"President Biden pledged during the election campaign: "I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuels."
The same President Biden today has – much to the angst of conservationists – authorized a giant ConocoPhillips oil project in northwest Alaska.
The authorization represents one of the most significant climate decisions yet for Biden
Christy Goldfuss, a former Obama White House official who now is a policy chief at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was “deeply disappointed'' at Biden's decision to approve Willow, which NRDC estimates would generate planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 1 million homes.
Willow is projected to output 180,000 barrels of oil per day, or around 1.5 percent of total American oil production.
Over its 30-year lifespan, Willow is expected to produce over 600 million barrels of oil while contributing up to $17 billion in revenues for state and federal governments as well as local communities."
Here is a great video that explains very simply how the banking fractional reserve system works and how a run on a bank is almost certain to sink it. In relation to the bank that went down in the US the other day.
This guy manages finance portfolios and also is ex army so comments on the Ukraine situation. But what he says here about banking is really good.
Probably explains in part why banks need large profits. Because, they are doing that through really high leverage which is incredibly risky if it goes wrong.
BTW, you can make depositors whole while still prosecuting any fraud and replacing the management involved. Unless its the bank (as in the business entity) rather than the bank management causing the problems this seems appropriate.
In the 1930s FDR sought solutions, to the bank run problem, from the economics profession. Chicago University offered the 'chicago plan' which would have entailed imposing a 100% reserve ratio on banks. The problem with this would have been that all monetary expansion would have to have come from government. This would have been difficult to manage unless all banks became government owned 'public utilities'. I suppose this would have been unacceptable in a 'free enterprise' economy like America's, albeit that it seems to work very well in China, where their banking system is owned by government.
Deposit insurance and full reserve protocols are the same. Either the state guarantees that you will be able to withdraw the insured sum, or that that sum is $ for $ held by the bank at all times. Its the same in either case.
The actual important parts of the Chicago plan for preventing bank collapses were implemented, including the Glass Stegall act which at the time separated retail and commercial lending and meant deposits were not put at risk by backing highly leveraged lending. That worked for a long time, but US banking practice has since moved on in ways where these became combined again.
The problem is that the bank is not solvent any more and will not repay all its liabilities (including deposits) without a bailout. Likely that's because there was a bunch of fraudulent lending occurred by the bank. Putting that all down to a run on deposits, a very natural reaction when people discover their deposits were loaned out fraudulently, is a bit simplistic.
Your absolutely right there, they are the same up to the insured limit.
Since they are the same, they encourage reckless lending to the same degree. But the actual thing which discourages reckless lending is the effective regulation.
SVB shareholders were wiped out BTW, while depositors are being largely made whole. What happens to the bank executives will depend on any prosecutions which occur of anything they did wrong.
Yes, it says $250K which is low if its a business account, but watch what actually happens. There are apparently payroll firms within the accounts and they won't be left short to pay people.
If you think about it, the banking system is legalised fraud. In fact, it started out as fraud in the days of gold merchants who stored gold for clients. They would write a certificate for the clients stating that they were holding x amount of gold for them which the clients could then use as collateral.
The gold merchants worked out that they could lend out the gold, and effectively write out fraudulent certificates. So long as all of the clients didn't ask for their money back at once they were ok.
Since at least Roman lending practices its always been the case that deposits are repaid in kind. You get back the same amount but not the same deposits made and this has always been a part of a legal definition for how deposits work.
The government had scrambled to try and sell Silicon Valley Bank to a private company and finding a purchaser is still a possibility. But a Treasury official said Sunday that regulators ultimately decided to move forward with the plan to make depositors whole, in part because it was proving to be challenging for a potential buyer to vet the bank’s books by Monday.
The Treasury official emphasized that the actions should not be considered to be a “bailout,” because the company’s shareholders and those who own its debt would be wiped out.
A trust owned by Silicon Valley Bank Chief Executive Officer Greg Becker sold $3.6 million worth of shares in his bank last week, days before the bank disclosed a $1.8 billion loss that triggered a fatal run on the bank, according to company filings.
On Feb. 27, the trust sold $3.6 million worth of shares while acquiring options worth $1.3 million. The trades were scheduled on Jan. 26 through an SEC rule that allows insiders to schedule sales ahead of time to allay suspicions of trading on insider information.
Right wing venture capitalist Peter Theil involved in SVB collapse…
“What finally doomed SVB was that the resulting losses prompted a panic among depositors. This was in no small part thanks to far-right billionaire Peter Thiel’s VC firm Founders Fund, which, after finding out its investors were having trouble transferring money to its SVB accounts, ordered them to send them to other banks and had withdrawn all of its cash by the time the bank started melting down late last week. ”
In the case of SVB, regulators allowed it to make risky bets with its deposits (while the bank’s executives insisted that the bets weren’t risky). More generally, SVB and other banks are often not required to maintain enough of a financial cushion to withstand a crisis. Financial cushions — effectively, cash or other forms of insurance — tend to reduce banks’ profits, which is why bankers resist them. But without a healthy cushion, a bank can collapse during a crisis, and taxpayers must sometimes bail it out. When that happens, the bankers and their investors often emerged unscathed.
Once SVB began to falter, financial industry executives and investors again began clamoring for government help. In the short term, the government may indeed need to step in to avoid a spreading crisis. But the less immediate questions may be uncomfortable for the bankers: How can the people who caused this crisis bear financial responsibility for it? And how can the U.S. economy end this cycle of booms that benefit banks and busts that hurt everyone else?
Silicon Valley Bank on Friday paid out annual bonuses to eligible U.S. employees, just hours before the bank was seized by the U.S. government, Axios has learned from multiple sources.
A cost of living increase in superannuitants' income is seen by those voters as 'business as usual' for a government. They certainly won't be expecting a regime change to result in sinking-lid pensions. So don't count that as pork-barrelling. However, they may be in for a nasty surprise. Means-testing, anyone?
A cost of living increase in superannuitants' income is seen by those voters as 'business as usual' for a government.
