Many thanks to all the Lady’s in the USA for exposing these neo liberal bigots who treat Lady’s like a object baby makers possession ECT they use racial tactics to gain Mana. These fossils need to be purged from power. Before Artifical Intelligents gives these fossils to much power. Now is the time to change OUR worlds views on humanity and mother earth to achieve a prosperous positive future for all OUR Mokos.. New Zealand is turning into the winds of change to a more humane society under the leadership of Jacinda there will be a lot of oberstical for her to tackle I no she will achieve her goals with the support of all the good intelligence humane Kiwi people of NEW ZEALAND.
Ka pai
Ditto E M.
Turning NZ into a more humane society though will take a bit of time.
30 plus years of bullshit means that there are many that have grown up knowing nothing else , and a number who’ve benefited from the same bullshit (neo-liberalism).
JILL HARTH: He groped me. He absolutely groped me. And he just slipped his hand there, touching my private parts.
TEMPLE TAGGART: He turned to me and embraced me and gave me a kiss on the lips. And I remember being shocked and—because I would have just thought to shake somebody’s hand. But that was his first response with me.
JESSICA LEEDS: It was a real shock when all of the sudden his hands were all over me. But it’s when he started putting his hand up my skirt, and that was it. That was it.
KRISTIN ANDERSON: The person on my right, who, unbeknownst to me at that time, was Donald Trump, put their hand up my skirt. He did touch my vagina through my underwear.
LISA BOYNE: As the women walked across the table, Donald Trump would look up under their skirt and, you know, comment on whether they had underwear or didn’t have underwear. I didn’t want to have to walk across the table. I wanted to get out of there.
KARENA VIRGINIA: Then his hand touched the right inside of my breast. I felt intimidated, and I felt powerless.
MINDY McGILLIVRAY: Melania was standing right next to him when he touched my butt.
JESSICA DRAKE: When we entered the room, he grabbed each of us tightly in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission. After that, I received another call from either Donald or a male calling on his behalf, offering me $10,000. His actions are a huge testament to his character, that of uncontrollable misogyny, entitlement and being a sexual assault apologist. https://www.democracynow.org/2017/12/12/meet_the_miss_usa_contestant_accusing
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No.12 Prince Harry; No. 13 Bill Clinton; No.14 Judge Roy Moore; No. 15 Matt Lauer; No. 16 Richard Branson; No. 17 Warren Moon
“Doctors and nurses should not have to do this” but neither should people be blocked from the right to have a skilled person do the job for them if they are worried they might botch the process and such a skilled person is willing.
I note from the voting on the first reading of a current bill that a large proportion of Labour MPs voted against the matter even being discussed …. that is to be regretted IMO.
sactimonious crap! Obviously there will be doctors and nurses with compassion for those in pain for which medication is a poor relief.
are you a vegetarian to denigrate those who work in freezing works? or the soldiers who keep you safe in times of oppression?
Of course not, and I enjoy nicely cooked vegetables to predominate the dish when I eat out. One place I go to lavishly put three slices of roast meat and I now ask for just two and more veges 🙂
jcuknz
This is such a hard subject to keep people on a sane and thoughtful and compassionate line about. I suggest you don’t try analogies or comparisons or parallels with anything as it just gets people straying off thinking about the subject and coming up with silly comments.
When anything serious is to be discussed I have found it is imperative to not introduce anything extra that could derail the discourse.
I read the nurses and dr survey which stated they would choose it for themselves when I did a Paper on Euthanasia last year. I read lots so mixing up tge studies but will try to find tge one with them choosing it for themselves.
Nurses are my big concern cos they see tge pain, the families and have to deal with being asked by patients to help tgem die. Im my view a Law is only a small part we need to make sure resources go into assisting nurses deal with all of the above.
I think there should be training and support for the medical and legal people who feel they can do this caring work, and be on a list of those who can be contacted as trained in the specialty. It is special dealing with dying people and even more so when there is some choice involved.
I wouldn’t want to have to ask around if I decided to go in my own time.
And always there is a backdrop of the unthinking conservatives and the rigid religious and the monetarised types who worry that someone, somewhere might organise wills and assets to get priority for themselves while others miss out (which already happens so it isn’t an unreal fancy.)
“The pause occurs when, despite acknowledging that death is perhaps the right option for one’s patient based on very good moral reasons, a doctor hesitates—under the joint prompting of a commitment to a version of the sanctity of life principle, and a sense of care or the individual human being who is the patient.
That commitment may be particularly strong in the case of a new-born child who will, almost certainly, never recover to the point
where it can respond to those around it or develop its human potential.
But, even in such an extreme case, at the moment of recommending that no further intensive efforts be made to
keep the child alive, one might experience the pause.
This springs, we could say, from our being drawn into the nexus of human relationships that surround life, death and mortal illness—a context in which doctors are always entwined.
Such decisions make us delve deeply into our character as moral agents…”
Euthanasia should be kept out of all hospitals and health centres of all descriptions. This is not a job for doctors and nurses. Never should it be a burden for them, they have enough stress on their plates as it is. Hospitals will be tainted by the association of euthanasia and it will be a another worry for people who enter these places if they are ill. So called safe guards will be in place but over time the law will be widened for other areas of health. You’d better believe it – we have so little love for one another these days as it is, it will become oh so easy to widen the law. It is a hideous concept – smacks of Hitler’s cleansing of people he thought warranted it.
I just cannot believe that it could eventually become the law – what a ghastly old world it is becoming.
I’m generally in favour of cautious euthanasia law, but I also have concerns about safeguards and I don’t trust our legislation process to design really good laws here.
Having euthanasia generally happening outside of hospitals (e.g. at home or in certain hospices) makes sense, but it would also limit health care for some people.
I agree with you Kate, and lets look at the next generation – yes the one that does not see anything wrong by stomping on someones head or stoning a kitten to death.
The human race is already on a path of brutalization, why hurry the process? Many “assume” that everybody will treat this issue under a humanitarian point of view.
I doubt that the motivation of legalizing euthanasia is driven by ulterior motives but pursuing this leaves only one option – utter naivety.
I agree, everything today is based on its monetary worth – if it can’t pay its way then its of no use to our so called society. First it will be terminally ill, then it will be elderly who have outlived their usefulness, then it will be the young who are incapacitated by physical or mental illness who are getting in the way of the grind of making money.
Just who is fooling who in this scheme of allowing terminally ill people to think they can play God, or whoever you believe in – and get their selfish way and end it as they think fit. Doesn’t it occur to them they are passing the buck onto another human being to do the deed for them. If they are so hellbent on finishing it then go and do it in their own good time and take the responsibility of it themselves. Leave our precious doctors and nurses to live the good life without being state sanctioned executioners.
Well, well, looking more and more like the T4 Program as time rolls on. Looking forward to the next step, let’s get rid of the unproductive people, the disabled, jews, wogs, blacks, gays, this euthanasia thing is working out so well. It’s a slippery slope, but hey we’re enlightened right, right, RIGHT!!!
p.s.
Just in case you need a reference to the T4 – program.
No, we don’t need a link to the T4 programme because any time there’s a mention of euthanasia some religious loon or generally-confused type will flag it as being in some way relevant to the discussion – which it isn’t.
So mobile vans, going around and door to door to perform euthanasia. Do you really think that the Nazis jumped right into the mass killing thing – no wait they got their incrementally.
