical faculties. But these disciplines also get pressure to be more vocationally relevant – many philosophy lecturers in the UK lost their jobs when I was there in the 80s – the subject tended to get recast as “philosophy of….[insert vocationally-oriented topic].
And there is pressure to pass students turning in work at a pretty mediocre and uncritical level.
Sort of the same in my science courses, though it was easy to tell which lecturers would rather not be teaching undergrads 😉
Look above fatty – couldn’t agree more.
IT all changed when education was commodified. (oops….inadverted captalisation……but speaking of which) IT (now known as ITC) changed too. “Cloud Computing” FFS!
There are a number of other wheels that can be reinvented and repackaged just so long as there’s a buck to be made and silly people to get taken in by used car salesmen masquerading as Prime Minstas
The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America – Free download!
Being rolled out to your kids around the globe, ensuring that the gap between the have’s and have nots widens further.
Once the rot is in, the lowered standards, and poorly educated graduates, become “poor” teachers amd so they in turn educate the next generation.
Spiral down its goes, I wonder how dumbed down society will become.
I suspect its past the tipping point, as witnessing what people will tolerate and allow to happen to them, their families, and what they thought were their freedoms, all the while waiting, hoping that those reeking the madness, which they tolerate, are the same people taking their childrens future…
Not alot of noise, given whats going on is there…
Hi. Um, what?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7669865/13-Canterbury-schools-to-close-18-to-merge
13 Canterbury schools to close, 18 to merge
The Press understands the plan will merge Shirley Boys’ and Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Avonside Girls will be merged with Christchurch Girls’ High School.
Aranui High school will be clustered with Aranui primary, Avondlate and Chisnalwood, into a learning cluster.
This is bullshit…the earthquake is the never ending excuse. The last thing East Christchurch needs is schools closing.
Stand up Labour…do it now, and make it effective. Do not be afraid to make the earthquake political…it has always been political.
And the Greens have a <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1209/S00203/government-closing-schools-and-giving-up-on-the-east.htm"Press Release about that out:
Corrected link
OOPS
The Education Ministry has announced an extraordinary backtracking over its proposal to merge Shirley Boys’ with Christchurch Boys’ High and the merger of Avonside Girls’ with Christchurch Girls’ High.
The ministry has issued a clarification this afternoon explaining that Avonside and Shirley Boys “may be able to stay on their existing sites” if they had favourable geotechnical reports.
I smell charter schools for Christchurch.
1) the Ministry has now retracted the merges after being mauled in the press 😀
2)
Even if there was the space for expansion available, the “refined” parents who send their spawn CHBS would revolt in terror at the thought of their snobbish, stupid investment in over-priced, in-zone housing (seriously, for the price of buying an in-zone house you could send a kid or two to Christ’s College, StAC or Bedes) being diminished by allowing the middle and lower class ruffians of SBHS (I should know, I went there).
Sheffield (UK) at Hillsborough 1989 where 96 died, after 23 years, the real story of what happened – and the subsequent cover-up by the police – have finally come to light.
Sucks to live in the Ohariu electorate
Fresh out of the letterbox “Peter Dunne Reports”. Peter Dunnes’ newsletter to his constituents.
Irrational annoyance coming on at this
“Fair? I don’t think so.(Title of article) blah blah blah………….voted for Labours Mondayising of Waitangi and ANZAC day holidays Bill and the extension to the Paid Parental Leave Bill. In both cases he says his vote was the crucial one………….ok, alright.Then this
“what perplexes me is that Labour seems happy to accept my vote being the one that tips their Bills over the line, while only a few weeks later they were railing very personal and abusive terms against the fact the Mixed Ownership Model Bill was also passed 61-60 on the basis of my vote……………….Now in all three cases my vote was based on long standing UnitedFuture policy positions that I publicly and consistently stood for at the last election”
He then goes on to accuse Labour of being “inconsistent, extremely self serving and not a little hypocritical” What the F does he expect, they are in opposition. They got support from him for their bills, good, fine but like the rest of NZ may have got pissed off with him for supporting the M.O.M Bill.
Really. I might print a t shirt saying “I am surrounded by idiots” and wear it on polling day here in Ohariu. Too antigonistic?
uturn donthold your breath.
the standard of all roundedness is taking a rapid nosedive in this country.
just listen to a radio station like m*refm for example and you will hear the most inane banal drivel you have ever heard and these are the role models for the current crop of no-brainers.
There was a radio ad the other day for an educational something. Oh yeah, the NZIM. It said something like, “Ralph wants to be a manager…” and I shook my head and wondered, a manager of what? Turns out it doesn’t matter. You just have to want to manage something.