Also raises in benefits. Please don't let this be an election policy or touted as something special that this Govt has done, because it is not. To continue with fair policies developed over many years should not be thrown into the pot. By all means have in house policy reviews to improve these as all effeicient bodies should do.
If we do want to look at benefits etc why not have a look at the WEAG report and move on with innovative ideas that we are not doing now.
The Nats etc will have all sorts of ideas such as raising the age & means testing. Let us look at these and fight them for what they are.
Not every single thing that this Govt has done, including the BAU ones should be lauded. Otherwise we will find ourselves fighting things on efficiency grounds rather than true policy grounds.
So called 'Efficiency' arguments always plays into the Nats hands. A better idea is to ensure that the business of govt is well funded, departments are well staffed and impediments to BAU are stripped away.
From years in the PS I can hand on heart say that the biggest impediment to efficient delivery of both policy and BAU is any sort of wholesale restructuring, realignment, right sizing or any other weasel or waffle words you want to call it.
My thoughts are that the restruscturings of the late 1980s/1990s put a blight on service delivery by Govt that lasted into the 2000s and may still be felt in some Govt Depts. Productivity was slashed as people fought for their jobs, depts had to retool in policy brains etc.
Its been quoted here before, but bears repeating: restructuring as a solution is as old as government, and solves very little!
“We trained hard—but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralisation.”
Section 16 says min of 66% national average wage (NAW)
As the 66% generally holds the actual increase in Super is the NAW increase. But this year CPI was higher so the % of NAW will be above 66% and so no top up above CPI.
It doesn't seem like any politicians know how it works (worrying) as it's being sold as a extra benefit to pensioners (nope, just what they're entitled to, nothing more) by the Govt and the opposition hasn't pointed it out.
Yes agree with this….continuing with BAU is an expectation not something new. To claim it as 'rah, rah something we have done as a Govt' is spurious and hopefully it is not being done. They should claim for additions/improvements to the lot of everyone or particular people but not for standing still or for meeting legal entitlements. COL increases are not an extra entitlement.
It doesn't seem like any politicians know how it works (worrying) as it's being sold as a extra benefit to pensioners (nope, just what they're entitled to, nothing more) by the Govt and the opposition hasn't pointed it out.
I don't see it as pork barreling, I see it as good ideas, means testing is ridiculously expensive and complicated and the people you're targeting most will dodge it anyway,
Pension means testing works for Oz. And UK. You need to declare income regularly, ie, a pension is not a basic entitlement, but something you continually reapply for. And if your assets are too much, you fund your own retirement.
Some people will find any excuse to do the barest minimum possible.
I suggested if the government removed GST from food to help address the cost of living crisis and replaced it with an FTT and windfall tax, and could win the election in a landslide.
"Government just raised super and the benifits, got rid of mostly stupid policies, they gonna win any way"bwaghorn
If Labour can just scrape in, why should they do more?
Maybe, because it's the right thing to do?
Labour could form a government with the support of the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, according to the latest 1News Kantar Public Poll.
But the two main parties are still neck and neck, with just two points separating National and Labour.
please forget about taking gst off food. its a logistical nightmare for small businesses to piss around and run two different sets of accounts. they do this in aus and its a real pain in the arse. cooked chicken= gst, raw chicken = no gst etc,etc. just forget it. the one good thing about our gst, sales tax ,vat is that it applies at the same rate to all goods and services. before the pedants get here, Im aware that there are exceptions. but it is still the easiest system for a small business to work.
"…its a logistical nightmare for small businesses to piss around and run two different sets of accounts. they do this in aus and its a real pain in the arse. cooked chicken= gst, raw chicken = no gst etc,etc. just forget it."woodart
I didn't say take GST off some food. Taking GST off some food would definitely act to make it complicated. That would be stupid.
There have been many specious excuses made why this shouldn't be done, this is just one of them.
I have been reliably informed by an accountant that making all food GST free is a simple one off change to accounting software. That's it, simple.
The specious complexity argument is demonstrated in an opinion piece by Stephen Hickson of The Conversation who writes 'Some bad ideas never go away'
(I might add, no matter how much some people wish it would)
….It's an idea that voters like. A recent poll suggests 76 percent of New Zealanders support removing GST from food. But regardless of the support, removing GST on food always was, and still is, a bad idea….
…..As inflation increases to levels not seen for 30 years, the main reason given now is to ease the cost of living stress on those struggling to keep up….
…..Removing GST on food, or some types of food – for example, "healthy food" – makes that system more complex and costly.
There are a number of potential complications.
Let's start with the obvious – what would count as "food"? Is milk powder food? Probably yes, so what about milk? Or flavoured milk? Oranges are food, so what about 100 percent natural orange juice? A broad definition of "food" would include lollies, potato chips, McDonalds and KFC, but many would object to removing GST from these on health grounds….
….n Australia, the question of whether an "oven baked Italian flat bread" is a bread (so not subject to GST) or a cracker (subject to GST) went to court, and involved flying a bread certification expert from Italy to testify….
….In Ireland, the court was required to rule on whether Subway was serving "bread" or "confectionery or fancy baked goods" due to the difference in GST treatment.
In the UK, guidance on how GST on food is applied runs to 40 pages with 130 example categories; in Australia, an 87-page document covers some 1500 food types…
….The 2018 Tax Working Group (TWG) didn't support removing GST on food. It emphasised how such exemptions lead to "complex and often arbitrary boundaries", particularly when trying to target specific types of food such as "healthy food".
They also stated that such exemptions are a "poorly targeted instrument for achieving distributional aims".
This is important given the current push to help New Zealanders, particularly those on low incomes, with the cost of living.
All this specious argument really boils down to, is that we shouldn't go down the complex, some foods and not other foods, exemption route. GST off food no exceptions! We don't need experts and courts to tell us what food is, we all know what food is.
GST is a regressive flat tax, that neoliberals love because it targets those whose incomes go mostly on paying for their cost of living, whereas wealthy people with excess income above their cost of living, can invest and bank a lot of that income, these investments and returns do not attract GST. GST allows the rich to keep a lot more of their excess wealth. Neoliberal philosophy is based on the idea that if rich people become richer, society becomes richer. It was no coincidence that after GST was introduced by the notoriously neoliberal fourth Labour Government that it was quickly followed by income tax cuts on the highest earners.