One big step in that was by getting people to accept that euthanasia was normal and OK. Go read some of the propaganda they produced at the beginning of the program. Odd thing is – you sound surprisingly like them in your attack dog mode.
Abortion, choice – Let’s stop it being criminal or mental health.
Hospitals, the boards should be given more training, and allocations of funds. Removal of the massive build up middle management paper pushers which have infested the public service. A implementation of a system of effectiveness to get over the crisis in health from too many efficiency drives.
Drug funding, is as complex as is the whole drug approval. I’d like to see more patient advocate/voices in the whole drug funding, approval and application process. Happy with generics. Happy for us to be supplied from India. Would like to see more production in NZ.
A simple response tracey – Much more than that involved. If I was being a conservative anarchist. I say the only thing we need a state for is Health – a collective approach to health is necessary, as it is sensible.
And sorry, but the state killing people, falls into the category of totalitarianism – no matter how much you want to spin it.
That’s arguable, given that countries with rule of law can also have the death penalty.
Let’s skip past that, though: you’re right, the state killing people is a bad idea. If anyone proposes it, feel free to raise the alarm. So far, no-one’s proposed it.
As I said your proposition, and the same attack dog politics you use is repeating what happened in the mid 1930’s. Sorry you can’t see the patterns. Oh and by the way, the communist voting areas were the people who the nazi regime watched closely when they passed a surprising similar law. (yeah I read it) When they didn’t revolt the leadership breathed a sigh of relief.
Tell you what, the disabled in this country are going to oppose this bill. Because we know our history.
Are you saying that Seymour has National Socialist and Eugenic designs on NZ? I am no fan of his but have yet to see any such tendancies.
One of my issues is some medical professionals are already finding ways to assist death. Is it better to leave this in the dark and pretend it isnt happening or find a way to regulate it?
Look I’ve had one grandparent and one uncle die within the last two years. On both occasions, anti-anxiety drugs in large doses were administered and family were in the room. I did not see any suffering in my uncle’s case. And my mother and Aunt both said their was no suffering in my grandmother’s case.
The doctor did not kill/murder the patient. The family member died of natural causes. And they did not suffer.
We are opening a door to a slippery slope. So NO we should not regulate how we murder people – at any time. We should view life as precious. What the difference once we accept killing old people – to accepting the infirm, then a few years later the deaf and dumb because, you know they don’t have great lives and we are relieving their suffering as well. Maybe the mentally unhinged, it will save on cost and they not really here anyway. It’s happened before, and it’s why I keep bringing up T4.
So contrary to Psycho Milt and his assumption that people are rational and nice, I think people in power are nasty and vicious so handing them a loaded gun is utter stupidity.
You advocate for the abolishment of our Armed Forces, yes?
Have you read this Bill? I am beginning to wonder. By all means oppose it but you seem to be opposing a notion of end of life rather than what is actually being proposed.
So see. Not really caring if someone who does not want a baby opts for abortion, I could maybe have to start having a think about it (from a detached distance) if people who do want a baby start to opt for an abortion ‘just because’ it’s not the right ‘type’ of baby.
Well no. Because that entails killing infants, not aborting pregnancies.
But yes, I’m thinking in cases of aborting just because the foetus is female – or has, by genetic testing or whatever, a predicted higher chance of developing or being x, y or z.
But when I say “I could maybe have to start having a think about it (…) if”, I really do mean from a detached and purely intellectual level.
When it comes right down to it, I don’t believe the state should play a role. But I say that in relation to also not believing that nuclear family units are sane or sustainable. So whatever decisions may be made, I’d say they should be made at an individual/communal level on whatever basis, or by whatever measure all of the people within that community have agreed upon.
In short, the way this world is arranged is fucked up, and so the situation we have to try to make decisions from within are (how to say) ‘less than optimal’.
The very first line in your linked article says this service is for people “…whose doctors have refused to participate in assisted suicide.” So, no, doctors and nurses should not have to do this and aren’t being made to, which prompts me to ask “What’s your point?”
I was wondering that too. I assume that for the NZ legislation no-one will be forced to provide euthanasia either (someone can correct me if I am wrong). Just like surgeons who have ethical objections aren’t forced to perform abortions.
Psycho Milt – here is a point to ponder. If someone wants to die, they can.
Just don’t get someone else to have to carry the burden for the rest of their lives to be a murderer.
Perhaps best to ask soldiers – they have a lot of experience. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-13687796
Some Doctors and some Nurses already do assist patient deaths so the notion that this is a fresh burden is erroneous.
See my post above about not just passing a law but ensuring resources are put into supporting those enacting that Law.
Soldiers sign up to be “murderers” although they do not meet that definition and are specifically ruled out of the Crimes Act so yoyr use of that word is a straw man.
The psychological results of killing someone are real unless that someone is a psychopath. Many soldiers actually “follow orders” due to being otherwise prosecuted themselves. We are talking about people whose emotional well being is influenced by an act of the ultimate violation of natural law. If a person is “hardened”, murder of the vulnerable will have no ethical or moral consequence to their mind. And no rule of the crimes act will negate this.
Tracey, I do not deny that some people feel that they need to end their lives and I understand that in some instances doctors and/or nurses help with “chasing” the process when pain is becoming uncontrollable.
However, if a person is able to express his/her wishes to die due to incurable illness and pain, and equipment is provided for that person to end their lives themselves – who am I to judge. What I do vehemently oppose is, that another party is being asked to take on the task and have to live with the consequential burden.
I am certainly not in favor to have euthanasia practiced on a patient that is non responsive, in a coma, brain damaged – that individual would at this point not be able to decide. Their family might want to share time with them, look after them etc. If there is no one or any or their relatives won’t look after them it should not be just a case of getting the bed freed up.
And of cause there is always the possibility that any possessions are deemed a free for all if only…
There are far more cons than pro’s on this issue.
Instead of supporting an existing Green Party Bill, reports indicate Labour will introduce its own legislation. Raising questions on whether or not they will allow herbal or botanical cannabis to be used for medicinal use.
Surprisingly, the Greens have been silent on the matter.
The Greens are failing to utilise their position to speak out, thus take lead, build and apply public pressure.
Not one press release on the matter on their website.
Yes, a member’s Bill put up by a Green Party member.
While it may be a step in the right direction, if it fails to allow for people to grow their own it’s going to fall far short of expectations and what many medicinal users require.
And as indications suggest it will fall short, this is the time to speak up and apply public pressure to help ensure it doesn’t. Yet, the Greens seem to be MIA (by their silence) on an issue one would expect they would be leading the charge, hence the complaint.
While it may be a step in the right direction, if it fails to allow for people to grow their own it’s going to fall far short of expectations and what many medicinal users require.
Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Have to see the bill first. I suspect that all three parties are discussing it and are probably keeping quiet until they’ve come to some decisions.
And as indications suggest it will fall short, this is the time to speak up and apply public pressure to help ensure it doesn’t.
Then organise a petition.
Also note that the Greens do have an agreement for a referendum on recreational use of marijuana. If that goes through, as I suspect it will, then there’s going to have to be laws regarding growing your own.
An interesting point on that is that NZ is the only place in the world where it’s legal for anyone to own a still.
My hope is that, when they legalise it for medical use, they also put in several million per year to develop and produce the drugs. Northland would have a major economic boost.
There is really nothing to say until Labour release their bill. The Greens bill is still there so the issue is not going anywhere and Parliament will be forced to address it.
