We are so lucky to have MMP in NZ. George Monbiot explains here that really only the Greens have effective social and climate-change friendly policies in the UK. But under the useless and long discredited FPP system still used in the UK the Greens will be lucky to get 4 seats out of 650 seats in the House of Commons in the upcoming election, meaning their effect on legislation is minimal.
Geez mate, I wanna find a reason to vote for you, but you sound more like a fixer for when the Nats drift back to the centre after they f- things than a Labour leader.
I want a leader who stands in the house sure of Labour values and not appeasement of shirking and anti-science by this bunch of big business beneficiaries. Why are we subsidising landlords, tobacco companies and farmers who avoid climate responsibilities?
In a speech to Local government New Zealand on Thursday night, Chris Bishop said he wanted government grant funding to become a last resort for councils.
"And you've seen Simeon Brown recently launch the Pothole Prevention Fund because we've been underinvesting in maintenance on our roads, and the speech signals that we're looking at things like congestion pricing to make better use of the existing roads that we have around the country, and manage demand on our roads.
"That's the point of the speech – to change some of the way we do things."
Using Chromium on a Raspberry Pi, and then on a tablet using Firefox, I have both times received a warning that the site is insecure, this site may be fake. Is this likely to be a scam.
Fixed. Operator error complicated by sleeping in*.
I left the cdn.thestandard.org.nz pointed to the cdn supplier after I'd changed it to use cdn2. Forgot to shift it back to the server.
It broke the automatic generation of the SSL cert. Fixed it at the DNS and regenerated the certs. Should clear up after the caches expire.
Having fun being newly partially and probably temporarily retired. Kiwisaver landed in my account yesterday. Been having fun writing code without deadlines and taking time to examine language features. Up at 0430 for an idea. Back to bed at 0745. Up again at 1155. Hopefully I'll get a job shortly, hopefully before the first full payment of super on the 18th, but probably whenever National's artificially generated business confidence recession wanes a bit.
The interest on the frozen assets is being used as collateral for the $50 billion in loans, they aren't just giving them the interest.
If they just gave the interest (or the assets) to Ukraine that would be theft. Although I'm positive they will be drafting laws in the meantime that will eventually allow them to confiscate those assets.
This is the view of course if you look at the world with rose tints on. The other view is that not in a million years would the financial institutions that currently hold those assets give them up willingly. They won't even allow the interest to be used as collateral unless the loan is guaranteed by the US government.
As usual with anything money related, the banks always win.
The disestablished roles included people involved in work that helps schools with children with disabilities and with projects such as free school lunches that tackle inequities for Māori and Pacific children.
The proposed new structure did not appear to include any nutrition or food safety roles.
The system delivery team charged with funding and supporting schools and early learning services would drop from 177 to 106 roles with some jobs moved to other divisions and only 30 occupied roles axed.
In the learning support division, which supports children with disabilities, seven occupied and 11 vacant positions, most of them advisers, would be cut and two created
However it is supporting (restoring) charter schools and boosting specialist schools
The Government is increasing the number of specialist classrooms for students with additional needs.
It's funding $89 million as part of this year's Budget towards redeveloping and increasing specialist facilities for students with high needs. Under the funding, three specialist schools in poor condition will be upgraded and 17 special classrooms on host school sites – aka satellite classrooms – will be added.
Sommerville Special School's redevelopment will include 22 new teaching spaces with connecting walkways and canopies, more parking and fresh building and infrastructure to house the new co-funded hydrotherapy pools and equipment.
"A report recently released by the Education Review Office (ERO) highlights that some of our most vulnerable learners are in classrooms that are in a terrible condition," Stanford said.
"I was horrified to learn about the unacceptable state of specialist school property and the long wait lists of more than 650 children, following significant underinvestment in maintenance and growth."
The Government will also include specialist schools and satellite classrooms in network planning for the first time.
"A specialist schools work programme is also underway to ensure children get the critical services they need. This work is part of the Government's six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system," Stanford said.
No one to oversee the supply … parents can be trusted, locals can be but centralised suppliers … when there is no regulatory standard check?