Labour's commitment to the 'Purity' of GST is symptomatic of Labour's continuing commitment to neoliberalism.
. none of that screed changes the fact that having two different tax rates makes more work. yr accountant friend doesnt do the donkey work at the coal face of small business. when youve got to be an expert on ALL aspects of business, not just the books, any extra complication is not welcome.Im NOT a fan of gst, having experienced it as a business owner, and customer, but if we have it, lets not complicate it further.
Labour's commitment to the 'Purity' of GST is symptomatic of Labour's continuing commitment to neoliberalism.
Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense. Adjustment of income tax rates would be a better means of redistribution.
If we wished to monkey around with GST, we would want to distinguish between healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and maintain GST on the latter. This would cause enormous complications.
"If we wished to monkey around with GST, we would want to distinguish between healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and maintain GST on the latter. This would cause enormous complications." mikesh
Which makes me wonder why would countries like Australia, And Britain and Ireland follow such a stupid practice?
My view is that the partial removal of GST from food was probably the result of a last ditch effort by neoliberal lobbyists to try and keep GST on as many food items as possible, no matter how impossibly complex it makes the GST system..
Of course the partial removal of GST off food would create 'enormous complications'. Which is probably what the neoliberals wanted.
Neoliberalism is a faith based science. Challenge the faith, and the neoliberals will fight you all the way to keep as many food items as possible inside the GST regime and things will deliberately be made to be very complicated as a result.
"Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense." mikesh
There is no alternative.
Tina, There Is No Alternative was coined by Roger Douglas the founder of the far right Backbone Club lobby group inside the 4th Labour government caucus that tried to get that government to enact even more extreme right wing measures, including the privatisation of the public health system, as set out in the infamous Gibbs Report on Health.
David Lange's call for a 'Cup Of Tea' breather to halt this proposed neoliberal dismantling of the Social Welfare health system caused a split inside the Labour caucus between the Backbone Club and the supporters of Lange. This split led to the breakaway formation of the far right Act party.
Of course there was an alternative – tax the rich more. Douglas a millionaire himself wouldn't have a bar of it, but not only out of self interest, but because it went against his belief in his theory of 'Trickle Down'.
Trickle Down being a neoliberal concept that making the rich richer makes society richer.
The following is a slobbering corporate hym in praise of GST.
GST, making New Zealand a low income tax paradise for millionaires. by PwC Partner Eugen Trombitas.
Celebrating 30 years of GST – New Zealand’s best export
Eugen Trombitas
Partner at PwC
August 18 2016
….the most significant tax reform in New Zealand throughout the entire 20th century. It’s also one of our best exports to the world – along with the All Blacks….
….The speed of execution of the GST policy, after the July 1984 snap election, was remarkable. It took everyone by surprise and involved a lot of political courage, as well as fine minds to execute the plan….
…..Our effective GST helps keep our personal income tax rates lower across the board than comparable OECD countries.nnual GST take is more than $17 billion and contributes about 30% to overall tax revenue….
No it isn't. TINA is a Thatcher catchcry erroneously attributed to Roger Douglas because people felt there was a similarity in the pair's respective outlooks.
All this specious argument really boils down to, is that we shouldn't go down the complex, some foods and not other foods, exemption route. GST off food no exceptions!
That sort of argument would be valid for abolishing GST altogether, an option I would support since GST seems to have no useful purpose. I think it was introduced originally as a tax which could not be legally dodged for tax avoidance purposes. However it's questionable whether this is a justification for it given its regressiveness.
However if we are going to have a GST anyway I don't think there is any reason why food should be excluded. The poor can be helped, through the tax system, in other ways.
PS: I thought that GST was not payable on second hand goods. However, when I bought my most recent car, which was second hand, the dealer charged GST. I assume this is normal, but it does seem to be an anomaly. The rationale for exempting second hand goods would be that GST would have been paid on the the item when it was first purchased new. In other words GST can be paid many times on the same vehicle if it changes hands many times through a dealer.
"Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense." mikesh
Mikesh, you oppose GST being taken off food because it would destroy the 'purity' of GST. But you support it being taken off second hand goods?
Am I right in presuming that the reason second hand goods are exempt from GST is because poorer people who tend to spend proportionately more on buying second hand goods more than rich folk?
Why can't the same 'commitment to common sense' be applied to food?
Afterall poorer people pay proportionately more of their income on food than rich people do.
Following unprecedented solidarity action by fellow presenters and public pressure.
In a massive victory for free speech Gary Lineka returned to Match of the Day,
Gary Lineker is BACK! Match of the Day host to return following backlash with BBC set to allow him to tweet without restrictions
Chris Burton
|13 Mar 2023
WHAT HAPPENED? The former England international found himself caught up in a social media storm after comparing language used in the British government’s asylum policy to that which could be found in 1930s Germany. He was ordered by the BBC to apologise for his actions, and was stood down from presenting duties after refusing to do so. A show of unity from Lineker’s fellow presenters delivered an unprecedented wave of walkouts and there was no commentary or punditry on offer across the BBC’s weekend football coverage.
Indeed. When it comes to free speech the world has a long way to go.
A Russian sports presenter who tweeted нет войне would be imprisoned. (and sacked)
A sign or tweet with “нет войне” can earn up to 15yrs in prison. And over 14,000 Russians have been arrested for saying exactly that.
Yes they (Labour Govt) are all over the place with what these Govt appointees to boards etc are expected to do, able to do. It is perhaps lucky that the Nats are similarly bewildered.
They have allowed a level of imprecision in language to explain what is usually a very careful and distinct category of people/what they do/how they are described/how they are 'governed'
People like Rob Campbell, Steve Maharey and Ruth Dyson in their roles as Govt appointees on Boards are not Public Servants…….aaaaaaaaaagh tears hair out including eyebrows!
