Medvedev wrote that Russia has not yet used “its full arsenal” of weapons and has not struck “all potential enemy targets.” He added that “there is time for everything.” ”
In light of Russia's armed forces weakness and failure on the battlefield, Medvedev's comment that Russia has not used its full arsenal of weapons and his veiled threat to strike, a mighty enemy and/or alliance of enemies, that the Russian imperialists intend to continue their expansion and aggression to establish their ‘future world order’ under the cover of their nuclear umbrella.
They have told themselves stories of their manifest superiority for too long, and rather than try to grow into those role models, they have rested upon them. A few political parties here have the same vice, just not yet carried to the same extremes.
I think it is time to view the Russian nuclear sabre rattling as an empty threat.
As one commentator I heard said, the Russian narrative gets the world talking about the Russian nukes rather than the great success of the Ukrainian military.
China has told Russia nukes are a red line for them. So, basically telling their poodle to get back in line.
A death cult calling for a MAD attack on Washington?
I wonder if these people have children or anyone to cherish.
I also wonder if there has ever been an equivalent death cult calling for a MAD strike on the Kremlin, or is this just a Russian thing?
I notice that these protesters aren't being violently dragged into police vans.
While these MAD protesters obviously have the support of the police and the Russian state, thank goodness this well rehearsed death cult is not representative of most Russians, many thousands of Russians have been arrested and dragged away into police vans for protesting against the war in Ukraine.
to establish their ‘future world order’ under the cover of their nuclear umbrella.
A "new world order" does not imply that that order will be unipolar. The latter (under US hegemony) is really the USA's ambition.
Putin has said recently that he will not use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Do we believe him? Ukraine will have to gamble on him keeping his word since they can't reasonably back down at this stage.
‘ A "new world order" does not imply that that order will be unipolar.mikesh
Mikesh, nowhere did I imply that the Russian Federation "new world order" would be unipolar.
The supporters of Russian and Chinese expansion and aggression allegedly want a 'multipolar world order' by the so called BRIC countries.
Brazil, Russia, Iran, China
The last powers to attempt to impose a new multipolar world order;
The US dollar is at present the world's reserve currency. The BRIC countries, understandably, would like to change that. It seems that some sort of "pandora's box" was opened when Nixon severed the US dollar from its connection with gold.
‘ “The US dollar is at present the world’s reserve currency.”mikesh
So what?
“The BRIC countries, understandably, would like to change that.”mickesh
Sure, I can see why they might want that.
The British Pound was once the world's default currency. Which of course must also have been annoying to Germany, Italy, and Japan.
But the answer to British imperialism was not German imperialism, (or Japanese or Italian imperialism).
British imperialism was not ended by German imperialism.
What ended the British Empire were movements for national independence from British political and economic hegemony.
US imperialism will not be ended by rival imperialists. US imperialism will be ended by movements for national independence from US political and economic hegemony.
And Russian imperialism too, will also be ended by movements for national independence.
We are witnessing that process unfolding in real time.
The defeat of Russian imperialism at the hands of the Ukraine nationalist independence movement, will be a message to all imperialists and all anti-imperialists: 'Imperialism, the cause of misery and injustice all over the world, is not invulnerable.'
The age of imperialism is passing.
……the British pound was once the world's de facto reserve currency, while today the U.S. dollar and Euro are regarded as reserve currencies…
"…We left Abd el Main there and rode on past the other bodies, now seen clearly in the sunlight to be men, women, and four babies, toward the village whose loneliness we knew meant that it was full of death and horror. On the outskirts were the low mud walls of some sheep-folds, and on one lay something red and white. I looked nearer, and saw the body of a woman folded across it, face downward, nailed there by a saw-bayonet whose half stuck hideously into the air from between her naked legs. She had been pregnant, and about her were others, perhaps twenty in all, variously killed, but laid out to accord with an obscene taste. The Zaggi burst out into wild peals of laughter, in which some of those who were not sick joined hysterically. It was a sight near madness, the more desolate for the warm sunshine and the clean air of this upland afternoon. I said: "The best of you brings me the most Turkish dead"; and we turned and rode as fast as we might in the direction of the fading enemy. On our way we shot down those of them fallen out by the roadside who came imploring our pity…"
T. E Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Wikipedia tells us that in retaliation for the massacre, Lawrence's troops attacked the withdrawing Turkish columns, and for the first time in the war ordered his men to take no prisoners.
@ Sanctuary…So just to be clear, and we can all understand exactly what you are stating here on TS…it seems that you are saying that when any soldier from the Wagner Group are captured, they should be executed immediately by their captors?..is that what you just said?
The Ukraine has shown remarkable constraint in it's treatment of Russian POWs compared to barbarism of it's opponents, which is to be commended. They must consider the treatment of their ownmen held by the Russians – they are already subject to torture and indignities.
To be honest, I wonder if I could be so magnaminous to captured members of an organisation whose ranks are filled by criminals and brutalised mercenaries who have been ravaging my homeland.
The only WW2 old soldier I ever talked to on the subject made it reasonably clear to me that as far as he was concerned (he was an Anders Army/Polish paratrooper) anyone from the SS they took prisoner would count himself extrememly fortunate to survive the event.
So I am not saying you shoot Fascist Russia's Waffen SS equivalent out of hand as policy, that would be awful. But personally I would not be too inclined to hang onto to any of them if it was any sort of inconvenience whatsoever. As mercenaries, IMHO they have forfeited that right.
That's funny because that is exactly what your comment implies….what nuance did I miss?
"Wikipedia tells us that in retaliation for the massacre, Lawrence's troops attacked the withdrawing Turkish columns, and for the first time in the war ordered his men to take no prisoners.
And Ukrainian forces have also committed plenty of war crime of that you can be sure..
"Each soldier who got out of the van got a bullet to the knee from an assault rifle, whereas they were defenseless and tied up. I have videos showing this. Otherwise, I would not allow myself to make such allegations, showing Russian soldiers getting bullets in the knee. … And the ones who unfortunately decided to say, “I am an officer,” they got a bullet to the head."
If you really believe that in what is total war in the Ukraine, that both sides are not now and have not been involved in war crimes, then your understanding/knowledge of history and war is even worse than I already know it is….but then again, with your long history here on TS in totally believing without question pretty much any and all liberal propaganda… believing in, and then vigorously debating the existence of unicorns and dragons here on TS wouldn't be that much of leap from where you are sitting right now…you have done worse.