It’s like this TC. If the Greens pushed this issue the Natz would persecute them for being a bunch of ne’er do well dopeheads ,just like they always have.
In the eyes of NZ’s immature media the Greens would thus become a one issue party to be scorned relentlessly (nothing new in that though, it would just be rigorously renewed infantilism, which is personified in Hosking et al).
Methinks it would be wise for the Greens to stick to the two objectives…sustainable future and social justice.
“It’s like this TC. If the Greens pushed this issue the Natz would persecute them for being a bunch of ne’er do well dopeheads ,just like they always have.”
They may try, yet public opinion is vastly against them (the Nats) on this one. Therefore, it is unlikely to be successful.
“In the eyes of NZ’s immature media the Greens would thus become a one issue party to be scorned relentlessly…”
Which is why they also need to be more vocal in their other core policy areas, ie sustainable future and social justice.
“Which is why they also need to be more vocal in their other core policy areas, ie sustainable future and social justice.”
And merely legalising medical cannabis, without allowing consented persons to grow and process their own plant material, is not going to be sustainable or just.
I read recently that people re-cycling our rubbish wanted clean rubbish and soiled rubbish merely went to the tip. I wonder if anybody had researched the cost to the planet of folk washing-cleaning rubbish before it is put out for re-cycling compared to just being sent to the tip?
My current bete noir is the take-away which gives me food in a nice [I assume recycled] brown cardboard box which gets soiled by the food and dressing so conflicts with the need for clean rubbish.
I had hoped that the recycling process would burn or otherwise get rid of the ‘soil’ similar to re-cycled aluminium where one skims off the slag before pouring into a mould … something I did in past years.
Unfortunately many US Americans really don’t get it do they? Exceptionalism at its worst.
You should try renouncing USA citizenship and see the shit and threats people have to go through.
Of the rich man’s vanity parties we have seen to date, only Bob Jones’ “New Zullon” party has been a success. And its objectives were just to kill Muldoon so a far-right infiltrated Labour Party could take power in 1984. It was never intended as a long-term prospect in those far-off FPP days.
Overall, this is a pretty good result for our democracy.
Morgan is staying on as leader in the meantime, but won’t front the Party at the next election.
In his resignation letter, former deputy leader Geoff Simmons said now was a crucial time for the party.
“Over the next 6-9 months it will develop a group of potential leaders to lead them into the next election.
“Much like the All Blacks, any political team benefits from strong competition for any role. Stepping back from my co-Deputy Leader role will encourage new leaders to emerge, which will be good for the party.”
Simmons said he did not currently have the necessary energy to continue in the role as deputy leader, but said if he felt he had regained energy when the time came to pick a new leader, he would throw his hat in the ring.
Ok, my estimation for Simmons just dropped a notch. They really have a culture of a political party being something you create like a business rather than being something that needs to be built from the ground up. I hope they fall over, I want less of this kind of authoritarian, top down stuff in parliament, not more.
Meanwhile, Waitaki candidate Kevin Neill said under current leadership, it was “untenable to have an open, transparent discussion on not only how to create policies, but whether to change them”.
It is understood Morgan called a party meeting during the weekend, in order to take stock of the situation, but a number of people were excluded, including Neill and Hammond-Doube.
Neill said he could not cope with the “dictator-style leadership”, and said he believed nothing would change after Morgan stepped down as leader – he would still take a lead in making decisions.
There was a place for a party like TOP in New Zealand politics, but a different leadership system was essential, he said.
“I want less of this kind of authoritarian, top down stuff ”
Yep that certainly, plus any mention of the All Blacks has to set off the “whoop whoop, shallow, self-interested bollocks about to follow” sirens.
If Gareth was genuinely interested in public policy he would have joined the political party he finds most congenial and tried to influence policy formation. That fact that he’s too immodest to do such a thing shows we’re all better off if he stays out of politics for good.
On the Kids Can charity – have to say I’m against private charities being used to do government work. Modern charities are too glossy and glamorise poverty and take donations from ordinary people and taxpayers but spend it on marketing and staff to promote themselves and increase the donations.
There is a place for private charities but increasingly they are being used by corporates and so forth for their own lobbying and agendas. Disney has a charity that they expected their employees to donate to lobby for TPPA for example. The Clinton Foundation where other countries are expected to give taxpayer money and used the donations to politically to influence.
The rise of corporates like countdown and ASB collecting money for charity and then it looks like they are the ones being generous – NOT the ordinary people paying in the money. They they give a big cheque and everyone things they are responsible community businesses. In the old days ASB for example made donations with their own money. Not just being collection agencies.
I see two main problems here … firstly folk object to taxes and secondly the waste by governments/charities as they feed themselves rather than helping those in need.
The simple answer is not to donate but to give to those who you know personally will benefit.
Which will, of course, maintain high poverty levels.
Far better for the government to eliminate poverty altogether but I’m sure that the capitalists will complain about that – as they did back in the 1980s and 90s and their delusional idea that high benefits stopped people from going to work.
Since there are no jobs, or very few, for the unskilled it means poverty is likely to remain with us for the forseable future I am afraid.
Welfare probably does cause those who have not learnt the work ethic to avoid work but this is a problem with the system that encourages folk to want the moon with TV shows and such like but doesn’t provide the jobs to make it possible.
Plus of course there is the tendency of couples to have more children than they can provide for.
For years I have thought that world wide socialism with security for all in their old age would reduce the need for couples to have children, lots of them, to look after them in their old age. Education brings reduced childbearing as the educated realise the huge cost of having a child impacts seriously on their standard of living, particularly when there are few jobs paying well, or anything more than subsistence these days.
Since there are no jobs, or very few, for the unskilled it means poverty is likely to remain with us for the forseable future I am afraid.
And so the government should make upskilling freely available to them.
And, to be honest, I don’t think it’s lack of skills that’s keeping many in poverty. Poverty is a direct result of capitalism. As Adam Smith said, you need 500 poor people to have one rich person.
Without poor people who can be forced to work for the rich then there wouldn’t be any rich because they’d only have the fruits of their own labours rather than the fruits of everyone else’s labour.
Which is, of course, why National always attack beneficiaries and makes them worse off.
Welfare probably does cause those who have not learnt the work ethic to avoid work but this is a problem with the system that encourages folk to want the moon with TV shows and such like but doesn’t provide the jobs to make it possible.
Funny how Super, which is higher than other benefits, hasnt led to all retired ceasing work.
You having children and no work ethic generalisation is largely mythical. Do you also tar all company directors with the brush of those who commit fraud?
Do you have disdain for those businesses claiming holidays as deductions when tgere is no business component, or meals out? Or do cash jobs?
I have to say I’m impressed the government is cracking down on all this stuff. Natz gave Kids Can over a million but their private charity approach threw more and more kids into poverty.
Thanks savenz that was interesting. and timely as these charities are often just another way of government monetising and privatising their work and services in their expected role in our so-called modern state.
You are coming up with great info and ideas. Merry Christmas and take a break over Christmas just being positive and self-oriented for a while so as to recharge for 2018?
I cut way back on my charity donations for much the same reason; too little of the money was reaching those who needed it.
It’s all a bit too reminiscent of the much maligned trickle down theory isn’t it; the flood of donations reduced to a trickle by the time it reaches its intended destination.