Do we really have to accept this dumbing down in case it frightens the horses or something or is it just slap dash, we can't be bothered educating people…move on to the next lot of Govt business that we can deliver something slap dash on.
I asked before if Hipkins has employed some of the lesser lights such as Luxon did with the 'Hawaii is really Te Puke' snafu.
Very disappointed as it has not put to bed anything, public servants, the real ones are now being lumped into some category of not being impartial in the delivery of Govts policies by News media.
The Westminister tradition is that public servants are voiceless and defended, if need be, by their Ministers or the Govt.
It speaks for itself, oh! does it run counter to the narrative you like to share on here? Zelensky is admitting to Nazis being in charge and American mercenaries in Ukraine in 2014, an inconvenient truth. Is that explanation enough?
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If you make up stuff about the contents and/or meaning of material, it is highly likely that you will be considered a troll with an agenda.
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If you want to keep your commenting privileges here this Election Year, you need to lift your game. This is your only warning – Incognito]
Well I'm sure it's great for Adelaide ship-building teams, but no I'm not particularly impressed by nuclear-armed submarines in the South Pacific, whether they are run by Australia or not.
Our nations have made clear commitments to meet these objectives, including that:
As a non-nuclear-weapon state, Australia does not – and will not – seek to acquire nuclear weapons;
Australia will not enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel as part of this program;
Australia will not produce its own nuclear fuel for its SSNs;
Though the rotational force may be problematic:
Submarine Rotational Forces. As early as 2027, the United Kingdom and the United States plan to establish a rotational presence of one UK Astute class submarine and up to four U.S. Virginia class submarines at HMAS Stirling near Perth, Western Australia.
Guess we will just have to look for Aussie flags flying from the periscope?
The point is to extend the range of their subs – now basically a coast guard, to take out any foreign military ships trying to land.
Nuclear powered ones can be at sea for longer (thus more at the same time), and thus participate in any engagement further afield.
There purpose is the containment of Chinese military/navy (to the sea off China-Taiwan) kept away from ASEAN and Japan/South Korea (protect other trade routes if there are sanctions on China).
The need for them diminishes (rather than ends) if there is a deal over the future of Taiwan (say formally recognised as part of China from 2049, and only before then if Taipei and Beijing agree to terms over autonomy).
The P8's & the Frigates is always has been Trade Protection which is a wee bit hard to train for in Peacetime as Shipping Companies, Unions & Freight Forwarding services etc don't like getting bossed by the military to do Convoy (Trade Protection) Exercises.
So they practise their respective skill sets within various Allied Surface Battle, Escort & Support Groups.
P8's might get a tad more busy as the various Subs run along in the kermadec trench, which btw is being mapped by the Chinese courtesy of Joint NZ MFAT Funding arrangement!
Going to be some need to review what kind of Navy that NZ wants in future, considering that NZ's economy is an export led & is heavily dependent on have freedom of navigation IRT the various Sea Lanes of Communications to those Export Countries & same same in reverse for all those imports the NZ relies on to keep the economy ticking.
Some very hard questions need to be asked now! At political, defence, economic, trade & foreign affairs level at where NZ goes now?
Or else NZ will get sucked into to this shit sandwich weather it wants too or not & I doubt many here would have the guts or prepared to sacrifice something for Armed Neutrality which "might" avoid NZ from sucked into this vortex of this impending shit sandwich heading this way?
Is it the Australian government and armed forces intention to respect New Zealand laws?
Is it the Australian government and armed forces intention to keep Australian nuclear powered vessels out of New Zealand administered waters?
Will the Australian government and armed forces publicly agree to keep all non-New Zealand devices and installations, as defined in the relevant New Zealand legislation, out of New Zealand.
Will the Australian government publicly agree not to disregard New Zealand's Nuclear Free laws?
In line with a lawful request of the New Zealand authorities, if specifically asked, whether or not the Australian government and armed forces are operating any nuclear vessel in New Zealand waters, will the Australian authorities agree to provide the New Zealand authorities an answer?
In line with the neither confirm nor deny nuclear policy of both your US and UK AUKUS partners – if specifically asked, will you neither confirm nor deny if you operating any nuclear vessels in New Zealand waters?
Continental Shelf Act 1964
…..every act or omission which takes place on or under or above or about any installation or device (whether permanent or temporary) constructed, erected, placed, or used in, on, or above the continental shelf in connection with the exploration of the continental shelf or the exploitation of its natural resources shall be deemed to take place in New Zealand; and
(b)
every such installation or device shall be deemed to be situated in New Zealand….
(c)
every court in New Zealand which would have jurisdiction (whether civil or criminal) in respect of that act or omission if it had taken place in New Zealand shall have jurisdiction accordingly; and
(d)
every power of arrest or of entry or search or seizure or other power that could be exercised under any enactment (whether passed before or after the passing of this Act) or under any rule of law in respect of any such act or omission or suspected act or omission if it had taken place or was suspected to have taken place in New Zealand may be exercised on or in respect of any such installation or device as if the installation or device were in New Zealand; and
(e)
without limiting the provisions of the Customs Acts (as defined in the Customs Act 1966), every installation or device, and any materials or parts used in the construction of an installation or device, which are brought into the waters above the continental shelf from parts beyond the seas shall be deemed to have been imported into New Zealand…..
A real chewy and entertaining discussion between Katherin Ryan and Patrick Smellie, starting at 12 min. It's on the gap between recent aspirational government planning documents and the reality of implementation. Katherine mentions wider comments as a mix of critique, with a kind of regret for the old Public Service.
Morning Report often brings analytical depth that is missing conspicuously elsewhere. It's due 90% to Ryan's energetic curiosity, without the barbs of Kim Hill, but certainly with a bigger breadth of topic. Her poor brain at night, when does it rest? Whereas one can imagine Kim easily switching off with a stiff G&T.
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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% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
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 ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The courts should deal with illegal fishing, not the "court of public opinion", Shane Jones says, as he announces proposed changes to the Quota Management System. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan McElhone, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University A London court has found Sam Kerr not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of Metropolitan Police officer Stephen Lovell. As captain of the Australian women’s national soccer team, Kerr was widely condemned when ...