Unlike Putin dupes, I try not to believe too much in the absence of evidence.
No doubt there have been incidents on both sides – but the preponderance certainly lies with the invaders – Ukrainian forces having no civilians to abuse.
But of course, as one of the most credulous lackeys mindlessly repeating Putin's propaganda the cognitive dissonance in admitting you are on the wrong side is doubtless more than your ego can stand.
"Ukrainian forces having no civilians to abuse"…have you any understanding to what is going on in the Ukraine at all, that this conflict has been going on as a civil war since 2014?…obviously not.
Maybe you should take the time to read this extract from Amnesty….you do understand that everyone from all sides are lying at full volume right?
"Each side has made allegations against the other of extrajudicial killings and other grave human rights abuses, which have been extensively broadcast in the Ukrainian and Russian media. Many of these reports, however, have been poorly substantiated or unsubstantiated.
Even in cases where the allegations have some basis in reality, their scale has often been considerably exaggerated"
"….you do understand that everyone from all sides are lying at full volume right?" Adrian Thornton
Maybe you are right about that, Adrian.
For instance, you could bring up some horrific alleged atrocity committed by Ukraine, and I could best you with some other alleged atrocity committed by Russia. And we could play that stupid game all day long. And at this far distance never being able to attain the truth.
Which is why I don't refer to, or argue about disputed atrocities.
Only to war crimes that can't be disputed, or denied as never having happened.
The numerous Russian missiles that have been captured in photos and video slamming into apartment buildings.
The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, admitted by Russia. Why waste my breath arguing with you about Bucha or any other atrocity, When the deliberate destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure is a war crime openly admitted to by Russia.
Ukraine didn't invade Russia, Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor in this war.
Adrian as you are a big time supporter of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Can you answer these two simple questions for me;
Do you support slamming missiles into apartment buildings?
Do you support the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure like power and water utilities with bombs and missiles?
My guess; You will ignore both these questions. And you will keep ignoring them.
Which is why I will make it my mission to keep asking you them.
I want to be able to determine the depth of your depravity. So expect me Adrian, to be asking you these two questions every time that you raise some specious argument in support of the bloody invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
Do you Adrian Thornton support slamming missiles into apartment buildings?
Do you support the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure?
You aren’t going to get out of this one so easily my friend…
What I am doing Sanctuary, is establishing for everyone here on TS to see and understand, is where your moral compass is pointing, and as I have suspected for a long time it points down…you have out in the open, advocated for the summery execution of prisoners of war.
You know there was a good reason why I used to describe you Liberal neo-imperialist war hawks as ‘Camp Guards” (which I am no longer allowed to do)..that was because it describes you lot perfectly…march to the step of propaganda in perfect time, and as you have just confessed here today, use extreme violence when rallied by that same propaganda to do so..pretty unsettling stuff.
Ukraine is being backed by the West, and is dependent on the West for the supply of weaponry, so I guess it has to be remain "squeaky clean". Or am I just being cynical ?
"…since when has 'The West' cared about war crimes committed under it's name…"
Absolutely ridiculous whataboutism.
Have you seen what remain of Mariupol or Severdonesk? How did Grozny look after the Russian way of war had finished with it? How do you think the civilian population of Al-Fallujah would have fared if it had been the Russians and not the Americans clearing the city? For all their sins, western armies gave up leveling heavily populated civilian areas with massive amounts of indiscriminate heavy artillery fire seventy years ago, and the mis-treatment of prisoners by western special forces has led to numerous scandals.
Do you really think that if a bunch of our SAS guys uploaded to Youtube a celebratory video of them proudly smashing a Syrian captives hands and feet with a sledgehammer before cutting said limbs off with a saw and finally executing their victim by smashing his brains out with the sledgehammer, cutting off what is left of the head and offering one final indignity of of buring the corpse we'd all just go around saying "Ah, such is the SAS way of execution!" and happily watch them all getting promoted?
The Wagner group is full of monsters who deserve whatever they get.
The thing is Sanctuary, you have proven today, that when push comes to shove you would most probably be just like them, that's the irony, and that is probably what triggers you so much.…do you really think that once you had given the green light to dehumanize a body of humans so that they can be executed without remorse, this despicable crime that you are so keen on, that they would all just get a clean bullet through the back of the head? of course not…you are a fucking maniac.
My Lai is a neat illustration of the difference actually. First, the massacre was stopped by actions of a passing helicopter pilot, who at one stage threatened his own side with his machine gun. Second, it caused all operations in the area tobe cancelled as the US forces were effectivly deemed to ill disciplined to continue, third all the ringleaders were tried (albeit acquitted), fourth their was a humoungous and debilitating scandal over the massacre and fifthly, Hugh Thompson Jr and his helicopter crew were ultimately decorated for their actions.
Not one of those five things would occur in Putin's army, let alone the Wagner group.
It has been said that America lost in Vietnam because that war was the first war to be televised, and thus the American public were able to see the atrocities that were being committed in their name.
That was a comforting fiction, like the contemporary Russian one that they are being defeated by Nato mercenaries rather than the despised khokhols. The Vietnamese fought a superpower to a standstill.
@Sanctuary…
And of course you used T.E Lawrence as example of your justified righteous retribution, a perfect choice coming from you…a great white man solving coloured people’s problems for them…I really don’t think you are even aware of the racism that so deeply embedded within the very fabric of the world outlook and ideology you promote so passionately….maybe one day you will have an epiphany around this, but I doubt it.
I really don’t think you are even aware of the racism that so deeply embedded within the very fabric of the world
White Russian racism you mean? It's a feature of the regime you shill for.
Racist attacks and killings of foreigners and ethnic minorities are reported with shocking regularity in Russia and, disturbingly, their frequency seems to be increasing. Amnesty.
I have stayed out of this debate for a long time, thinking that history is going to make one of two utterly convinced sides look very silly.
But Stuart – I felt wary when you first quoted T E Lawrence. In literature he is a recognised giant. Unfortunately, in racism, some have found a patronising element in his works..
Are you recognising that Lawrence was racist in his attitude to inferior Arabs? It sounds to me as if you are equating what you call White Russian racism with Lawrence's racism.
In the rush of things, did you intend it that way?
I'm a fan of Lawrence, having read it with an Algerian student back in the day – though it was Sanctuary that raised him on this occasion.