Replacing an $8 a hot meal with a $3 meal – a day old sandwich (centralised supply) and piece of fruit. Protein … and other nutrition? Trust David Seymour?
The petrodollar agreement, formalized after the 1973 oil crisis, stipulated that Saudi Arabia would price its oil exports exclusively in U.S. dollars and invest its surplus oil revenues in U.S. Treasury bonds. In return, the U.S. provided military support and protection to the kingdom. This arrangement was a win-win situation for both; the U.S. gained a stable source of oil and a captive market for its debt, while Saudi Arabia secured its economic and overall security.
Oil has diminished as a share of the world economy.
That leaves open the issue of Treasury Bonds because of rising debt – currently 30 year home loans at 7%.
It's 40 years today since a punch drunk (and actually drunk) Muldoon announced the snap election that led to the start of the silent coup by the Rogernomes and Ruthenomes. I've posted some relevant links and commentary here;
I was a child in the 1980s and most people my age and younger have been swimming in the neoliberal kool-aid all our lives. It's essential to mark anniversaries like this and to point to rigorously researched documentation of what was changed, the claims about what the changes would achieve, and what actually happened.
Classic example; the corporatisation and privatisation of intercity transport will lead to a thriving competitive market which will drive prices down and quality up. We now have a monopoly train company, 2 inter-island ferry services, only one of which can carry trains (and only one aging ferry in their fleet), and a virtual monopoly on intercity buses. Prices are astronomical – especially for trains – and whole regions not served by public transport at all (eg Westland and Buller).
If anyone wants to help with research and writing for an website that exposes these political-economic realities, and debunks the corporatist kool-aid the current government are clearly still drinking, please reach out.
1984 should be writ large on the NZ historical calendar of this country.
I recently read some articles about the 1984 election and contrary to what is generally understood, Rogernomics was not a preordained political coup. In fact it started out as just a response to Muldoonism, but over time Roger Douglas and co. began to see it as a tool which they could use to alter the course of history. They believed for the better. They were mostly wrong.
It should also be remembered that 1984 arguably saw the first terrorist act on NZ soil. I refer to the Trades Hall bombing in March. I have also been reading up on that affair and it looks to me like it was the work of a small group of people. They were not only ideologically opposed to Trade Unions. but they also had strong pro-nuclear sentiments. In other words, it was a political act. Unfortunately I can say no more than that at this time.
The explosion broke hotel windows and terrified hotel staff and patrons and others in the vicinity were traumatised by the sight of Roberts' body parts scattered around the area.
Not what they told me. They told me he freaked out, that people were there. And walked away, then he blew up himself up. If he had done it at the door, there would have been deaths.
Terrorism, the calculated use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective. Terrorism has been practiced by political organizations with both rightist and leftist objectives, by nationalistic and religious groups, by revolutionaries, and even by state institutions such as armies, intelligence services, and police.
Why do you always have to take an adversarial approach to anything certain people may say here?
I should not have to point out the reason I used the word "arguably" in my original comment. It should be obvious. "NZ's first terrorist act" was a common description in the years following the incident, but there is some disagreement about that. Fair enough.
I gather you do not agree 1984 was an historically important “pivotal” year for NZ. 🙄
Edit: Oh and I did no such “pivot”. That was your chosen negative interpretation. You are wrong. I was extending the reason why I believe 1984 was such an important year and the fallout continues.
So – let's hear your argument. Why do you think that the TU bombing was the first act of terrorism on NZ soil? What was significantly different about it to the other 'arguably' terrorist acts which preceded it?
I think that 1984 was an incredibly important year, politically – and was the beginning of a massive and far-reaching change to the fabric of NZ society. That seems entirely uncontroversial. Zip to do with terrorism, however.
"1984 arguably saw the first terrorist act on NZ soil. .."
So what would you call the bombing of the Wanganui computer center in 1982? Or the 1975 intended bombing of the Indian consulate by the Ananda Marga group? Or the 2 Hare Krishna people who died when the bomb they were going to attack a meatworks with exploded prematurely? Or the numerous reported and kept hush hush acts of political violence during the Springbok tour in 1981, such as the fact that five bombs at various locations exploded, four undetonated improvised explosive devices were located, and multiple bomb-threats were made against various locations.