Could iwi and hapū be the unexpected solution to the government’s asset dilemma? David Seymour pressured the prime minister into an unwelcome conversation, and in the couple of weeks since the Act leader raised the issue in his state of the nation speech, privatisation has shifted from absent in the ...
Human rights advocates must uphold human dignity, rights and justice, while rejecting the discriminatory tactics we oppose, writes Taimor Hazou.Two weeks ago the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) launched a campaign inviting New Zealanders to call a hotline if they suspected an Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldier that had ...
Immigration New Zealand figures shows more people have been looking at the ETA and visitor visa pages on the website, however fewer people have applied to come or to extend their stay. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Banks, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology Debris on the surface of Mars from the Perseverance mission, captured on April 19 2022. NASA/JPL-Caltech In his inauguration speech in January, United States President Donald Trump ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alix Woolard, Senior Research Fellow, The Kids Research Institute Australia Stock Unit/Shutterstock Have you ever asked someone how their day was, or been chatting casually with a friend, only to have them tell you a horrific story that has left you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Quentin Grafton, Australian Laureate Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Roper RiverChris Ison/Shutterstock Water is now a contested resource around the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the fight playing out over the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graeme Turner, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies, The University of Queensland Matej Kastellic/ Shutterstock As we head towards the federal election, both sides of politics are making a point of criticising universities and questioning their role in the community. ...
Alex Casey examines the perils of having your period at a music festival. It was right after Clairo’s swooning set that Sarah* knew it was time. She was on the second day of her period at Auckland’s Laneway festival, and braved the portaloos to empty her menstrual cup and change ...
A battle between health officials and local councils is heating up, as one government party seeks to change the rules. The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund explains. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
A global consultancy will lead the government's review of electricity markets, with a local firm offering advice and two groups of experts providing quality assurance. ...
New Public Service Minister Judith Collins is calling for a culture of saying 'yes', but being honest enough with ministers to "reconcile the vision with reality". ...
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This is why zerohedge is so useful a source.
and the development will do far more damage than a few burping cows down under ….
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-gives-go-ahead-giant-alaska-oil-project-greens-furious
"President Biden pledged during the election campaign: "I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuels."
The same President Biden today has – much to the angst of conservationists – authorized a giant ConocoPhillips oil project in northwest Alaska.
The authorization represents one of the most significant climate decisions yet for Biden
Christy Goldfuss, a former Obama White House official who now is a policy chief at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was “deeply disappointed'' at Biden's decision to approve Willow, which NRDC estimates would generate planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 1 million homes.
Willow is projected to output 180,000 barrels of oil per day, or around 1.5 percent of total American oil production.
Over its 30-year lifespan, Willow is expected to produce over 600 million barrels of oil while contributing up to $17 billion in revenues for state and federal governments as well as local communities."
Well spotted Maurice. Biden is old school "drill baby drill".
Even Starmer in the UK has said he will not allow any more oil/gas drilling licences in the UK if he becomes PM.
Here is a great video that explains very simply how the banking fractional reserve system works and how a run on a bank is almost certain to sink it. In relation to the bank that went down in the US the other day.
This guy manages finance portfolios and also is ex army so comments on the Ukraine situation. But what he says here about banking is really good.
Probably explains in part why banks need large profits. Because, they are doing that through really high leverage which is incredibly risky if it goes wrong.
Why are there not mechanisms to prevent a run on banks. It seems to be a fatal flaw in the capitalist system.
John Key's mate, Jamie Beaton of Crimson Education was involved in the run on SVB and therefore contributed to its downfall.
There are, deposit insurance.
Privatising profit, socialising cost.
Or don't and wipe out depositors.
BTW, you can make depositors whole while still prosecuting any fraud and replacing the management involved. Unless its the bank (as in the business entity) rather than the bank management causing the problems this seems appropriate.
In the 1930s FDR sought solutions, to the bank run problem, from the economics profession. Chicago University offered the 'chicago plan' which would have entailed imposing a 100% reserve ratio on banks. The problem with this would have been that all monetary expansion would have to have come from government. This would have been difficult to manage unless all banks became government owned 'public utilities'. I suppose this would have been unacceptable in a 'free enterprise' economy like America's, albeit that it seems to work very well in China, where their banking system is owned by government.
Deposit insurance and full reserve protocols are the same. Either the state guarantees that you will be able to withdraw the insured sum, or that that sum is $ for $ held by the bank at all times. Its the same in either case.
The actual important parts of the Chicago plan for preventing bank collapses were implemented, including the Glass Stegall act which at the time separated retail and commercial lending and meant deposits were not put at risk by backing highly leveraged lending. That worked for a long time, but US banking practice has since moved on in ways where these became combined again.
The problem is that the bank is not solvent any more and will not repay all its liabilities (including deposits) without a bailout. Likely that's because there was a bunch of fraudulent lending occurred by the bank. Putting that all down to a run on deposits, a very natural reaction when people discover their deposits were loaned out fraudulently, is a bit simplistic.
Deposit insurance and full reserve protocols are the same.
The two are not the same. There is an upper limit to how much deposit insurance will pay out. Deposit insurance also encourages reckless lending.
Your absolutely right there, they are the same up to the insured limit.
Since they are the same, they encourage reckless lending to the same degree. But the actual thing which discourages reckless lending is the effective regulation.
SVB shareholders were wiped out BTW, while depositors are being largely made whole. What happens to the bank executives will depend on any prosecutions which occur of anything they did wrong.
To a max of $250k only in US, acording to Guardian. Not much good if your company has millions in there.
Yes, it says $250K which is low if its a business account, but watch what actually happens. There are apparently payroll firms within the accounts and they won't be left short to pay people.
If you think about it, the banking system is legalised fraud. In fact, it started out as fraud in the days of gold merchants who stored gold for clients. They would write a certificate for the clients stating that they were holding x amount of gold for them which the clients could then use as collateral.