Lawrence was a thorough Arabophile, which was how it was that he was a fluent Arabic speaker (likely the only truly fluent British officer of the period). He sympathized with the Arab cause, and bitterly resented the Sykes-Picot treaty which subjugated them once more to the commercial interests of Britain and France. It reneged upon the UK's promises to Arabs, which Lawrence had vouched for, dishonouring him. This led him to retire from public life – he felt disgraced.
Lawrence was a 'white saviour', which people of colour are not presently fond of. But it requires a considerable stretch to call him a racist – he was infinitely more pro-Arab than was usual in his day. He had completed his degree on the Crusader castles of the region, and had traveled to them, making him knowledgeable of the terrain and its strategic consequences. As the champion of the Arabic cause within the army, and the conduit for arms and materiale to Arabic forces, who were revolting against a Turkish rule that had conducted a number of genocides, Lawrence to a large extent made the revolt happen.
A degree of patronizing was probably inevitable. Lawrence did his degree at Oxford, but many of the men he led were illiterate. When they made unenlightened errors, like the fellow that quarreled with and murdered a fellow Arab soldier, Lawrence was obliged to deal with it. He summarily executed the murderer, and his troops were satisfied enough that further animosity did not develop. A less honest narrator might not have recorded the incident.
Anyone wants to bathe in a warm soapy shower of cleansing schadenfreude, check out MSNBC smiling all the way through the Democrats taking the Senate and Kelly Lake getting done like a political dinner.
Power companies have been paying out billions more in dividends than they've been making in profits, driving up electricity prices, union researchers have found.
The report – co-authored by First Union, the Council of Trade Unions, and climate group 350 – calls for the payouts to instead be channelled into building renewable generating capacity.
The paper also recommends a windfall tax.
From 2014 to 2021, Contact, Genesis, Mercury and Meridian paid shareholders $8.7 billion in dividends, the report said. That's despite recording a total profit of just $5.35b over that period.
I was going to post this as well. Can some smart person, in good faith of course, explain why we need to do this again? Line the pockets of shareholders? How is that better than not doing it?
I seem to remember, from years ago, a cartoon in the magazine, MAD, pointing out all the job losses that would be caused by the war against cigarette smoking.
The biggest denomination I can think of would be the Singapore $10,000 note. That is about $8,000 US dollars. $44 billion US would therefore be about 5.5 million notes
That is a pile of notes about 6 kilometres high and would weigh about 5,500 kg (if I have done the maths properly).
I think you are right. It would take a very long time to get it all burnt with even the largest circulating note wouldn't it? Perhaps we could approach the BOE and see if they would supply us with some Titans. They are a (non-circulating) note worth 100 million pounds and are the backing for the Scottish and Norther Irish banknotes. We would only need a few hundred of them.
" Behind the headline “$200m boost for new homes” is a sordid tale of a government demolishing state houses, selling most of the land to private property developers and in this case building fewer state houses than were previously there "
If a National government was doing this Megan Woods would be raging and demanding the resignation of the minister. If only.
173,000 more homes since Labour came to power. 1 in 12 homes in NZ built in just 5 years
More bullshit from Clint Smith,using gross figures without subtracting the houses demolished.Here an independent metric shows the reality of the difference in code of compliance and usable housing.
The electrical connections to residential houses (ICP) was
Could you please double-check your numbers for 2022?
Looking at this chart (figure.nz) the number of "estimated private dwellings" is over 2 million.
Looking at this table (emi.ea.govt.nz) the number of residential ICP is 1.9 million (September 2022).
The number of ICPs is higher than the figure you've given (just checked the figures for June 2022: 1,908,807 compared to 1,916,835 in September 2022) and the estimated number of dwellings is higher than the numbers of ICPs.
Good point,there is a difference in the 2 datasets of the EA,and MBIE.
MBIE uses distribution (line company) data ,EA uses retail data ( number of consumers) ,the MBIE data also removes the Rural (agriculture etc) from the data set.
Unless you're a property speculator, NZ housing value trends are looking good, especially for first home buyers – long may this modest correction continue.
Property prices need to drop significantly to be affordable,where median multiples do matter,and a larger focus on debt repayment rather then debt accumulation (leverage).
Thanks – median multiple dropped 13% from 9.3 to ~8.1 in 10 months (to 30 Sept 2022), so looking good also – a temporary correction is better than none.
Would be great if the median multiple could be driven down (gradually) to ~6.
Has Minto forgotten that the previous National govt shifted the goal posts and removed people from the state housing wait list and made it harder to get on it?
2011 "About 4700 families with only "moderate" or "low" housing needs will be bumped off the waiting list for state houses if the National Party wins this year's election.
Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Housing NZ will stop accepting applicants with low or moderate needs on its waiting list"
"Building more houses was not a lasting solution, Mr Heatley said.
Labour's housing spokeswoman, Moana Mackey, said that comment was concerning. "What he failed to say is that when National was in power in the 1990s, it oversaw a fire-sale of state houses and introduced market rents which put even state housing out of reach for many families."
National's answer was to kick people off the waiting list, she said"
Three Waters has become Five Waters? What's going on? Democracy? What democracy! The most important general election in New Zealand's history happens next year, folks.
Quote:
''The really radical move in the report — also overlooked entirely by Jack Tame on TVNZ’s Q&A and by Andrew Dickens interviewing Mahuta for Newstalk ZB — was the proposed extension to the scope of Te Mana o Te Wai statements.
Only iwi have the right to issue these edicts, which are binding on the Water Services Entity in their region. That right is denied to non-Maori, who make up the remaining 84 per cent of the population.
The select committee has proposed that such statements, issued exclusively by iwi, should apply not only to freshwater but coastal and geothermal water as well.''
Yes, I see my mistake. Irony and a host of other givens aren't in your tool box. Please forgive me. Btw… anything to add to the subject matter? Take your time.
Only iwi have the right to issue these edicts, which are binding on the Water Services Entity in their region. That right is denied to non-Maori, who make up the remaining 84 per cent of the population. [my italics]
The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed. Moreover, your comment is nothing but fear mongering without making a decent argument at all. Lift your game here or go back to the Platform where you might feel more at home anyway.
"The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed". Pray enlighten us. What is flawed? Is the statement false? Will iwi not be able to issue edicts? Will they not be binding?
Contributing writer like MS is on this blog. The difference is I don't call Mickey a plonker just because I disagree with everything he writes. Ok, 95% of what he writes.