"they also had strong pro-nuclear sentiments.."
What evidence do you have for that and why would a pro nuclear stance be a contributing factor in planting a bomb at a union hall? Also, were unions in 1984 anti nuclear ? (keeping in mind that back then union members were not only working class but the unions themselves were almost entirely staffed and run by the working class.)
The so called evidence released in I think 2018 or 2019 included a comment / statement that the suitcase in question was lined with pages 9.10.19 and 20 of the June 18, 1977 evening post. These exact pages were found to be missing from the same edition of the newspaper found during a police search of the house of the main suspect.
Add to that the facts that the suspect was a loaner and a hoarder with expertise in explosives, a violent past, a history of redundancies and was 'thought' to be anti union.
Plus Components similar to those used in the construction of the bomb were also found at his house.
That's pretty strong circumstantial evidence.
Then again you only really need to think a bit about the facts that in terms of 'homemade' bombs, this was pretty sophisticated (mercury switch, etc). The bomb was left outside George Thompson's print room. Thompson was heavily involved in the motor industry struggles against the government. The case remains unsolved despite the discovered evidence, the high profile, the rewards offered, etc, which would indicate blind luck on behalf of a lone bomber or more likely some involvement of the intelligence services or some other shadowy government entity.
"..it was a political act…"
Yep, that's what terrorism is.
(Although terrorists usually publicize their involvement by claiming responsibility, to publicize their political argument and make people aware of their side of the argument. which of course didn't happen in this case.)
"Unfortunately I can say no more than that at this time."
Why not? I hope that if you have any further evidence or any evidence that points to perpetrator(s) other than the main suspect that you are discussing it with the police???
The ripples from this failed experiment are wreaking havoc to this day.
Welfare for working people, the dismantling of unions, the rise and rise of strangers raising our young and caring for our elderly, never seen before inequality can all be laid at neo-liberalism's door.
Presumably you've seen the Toby Manhire series which commemorates precisely this.
Personally I think Muldoon is more to blame than either Lange or Douglas.
Muldoon kept us inside a statist cage for too long, refused to devalue the dollar, only very grudgingly handed over power after the election, and pushed Treasury and the new government into unnecessary crisis in its first months.
A nice meta analysis. I've always liked this comment in it.
Overall, private ownership offers more incentives for cost reduction, but these incentives can induce quality erosion. Ensuring quality under privatization requires increased oversight, which can blur the line between public and private ownership (Guttman, 2000; Bozeman, 1987). As the difference between public and private ownership disappears, the potential for cost savings from private ownership may disappear as well.
And of course the post-Soviet Union period had some interesting issues.
What was revealing was how many of these emissaries of the capitalist way seemed to believe the myth that all that was good in the British and American economies had been constructed by the free market. They seemed to believe, or talked, made speeches, wrote papers as if they believed, that the entire structure of their own wealthy modern societies – the roads, the electricity grids, the railways, the water and sewage systems, the universal postal services, the telecoms networks, housing, education and health care – had been brought into being by individual entrepreneurs driven by desire for gain, with the occasional lump of charity thrown in, and that a bloated, parasitical state had come shambling onto the scene, seizing assets and demanding free stuff for its shirker buddies.
Plus even if all of the so called benefits actually happened (which they didn't and never do), would the dollar amount consumers from these 'benefits' plus the amout received from the sale be more than the value of the publicly owned assets which were sold? (including future projected returns / appreciation for the public if assets kept)
Why Dutton is restoking the climate wars: politics with Amy Remeikis – video [14 June 2024]
The Australian climate wars appear to be back, with Peter Dutton leading the charge. The opposition leader told News Corp he would not support the nationally legislated 2030 emissions reduction target, triggering accusations he would put Australia in breach of the landmark Paris climate agreement. So what's the play? According to political reporter Amy Remeikis, it has a lot do with 'distraction' and an upcoming election.
Meanwhile, our CoC govt is doing all it can to meet commitments to the Paris climate agreement NZ signed in 2016. "It’s a case of slower to go faster", apparently.