Then there was another really good one, some kind of workforce/labouring employment service with a motherly voice waffling on about how little Johnny was at school arguing with his little friends over whose Dad has the better Job. Mother voice says all jobs are good. I thought it was some kind of political broadcast. Turns out that Mother voice just wants all the Dads on her books.
alright already, u get me! Capiche (now there is a show that will remind you of NAct)
whomever writes as U-Turn is Very, Very, Clever (excellent)
any way, gotta go plant some beans and pumkins-soup while i am waiting for a job
(…waiting for the sun,….waiting,…..waiting,….waiting for U to come along)
for into this House we’re born, Maurice.
to the community
Thank You (Led Zep)
when u Open Your Eyes signs are everywhere
He certainly does move in Mysterious Ways and it will be October soon
(interesting music on 63 already)
any way, as i once said to the arresting police, who are now my friends, “opinions are like Bums-
everybody has got one”
yet,
Where will the Children Play
remember, “you don’t have to live like a Refugee”
what will be, will be
however, Great developments for Tuhoe (Russian, German, French and Scots connections)
they have had prophets in the past. i believe that this Time.
Are Friends Electric?
me? i disconnect from u
fnjckg. I hope you don’t mind me acknowledging your unique style. I appreciate the song titles you introduce into your conversation.
Yes, great developments for Tuhoe – a long time coming. They suffered like many Iwi under colonisation however their experience of it was unique and extremely brutal. They still held on and even thrived for some time during Rua Kenana’s leadership at Maungapohatu. They have spirit, perserverance and Mana. I hope the way ahead is now clearer for them and they can thrive again.
Dear The Standard,
Mr D Parker has recently posted a series of posts in relation to the talks he has been having with overseas experts in the financial and economic fields. Mr D Cunliffe has also been researching in Finland recently and has posted an interesting post on this and Mr Parker’s activities.
I consider these activities that the 2 Labour Party members are conducting as extremely heartening and it would be great to see some of this information being posted & discussed on this site.
It appears to me that discussing National’s phony activities has distracted us all from some more positive things going on in our political scene.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/12/the-cult-of-national-party-economics/
[lprent: So write a guest post and sent it in to thestandardnz@gmail.com. If it is interesting, opinionated, and well written then one of the people who reads the email might decide to pop it up. Here are the previous ones to give you an idea – http://thestandard.org.nz/author/guest-post/
Authors pretty much write about whatever they find interesting. It is entirely likely that they haven’t read those posts or haven’t found them interesting.
Writing anything to “The Standard” will get me by default (since The Standard is a dumbarse computer program running a blog site that I maintain). Since I seldom write posts these days (http://thestandard.org.nz/author/admin/) it isn’t an appeal that is likely to get much of a proactive response… ]
Cheers lprent,
Guess I was hoping for one of your articles that syndicates other posts.
I think that these Labour politicians are doing positive work and the focus is so easily placed on the negatives.
I noticed that Red Alert got more interest in a thread criticizing Nat than these series of posts regarding the researching of finances and different economical approaches.
I conclude it is not only the politicians that need to lift their game…we all do.
Problem is they’re too long. Few people have the time to spend reading them. I know this is something that Labour has been told over and over again. Make your points succinctly and you will get a better response.
There are some very bright people of both genders on this site who can do it. So why can’t our top Labour pollies do it?
I think Parker’s RA posts particularly have that draw back. But Cunliffe’s press releases/posts on the Labour Party site are reasonably succinct.
And I think there is a place for longer pieces for discussion by the more hardcore lefties.
e.g. this rather angry piece by Cunliffe today, slamming Joyce and National re the country’s jobs.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/13/they-dont-care-about-your-job/
It begins:
And today we also have a joint Cunliffe/Parker post on the Labour website, and as a press release on Scoop.:
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/national%E2%80%99s-selective-figures-hide-problems-in-the-real-economy
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1209/S00213/nationals-selective-figures-hide-problems.htm
I think such press releases are aimed more at the media, which the journos don’t usually reprint in full – just pick out bits and summarise. But I guess a press release should aim to be reported as the author desires/
Yes, I agree Carol, Cunliffe’s posts are very good. Darien Fenton is another whose posts are succinct and to the point. It’s not surprising therefore that they usually attract a reasonable number of comments. I accept also there are occasions when longer articles are appropriate – such as David Parker’s recent posts on his overseas fact-finding tour.
However anyone who has been in Labour for any length of time would be well aware of the tendency of Labour pollies to produce long-winded diatribes simply for the sake of it. It’s almost as if they like the look of their own words as well as the sound of their own voices – the latter part of this sentence being attributed to pollies of all stripes of course.
‘National day of action against welfare reform oct 5th 2012’
This is on the scoop site,sorry can’t link it.