DH
I think it is worse than the trickle down aspect. It is the polity withering through deliberate inaction from the government, from the respect for all society to a deliberately underfunded class with deliberately withheld jobls (by allocating them to poor immigrants) that then is largely left to the whims of those wanting to start a business in the not-for-profit charity sector with little tax to pay.
The strugglers then become a human herd for these sharp-eyed petty bourgeoisie to profit from.
Another example of the corporate press, and controlling the message. Anyone who thinks we have a free press at this point in history, is deeply deluded.
Uhhh, maybe because that particular peace prize is utterly inconsequential? It seems Corbyn himself didn’t even think it significant enough to ever mention it.
Umm… Jeremy Corbyn does not strike me as the sort of character to go running around saying “look at me”. The absence of the news in the MSM is without a shadow of doubt the corporate-owned media doing its thing for themselves.
The west and it’s lies. Your comfortable life is predicated on the torture, death and exploitation of the third world. Funny how no one talks about that much…
We’ve been doing it here @adam over the past decade. Shoddy PTE’s and temporary work visas, offshore fishing boats, cash-for-work schemes, et al.
It’s been an industry that, thank your God, is now coming under scrutiny (sort of).
Of course the enablers will go unpunished, whilst the exploited will usually have lost almost everything – except perhaps their dignity.
We the west needs its people to exploit. At least here we did not gun down people from the PTE’s and temporary work visas, offshore fishing boats, cash-for-work schemes, et al.
I agree, and no we didn’t, but in at least a few cases, we completely fleeced them of their ability to support themselves. (so much more seemly than just putting a gun to their head). We should feel oh so proud of ourselves we exploited them in such a civilised manner
Agreed CG and not fast enough.
The bad news is that neo-liberalism is so insidious it’s cultural, political, economic and to many – religious. It trumps most religions from Catholicism (as we see with Bullshit Bill) to Sikhism (as we see by some fellow Sikhs prepared to rip off others. (Not looking at you Kanwaljit – not much anyway)
+100
Pretty much the result of past and present empires and their proxies.
I think there’s something playing on Aljzaeera atm giving an historical perspective
( Maybe AJ )
NZ Government must now use Rail freight as it will greatly reduce our use and dependence on fossil fuels that cause climate change, and will save our cost of paying for “carbon credits” also.
Hard to believe super serum and floorman would get this one wrong.
/
A forged document accusing the top Democrat in the Senate of sexual harassment copied language verbatim from a real sexual-harassment complaint filed against Rep. John Conyers.
On Tuesday afternoon, right-wing social media personalities Charles Johnson and Mike Cernovich boasted of obtaining a document that would put a senator out of a job.
“Michael Cernovich & I are going to end the career of a U.S. Senator,” Johnson posted on Facebook on Monday.
The senator was Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York, Axios first reported.
The seven clowns
1 Gissmuppet he started all this and is a bigot and thinks he can hide from eco
2 Dopey he think he is the best hunter and likes to leave dead opposum on the road and burning out tyres.
3 Nobby he’s one of my neo liberal neighbour he thinks he can impose his ideals on the rest of the neighbourhood eco made him feel inadequate about one of his hobbies.
4 sneezy he talks with a lisp and thinks he’s a leader loves the camera I taught him sign language at the caltex
5 Shonky he worships money an one will find him sniffing around an deal to steal money
6 bullysheit well you can’t believe a word he says and he’s a alcoholic
7 dilldo he is a bigot and love to see our valuerable people on the streets and loves to see the poor people starving.
All these clowns have one thing in common they will do anything to see ECO lose his Mana and they are all bigots.
I no you are bribing the man with two names???? Who stole my Mana when Mama died PS I have a witness who won’t lie under oath to confirm this fact so he is racist bigot he name me the white honky bastard. I will be able to cut to threads all the contracted liars you have one way or another credit. bility or conflict of interest that WHALE was playing up today but ECO will get it to heal soon. Ana to kai
“Subject: Auckland Transport CAS-642483-D1P0N4 – Transdev and CE Information
Dear Ms Bright
We acknowledge receipt of your open letter to Mr Shane Ellison dated 11 December 2017, requesting the following information:
1) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from Auckland Transport, on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
2) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
3) How much money have you, Shane Ellison, as new CEO of AT, the delegated authority to spend on awarding contracts.
4) A copy of Auckland Transport’s ‘corruption risk assessment’ – (or the like) regarding your appointment as CEO of Auckland Transport (AT), given that you have just left the employment of Transdev (Australia), and Transdev have the AT contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
We are processing your request according to the provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). Under the Act, a response must be provided within 20 working days of receipt of a request, however, due to the Christmas holiday period set by the Office of the Ombudsman, a response will be provided to you by 30 January 2018. This is the maximum response time and we will endeavour to respond to you sooner.
….”
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
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Many thanks to all the Lady’s in the USA for exposing these neo liberal bigots who treat Lady’s like a object baby makers possession ECT they use racial tactics to gain Mana. These fossils need to be purged from power. Before Artifical Intelligents gives these fossils to much power. Now is the time to change OUR worlds views on humanity and mother earth to achieve a prosperous positive future for all OUR Mokos.. New Zealand is turning into the winds of change to a more humane society under the leadership of Jacinda there will be a lot of oberstical for her to tackle I no she will achieve her goals with the support of all the good intelligence humane Kiwi people of NEW ZEALAND.
Ka pai
+100 E M
Ditto E M.
Turning NZ into a more humane society though will take a bit of time.
30 plus years of bullshit means that there are many that have grown up knowing nothing else , and a number who’ve benefited from the same bullshit (neo-liberalism).
Nice one EM.
GROPERS
No. 18: Donald John Trump
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11959328
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No.12 Prince Harry; No. 13 Bill Clinton; No.14 Judge Roy Moore; No. 15 Matt Lauer; No. 16 Richard Branson; No. 17 Warren Moon
Doctors and nurses should not have to do this. In fact nobody should be ALLOWED to do this….
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/320496
There is something deeply disturbing about this
“Doctors and nurses should not have to do this” but neither should people be blocked from the right to have a skilled person do the job for them if they are worried they might botch the process and such a skilled person is willing.
I note from the voting on the first reading of a current bill that a large proportion of Labour MPs voted against the matter even being discussed …. that is to be regretted IMO.
Who are these “skilled” persons who will “do the job”? Abbatoir workers? Soldiers? Professional executioners like we had in this country until 1957?
sactimonious crap! Obviously there will be doctors and nurses with compassion for those in pain for which medication is a poor relief.
are you a vegetarian to denigrate those who work in freezing works? or the soldiers who keep you safe in times of oppression?
Would there be something wrong in being a vegetarian, in your opinion?
Of course not, and I enjoy nicely cooked vegetables to predominate the dish when I eat out. One place I go to lavishly put three slices of roast meat and I now ask for just two and more veges 🙂
jcuknz
This is such a hard subject to keep people on a sane and thoughtful and compassionate line about. I suggest you don’t try analogies or comparisons or parallels with anything as it just gets people straying off thinking about the subject and coming up with silly comments.
When anything serious is to be discussed I have found it is imperative to not introduce anything extra that could derail the discourse.
Did you know that in recent Uni of Auckland survey of drs and nurses almost 80% would choose euthenasia for themselves.
Lets stop putting our beliefs onto the medical profession and let them speak freely for themselves.
Edit to above
80% was the public.
The GP survey came out about 50% with numbers already assisting patients to die
“Did you know that in recent Uni of Auckland survey of drs and nurses almost 80% would choose euthenasia for themselves.”