In recent decades human activities have resulted in a significant imbalance between the energy spaceship Earth absorbs from the sun, and the energy it loses to space. This imbalance is causing spaceship Earth to heat up.
Have any global warming models been correct in their predictions up until now?
“Equilibrium global warming including slow feedbacks for today’s human-made greenhouse gas (GHG) climate forcing (4.1 W/m2) is 10°C, reduced to 8°C by today’s aerosols”
… models are useful and even necessary for analysis of the complex climate system, but sometimes the models contain hocus-pocus. As we mention in our current paper, they can assume, in effect, that “a miracle will occur.” So, the models need to be continually checked against the real world.
Our research is focused on real world data and comparison with models, with the hope of gaining insights about how the climate system works and where the real world is headed.
In 2012, NASA scientists reported that to stop global warming atmospheric CO2 concentration would have to be reduced to 350 ppm or less, assuming all other climate forcings were fixed. As of 2020, atmospheric CO2 reached 415 ppm and all long-lived greenhouse gases exceeded a 500 ppm CO2-equivalent concentration due to continued growth in human emissions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_energy_budget
What’s to blame for collapse? [27 March 2024] Dave: Hi Jem. You’ve got a new book out – Breaking Together, and you’ve changed your position slightly haven’t you – you’re saying that collapse is a process not an event, and that it’s more than inevitable – it’s already underway.
Jem: Yes. It’s been 5 years since the Deep Adaptation paper, since when I’ve discovered it’s much worse than I thought. In the majority of countries we looked at, quality of life indicators have been falling since 2015. That can be related to the underlying systems – energy, food, biosphere, economy, money, climate. Then the question is: ‘what to do about it?’ (and ‘what not to do about it?’).
…
… there’s a chapter in the book on the money system, and how it enslaves us to a particular way of being in the world. We’ve all grown up with it, and so been manipulated and coerced into a destructive approach to life. We don’t know what it would be like to live free of that – how much we could be cooperating with each other, rather than harming each other and nature.
With each of these framings — collapse, catastrophe, extinction – people describe different degrees of certainty. Different people speak of a scenario being possible, probable or inevitable. In my conversations with both professionals in sustainability or climate, and others not directly involved, I have found that people choose a scenario and a probability depending not on what the data and its analysis might suggest, but what they are choosing to live with as a story about this topic. That parallels findings in psychology that none of us are purely logic machines but relate information into stories about how things relate and why. None of us are immune to that process. Currently, I have chosen to interpret the information as indicating inevitable collapse, probable catastrophe and possible extinction.
My own conclusion that it is too late to prevent a breakdown in modern civilization in most countries within our lifetimes is not purely based on an assessment of climate science. It's based on my view of society, politics, economics from having worked on probably 25 countries across five continents, worked in the intergovernmental sector of the U.N., been part of the World Economic Forum, working in senior management in environmental groups, being on boards of investment funds.
Apologies, I missed an embedded link in the Energy Budget excerpt, and the two (duplicate) links in "atmospheric CO2 is 427.53 ppm", where one would do.
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
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 ...
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 ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – The United States shares the pathologies of all dying empires with their mixture of buffoonery, rampant corruption, military fiascos, economic collapse and savage state repression.ANALYSIS: By Chris Hedges The billionaires, Christian fascists, grifters, psychopaths, imbeciles, narcissists and deviants who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has secured bipartisan support for a major new regime covering political donations and spending, after making significant concessions. The government agreed to increase the proposed threshold above which donations must be disclosed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With the election only months away, the Labor government finds itself suddenly battling with the Trump administration for an exemption from new US tariffs on steel and aluminium. The opposition has supported the effort, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julee McDonagh, Senior Research Fellow of Frailty Research, University of Wollongong PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Ageing is a normal part of the life course. It doesn’t matter how many green smoothies you drink, or how many “anti-ageing” skin care products you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Critical Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie University The Conversation, CC BY-SAAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. Colonial commemorations ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Masarik/Shutterstock In some overseas countries, pets can travel with their owners in a plane’s cabin, in a carrier under a seat. In Australia, pets must travel in the ...