The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed. Moreover, your comment is nothing but fear mongering without making a decent argument at all.
The 'premise' around this issue seems to be fluid. Please explain where our premise may be wrong. I would much rather be wrong and have Five Waters drop back to Three Waters. There is no fear mongering. The contributing writer has written a reasonable article that you are free to correct. I have provided a link.
Three Waters has morphed following recommendations of a proposed extension to the scope of Te Mana o Te Wai statements.
The problem with people like you who ‘read’ the Platform and listen to talk-back shock-jocks is that they turn off their brain. Here’s a hint: region vs. general population. Did you see a light flash?
Do you understand what Three Waters reforms propose with regards to loco-regional management of water resources? It seems that you and – from what I could gather from your quoted text – that Platform plonker have the wrong idea(s) (aka premise). For example, do you think that central government/Government is going to take over all management and this is what this Government is proposing? Or do you think that Maori will be in charge?
''Do you understand what Three Waters reforms propose with regards to loco-regional management of water resources?''
Well, for a while I thought I had a general understanding of what Three Waters reforms entailed. However, now I'm not so sure, for the simple reason when it comes to Maori, the sky seems to be the limit regardless of what community, regional and Tauiwi groups have been assured under this proposed legislation.
Quote:
''What are the new opportunities for iwi/Māori?
There are several new areas of opportunity for iwi/Māori:
Oversight – Mana whenua will participate in the joint oversight of the new entities. Representative interests will need to be determined by Māori for Māori through a Kaupapa Māori process. In some entity areas these processes have begun. More detail on this will be available over the coming months.
New entity operation – The proposed water services entities will be required to have significant cultural and local expertise. This will provide local opportunities for Māori to participate in the new delivery arrangements.
Te Mana o Te Wai – the reform will provide for local expression of Te Mana o Te Wai that will enable development of Mauri frameworks, application of mātauranga Māori measurement or any other expression that iwi decide is relevant to them.
Local opportunities – Economic analysis projects that the reforms will create 6,000 to 9,000 jobs over the next 30 years and that reforms will grow GDP by $14 billion to $23 billion over the next 30 years. Iwi/Māori will have the ability to participate in delivery of this investment in local infrastructure.'
Too many vague concepts that cannot be quantified into legal frame works in my opinion. Nothing is concrete, and as the latest report has shown, can be modified at a whim under the guise of 'culture.'
It has been reported that Labour was helped to power by some farmers/ right leaning voters wanting the Greens locked out of power. To me, the differences between grassroot Labour and National voters isn't great. Labour is dreaming if they don't believe their grassroot voters have major reservations about Three Waters. Just like some voters swallowed a dead rat to keep the Greens out of power, I'm betting some on the Left will do likewise regarding Three Waters.
It is as vague or clear as Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is at the basis of much that is proposed in the Three Waters reforms. When it gets too hard, don’t start shouting Democracy? What democracy! and other nonsense about the demographics of the general population (a major red herring and red flag).
Similarly, labelling (or fobbing off, by some) Te Tiriti o Waitangi as ‘culture’ seems deliberately demeaning and is not helpful either.
Having reservations about new frameworks for fresh water management and new forms of (local) democracy is one thing but wilful ignorance is another. The latter leads to closed minds, bias, polarisation, and division.
Using Three Waters reforms as a political pawn is a sure way of stuffing up everything for little short-term political gain – the real issues will remain and likely get worse, like so many others such as actions against climate change and/or risk mitigation and resilience measures.
Lastly, they are proposals under active consideration, i.e., things are being shaped still, so perhaps it is a little premature to assume worst-case scenarios and other dystopian fantasies aka fear-mongering unless that’s (part of) one’s agenda …
"No Joe you are not in Colombia"….PM of New Zealand, Ardern, reminds the the old guy with some sort of dementia, who also happens to be in charge of the most weapons and most powerful army in human history, what country he is in.
Joe Biden mixes up Cambodia and Colombia in latest high-profile gaffe
With the Chair of Auckland Unlimited dying overnight, Mayor Brown just got delivered a governance gift to not reappoint, then disestablish, and then gut.
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TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
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The new Reich
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and the leader of the ruling United Russia party, wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday;
In the same post;
Medvedev makes further menacing reference to Russia's nuclear capability.
In light of Russia's armed forces weakness and failure on the battlefield, Medvedev's comment that Russia has not used its full arsenal of weapons and his veiled threat to strike, a mighty enemy and/or alliance of enemies, that the Russian imperialists intend to continue their expansion and aggression to establish their ‘future world order’ under the cover of their nuclear umbrella.
They have told themselves stories of their manifest superiority for too long, and rather than try to grow into those role models, they have rested upon them. A few political parties here have the same vice, just not yet carried to the same extremes.
And look who's on their side.
https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1591472331368861697
I think it is time to view the Russian nuclear sabre rattling as an empty threat.
As one commentator I heard said, the Russian narrative gets the world talking about the Russian nukes rather than the great success of the Ukrainian military.
China has told Russia nukes are a red line for them. So, basically telling their poodle to get back in line.
A death cult calling for a MAD attack on Washington?
I wonder if these people have children or anyone to cherish.
I also wonder if there has ever been an equivalent death cult calling for a MAD strike on the Kremlin, or is this just a Russian thing?
I notice that these protesters aren't being violently dragged into police vans.
While these MAD protesters obviously have the support of the police and the Russian state, thank goodness this well rehearsed death cult is not representative of most Russians, many thousands of Russians have been arrested and dragged away into police vans for protesting against the war in Ukraine.
“The New Reich”….I assume you are referring to the USA…you know that ultra-aggressive world hegemony that meddles in other countries elections at will, the country with 750 military bases in 80 countries around the world..the country that the rest of the world sees as the biggest threat and road block to world peace….yeah you must be.
"I assume you are referring to the USA….
….yeah you must be."
Only in your fevered imagination.
Unlike you Adrian I am not a partisan supporter of one imperialist power. I am opposed to all imperialists, and always have been.
to establish their ‘future world order’ under the cover of their nuclear umbrella.
A "new world order" does not imply that that order will be unipolar. The latter (under US hegemony) is really the USA's ambition.
Putin has said recently that he will not use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Do we believe him? Ukraine will have to gamble on him keeping his word since they can't reasonably back down at this stage.
‘
A "new world order" does not imply that that order will be unipolar. mikesh
Mikesh, nowhere did I imply that the Russian Federation "new world order" would be unipolar.