Interesting..but is there a link to this research…in full?
Editted above
I read the nurses and dr survey which stated they would choose it for themselves when I did a Paper on Euthanasia last year. I read lots so mixing up tge studies but will try to find tge one with them choosing it for themselves.
Nurses are my big concern cos they see tge pain, the families and have to deal with being asked by patients to help tgem die. Im my view a Law is only a small part we need to make sure resources go into assisting nurses deal with all of the above.
tracey
Yes good point.
I think there should be training and support for the medical and legal people who feel they can do this caring work, and be on a list of those who can be contacted as trained in the specialty. It is special dealing with dying people and even more so when there is some choice involved.
I wouldn’t want to have to ask around if I decided to go in my own time.
And always there is a backdrop of the unthinking conservatives and the rigid religious and the monetarised types who worry that someone, somewhere might organise wills and assets to get priority for themselves while others miss out (which already happens so it isn’t an unreal fancy.)
This deep and extraordinarily sensitive report from Grant Gillett should be mandatory reading.
https://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/NZMA-euthanasia-Gillett-report-Final.pdf
“The pause occurs when, despite acknowledging that death is perhaps the right option for one’s patient based on very good moral reasons, a doctor hesitates—under the joint prompting of a commitment to a version of the sanctity of life principle, and a sense of care or the individual human being who is the patient.
That commitment may be particularly strong in the case of a new-born child who will, almost certainly, never recover to the point
where it can respond to those around it or develop its human potential.
But, even in such an extreme case, at the moment of recommending that no further intensive efforts be made to
keep the child alive, one might experience the pause.
This springs, we could say, from our being drawn into the nexus of human relationships that surround life, death and mortal illness—a context in which doctors are always entwined.
Such decisions make us delve deeply into our character as moral agents…”
This presupposes that doctors are not already making such decisions… who to resussitate, who to recommend for medication, surgery etc…
Euthanasia should be kept out of all hospitals and health centres of all descriptions. This is not a job for doctors and nurses. Never should it be a burden for them, they have enough stress on their plates as it is. Hospitals will be tainted by the association of euthanasia and it will be a another worry for people who enter these places if they are ill. So called safe guards will be in place but over time the law will be widened for other areas of health. You’d better believe it – we have so little love for one another these days as it is, it will become oh so easy to widen the law. It is a hideous concept – smacks of Hitler’s cleansing of people he thought warranted it.
I just cannot believe that it could eventually become the law – what a ghastly old world it is becoming.
I’m generally in favour of cautious euthanasia law, but I also have concerns about safeguards and I don’t trust our legislation process to design really good laws here.
Having euthanasia generally happening outside of hospitals (e.g. at home or in certain hospices) makes sense, but it would also limit health care for some people.
We need to ask doctors and nurses rather than put our views in them.
I agree with you Kate, and lets look at the next generation – yes the one that does not see anything wrong by stomping on someones head or stoning a kitten to death.
The human race is already on a path of brutalization, why hurry the process? Many “assume” that everybody will treat this issue under a humanitarian point of view.
I doubt that the motivation of legalizing euthanasia is driven by ulterior motives but pursuing this leaves only one option – utter naivety.
“yes the one that does not see anything wrong by stomping on someones head or stoning a kitten to death. ”
That describes every generation not just the next one.
Lets stay current Tracey. I do not remember that even 10-20 years ago such cruelties were common or indeed treated with a somewhat blase attitude.
I agree, everything today is based on its monetary worth – if it can’t pay its way then its of no use to our so called society. First it will be terminally ill, then it will be elderly who have outlived their usefulness, then it will be the young who are incapacitated by physical or mental illness who are getting in the way of the grind of making money.
Just who is fooling who in this scheme of allowing terminally ill people to think they can play God, or whoever you believe in – and get their selfish way and end it as they think fit. Doesn’t it occur to them they are passing the buck onto another human being to do the deed for them. If they are so hellbent on finishing it then go and do it in their own good time and take the responsibility of it themselves. Leave our precious doctors and nurses to live the good life without being state sanctioned executioners.
Well, well, looking more and more like the T4 Program as time rolls on. Looking forward to the next step, let’s get rid of the unproductive people, the disabled, jews, wogs, blacks, gays, this euthanasia thing is working out so well. It’s a slippery slope, but hey we’re enlightened right, right, RIGHT!!!
p.s.
Just in case you need a reference to the T4 – program.
https://www.britannica.com/event/T4-Program
No, we don’t need a link to the T4 programme because any time there’s a mention of euthanasia some religious loon or generally-confused type will flag it as being in some way relevant to the discussion – which it isn’t.
So mobile vans, going around and door to door to perform euthanasia. Do you really think that the Nazis jumped right into the mass killing thing – no wait they got their incrementally.
One big step in that was by getting people to accept that euthanasia was normal and OK. Go read some of the propaganda they produced at the beginning of the program. Odd thing is – you sound surprisingly like them in your attack dog mode.
The tone of annoyance is because commenters claiming this thing totally unlike the Nazis is just like the Nazis really gets on my wick.
So the whole creating a strawman, then the personal attack was something else altogether then?
And sorry, but the state killing people, falls into the category of totalitarianism – no matter how much you want to spin it.
Do you have a view on abortion? On how Hospitals allocate resources, how waiting lists are weighted? How decisions on drug funding are made?
Abortion, choice – Let’s stop it being criminal or mental health.
Hospitals, the boards should be given more training, and allocations of funds. Removal of the massive build up middle management paper pushers which have infested the public service. A implementation of a system of effectiveness to get over the crisis in health from too many efficiency drives.
Drug funding, is as complex as is the whole drug approval. I’d like to see more patient advocate/voices in the whole drug funding, approval and application process. Happy with generics. Happy for us to be supplied from India. Would like to see more production in NZ.
A simple response tracey – Much more than that involved. If I was being a conservative anarchist. I say the only thing we need a state for is Health – a collective approach to health is necessary, as it is sensible.
Thanks adam. Appreciate you answering.
And sorry, but the state killing people, falls into the category of totalitarianism – no matter how much you want to spin it.
That’s arguable, given that countries with rule of law can also have the death penalty.
Let’s skip past that, though: you’re right, the state killing people is a bad idea. If anyone proposes it, feel free to raise the alarm. So far, no-one’s proposed it.
Rules out having Armed Forces too.
Indeed it does.
As I said your proposition, and the same attack dog politics you use is repeating what happened in the mid 1930’s. Sorry you can’t see the patterns. Oh and by the way, the communist voting areas were the people who the nazi regime watched closely when they passed a surprising similar law. (yeah I read it) When they didn’t revolt the leadership breathed a sigh of relief.
Tell you what, the disabled in this country are going to oppose this bill. Because we know our history.
Are you saying that Seymour has National Socialist and Eugenic designs on NZ? I am no fan of his but have yet to see any such tendancies.
One of my issues is some medical professionals are already finding ways to assist death. Is it better to leave this in the dark and pretend it isnt happening or find a way to regulate it?
Look I’ve had one grandparent and one uncle die within the last two years. On both occasions, anti-anxiety drugs in large doses were administered and family were in the room. I did not see any suffering in my uncle’s case. And my mother and Aunt both said their was no suffering in my grandmother’s case.
The doctor did not kill/murder the patient. The family member died of natural causes. And they did not suffer.