A raft of proposed legislation changes to the media and screen industry have been announced this morning – we read through it all all so you don’t have to. What’s all this then? This morning the Ministry for Culture and Heritage released its draft proposed changes to media and screen ...
David Seymour's recent off-road parliamentary excursion led to a reprimand from the Speaker, who also said the rules didn't apply to this instance. What are the rules? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Morgenbesser, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Griffith University Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States government in recent ...
By Patrick Decloitre,RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls has announced he will travel to New Caledonia later this month to pursue talks on the French territory’s political future. These discussions on February 22 follow preliminary talks held last week in Paris in “bilateral” mode ...
As Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to resume war, Hamas outlines widespread Israeli ceasefire violations in document sent to the mediators.By Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous of Dropsite News Hamas officials submitted a two-page report to mediators yesterday listing a wide range of Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire since ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murray Print, Professor of Education, University of Sydney A federal parliamentary inquiry has just recommended civics and citizenship become a compulsory part of the Australian Curriculum, which covers the first year of school to Year 10. The committee also recommended a ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Claire Baylis, author of Dice and guest at the forthcoming HamLit programme at the Hamilton Arts Festival. The book I wish I’d writtenMy mind seems surprisingly unwilling ...
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. ...
We are so lucky to have MMP in NZ. George Monbiot explains here that really only the Greens have effective social and climate-change friendly policies in the UK. But under the useless and long discredited FPP system still used in the UK the Greens will be lucky to get 4 seats out of 650 seats in the House of Commons in the upcoming election, meaning their effect on legislation is minimal.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/12/green-party-manifesto-labour-wealth-tax-public-services-keir-starmer
Contrast this with MMP in NZ where the Greens 12.6 per cent vote gives them 15 seats out of 123.
Geez mate, I wanna find a reason to vote for you, but you sound more like a fixer for when the Nats drift back to the centre after they f- things than a Labour leader.
I want a leader who stands in the house sure of Labour values and not appeasement of shirking and anti-science by this bunch of big business beneficiaries. Why are we subsidising landlords, tobacco companies and farmers who avoid climate responsibilities?
While you remain unsure I can’t vote Labour.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/06/hipkins-is-still-useless.html
Finally ! So HEAVY trucks..and their also associated heavy trailers will be paying for the damage they actually cause ?
Small rural town Ratepayers (and others) will be happy their streets/roads will be paid for by those who do the most damage !
It's chilling to be reminded that Simeon Brown has actual influence on policy.
Rest assured it will users that don't have a lobby group that will be paying.
The trucking industry is untouchable in this country.
Marvelous.
@ActionMovieKid
I never knew this entire scene was directly quoting an actual former US president.</em
https://x.com/ActionMovieKid/status/1801002617436348710
(context:https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/06/10/trump-sharks-vegas-nevada-speech/74042419007/)
Using Chromium on a Raspberry Pi, and then on a tablet using Firefox, I have both times received a warning that the site is insecure, this site may be fake. Is this likely to be a scam.
Fixed. Operator error complicated by sleeping in*.
I left the cdn.thestandard.org.nz pointed to the cdn supplier after I'd changed it to use cdn2. Forgot to shift it back to the server.
It broke the automatic generation of the SSL cert. Fixed it at the DNS and regenerated the certs. Should clear up after the caches expire.
Thanks.
I got the same warning,
Some food for thought in this interview.
Especially the more strident amongst us with a black and white view.
I get the bully who harassed Maureen Pugh the other day may have been het up the government at large but he was definitely out if order
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018942676/does-new-zealand-have-a-global-responsibility-to-mine-more-locally
$50B to Ukraine from the interest on the frozen Russian money ($300B).
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cllldqyg19ro
Why not just use the $300 billion?
I suspect it is being left for claim of reparations – rebuild when there is peace.
The interest on the frozen assets is being used as collateral for the $50 billion in loans, they aren't just giving them the interest.
If they just gave the interest (or the assets) to Ukraine that would be theft. Although I'm positive they will be drafting laws in the meantime that will eventually allow them to confiscate those assets.