The gold merchants worked out that they could lend out the gold, and effectively write out fraudulent certificates. So long as all of the clients didn't ask for their money back at once they were ok.
Since at least Roman lending practices its always been the case that deposits are repaid in kind. You get back the same amount but not the same deposits made and this has always been a part of a legal definition for how deposits work.
Look at the definition of the word mutuum.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mutuum
Can't trust these bankers:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/business/janet-yellen-silicon-valley-bank.html
Except:
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-news-today-03-10-2023/card/silicon-valley-bank-ceo-sold-3-6-million-in-shares-days-before-fatal-loss-disclosed-6re8L8VDWjk956bOLaDD
Right wing venture capitalist Peter Theil involved in SVB collapse…
“What finally doomed SVB was that the resulting losses prompted a panic among depositors. This was in no small part thanks to far-right billionaire Peter Thiel’s VC firm Founders Fund, which, after finding out its investors were having trouble transferring money to its SVB accounts, ordered them to send them to other banks and had withdrawn all of its cash by the time the bank started melting down late last week. ”
https://jacobin.com/2023/03/silicon-valley-bank-collapse-financial-regulations-2008-bailout?mc_cid=33c409f89e&mc_eid=5a2883fd7c
Some more explanatory detail, my bold:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/13/briefing/silicon-valley-bank.html
and a cherry on the top:
https://www.axios.com/2023/03/11/silicon-valley-bank-paid-bonuses-fdic
The biggest annual rise in the cost of living in over 30 years.
The cost of living becomes leading election issue..
Government removes GST off food and wins in a landslide.
Government brings in a FTT and windfall tax that more than covers the GST off food, allowing the government to deliver on all their other policies.
Vs.
Government does nothing.
Opposition wins treasury benches
Scraps climate mitigation.
New government begins massive austerity program.
Inequality, social and biosphere decay all increase.
Crime goes up, leading to dystopian repressive policing and enforcement and punishment,
Government just raised super and the benifits, got rid of mostly stupid policies, they gonna win any way
A cost of living increase in superannuitants' income is seen by those voters as 'business as usual' for a government. They certainly won't be expecting a regime change to result in sinking-lid pensions. So don't count that as pork-barrelling. However, they may be in for a nasty surprise. Means-testing, anyone?
Also raises in benefits. Please don't let this be an election policy or touted as something special that this Govt has done, because it is not. To continue with fair policies developed over many years should not be thrown into the pot. By all means have in house policy reviews to improve these as all effeicient bodies should do.
If we do want to look at benefits etc why not have a look at the WEAG report and move on with innovative ideas that we are not doing now.
https://www.weag.govt.nz/weag-report/
The Nats etc will have all sorts of ideas such as raising the age & means testing. Let us look at these and fight them for what they are.
Not every single thing that this Govt has done, including the BAU ones should be lauded. Otherwise we will find ourselves fighting things on efficiency grounds rather than true policy grounds.
So called 'Efficiency' arguments always plays into the Nats hands. A better idea is to ensure that the business of govt is well funded, departments are well staffed and impediments to BAU are stripped away.
From years in the PS I can hand on heart say that the biggest impediment to efficient delivery of both policy and BAU is any sort of wholesale restructuring, realignment, right sizing or any other weasel or waffle words you want to call it.
My thoughts are that the restruscturings of the late 1980s/1990s put a blight on service delivery by Govt that lasted into the 2000s and may still be felt in some Govt Depts. Productivity was slashed as people fought for their jobs, depts had to retool in policy brains etc.
Its been quoted here before, but bears repeating: restructuring as a solution is as old as government, and solves very little!
“We trained hard—but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralisation.”
― Petronius Arbiter
Cost of living increase for NZ Super is business as usual. All the Government does is confirm the increase by Order in Council.
See https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0084/latest/whole.html#DLM113924
Section 15 says increase auto by CPI
Section 16 says min of 66% national average wage (NAW)
As the 66% generally holds the actual increase in Super is the NAW increase. But this year CPI was higher so the % of NAW will be above 66% and so no top up above CPI.
It doesn't seem like any politicians know how it works (worrying) as it's being sold as a extra benefit to pensioners (nope, just what they're entitled to, nothing more) by the Govt and the opposition hasn't pointed it out.
Yes agree with this….continuing with BAU is an expectation not something new. To claim it as 'rah, rah something we have done as a Govt' is spurious and hopefully it is not being done. They should claim for additions/improvements to the lot of everyone or particular people but not for standing still or for meeting legal entitlements. COL increases are not an extra entitlement.
I don't see it as pork barreling, I see it as good ideas, means testing is ridiculously expensive and complicated and the people you're targeting most will dodge it anyway,
Pension means testing works for Oz. And UK. You need to declare income regularly, ie, a pension is not a basic entitlement, but something you continually reapply for. And if your assets are too much, you fund your own retirement.
Some people will find any excuse to do the barest minimum possible.
I suggested if the government removed GST from food to help address the cost of living crisis and replaced it with an FTT and windfall tax, and could win the election in a landslide.
"Government just raised super and the benifits, got rid of mostly stupid policies, they gonna win any way" bwaghorn
If Labour can just scrape in, why should they do more?
Maybe, because it's the right thing to do?
please forget about taking gst off food. its a logistical nightmare for small businesses to piss around and run two different sets of accounts. they do this in aus and its a real pain in the arse. cooked chicken= gst, raw chicken = no gst etc,etc. just forget it. the one good thing about our gst, sales tax ,vat is that it applies at the same rate to all goods and services. before the pedants get here, Im aware that there are exceptions. but it is still the easiest system for a small business to work.
"…its a logistical nightmare for small businesses to piss around and run two different sets of accounts. they do this in aus and its a real pain in the arse. cooked chicken= gst, raw chicken = no gst etc,etc. just forget it." woodart
I didn't say take GST off some food. Taking GST off some food would definitely act to make it complicated. That would be stupid.
There have been many specious excuses made why this shouldn't be done, this is just one of them.
I have been reliably informed by an accountant that making all food GST free is a simple one off change to accounting software. That's it, simple.