We are opening a door to a slippery slope. So NO we should not regulate how we murder people – at any time. We should view life as precious. What the difference once we accept killing old people – to accepting the infirm, then a few years later the deaf and dumb because, you know they don’t have great lives and we are relieving their suffering as well. Maybe the mentally unhinged, it will save on cost and they not really here anyway. It’s happened before, and it’s why I keep bringing up T4.
So contrary to Psycho Milt and his assumption that people are rational and nice, I think people in power are nasty and vicious so handing them a loaded gun is utter stupidity.
Good job that what’s being proposed is voluntary euthanasia and not the involuntary type then, eh?
You know no history – it’s frightening.
You advocate for the abolishment of our Armed Forces, yes?
Have you read this Bill? I am beginning to wonder. By all means oppose it but you seem to be opposing a notion of end of life rather than what is actually being proposed.
I oppose the door being opened.
So see. Not really caring if someone who does not want a baby opts for abortion, I could maybe have to start having a think about it (from a detached distance) if people who do want a baby start to opt for an abortion ‘just because’ it’s not the right ‘type’ of baby.
Can of worms and all that.
Do you mean Female infanticide and Disabled infanticide?
Well no. Because that entails killing infants, not aborting pregnancies.
But yes, I’m thinking in cases of aborting just because the foetus is female – or has, by genetic testing or whatever, a predicted higher chance of developing or being x, y or z.
But when I say “I could maybe have to start having a think about it (…) if”, I really do mean from a detached and purely intellectual level.
When it comes right down to it, I don’t believe the state should play a role. But I say that in relation to also not believing that nuclear family units are sane or sustainable. So whatever decisions may be made, I’d say they should be made at an individual/communal level on whatever basis, or by whatever measure all of the people within that community have agreed upon.
In short, the way this world is arranged is fucked up, and so the situation we have to try to make decisions from within are (how to say) ‘less than optimal’.
Doctors and nurses should not have to do this.
The very first line in your linked article says this service is for people “…whose doctors have refused to participate in assisted suicide.” So, no, doctors and nurses should not have to do this and aren’t being made to, which prompts me to ask “What’s your point?”
I was wondering that too. I assume that for the NZ legislation no-one will be forced to provide euthanasia either (someone can correct me if I am wrong). Just like surgeons who have ethical objections aren’t forced to perform abortions.
Nurses can also refuse to assist in abortions on moral grounds.
This is problematic in areas with low medical support.
Which article?
The one he links to in comment 3 that I was replying to: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/320496
Psycho Milt – here is a point to ponder. If someone wants to die, they can.
Just don’t get someone else to have to carry the burden for the rest of their lives to be a murderer.
Perhaps best to ask soldiers – they have a lot of experience.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-13687796
“If someone wants to die they can”
The point is many cannot.
Some Doctors and some Nurses already do assist patient deaths so the notion that this is a fresh burden is erroneous.
See my post above about not just passing a law but ensuring resources are put into supporting those enacting that Law.
Soldiers sign up to be “murderers” although they do not meet that definition and are specifically ruled out of the Crimes Act so yoyr use of that word is a straw man.
The psychological results of killing someone are real unless that someone is a psychopath. Many soldiers actually “follow orders” due to being otherwise prosecuted themselves. We are talking about people whose emotional well being is influenced by an act of the ultimate violation of natural law. If a person is “hardened”, murder of the vulnerable will have no ethical or moral consequence to their mind. And no rule of the crimes act will negate this.
Tracey, I do not deny that some people feel that they need to end their lives and I understand that in some instances doctors and/or nurses help with “chasing” the process when pain is becoming uncontrollable.
However, if a person is able to express his/her wishes to die due to incurable illness and pain, and equipment is provided for that person to end their lives themselves – who am I to judge. What I do vehemently oppose is, that another party is being asked to take on the task and have to live with the consequential burden.
I am certainly not in favor to have euthanasia practiced on a patient that is non responsive, in a coma, brain damaged – that individual would at this point not be able to decide. Their family might want to share time with them, look after them etc. If there is no one or any or their relatives won’t look after them it should not be just a case of getting the bed freed up.
And of cause there is always the possibility that any possessions are deemed a free for all if only…
There are far more cons than pro’s on this issue.
Instead of supporting an existing Green Party Bill, reports indicate Labour will introduce its own legislation. Raising questions on whether or not they will allow herbal or botanical cannabis to be used for medicinal use.
Surprisingly, the Greens have been silent on the matter.
The Greens are failing to utilise their position to speak out, thus take lead, build and apply public pressure.
Not one press release on the matter on their website.
What are the differences in the Bills?
The Greens Bill can be found here: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_74308/misuse-of-drugs-medicinal-cannabis-and-other-matters
As far as I’m aware, Labour’s Bill is still being formulated.
However, here’s a news report on the matter: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/12/medical-cannabis-legislation-to-get-rolling-next-week.html
Why are you constantly attacking the Greens?
Because they are constantly failing to speak up on a number of issues.
Just because they only secured 6% doesn’t mean they can now throw in the towel and give up the fight.
Although the Greens have their own policy in regards to cannabis use all that was agreed upon in the C&S was a referendum on personal use.
Labour promised medical use to be legalised and it looks like they’re doing that.
The Greens are in favour of that as a step in the right direction.
Oh, and that bill you refer to wasn’t a Green Party bill at all but a members bill.
On this, you have nothing to complain about.
Members Bills put in by Green MPs are Green Party Bills. They don’t allow MPs to put forward stuff that is not policy.
Yes, a member’s Bill put up by a Green Party member.
While it may be a step in the right direction, if it fails to allow for people to grow their own it’s going to fall far short of expectations and what many medicinal users require.
And as indications suggest it will fall short, this is the time to speak up and apply public pressure to help ensure it doesn’t. Yet, the Greens seem to be MIA (by their silence) on an issue one would expect they would be leading the charge, hence the complaint.
Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Have to see the bill first. I suspect that all three parties are discussing it and are probably keeping quiet until they’ve come to some decisions.
Then organise a petition.
Also note that the Greens do have an agreement for a referendum on recreational use of marijuana. If that goes through, as I suspect it will, then there’s going to have to be laws regarding growing your own.
An interesting point on that is that NZ is the only place in the world where it’s legal for anyone to own a still.
My hope is that, when they legalise it for medical use, they also put in several million per year to develop and produce the drugs. Northland would have a major economic boost.
There is really nothing to say until Labour release their bill. The Greens bill is still there so the issue is not going anywhere and Parliament will be forced to address it.
I disagree. The time to start applying pressure is now, before they fully formulate and release their Bill.
It’s like this TC. If the Greens pushed this issue the Natz would persecute them for being a bunch of ne’er do well dopeheads ,just like they always have.
In the eyes of NZ’s immature media the Greens would thus become a one issue party to be scorned relentlessly (nothing new in that though, it would just be rigorously renewed infantilism, which is personified in Hosking et al).
Methinks it would be wise for the Greens to stick to the two objectives…sustainable future and social justice.
“It’s like this TC. If the Greens pushed this issue the Natz would persecute them for being a bunch of ne’er do well dopeheads ,just like they always have.”
They may try, yet public opinion is vastly against them (the Nats) on this one. Therefore, it is unlikely to be successful.
“In the eyes of NZ’s immature media the Greens would thus become a one issue party to be scorned relentlessly…”
Which is why they also need to be more vocal in their other core policy areas, ie sustainable future and social justice.