This is the view of course if you look at the world with rose tints on. The other view is that not in a million years would the financial institutions that currently hold those assets give them up willingly. They won't even allow the interest to be used as collateral unless the loan is guaranteed by the US government.
As usual with anything money related, the banks always win.
The BBC article says that the interest itself is being used.
Can you cite your source?
National has been reducing support to children with disability.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/disability-sector-appalled-by-sudden-restrictions-on-support-funding-it-makes-my-blood-boil/5XSXAWKARRGXZIJAS3K4XVV2MQ
Also to state schools
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/education-ministry-cuts-roles-supporting-disabled-kids-among-those-proposed-to-be-axed/6ES4IXUXUVEJ3PFOXDETR35PTI/
However it is supporting (restoring) charter schools and boosting specialist schools
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/06/government-to-improve-and-increase-number-of-specialist-classrooms.html
This indicates a clear direction to move from state to either charter or specialist schools.
"The proposed new structure did not appear to include any nutrition or food safety roles."
Hmmm, let's see…. Make sure the unprocessed food is good quality and includes protein, along with some fresh fruit and veges.
Make sure that whoever is turning that unprocessed food into lunches (i.e making sandwiches and cutting the fruit / veges) wash their hands first.
Problem solved. No need to create a multitude of unnecessary jobs and layers of bureaucracy.
Children in the 60's, 70's and beyond managed to survive without all of these so called experts.
No one to oversee the supply … parents can be trusted, locals can be but centralised suppliers … when there is no regulatory standard check?
Replacing an $8 a hot meal with a $3 meal – a day old sandwich (centralised supply) and piece of fruit. Protein … and other nutrition? Trust David Seymour?
Should we all freak out?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-saudi-petrodollar-pact-ends-after-50-years/ar-BB1o29sn
Probably a little.
And no before anyone thinks the yen or the rupee is the replacement, it will not be.
It's just that Saudi Arabia have let the 50 year deal slide.
So they can sell oil in yen, pounds, euro's, rupee and dollars.
Oil has diminished as a share of the world economy.
That leaves open the issue of Treasury Bonds because of rising debt – currently 30 year home loans at 7%.
It's 40 years today since a punch drunk (and actually drunk) Muldoon announced the snap election that led to the start of the silent coup by the Rogernomes and Ruthenomes. I've posted some relevant links and commentary here;
https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/@strypey/112611354663649162
I was a child in the 1980s and most people my age and younger have been swimming in the neoliberal kool-aid all our lives. It's essential to mark anniversaries like this and to point to rigorously researched documentation of what was changed, the claims about what the changes would achieve, and what actually happened.
Classic example; the corporatisation and privatisation of intercity transport will lead to a thriving competitive market which will drive prices down and quality up. We now have a monopoly train company, 2 inter-island ferry services, only one of which can carry trains (and only one aging ferry in their fleet), and a virtual monopoly on intercity buses. Prices are astronomical – especially for trains – and whole regions not served by public transport at all (eg Westland and Buller).
If anyone wants to help with research and writing for an website that exposes these political-economic realities, and debunks the corporatist kool-aid the current government are clearly still drinking, please reach out.
1984 should be writ large on the NZ historical calendar of this country.
I recently read some articles about the 1984 election and contrary to what is generally understood, Rogernomics was not a preordained political coup. In fact it started out as just a response to Muldoonism, but over time Roger Douglas and co. began to see it as a tool which they could use to alter the course of history. They believed for the better. They were mostly wrong.
It should also be remembered that 1984 arguably saw the first terrorist act on NZ soil. I refer to the Trades Hall bombing in March. I have also been reading up on that affair and it looks to me like it was the work of a small group of people. They were not only ideologically opposed to Trade Unions. but they also had strong pro-nuclear sentiments. In other words, it was a political act. Unfortunately I can say no more than that at this time.
Looks like there were a number of earlier violent acts of protest (terrorism) in NZ.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/terrorism-and-counter-terrorism/page-1
Not to mention the attempt to assassinate the Queen in 1981 – depends on whether you regard him as a lone nutter, or a political terrorist…..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_John_Lewis
Or the 1982 attempt to blow up the Wanganui computer – which was definitely a political act.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanganui_Computer_Centre_bombing
Totally disagree that it was an act of terrorism.