The supporters of Russian and Chinese expansion and aggression allegedly want a 'multipolar world order' by the so called BRIC countries.
Brazil, Russia, Iran, China
The last powers to attempt to impose a new multipolar world order;
Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain.
The US dollar is at present the world's reserve currency. The BRIC countries, understandably, would like to change that. It seems that some sort of "pandora's box" was opened when Nixon severed the US dollar from its connection with gold.
‘
“The US dollar is at present the world’s reserve currency.” mikesh
So what?
“The BRIC countries, understandably, would like to change that.” mickesh
Sure, I can see why they might want that.
The British Pound was once the world's default currency. Which of course must also have been annoying to Germany, Italy, and Japan.
But the answer to British imperialism was not German imperialism, (or Japanese or Italian imperialism).
British imperialism was not ended by German imperialism.
What ended the British Empire were movements for national independence from British political and economic hegemony.
US imperialism will not be ended by rival imperialists. US imperialism will be ended by movements for national independence from US political and economic hegemony.
And Russian imperialism too, will also be ended by movements for national independence.
We are witnessing that process unfolding in real time.
The defeat of Russian imperialism at the hands of the Ukraine nationalist independence movement, will be a message to all imperialists and all anti-imperialists: 'Imperialism, the cause of misery and injustice all over the world, is not invulnerable.'
The age of imperialism is passing.
"…We left Abd el Main there and rode on past the other bodies, now seen clearly in the sunlight to be men, women, and four babies, toward the village whose loneliness we knew meant that it was full of death and horror. On the outskirts were the low mud walls of some sheep-folds, and on one lay something red and white. I looked nearer, and saw the body of a woman folded across it, face downward, nailed there by a saw-bayonet whose half stuck hideously into the air from between her naked legs. She had been pregnant, and about her were others, perhaps twenty in all, variously killed, but laid out to accord with an obscene taste. The Zaggi burst out into wild peals of laughter, in which some of those who were not sick joined hysterically. It was a sight near madness, the more desolate for the warm sunshine and the clean air of this upland afternoon. I said: "The best of you brings me the most Turkish dead"; and we turned and rode as fast as we might in the direction of the fading enemy. On our way we shot down those of them fallen out by the roadside who came imploring our pity…"
T. E Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Wikipedia tells us that in retaliation for the massacre, Lawrence's troops attacked the withdrawing Turkish columns, and for the first time in the war ordered his men to take no prisoners.
Need we question the wisdom of Lawrence of Arabia when dealing with savages such as the Wagner Group?
@ Sanctuary…So just to be clear, and we can all understand exactly what you are stating here on TS…it seems that you are saying that when any soldier from the Wagner Group are captured, they should be executed immediately by their captors?..is that what you just said?
The Ukraine has shown remarkable constraint in it's treatment of Russian POWs compared to barbarism of it's opponents, which is to be commended. They must consider the treatment of their ownmen held by the Russians – they are already subject to torture and indignities.
To be honest, I wonder if I could be so magnaminous to captured members of an organisation whose ranks are filled by criminals and brutalised mercenaries who have been ravaging my homeland.
The only WW2 old soldier I ever talked to on the subject made it reasonably clear to me that as far as he was concerned (he was an Anders Army/Polish paratrooper) anyone from the SS they took prisoner would count himself extrememly fortunate to survive the event.
So I am not saying you shoot Fascist Russia's Waffen SS equivalent out of hand as policy, that would be awful. But personally I would not be too inclined to hang onto to any of them if it was any sort of inconvenience whatsoever. As mercenaries, IMHO they have forfeited that right.
That's funny because that is exactly what your comment implies….what nuance did I miss?
"Wikipedia tells us that in retaliation for the massacre, Lawrence's troops attacked the withdrawing Turkish columns, and for the first time in the war ordered his men to take no prisoners.
Need we question the wisdom of Lawrence of Arabia when dealing with savages such as the Wagner Group?"
And Ukrainian forces have also committed plenty of war crime of that you can be sure..
"Each soldier who got out of the van got a bullet to the knee from an assault rifle, whereas they were defenseless and tied up. I have videos showing this. Otherwise, I would not allow myself to make such allegations, showing Russian soldiers getting bullets in the knee. … And the ones who unfortunately decided to say, “I am an officer,” they got a bullet to the head."
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/05/25/tcbh-m25.html
Ukrainian neo-Nazi militias armed by NATO against Russia
So you've found unicorns – maybe the next story will include dragons.
If you really believe that in what is total war in the Ukraine, that both sides are not now and have not been involved in war crimes, then your understanding/knowledge of history and war is even worse than I already know it is….but then again, with your long history here on TS in totally believing without question pretty much any and all liberal propaganda… believing in, and then vigorously debating the existence of unicorns and dragons here on TS wouldn't be that much of leap from where you are sitting right now…you have done worse.
Unlike Putin dupes, I try not to believe too much in the absence of evidence.
No doubt there have been incidents on both sides – but the preponderance certainly lies with the invaders – Ukrainian forces having no civilians to abuse.
But of course, as one of the most credulous lackeys mindlessly repeating Putin's propaganda the cognitive dissonance in admitting you are on the wrong side is doubtless more than your ego can stand.
"Ukrainian forces having no civilians to abuse"…have you any understanding to what is going on in the Ukraine at all, that this conflict has been going on as a civil war since 2014?…obviously not.
Ukraine must stop ongoing abuses and war crimes by pro-Ukrainian volunteer forces
Ukraine: Ukrainian fighting tactics endanger civilians
Maybe you should take the time to read this extract from Amnesty….you do understand that everyone from all sides are lying at full volume right?
"Each side has made allegations against the other of extrajudicial killings and other grave human rights abuses, which have been extensively broadcast in the Ukrainian and Russian media. Many of these reports, however, have been poorly substantiated or unsubstantiated.
Even in cases where the allegations have some basis in reality, their scale has often been considerably exaggerated"
https://www.amnesty.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ukraine.pdf
Actually, I have been following Putin's atrocities since he inveigled his way into power, you sweet summer child.
Civil war eh? Funny name for an insurgency.
Many of these reports, however, have been poorly substantiated or unsubstantiated.
Yes, funny that – Russia can make stuff up faster than the facts can be verified:
There was the dirty bomb.
And the Dniper dam story.