“Which is why they also need to be more vocal in their other core policy areas, ie sustainable future and social justice.”
And merely legalising medical cannabis, without allowing consented persons to grow and process their own plant material, is not going to be sustainable or just.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11924430
Its just going to allow the unscrupulous to exploit the suffering of others when there is a much cheaper and accessible alternative.
We are a nation of home gardeners. Why not allow us to grow our own plants… the variety specific to our needs… and process it ourselves?
Folk are doing it anyway.
because the concern-o-bot got shit for concentrating too much on Labour.
I read recently that people re-cycling our rubbish wanted clean rubbish and soiled rubbish merely went to the tip. I wonder if anybody had researched the cost to the planet of folk washing-cleaning rubbish before it is put out for re-cycling compared to just being sent to the tip?
My current bete noir is the take-away which gives me food in a nice [I assume recycled] brown cardboard box which gets soiled by the food and dressing so conflicts with the need for clean rubbish.
I had hoped that the recycling process would burn or otherwise get rid of the ‘soil’ similar to re-cycled aluminium where one skims off the slag before pouring into a mould … something I did in past years.
Who is more contemptible here: Narcissus or his groveling interviewer?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgAiQISIqoU
Unfortunately many US Americans really don’t get it do they? Exceptionalism at its worst.
You should try renouncing USA citizenship and see the shit and threats people have to go through.
TOP gone to pot. With their leadership gone I think its all over for the Opportunities Party.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99839970/gareth-morgan-wont-lead-top-into-2020-election
Maybe he will do what Alan Gibbs did and appoint a puppet or two?
Plenty about….if only judith was more compliant eh.
Maui, 100% there.
Gareth Morgan is – (off his “top”)
Maybe Gareth is going to concentrate on his cat crusade ?
Of the rich man’s vanity parties we have seen to date, only Bob Jones’ “New Zullon” party has been a success. And its objectives were just to kill Muldoon so a far-right infiltrated Labour Party could take power in 1984. It was never intended as a long-term prospect in those far-off FPP days.
Overall, this is a pretty good result for our democracy.
Part of the coup d’état that took over in 1984.
And we still live in that totalitarian neoliberal state 33 years later.
Morgan is staying on as leader in the meantime, but won’t front the Party at the next election.
In his resignation letter, former deputy leader Geoff Simmons said now was a crucial time for the party.
“Over the next 6-9 months it will develop a group of potential leaders to lead them into the next election.
“Much like the All Blacks, any political team benefits from strong competition for any role. Stepping back from my co-Deputy Leader role will encourage new leaders to emerge, which will be good for the party.”
Simmons said he did not currently have the necessary energy to continue in the role as deputy leader, but said if he felt he had regained energy when the time came to pick a new leader, he would throw his hat in the ring.
Ok, my estimation for Simmons just dropped a notch. They really have a culture of a political party being something you create like a business rather than being something that needs to be built from the ground up. I hope they fall over, I want less of this kind of authoritarian, top down stuff in parliament, not more.
Meanwhile, Waitaki candidate Kevin Neill said under current leadership, it was “untenable to have an open, transparent discussion on not only how to create policies, but whether to change them”.
It is understood Morgan called a party meeting during the weekend, in order to take stock of the situation, but a number of people were excluded, including Neill and Hammond-Doube.
Neill said he could not cope with the “dictator-style leadership”, and said he believed nothing would change after Morgan stepped down as leader – he would still take a lead in making decisions.
There was a place for a party like TOP in New Zealand politics, but a different leadership system was essential, he said.
etc.
I wonder that some of them do not move to another party that seems to share many of their goals on
Fairer tax system
Welfare
Environment
😉
No energy after such a short time?
“I want less of this kind of authoritarian, top down stuff ”
Yep that certainly, plus any mention of the All Blacks has to set off the “whoop whoop, shallow, self-interested bollocks about to follow” sirens.
If Gareth was genuinely interested in public policy he would have joined the political party he finds most congenial and tried to influence policy formation. That fact that he’s too immodest to do such a thing shows we’re all better off if he stays out of politics for good.
Yeah. Pretty sure no All Black gives up after 6 months
On the Kids Can charity – have to say I’m against private charities being used to do government work. Modern charities are too glossy and glamorise poverty and take donations from ordinary people and taxpayers but spend it on marketing and staff to promote themselves and increase the donations.
There is a place for private charities but increasingly they are being used by corporates and so forth for their own lobbying and agendas. Disney has a charity that they expected their employees to donate to lobby for TPPA for example. The Clinton Foundation where other countries are expected to give taxpayer money and used the donations to politically to influence.
The rise of corporates like countdown and ASB collecting money for charity and then it looks like they are the ones being generous – NOT the ordinary people paying in the money. They they give a big cheque and everyone things they are responsible community businesses. In the old days ASB for example made donations with their own money. Not just being collection agencies.
Corporates controlling charities lose the whole point of the charity. The Red Cross Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Haiti and Built Six Homes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-red-cross-raised-half-a-billion-dollars-for-haiti-and-built-6-homes
I see two main problems here … firstly folk object to taxes and secondly the waste by governments/charities as they feed themselves rather than helping those in need.
The simple answer is not to donate but to give to those who you know personally will benefit.
Which will, of course, maintain high poverty levels.
Far better for the government to eliminate poverty altogether but I’m sure that the capitalists will complain about that – as they did back in the 1980s and 90s and their delusional idea that high benefits stopped people from going to work.
Since there are no jobs, or very few, for the unskilled it means poverty is likely to remain with us for the forseable future I am afraid.
Welfare probably does cause those who have not learnt the work ethic to avoid work but this is a problem with the system that encourages folk to want the moon with TV shows and such like but doesn’t provide the jobs to make it possible.
Plus of course there is the tendency of couples to have more children than they can provide for.
For years I have thought that world wide socialism with security for all in their old age would reduce the need for couples to have children, lots of them, to look after them in their old age. Education brings reduced childbearing as the educated realise the huge cost of having a child impacts seriously on their standard of living, particularly when there are few jobs paying well, or anything more than subsistence these days.
And so the government should make upskilling freely available to them.
And, to be honest, I don’t think it’s lack of skills that’s keeping many in poverty. Poverty is a direct result of capitalism. As Adam Smith said, you need 500 poor people to have one rich person.
Without poor people who can be forced to work for the rich then there wouldn’t be any rich because they’d only have the fruits of their own labours rather than the fruits of everyone else’s labour.
Which is, of course, why National always attack beneficiaries and makes them worse off.
All indications are that that is a result of our education system instilling the wrong motivations in people.
No there isn’t.
Basically, you’re pulling out all the old BS that National uses to denigrate and attack good people.
Funny how Super, which is higher than other benefits, hasnt led to all retired ceasing work.
You having children and no work ethic generalisation is largely mythical. Do you also tar all company directors with the brush of those who commit fraud?
Do you have disdain for those businesses claiming holidays as deductions when tgere is no business component, or meals out? Or do cash jobs?
Not sure how true but some commentator on daily blog says Kids Can has 4 million in cash reserves but going wah wah about losing 350k.
Spend the 4 million on the kids don’t keep it in the bank, Kids Can! No wonder there are so many kids in poverty if their money is kept in the bank.
I Guess corporate dimwits in the media like Garner can’t be bothered doing basic research before opening his mouth.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/13/are-we-really-sad-kidscan-is-getting-dumped-really/
I have to say I’m impressed the government is cracking down on all this stuff. Natz gave Kids Can over a million but their private charity approach threw more and more kids into poverty.