Neil Roberts chose to walk away when he found out people were in the building and kill himself.
To call Neil a terrorist is just Tory propaganda.
No he didn't. He tried to kill security workers.
What was then the Federal Hotel at 2 Taupo Quay, 250m from 3 Park Place where Roberts detonated his IED, was a late-opener catering to shift workers.
The explosion broke hotel windows and terrified hotel staff and patrons and others in the vicinity were traumatised by the sight of Roberts' body parts scattered around the area.
what's the evidence that he intended to kill security workers?
Security were on the other side of that demolished door. When queried through the intercom, Roberts detonated his IED.
Not what they told me. They told me he freaked out, that people were there. And walked away, then he blew up himself up. If he had done it at the door, there would have been deaths.
It was a national data centre, not a fucking dairy, and it was designed to keep men with .303's and improvised explosive devices out.
Have you talked to anyone there, or is this just feelings your running with?
I'm pretty sure there were terrorist acts during colonisation too.
I suppose you could class Hone Heke's cutting down flagpoles as being Terrorism couldn't you?
Our truest and greatest terrorist was Te Rauparaha, a true raping, slaving mass murderer.
Maybe Te Atiawa don't feel that way but the entire South Island iwi do.
From Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrorism
Granted, that is wide ranging. However I think most people recognise it as being politically and/or ideologically motivated acts of violence.
However that wasn't the purpose of my comment @ 11.1. It was to point out that 1984 should go down as a pivotal year in NZ history.
All of which had happened in NZ well before the 1984 Trades Union bombing.
You pivoted from the OP point of the transformational 1984 election to associate it with the "first terrorist act on NZ soil"
You were wrong.
Why do you always have to take an adversarial approach to anything certain people may say here?
I should not have to point out the reason I used the word "arguably" in my original comment. It should be obvious. "NZ's first terrorist act" was a common description in the years following the incident, but there is some disagreement about that. Fair enough.
I gather you do not agree 1984 was an historically important “pivotal” year for NZ. 🙄
Edit: Oh and I did no such “pivot”. That was your chosen negative interpretation. You are wrong. I was extending the reason why I believe 1984 was such an important year and the fallout continues.
So – let's hear your argument. Why do you think that the TU bombing was the first act of terrorism on NZ soil? What was significantly different about it to the other 'arguably' terrorist acts which preceded it?
I think that 1984 was an incredibly important year, politically – and was the beginning of a massive and far-reaching change to the fabric of NZ society. That seems entirely uncontroversial. Zip to do with terrorism, however.
"1984 arguably saw the first terrorist act on NZ soil. .."
So what would you call the bombing of the Wanganui computer center in 1982? Or the 1975 intended bombing of the Indian consulate by the Ananda Marga group? Or the 2 Hare Krishna people who died when the bomb they were going to attack a meatworks with exploded prematurely? Or the numerous reported and kept hush hush acts of political violence during the Springbok tour in 1981, such as the fact that five bombs at various locations exploded, four undetonated improvised explosive devices were located, and multiple bomb-threats were made against various locations.
"they also had strong pro-nuclear sentiments.."
What evidence do you have for that and why would a pro nuclear stance be a contributing factor in planting a bomb at a union hall? Also, were unions in 1984 anti nuclear ? (keeping in mind that back then union members were not only working class but the unions themselves were almost entirely staffed and run by the working class.)
The so called evidence released in I think 2018 or 2019 included a comment / statement that the suitcase in question was lined with pages 9.10.19 and 20 of the June 18, 1977 evening post. These exact pages were found to be missing from the same edition of the newspaper found during a police search of the house of the main suspect.
Add to that the facts that the suspect was a loaner and a hoarder with expertise in explosives, a violent past, a history of redundancies and was 'thought' to be anti union.
Plus Components similar to those used in the construction of the bomb were also found at his house.
That's pretty strong circumstantial evidence.