The specious complexity argument is demonstrated in an opinion piece by Stephen Hickson of The Conversation who writes 'Some bad ideas never go away'
(I might add, no matter how much some people wish it would)
All this specious argument really boils down to, is that we shouldn't go down the complex, some foods and not other foods, exemption route. GST off food no exceptions! We don't need experts and courts to tell us what food is, we all know what food is.
GST is a regressive flat tax, that neoliberals love because it targets those whose incomes go mostly on paying for their cost of living, whereas wealthy people with excess income above their cost of living, can invest and bank a lot of that income, these investments and returns do not attract GST. GST allows the rich to keep a lot more of their excess wealth. Neoliberal philosophy is based on the idea that if rich people become richer, society becomes richer. It was no coincidence that after GST was introduced by the notoriously neoliberal fourth Labour Government that it was quickly followed by income tax cuts on the highest earners.
Labour's commitment to the 'Purity' of GST is symptomatic of Labour's continuing commitment to neoliberalism.
. none of that screed changes the fact that having two different tax rates makes more work. yr accountant friend doesnt do the donkey work at the coal face of small business. when youve got to be an expert on ALL aspects of business, not just the books, any extra complication is not welcome.Im NOT a fan of gst, having experienced it as a business owner, and customer, but if we have it, lets not complicate it further.
Labour's commitment to the 'Purity' of GST is symptomatic of Labour's continuing commitment to neoliberalism.
Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense. Adjustment of income tax rates would be a better means of redistribution.
If we wished to monkey around with GST, we would want to distinguish between healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and maintain GST on the latter. This would cause enormous complications.
Yeah we get it.
Australians can manage it, but NZ tax officials are shambling morons that could not find their bottoms with both hands and a searchlight.
Australia exempts:
It's just so advanced NZ public servants could never handle it.
"If we wished to monkey around with GST, we would want to distinguish between healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and maintain GST on the latter. This would cause enormous complications." mikesh
Which makes me wonder why would countries like Australia, And Britain and Ireland follow such a stupid practice?
My view is that the partial removal of GST from food was probably the result of a last ditch effort by neoliberal lobbyists to try and keep GST on as many food items as possible, no matter how impossibly complex it makes the GST system..
Of course the partial removal of GST off food would create 'enormous complications'. Which is probably what the neoliberals wanted.
Neoliberalism is a faith based science. Challenge the faith, and the neoliberals will fight you all the way to keep as many food items as possible inside the GST regime and things will deliberately be made to be very complicated as a result.
Which makes me wonder why would countries like Australia, And Britain and Ireland follow such a stupid practice?
Political pressure, probably.
"Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense." mikesh
There is no alternative.
Tina, There Is No Alternative was coined by Roger Douglas the founder of the far right Backbone Club lobby group inside the 4th Labour government caucus that tried to get that government to enact even more extreme right wing measures, including the privatisation of the public health system, as set out in the infamous Gibbs Report on Health.
http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/1997/07/the_health_reforms_and_the_blitzkreig/
David Lange's call for a 'Cup Of Tea' breather to halt this proposed neoliberal dismantling of the Social Welfare health system caused a split inside the Labour caucus between the Backbone Club and the supporters of Lange. This split led to the breakaway formation of the far right Act party.
Of course there was an alternative – tax the rich more. Douglas a millionaire himself wouldn't have a bar of it, but not only out of self interest, but because it went against his belief in his theory of 'Trickle Down'.
Trickle Down being a neoliberal concept that making the rich richer makes society richer.
The following is a slobbering corporate hym in praise of GST.
GST, making New Zealand a low income tax paradise for millionaires. by PwC Partner Eugen Trombitas.
Tina, There Is No Alternative was coined by Roger Douglas
TINA, there is no alternative was first coined by Margaret Thatcher.
It's attributed to Herbert Spencer's mid 19th C book Social Statics.
True. But these days it is associated mainly with Margaret Thatcher.
Except in New Zealand where it is associated mainly with Roger Douglas.
No it isn't. TINA is a Thatcher catchcry erroneously attributed to Roger Douglas because people felt there was a similarity in the pair's respective outlooks.
All this specious argument really boils down to, is that we shouldn't go down the complex, some foods and not other foods, exemption route. GST off food no exceptions!
That sort of argument would be valid for abolishing GST altogether, an option I would support since GST seems to have no useful purpose. I think it was introduced originally as a tax which could not be legally dodged for tax avoidance purposes. However it's questionable whether this is a justification for it given its regressiveness.
However if we are going to have a GST anyway I don't think there is any reason why food should be excluded. The poor can be helped, through the tax system, in other ways.
PS: I thought that GST was not payable on second hand goods. However, when I bought my most recent car, which was second hand, the dealer charged GST. I assume this is normal, but it does seem to be an anomaly. The rationale for exempting second hand goods would be that GST would have been paid on the the item when it was first purchased new. In other words GST can be paid many times on the same vehicle if it changes hands many times through a dealer.
"Labour's commitment to the 'purity of GST' is a symptom of their commitment to common sense." mikesh
Mikesh, you oppose GST being taken off food because it would destroy the 'purity' of GST. But you support it being taken off second hand goods?
Am I right in presuming that the reason second hand goods are exempt from GST is because poorer people who tend to spend proportionately more on buying second hand goods more than rich folk?
Why can't the same 'commitment to common sense' be applied to food?
Afterall poorer people pay proportionately more of their income on food than rich people do.
And now some good news.
Following unprecedented solidarity action by fellow presenters and public pressure.
In a massive victory for free speech Gary Lineka returned to Match of the Day,
Excellent – now let's see the govt. walk back the equally ill-considered sacking of Rob Campbell.
Indeed. When it comes to free speech the world has a long way to go.
A Russian sports presenter who tweeted нет войне would be imprisoned. (and sacked)
A sign or tweet with “нет войне” can earn up to 15yrs in prison. And over 14,000 Russians have been arrested for saying exactly that.
https://twitter.com/Adbusters/status/1503798461619060736
Yes they (Labour Govt) are all over the place with what these Govt appointees to boards etc are expected to do, able to do. It is perhaps lucky that the Nats are similarly bewildered.