And a personal favourite, the lie (which you swallowed like a gullible guppy) about MH17.
There is no lie so outlandish that, if Putin utters it, you will not swallow it. That's how you earned the title of Putin dupe.
"….you do understand that everyone from all sides are lying at full volume right?" Adrian Thornton
Maybe you are right about that, Adrian.
For instance, you could bring up some horrific alleged atrocity committed by Ukraine, and I could best you with some other alleged atrocity committed by Russia. And we could play that stupid game all day long. And at this far distance never being able to attain the truth.
Which is why I don't refer to, or argue about disputed atrocities.
Only to war crimes that can't be disputed, or denied as never having happened.
The numerous Russian missiles that have been captured in photos and video slamming into apartment buildings.
The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, admitted by Russia. Why waste my breath arguing with you about Bucha or any other atrocity, When the deliberate destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure is a war crime openly admitted to by Russia.
Ukraine didn't invade Russia, Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor in this war.
Adrian as you are a big time supporter of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Can you answer these two simple questions for me;
Do you support slamming missiles into apartment buildings?
Do you support the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure like power and water utilities with bombs and missiles?
My guess; You will ignore both these questions. And you will keep ignoring them.
Which is why I will make it my mission to keep asking you them.
I want to be able to determine the depth of your depravity. So expect me Adrian, to be asking you these two questions every time that you raise some specious argument in support of the bloody invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
Do you Adrian Thornton support slamming missiles into apartment buildings?
Do you support the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure?
Before you decide to die on a hill for Putin's Dirlewanger Brigade I suggest you research why a sledgehammer was the chosen method of execution.
I hope you've got a strong stomach.
You aren’t going to get out of this one so easily my friend…
What I am doing Sanctuary, is establishing for everyone here on TS to see and understand, is where your moral compass is pointing, and as I have suspected for a long time it points down…you have out in the open, advocated for the summery execution of prisoners of war.
You know there was a good reason why I used to describe you Liberal neo-imperialist war hawks as ‘Camp Guards” (which I am no longer allowed to do)..that was because it describes you lot perfectly…march to the step of propaganda in perfect time, and as you have just confessed here today, use extreme violence when rallied by that same propaganda to do so..pretty unsettling stuff.
Harrowing scenes on TV tonight as the people of Kherson reacted to the arrival of their 'oppressors' in the shape of Ukrainian soldiers.
Hell, they even tried to poison them with bouquets of flowers!
/s
What has that got to do with this thread?
Ukraine is being backed by the West, and is dependent on the West for the supply of weaponry, so I guess it has to be remain "squeaky clean". Or am I just being cynical ?
"Or am I just being cynical ?"….no you are being naive….since when has 'The West' cared about war crimes committed under it's name?
U.S. Pulls Out of War Crimes Court, Fearing Easy Political Prosecutions
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1020564287351612400
"…since when has 'The West' cared about war crimes committed under it's name…"
Absolutely ridiculous whataboutism.
Have you seen what remain of Mariupol or Severdonesk? How did Grozny look after the Russian way of war had finished with it? How do you think the civilian population of Al-Fallujah would have fared if it had been the Russians and not the Americans clearing the city? For all their sins, western armies gave up leveling heavily populated civilian areas with massive amounts of indiscriminate heavy artillery fire seventy years ago, and the mis-treatment of prisoners by western special forces has led to numerous scandals.
Do you really think that if a bunch of our SAS guys uploaded to Youtube a celebratory video of them proudly smashing a Syrian captives hands and feet with a sledgehammer before cutting said limbs off with a saw and finally executing their victim by smashing his brains out with the sledgehammer, cutting off what is left of the head and offering one final indignity of of buring the corpse we'd all just go around saying "Ah, such is the SAS way of execution!" and happily watch them all getting promoted?
The Wagner group is full of monsters who deserve whatever they get.
The thing is Sanctuary, you have proven today, that when push comes to shove you would most probably be just like them, that's the irony, and that is probably what triggers you so much.…do you really think that once you had given the green light to dehumanize a body of humans so that they can be executed without remorse, this despicable crime that you are so keen on, that they would all just get a clean bullet through the back of the head? of course not…you are a fucking maniac.
Oh for goodness sake.
I bet your bedroom is painted in primary colours as well.
Since My Lai at least.
Were you to try to point to a comparable incident where Russia admitted culpability however, you would come up short.
They are still in their infallible phase.
My Lai is a neat illustration of the difference actually. First, the massacre was stopped by actions of a passing helicopter pilot, who at one stage threatened his own side with his machine gun. Second, it caused all operations in the area tobe cancelled as the US forces were effectivly deemed to ill disciplined to continue, third all the ringleaders were tried (albeit acquitted), fourth their was a humoungous and debilitating scandal over the massacre and fifthly, Hugh Thompson Jr and his helicopter crew were ultimately decorated for their actions.
Not one of those five things would occur in Putin's army, let alone the Wagner group.
And any reporter who got a similar story out today would likely find himself in a cell next to Assange. How far the mighty have fallen.
This is a recent interview, handy if you have a bit of French to get the questions.
https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1558538612035264513
It has been said that America lost in Vietnam because that war was the first war to be televised, and thus the American public were able to see the atrocities that were being committed in their name.
That was a comforting fiction, like the contemporary Russian one that they are being defeated by Nato mercenaries rather than the despised khokhols. The Vietnamese fought a superpower to a standstill.
@Sanctuary…
And of course you used T.E Lawrence as example of your justified righteous retribution, a perfect choice coming from you…a great white man solving coloured people’s problems for them…I really don’t think you are even aware of the racism that so deeply embedded within the very fabric of the world outlook and ideology you promote so passionately….maybe one day you will have an epiphany around this, but I doubt it.
I really don’t think you are even aware of the racism that so deeply embedded within the very fabric of the world
White Russian racism you mean? It's a feature of the regime you shill for.
Racist attacks and killings of foreigners and ethnic minorities are reported with shocking regularity in Russia and, disturbingly, their frequency seems to be increasing. Amnesty.
I have stayed out of this debate for a long time, thinking that history is going to make one of two utterly convinced sides look very silly.
But Stuart – I felt wary when you first quoted T E Lawrence. In literature he is a recognised giant. Unfortunately, in racism, some have found a patronising element in his works..
Are you recognising that Lawrence was racist in his attitude to inferior Arabs? It sounds to me as if you are equating what you call White Russian racism with Lawrence's racism.