Then again you only really need to think a bit about the facts that in terms of 'homemade' bombs, this was pretty sophisticated (mercury switch, etc). The bomb was left outside George Thompson's print room. Thompson was heavily involved in the motor industry struggles against the government. The case remains unsolved despite the discovered evidence, the high profile, the rewards offered, etc, which would indicate blind luck on behalf of a lone bomber or more likely some involvement of the intelligence services or some other shadowy government entity.
"..it was a political act…"
Yep, that's what terrorism is.
(Although terrorists usually publicize their involvement by claiming responsibility, to publicize their political argument and make people aware of their side of the argument. which of course didn't happen in this case.)
"Unfortunately I can say no more than that at this time."
Why not? I hope that if you have any further evidence or any evidence that points to perpetrator(s) other than the main suspect that you are discussing it with the police???
Thanks for the reminder.
The ripples from this failed experiment are wreaking havoc to this day.
Welfare for working people, the dismantling of unions, the rise and rise of strangers raising our young and caring for our elderly, never seen before inequality can all be laid at neo-liberalism's door.
Presumably you've seen the Toby Manhire series which commemorates precisely this.
Personally I think Muldoon is more to blame than either Lange or Douglas.
Muldoon kept us inside a statist cage for too long, refused to devalue the dollar, only very grudgingly handed over power after the election, and pushed Treasury and the new government into unnecessary crisis in its first months.
A simple summary of privitisation issues.
https://weownit.org.uk/privatisation
A nice meta analysis. I've always liked this comment in it.
Overall, private ownership offers more incentives for cost reduction, but these incentives can induce quality erosion. Ensuring quality under privatization requires increased oversight, which can blur the line between public and private ownership (Guttman, 2000; Bozeman, 1987). As the difference between public and private ownership disappears, the potential for cost savings from private ownership may disappear as well.
http://www.ub.edu/graap/JPAM_BFW.pdf
And of course the post-Soviet Union period had some interesting issues.
What was revealing was how many of these emissaries of the capitalist way seemed to believe the myth that all that was good in the British and American economies had been constructed by the free market. They seemed to believe, or talked, made speeches, wrote papers as if they believed, that the entire structure of their own wealthy modern societies – the roads, the electricity grids, the railways, the water and sewage systems, the universal postal services, the telecoms networks, housing, education and health care – had been brought into being by individual entrepreneurs driven by desire for gain, with the occasional lump of charity thrown in, and that a bloated, parasitical state had come shambling onto the scene, seizing assets and demanding free stuff for its shirker buddies.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/22/sale-of-century-privatisation-scam
Nothing I read in the last twenty years says it gave us the promised improvements.
Plus even if all of the so called benefits actually happened (which they didn't and never do), would the dollar amount consumers from these 'benefits' plus the amout received from the sale be more than the value of the publicly owned assets which were sold? (including future projected returns / appreciation for the public if assets kept)
Several global warming models predict 1.5˚C of above pre-industrial temperatures by 2030, and +2˚C by 2050 – think positive.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-what-record-global-heat-means-for-breaching-the-1-5c-warming-limit/
Meanwhile, our CoC govt is doing all it can to meet commitments to the Paris climate agreement NZ signed in 2016. "It’s a case of slower to go faster", apparently.
https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/get-involved/exploring-the-issues/the-2050-target/
Turbulent, distracting times ahead – keep your seat belt fastened, if you can afford one.
"Several global warming models predict 1.5˚C of above pre-industrial temperatures by 2030, and +2˚C by 2050 "
Have any global warming models been correct in their predictions up until now?
In recent decades human activities have resulted in a significant imbalance between the energy spaceship Earth absorbs from the sun, and the energy it loses to space. This imbalance is causing spaceship Earth to heat up.
14 June 2024 atmospheric CO2 is 427.53 ppm – overshoot lifestyles are addictive.
Let's just hope that Hansen, Bendell and other meddling scientists are very wrong.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/04/more-than-1000-climate-scientists-urge-public-to-become-activists
[Caught in Spam-trap because too many links. Please consider shorter more succinct comments with fewer links – Incognito]
Mod note
Apologies, I missed an embedded link in the Energy Budget excerpt, and the two (duplicate) links in "atmospheric CO2 is 427.53 ppm", where one would do.
Will try to limit the number of links in future.