Welfare changes come in on the 15th oct.
Interesting result in the Dutch elections, with the centre right VVD edging the Labour party by 2 seats, 41-39. Both are well short of a majority in the 150 seat Parliament and the most likely outcome is for them to form a left/right coalition. Voters have rejected the anti-european parties, though the Socialist party will not lose any seats as a result and will probably come 4th.
The really good news is that the racist Freedom Party, led by the loony Geert Wilders, has taken a hammering, echoing the declining fortunes of England’s BNP.
Voters rejected anti eur0pean parties, which actually means the rac*sts are still holding power.
In case you can;t work it out, that those who are unelected and pulling the strings at the EU, who control the Central Banks, those types are the real rac*sts
All the while silly people focus in unimportant factors such as the BNP type political parties.
Ill spell it out for you: Most people are not rac*sts, but those in charge almost exclusively, and exhaustively will be!
Result for this election – Holland goes down the pan, because they voted for the rac*sts, you just don’t realise it because you only see the little picture, probably the same as the Dutch!
I take it you had the Amsterdam space cake for breakfast this morning, Muzza. Get in touch when you come down.
a thought, while raking; a recent aquaintence, and now friend of mine, is The head unionist at a local manufacturer, where they have established their own site-specific incorporated society Union.
-learn something every day
We were discussing backgrounds and concurred on the relationship between experiencing poverty as a child and the development of shopping (therefore consumption) habits/addictions
isn’t it interesting that there is a suggested positive correlation between
Poverty and Consumption
i hear about this phenomena regularly, now that boomers and Gen X are maturing and reflecting on their developmental histories
-Big Cars? -Alain de Botton: Status Anxiety
(vouch)
fnjckg 16
I heard the story that Sophia Loren who was a gorgeous voluptuous Italian film star had been a skinny hungry street kid. After her success and money came in, she stocked her pantry to overflowing with all sorts of pasta. It gave her great comfort to know she wouldn’t go hungry again.
Yet another case of screw you
Water Cares new regime has gone from quarterly charging to monthly, but how is it that in our case 3 months costs was $195 and now monthly it is $95. Because this CCO s giving it to its customers.
The unit rate has increased from $1.3/kL to $1.343/kT
Waste water fixed cost have reduced from $426.36 p.a. to $190, but also a NEW cost volumetric charging of Wastewater @ $2.81/kL with waste water being calculated as 78.5% of water usage. So to maintain the same annual waste water costs i.e. $426.36 less $190 = $236.36 variable costs which equate to 84.11 kL p.a. or the same usage as a single person household at 84kL or 230L/Day. Yet from Watercare’s own data a family of 4 uses 600L/day of 219 kL or an increase of $380 p.a. or in total a 25% increase. This when inflation is at less than 3%, and not factoring in the theoretical cost to a household from going from quarterly to monthly charging. Thanks Auckland council and your CCO.
It would be of interest to see how many others have picked up the cost increase as to those that have not noticed thru the shortening billing period. Just wait until summer hots us and watering the vege patch.
Herodotus
That comment should be copies by all concerned so they can read over it and then again and compare their past and present a/cs till they see just what this complicated system achieves. Does the 22% not going into the waste water go into you, or evaporate or where?
The 22.5% was to pacify many who claimed that there was no recognition for gardening and other water usage that does not flow back into the waste water system. What they don’t understand is that if 100% was used then the rate would reduce, so by reducing the % to 77.5% all that happened (Though I would find it hard to imagine anyone connect to confirm this) was that the $ rate was lifted over time. My experience related to Manukau Water activities. The same applies to normal rates whereby should valuations over the area increase/decrease then the $ rate to apply would increase/decrease accordingly, we all end up paying roughly the same amount (Unless something like the fixed charge component radically moves)
herodotus 17 1 1
On rates – I think that some Councils set up a particular area rating charge when they do large works that contribute to that area mainly. Which would stop the spread of cost over all. I think that’s a good idea.
We in Nelson have had meters installed which in theory is good because it helps you to monitor your use and control it. We had to put in a large filtering system because our water quality was I think low at D or E. I think we pay for it or most out of our meterage. When people started being more careful with water to keep their costs down, there was less cash coming in to meet the repayment of the new water system, so then the rates went up. Practical and follows logical principles but not what individuals had hoped.
Incidentally our chargeable rate is $1.62 per cubic metre (not litres as I suppose yours is) and daily line charge at 44.60c and 6 month charge is $174.
Latest poll, minor changes (margin of error), but no traction for Labour –
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4821/
That’s in line with the Herald Digi-poll this week.
No change = need to change. Time is being wasted under Labour’s caretaker leader.