In the rush of things, did you intend it that way?
I'm a fan of Lawrence, having read it with an Algerian student back in the day – though it was Sanctuary that raised him on this occasion.
Lawrence was a thorough Arabophile, which was how it was that he was a fluent Arabic speaker (likely the only truly fluent British officer of the period). He sympathized with the Arab cause, and bitterly resented the Sykes-Picot treaty which subjugated them once more to the commercial interests of Britain and France. It reneged upon the UK's promises to Arabs, which Lawrence had vouched for, dishonouring him. This led him to retire from public life – he felt disgraced.
Lawrence was a 'white saviour', which people of colour are not presently fond of. But it requires a considerable stretch to call him a racist – he was infinitely more pro-Arab than was usual in his day. He had completed his degree on the Crusader castles of the region, and had traveled to them, making him knowledgeable of the terrain and its strategic consequences. As the champion of the Arabic cause within the army, and the conduit for arms and materiale to Arabic forces, who were revolting against a Turkish rule that had conducted a number of genocides, Lawrence to a large extent made the revolt happen.
A degree of patronizing was probably inevitable. Lawrence did his degree at Oxford, but many of the men he led were illiterate. When they made unenlightened errors, like the fellow that quarreled with and murdered a fellow Arab soldier, Lawrence was obliged to deal with it. He summarily executed the murderer, and his troops were satisfied enough that further animosity did not develop. A less honest narrator might not have recorded the incident.
Russian racism is far cruder stuff.
Anyone wants to bathe in a warm soapy shower of cleansing schadenfreude, check out MSNBC smiling all the way through the Democrats taking the Senate and Kelly Lake getting done like a political dinner.
Here we are on Fox a few days ago.
(384) ‘SNL’ mocks Biden, Democrats before midterms: ‘Big Yikes’ – YouTube
You can check out MSNBC any time for the fun they are having now.
Bet McCarthy gets rolled for a start.
Kari Lake?
Predictive script apologies
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/478672/household-power-bills-driven-up-by-retailers-paying-excessive-dividends-union
This is where price inflation comes from, capital accumulation of the 'investor' class.
Taxation could help to redistribute this accumulation: https://www.greens.org.nz/excess_profits_tax
It's a bit late.
Grant Robertson, who will have received more than half the amount, has been like Billy Bunter with his pocket money purchases.
He has already eaten the lot.
I was going to post this as well. Can some smart person, in good faith of course, explain why we need to do this again? Line the pockets of shareholders? How is that better than not doing it?
This is where price inflation comes from, capital accumulation of the 'investor' class.
Oh my gosh! And I thought inflation was all Adrian Orr's fault. Irony is a wonderful device.
Would it not be useful for us plebs to see Musk's Twitter empire burnt to the ground in $US44b of warm ash?
Every oligarch should be humbled.
Sure, but wasn't it you worrying about the job losses this would cause?
I seem to remember, from years ago, a cartoon in the magazine, MAD, pointing out all the job losses that would be caused by the war against cigarette smoking.
Humble the owners not the workers.
We're humble enough already.
I'm pretty sure literally burning $44 billion in cash would be a slower process than how Musk is proceeding.
Let's see.
The biggest denomination I can think of would be the Singapore $10,000 note. That is about $8,000 US dollars. $44 billion US would therefore be about 5.5 million notes
That is a pile of notes about 6 kilometres high and would weigh about 5,500 kg (if I have done the maths properly).
I think you are right. It would take a very long time to get it all burnt with even the largest circulating note wouldn't it? Perhaps we could approach the BOE and see if they would supply us with some Titans. They are a (non-circulating) note worth 100 million pounds and are the backing for the Scottish and Norther Irish banknotes. We would only need a few hundred of them.
There are some splendid tweets coming out from blue ticked authors:
Chiquita: We've just overthrown the government of Brazil.
Chiquita: We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Chiquita account. We haven't overthrown a government since 1954.
" Behind the headline “$200m boost for new homes” is a sordid tale of a government demolishing state houses, selling most of the land to private property developers and in this case building fewer state houses than were previously there "
If a National government was doing this Megan Woods would be raging and demanding the resignation of the minister. If only.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/11/14/hundreds-of-millions-in-state-house-land-sold-by-labour-in-the-middle-of-a-housing-catastrophe-for-pe
"$200m boost for eastern Porirua will help enable construction of more than 2000 new homes"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130428606/200m-boost-for-eastern-porirua-will-help-enable-construction-of-more-than-2000-new-homes
https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1588339502778437632
https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1578153073364504576
More bullshit from Clint Smith,using gross figures without subtracting the houses demolished.Here an independent metric shows the reality of the difference in code of compliance and usable housing.
The electrical connections to residential houses (ICP) was
1755070 ( Dec 2017)
1807035 (June 2022)
net connections 51965.
Infill housing removes inventory.
imo Clint would disagree with you.
Yeah well nothing destroys a hypothesis more then a neat statistical fact.
Clint backs himself up with the statistical facts.
Could you please double-check your numbers for 2022?
Looking at this chart (figure.nz) the number of "estimated private dwellings" is over 2 million.
Looking at this table (emi.ea.govt.nz) the number of residential ICP is 1.9 million (September 2022).
The number of ICPs is higher than the figure you've given (just checked the figures for June 2022: 1,908,807 compared to 1,916,835 in September 2022) and the estimated number of dwellings is higher than the numbers of ICPs.
Good point,there is a difference in the 2 datasets of the EA,and MBIE.
MBIE uses distribution (line company) data ,EA uses retail data ( number of consumers) ,the MBIE data also removes the Rural (agriculture etc) from the data set.
Unless you're a property speculator, NZ housing value trends are looking good, especially for first home buyers – long may this modest correction continue.
Property prices need to drop significantly to be affordable,where median multiples do matter,and a larger focus on debt repayment rather then debt accumulation (leverage).
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/house-price-income-multiples
Thanks – median multiple dropped 13% from 9.3 to ~8.1 in 10 months (to 30 Sept 2022), so looking good also – a temporary correction is better than none.
Would be great if the median multiple could be driven down (gradually) to ~6.
https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_country.jsp
6 would be about right.
Has Minto forgotten that the previous National govt shifted the goal posts and removed people from the state housing wait list and made it harder to get on it?
2011 "About 4700 families with only "moderate" or "low" housing needs will be bumped off the waiting list for state houses if the National Party wins this year's election.
Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Housing NZ will stop accepting applicants with low or moderate needs on its waiting list"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/thousands-to-come-off-housing-list/MI2RAMFK4VC2YX4M5VVFFDDLIY/
"Building more houses was not a lasting solution, Mr Heatley said.
Labour's housing spokeswoman, Moana Mackey, said that comment was concerning. "What he failed to say is that when National was in power in the 1990s, it oversaw a fire-sale of state houses and introduced market rents which put even state housing out of reach for many families."
National's answer was to kick people off the waiting list, she said"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5209598/State-house-waiting-list-only-for-the-very-needy
Who can really Grok the whims of multi-billionaires?
Perhaps burning Twitter to the ground is just too much "fun" to resist???
Three Waters has become Five Waters? What's going on? Democracy? What democracy! The most important general election in New Zealand's history happens next year, folks.
Quote:
''The really radical move in the report — also overlooked entirely by Jack Tame on TVNZ’s Q&A and by Andrew Dickens interviewing Mahuta for Newstalk ZB — was the proposed extension to the scope of Te Mana o Te Wai statements.
Only iwi have the right to issue these edicts, which are binding on the Water Services Entity in their region. That right is denied to non-Maori, who make up the remaining 84 per cent of the population.
The select committee has proposed that such statements, issued exclusively by iwi, should apply not only to freshwater but coastal and geothermal water as well.''
https://theplatform.kiwi/opinions/hey-presto-three-waters-becomes-five-waters
You are apparently a stranger to logic, but you could at least read what you post:
Democracy? What democracy! The most important general election in New Zealand's history happens next year …
It's now obvious that you are some kind of Alan Partridge comedy turn, but the script needs work.
Yes, I see my mistake. Irony and a host of other givens aren't in your tool box. Please forgive me. Btw… anything to add to the subject matter? Take your time.
The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed. Moreover, your comment is nothing but fear mongering without making a decent argument at all. Lift your game here or go back to the Platform where you might feel more at home anyway.
"The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed". Pray enlighten us. What is flawed? Is the statement false? Will iwi not be able to issue edicts? Will they not be binding?
Switch on the light on the top floor. I’ve already given you one leg-up by using italics. Work it out.
''The premise of the Platform plonker (?) ''
Contributing writer like MS is on this blog. The difference is I don't call Mickey a plonker just because I disagree with everything he writes. Ok, 95% of what he writes.
The premise of the Platform plonker (?) and you, it seems, is flawed. Moreover, your comment is nothing but fear mongering without making a decent argument at all.
The 'premise' around this issue seems to be fluid. Please explain where our premise may be wrong. I would much rather be wrong and have Five Waters drop back to Three Waters. There is no fear mongering. The contributing writer has written a reasonable article that you are free to correct. I have provided a link.
Three Waters has morphed following recommendations of a proposed extension to the scope of Te Mana o Te Wai statements.
The problem with people like you who ‘read’ the Platform and listen to talk-back shock-jocks is that they turn off their brain. Here’s a hint: region vs. general population. Did you see a light flash?
No.
Do you understand what Three Waters reforms propose with regards to loco-regional management of water resources? It seems that you and – from what I could gather from your quoted text – that Platform plonker have the wrong idea(s) (aka premise). For example, do you think that central government/Government is going to take over all management and this is what this Government is proposing? Or do you think that Maori will be in charge?
''Do you understand what Three Waters reforms propose with regards to loco-regional management of water resources?''
Well, for a while I thought I had a general understanding of what Three Waters reforms entailed. However, now I'm not so sure, for the simple reason when it comes to Maori, the sky seems to be the limit regardless of what community, regional and Tauiwi groups have been assured under this proposed legislation.
Quote:
''What are the new opportunities for iwi/Māori?
There are several new areas of opportunity for iwi/Māori:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/three-waters-reform-programme-frequently-asked-questions
Too many vague concepts that cannot be quantified into legal frame works in my opinion. Nothing is concrete, and as the latest report has shown, can be modified at a whim under the guise of 'culture.'
It has been reported that Labour was helped to power by some farmers/ right leaning voters wanting the Greens locked out of power. To me, the differences between grassroot Labour and National voters isn't great. Labour is dreaming if they don't believe their grassroot voters have major reservations about Three Waters. Just like some voters swallowed a dead rat to keep the Greens out of power, I'm betting some on the Left will do likewise regarding Three Waters.
It is as vague or clear as Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is at the basis of much that is proposed in the Three Waters reforms. When it gets too hard, don’t start shouting Democracy? What democracy! and other nonsense about the demographics of the general population (a major red herring and red flag).
Similarly, labelling (or fobbing off, by some) Te Tiriti o Waitangi as ‘culture’ seems deliberately demeaning and is not helpful either.
Having reservations about new frameworks for fresh water management and new forms of (local) democracy is one thing but wilful ignorance is another. The latter leads to closed minds, bias, polarisation, and division.
Using Three Waters reforms as a political pawn is a sure way of stuffing up everything for little short-term political gain – the real issues will remain and likely get worse, like so many others such as actions against climate change and/or risk mitigation and resilience measures.
Lastly, they are proposals under active consideration, i.e., things are being shaped still, so perhaps it is a little premature to assume worst-case scenarios and other dystopian fantasies aka fear-mongering unless that’s (part of) one’s agenda …
Adams' opinion is so 'Kiwi not Iwi'. Iwi eh, always pinching our stuff – fearful business
Perhaps this picture of President Biden and PM Ardern would make a caption competition.
https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/jacinda-ardern-meets-joe-biden-east-asia-summit
My suggestion would be "Young lady. Can you tell me which of these forks I use for the salad course? I never can remember."
Hey Joe, see what that well known wit alwyn has written about you on The Standard
Still, the Herald's 'elbow time' tickled my funny bone – isn't our part-time PM busy.
"No Joe you are not in Colombia"….PM of New Zealand, Ardern, reminds the the old guy with some sort of dementia, who also happens to be in charge of the most weapons and most powerful army in human history, what country he is in.
Joe Biden mixes up Cambodia and Colombia in latest high-profile gaffe
https://news.sky.com/story/joe-biden-mixes-up-cambodia-and-colombia-in-latest-high-profile-gaffe-12745370
With the Chair of Auckland Unlimited dying overnight, Mayor Brown just got delivered a governance gift to not reappoint, then disestablish, and then gut.