They have allowed a level of imprecision in language to explain what is usually a very careful and distinct category of people/what they do/how they are described/how they are 'governed'
People like Rob Campbell, Steve Maharey and Ruth Dyson in their roles as Govt appointees on Boards are not Public Servants…….aaaaaaaaaagh tears hair out including eyebrows!
Do we really have to accept this dumbing down in case it frightens the horses or something or is it just slap dash, we can't be bothered educating people…move on to the next lot of Govt business that we can deliver something slap dash on.
I asked before if Hipkins has employed some of the lesser lights such as Luxon did with the 'Hawaii is really Te Puke' snafu.
Very disappointed as it has not put to bed anything, public servants, the real ones are now being lumped into some category of not being impartial in the delivery of Govts policies by News media.
The Westminister tradition is that public servants are voiceless and defended, if need be, by their Ministers or the Govt.
[deleted]
[What is your intention with dumping YT clips here without any commentary or clear (political) point? Lift your game – Incognito]
Mod note
It speaks for itself, oh! does it run counter to the narrative you like to share on here? Zelensky is admitting to Nazis being in charge and American mercenaries in Ukraine in 2014, an inconvenient truth. Is that explanation enough?
[If you dump links or YT clips here without any added commentary or point of your own, it is highly likely that you will be considered a troll. Trolls often whine that ‘it speaks for itself’, which is s typical lazy troll argument.
If you make up stuff about the contents and/or meaning of material, it is highly likely that you will be considered a troll with an agenda.
If you allege or insinuate that this site has an editorial policy of some kind or an approved and ‘official’ narrative, you clearly don’t know how things work here and haven’t read the site’s About (https://thestandard.org.nz/about/) and Policy (https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/) sections. Read these sections – ignorance is no excuse.
If you want to keep your commenting privileges here this Election Year, you need to lift your game. This is your only warning – Incognito]
Mod note
[deleted]
Well I'm sure it's great for Adelaide ship-building teams, but no I'm not particularly impressed by nuclear-armed submarines in the South Pacific, whether they are run by Australia or not.
Biden To Announce Deal For Australia Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines | HuffPost Latest News
It obviously asks what role our new Poseidons will have in this.
I sure don't feel the need to be a Peacenik but WTF to the proliferation of nuclear arms into Australasia.
Biden himself has reiterated that the Aussie subs will be nuclear powered but NOT nuclear armed.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/13/fact-sheet-trilateral-australia-uk-us-partnership-on-nuclear-powered-submarines/
Our nations have made clear commitments to meet these objectives, including that:
Though the rotational force may be problematic:
Guess we will just have to look for Aussie flags flying from the periscope?
The point is to extend the range of their subs – now basically a coast guard, to take out any foreign military ships trying to land.
Nuclear powered ones can be at sea for longer (thus more at the same time), and thus participate in any engagement further afield.
There purpose is the containment of Chinese military/navy (to the sea off China-Taiwan) kept away from ASEAN and Japan/South Korea (protect other trade routes if there are sanctions on China).
The need for them diminishes (rather than ends) if there is a deal over the future of Taiwan (say formally recognised as part of China from 2049, and only before then if Taipei and Beijing agree to terms over autonomy).
The P8's & the Frigates is always has been Trade Protection which is a wee bit hard to train for in Peacetime as Shipping Companies, Unions & Freight Forwarding services etc don't like getting bossed by the military to do Convoy (Trade Protection) Exercises.
So they practise their respective skill sets within various Allied Surface Battle, Escort & Support Groups.
P8's might get a tad more busy as the various Subs run along in the kermadec trench, which btw is being mapped by the Chinese courtesy of Joint NZ MFAT Funding arrangement!
Going to be some need to review what kind of Navy that NZ wants in future, considering that NZ's economy is an export led & is heavily dependent on have freedom of navigation IRT the various Sea Lanes of Communications to those Export Countries & same same in reverse for all those imports the NZ relies on to keep the economy ticking.
Some very hard questions need to be asked now! At political, defence, economic, trade & foreign affairs level at where NZ goes now?
Or else NZ will get sucked into to this shit sandwich weather it wants too or not & I doubt many here would have the guts or prepared to sacrifice something for Armed Neutrality which "might" avoid NZ from sucked into this vortex of this impending shit sandwich heading this way?
Well said as ever Scud.
Questions for the Australian government;
Is it the Australian government and armed forces intention to respect New Zealand laws?
Is it the Australian government and armed forces intention to keep Australian nuclear powered vessels out of New Zealand administered waters?
Will the Australian government and armed forces publicly agree to keep all non-New Zealand devices and installations, as defined in the relevant New Zealand legislation, out of New Zealand.
Will the Australian government publicly agree not to disregard New Zealand's Nuclear Free laws?
In line with a lawful request of the New Zealand authorities, if specifically asked, whether or not the Australian government and armed forces are operating any nuclear vessel in New Zealand waters, will the Australian authorities agree to provide the New Zealand authorities an answer?
In line with the neither confirm nor deny nuclear policy of both your US and UK AUKUS partners – if specifically asked, will you neither confirm nor deny if you operating any nuclear vessels in New Zealand waters?
A real chewy and entertaining discussion between Katherin Ryan and Patrick Smellie, starting at 12 min. It's on the gap between recent aspirational government planning documents and the reality of implementation. Katherine mentions wider comments as a mix of critique, with a kind of regret for the old Public Service.
RNZ Katherine Ryan interview discussing government transformation policies
Morning Report often brings analytical depth that is missing conspicuously elsewhere. It's due 90% to Ryan's energetic curiosity, without the barbs of Kim Hill, but certainly with a bigger breadth of topic. Her poor brain at night, when does it rest? Whereas one can imagine Kim easily switching off with a stiff G&T.
Sorry, Nine to Noon
Published in the Guardian about the UK. It equally applies here.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/13/britain-cost-of-living-crisis-bosses-profits-shareholders-workers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other