I read that it was 5 million and think they are just bellyacking.
Thanks savenz that was interesting. and timely as these charities are often just another way of government monetising and privatising their work and services in their expected role in our so-called modern state.
You are coming up with great info and ideas. Merry Christmas and take a break over Christmas just being positive and self-oriented for a while so as to recharge for 2018?
Merry Christmas to you too, greywarshark and to all off us sharing ideas to try to make things better and fairer.
The most positive news is that all who voted and achieved the change of government. At last a new start and new hope for 2018!
I cut way back on my charity donations for much the same reason; too little of the money was reaching those who needed it.
It’s all a bit too reminiscent of the much maligned trickle down theory isn’t it; the flood of donations reduced to a trickle by the time it reaches its intended destination.
DH
I think it is worse than the trickle down aspect. It is the polity withering through deliberate inaction from the government, from the respect for all society to a deliberately underfunded class with deliberately withheld jobls (by allocating them to poor immigrants) that then is largely left to the whims of those wanting to start a business in the not-for-profit charity sector with little tax to pay.
The strugglers then become a human herd for these sharp-eyed petty bourgeoisie to profit from.
https://www.rt.com/uk/412667-corbyn-chomsky-peace-prize-geneva/
And as Wake Up NZ says, no mention in our news either – disgraceful!!
Another example of the corporate press, and controlling the message. Anyone who thinks we have a free press at this point in history, is deeply deluded.
Uhhh, maybe because that particular peace prize is utterly inconsequential? It seems Corbyn himself didn’t even think it significant enough to ever mention it.
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/7xwxg9/what-the-silence-over-jeremy-corbyns-peace-prize-tells-us-about-new-left-wing-media
And yet…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4331920/PM-Theresa-unveils-new-shorter-hair-style.html
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3135251/theresa-may-sits-for-vogue-cover-shoot-taken-by-photography-legend-annie-leibovitz/
Umm… Jeremy Corbyn does not strike me as the sort of character to go running around saying “look at me”. The absence of the news in the MSM is without a shadow of doubt the corporate-owned media doing its thing for themselves.
The west and it’s lies. Your comfortable life is predicated on the torture, death and exploitation of the third world. Funny how no one talks about that much…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoB10ddVC0Y&ab_channel=TeleSUREnglish
We’ve been doing it here @adam over the past decade. Shoddy PTE’s and temporary work visas, offshore fishing boats, cash-for-work schemes, et al.
It’s been an industry that, thank your God, is now coming under scrutiny (sort of).
Of course the enablers will go unpunished, whilst the exploited will usually have lost almost everything – except perhaps their dignity.
We the west needs its people to exploit. At least here we did not gun down people from the PTE’s and temporary work visas, offshore fishing boats, cash-for-work schemes, et al.
I agree, and no we didn’t, but in at least a few cases, we completely fleeced them of their ability to support themselves. (so much more seemly than just putting a gun to their head). We should feel oh so proud of ourselves we exploited them in such a civilised manner
You watched the video right? Whole villages just lost their livelihoods, hundreds if not thousands of people.
You’re right though, economic thuggery can have a veneer of civility, but we should call it what it is – fleecing.
I will when I can adam – not on current access though during business hours. However I’ve been following her since her RT days.
Labour is coming for exploiters and need to be aggressive also.
Why should we accept to live well off others pain and suffering?
If so, we are nothing more than wild animals.
“Do to others, as you would have them do unto you”,
As we were taught from the scriptures.
Agreed CG and not fast enough.
The bad news is that neo-liberalism is so insidious it’s cultural, political, economic and to many – religious. It trumps most religions from Catholicism (as we see with Bullshit Bill) to Sikhism (as we see by some fellow Sikhs prepared to rip off others. (Not looking at you Kanwaljit – not much anyway)
Lets not forget the humanitarian crises in yemen and oman as a result of sponsored conflicts.
Please put up some links tc, I will watch or read any that you do post.
But you are right, we should not forget.
+100
Pretty much the result of past and present empires and their proxies.
I think there’s something playing on Aljzaeera atm giving an historical perspective
( Maybe AJ )
NZ Government must now use Rail freight as it will greatly reduce our use and dependence on fossil fuels that cause climate change, and will save our cost of paying for “carbon credits” also.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/arctic-climate-change-report-sea-temperature-rise-melting-ice-caps-polar-environment-global-warming-a8106161.html
1. Environment
Arctic climate ‘report card’ reveals ‘rapid and dramatic changes’ to the polar environment
Yes theres some hard to watch clips of polar bears starving to death as they cant find food anymore
Hard to believe super serum and floorman would get this one wrong.
/
A forged document accusing the top Democrat in the Senate of sexual harassment copied language verbatim from a real sexual-harassment complaint filed against Rep. John Conyers.
On Tuesday afternoon, right-wing social media personalities Charles Johnson and Mike Cernovich boasted of obtaining a document that would put a senator out of a job.
“Michael Cernovich & I are going to end the career of a U.S. Senator,” Johnson posted on Facebook on Monday.
The senator was Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York, Axios first reported.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-cernovich-chuck-johnson-alt-right-hyped-anti-schumer-forgery-that-plagiarized-conyers-complaint
The seven clowns
1 Gissmuppet he started all this and is a bigot and thinks he can hide from eco
2 Dopey he think he is the best hunter and likes to leave dead opposum on the road and burning out tyres.
3 Nobby he’s one of my neo liberal neighbour he thinks he can impose his ideals on the rest of the neighbourhood eco made him feel inadequate about one of his hobbies.
4 sneezy he talks with a lisp and thinks he’s a leader loves the camera I taught him sign language at the caltex
5 Shonky he worships money an one will find him sniffing around an deal to steal money
6 bullysheit well you can’t believe a word he says and he’s a alcoholic
7 dilldo he is a bigot and love to see our valuerable people on the streets and loves to see the poor people starving.
All these clowns have one thing in common they will do anything to see ECO lose his Mana and they are all bigots.
I no you are bribing the man with two names???? Who stole my Mana when Mama died PS I have a witness who won’t lie under oath to confirm this fact so he is racist bigot he name me the white honky bastard. I will be able to cut to threads all the contracted liars you have one way or another credit. bility or conflict of interest that WHALE was playing up today but ECO will get it to heal soon. Ana to kai
Any mainstream media asking these questions?
“Subject: Auckland Transport CAS-642483-D1P0N4 – Transdev and CE Information
Dear Ms Bright
We acknowledge receipt of your open letter to Mr Shane Ellison dated 11 December 2017, requesting the following information:
1) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from Auckland Transport, on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
2) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
3) How much money have you, Shane Ellison, as new CEO of AT, the delegated authority to spend on awarding contracts.
4) A copy of Auckland Transport’s ‘corruption risk assessment’ – (or the like) regarding your appointment as CEO of Auckland Transport (AT), given that you have just left the employment of Transdev (Australia), and Transdev have the AT contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
We are processing your request according to the provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). Under the Act, a response must be provided within 20 working days of receipt of a request, however, due to the Christmas holiday period set by the Office of the Ombudsman, a response will be provided to you by 30 January 2018. This is the maximum response time and we will endeavour to respond to you sooner.
….”
Penny Bright
‘Anti-Corruption whistle-blower’.