Maybe National just needs to stuff up a bit more?
…or maybe our media need to start reporting on just how much they are stuffing up
(…I mean how much MORE stuff ups does it take….)
🙁
Did the media tell the Labour leader to disappear into the provinces? Are the media responsible for the Greens getting more and better coverage than Labour, most days?
If you’d like a basic tutorial on how to get stories into the media, ask the Greens, or Winston, or Hone, or Louisa Wall, or pretty much anybody … except Labour’s front man.
It’s HIS job. It’s tiresome and just false, to keep blaming the media for Shearer’s inability to communicate his message (last Sunday was the exception, but when else?).
I’m unclear of the details of how the game works, however I am capable of observing the general trends in reporting.
Perhaps you are right, that it is all up to the political party to keep their faces on the News, however, considering the massive fodder that is available on National stuff ups and has been all last term too, I question the NZ journalists interests in keeping the general public interested, let alone informed.
I wouldn’t make the previous comment had not the bias on NZ TV toward Key been palpable over the elections. This went so far as to ban one left-wing commentator and take another journalist to court for finding out a little too much against National’s interests.
I consider left wing parties are up against a distinct bias with our media at present, although, as you say, perhaps there are tactics that could be used to overcome this.
There has been highly faourable – fawning, in fact – coverage of John Key during the first term. No doubt about that.
It began to fade with the “teapot tape” story. Police raids on media organisations weren’t a great goodwill gesture by Key. The love-in ended.
So this year, the tone of the coverage has clearly changed, and the opportunities for the opposition have been there for the taking. The Greens (with far fewer resources) have been astute and effective, whereas Labour have been bumbling and stumbling.
We just can’t keep blaming the MSM. Labour need to have something to communicate, and know how to communicate it. Usually they don’t.
I agree the tone has improved, yet I note that still they are very quick to put in the Nat election line-for example the “see how they will find the money to afford it” comment after the piece about the recent education speech.
It would be nice if they were equally scathing about National-there is plenty of room for it.
You do make a good point about the Greens though, they do manage to get their point across regularly and clearly.
There appears to be some lack of savvy from Labour, yet on balance I still consider that the bias is toward the National paradigm (…or maybe JK worship based on money-whore-fawning-mentality…).
dunno.
If nat go up again next time I’ll start being wary. I’d expect a change in tack by labour post-pag, for better or worse (the new strategist could end up going even more vanilla, god forbid) .
Of course you are correct. Especially if it’s the unelected,hired strategists who determine how Left or Right (or “vanilla”) Labour is, not caucus, or god forbid, the Leadership.
too true.
My impression of the labour caucus collectively (one or two individuals are willing to call a spade a spade) is that what strategy their is is focus-group driven, and scheduled according to an imaginary “optimum” election cycle timetable rather than as circumstances change.
I could be very wrong, of course. It’s just what it looks like to me from the outside.
4 teh Lulz
https://twitter.com/PeteDGeorge/status/246147580579430400
Oh Petey. Oh dear.
Interesting. The Maori hui on water is in progress still, but this report has King Tuheitia asking the powerful Iwi Leaders to stand down from individual negotiations with the government, until a pan-Maori agreement is completed:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7665035/Hui-calls-for-new-deal-on-Maori-rights
Thanks Carol, that whole article makes interesting reading.
In a speech to as many as 1000 of Maoridom’s movers and shakers, King Tuheitia said Maori had always owned the water and their rights over the water had been handed down from generation to generation.
“From birth we have been taught that the Waikato river is the life force of my people….simply, it has given life to our people.”
But the crystal clear river which he used to swim in as a child was “a degraded body of water”.
“From Ngaruawahia out to the sea you cannot swim or take kai from it. This is not the legacy I want to leave for our children.”
How can anyone own water?
I feel that the message that Maori are trying to give is being lost in the whole ownership argument that leaves most of us believing it is about greed
Cool, so I can use your pool? Be round in the morning. Oh yeah I’ll be bringing a few mates and having some beers in the afternoon, maybe a bit of a party friday night. We’ll be selling beers and Woodstocks to cover the cost of the sound system and the bands.
\
Saturday we’ll run a sausage sizzle most of the day and if it all goes well we’ll be back to do the same every weekend this summer.
In the 1930’s Labour decided that every child should have a chance at secondary school. So, under the guidance of one Clarence Beeby, secondary education was universalised and made free for all students, and schools given the tools to ensure a quality education for ALL.
In the 2010’s National decided that every child should have a chance at early childhood education. So, under the guidance of one Paula Bennett, they forced the poorest of single parents to purchase ECE services of dubious quality, threatening to cut their benefits if they didn’t.
It goes to show how far to the dogs this country has gone really..