. . . Labour Minister Chris Finlayson has trimmed the criteria for the annual minimum wage review from 20 factors, which have been considered since 2008, to just four: the consumer price index, the median wage, effects on jobs and a catch-all category called “other relevant factors”.
A footnote in a paper he took to Cabinet last month says “other relevant factors” means, “For example, the effect on the public sector, particularly on ACC, the Ministries of Health and Education” . . .
. . . sneaky lawyer is sneaky, but John Key speaks with forked tongue.
Yes once Findlayson got Labour off nana Kate it was always going to come to something like this.
Keep and eye on the sneaky ones like him, Ryall, Joyce and also watch housing now it’s in with ‘wouldn’t lie straught in bed’ Smith as Heatley didn’t plunder the stock for mates enough and got the shove.
Well, see, “global action on tax avoidance” = contracting out the collection of taxes to private companies with an international reach. Privisation. But worse: contracting multi-nationals to collect tax from themselves. Good luck with that. Basically, he’s selling the public on the idea of putting the fox in the hen house but, because he’s so stupid, he doesn’t realise it. Alternatively, John Key has just given him a wee media spot so he can feel he’s helping out. You know, keep the Belmont Bouffant busy doing something useful rather than standing around being a dork.
Harry Duynhoven, the mendacious, bullying, cowardly, fascist mayor of New Plymouth, has just orchestrated the silencing of one of the few honest and caring councillors on NPDC via yet another ‘code of conduct’ hearing, the third under his nasty regime and just the fourth in the history of the council.
Harry Dunhoven was Labour MP for the district until booted out. He was known locally as Harry Do-nothing (though he did manage to sign away a slice of our fossil fuel reserves to overseas corporations and orchestrate raised CO2 levels) .Via a massive advertising campaign (paid for by his corporate mates no doubt) and a series of lies he told at the local body elections he managed to win the mayoralty by a very slim majority.
It all goes to show what awful people have constituted the Labour Party in recent decades.
Harry wasn’t booted out as MP, he lost by a mere hundred votes in 2008. He then went on to comfortably win the mayoralty. He’s not a fascist. The councillor concerned was rightly censured for a cowardly attack on a person who could not fight back. Other than those minor points, you’re 100% correct.
Duynhoven was booted out [by the voters]. If he wasn’t we would still be enduring his mendacity as an MP.
Do you really think that the corporation-owned Daily News gives a balanced view? Everything in the Daily News is propaganda, designed to keep ‘proles’ believing in the system that has enslaved them from birth (and keep the advertising revenue flowing). Neuro-linguistic programming and manufacturing consent for corporate looting is the norm for ALL mainstream media.
Having spoken at length with both Duynhoven and George and seen the policies they promote I KNOW who the lying fascist is.
Harry’s most recent push for complete control is to implement a ban on public deputation to the council for anyone who tells the truth… nasty, vicious creep that he is.
The Richard Prosser (or is that Tosser?) saga gets more and more bizarre.
His professed reason for his anti muslim rant was the “confiscation” of a prized pocketknife when he tried to board an Air New Zealand plane. Most people would have the good sense to realise that taking a potential weapon onto a plane was not a good thing to do and it is reasonable for the authorities to have rules about this sort of thing. But apparently not Richard. He obviously does not think that rules should apply to him. The incident happened in December last year and he was an MP at the time.
The weird thing is that Stuff reports this morning that the knife was not confiscated and that Airport staff facilitated the checking in of the knife as baggage.
This is on Scoop NZ news this morning. IMO Harawira is justified in his stance.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013, 2:55 pm
Press Release: Mana Party
Today I opposed a request from Richard Prosser to make a personal statement to the house. I did so because if he has an apology to make for his offensive remarks to the Muslim community, then he can make his way to the nearest mosque and ask forgiveness there.
I do not accept that he should be able to make such remarks and then simply wash away his venom via an unchallenged explanation in the house.
Fair enough Mr Hone, but what do you make of what will be a big fat rump of the populace slowly shaking their heads at the apparent double and triple and quadruple standards around the big stinking pile of shit that is race relations and bigotry in this country. It is ok to be racist or advocate for racist policies, or to mock other genders and ages and races, in some but not in others.
I am not defending that rump nor wanting to debate the pluses and minuses, I am wondering how you deal with that rump and their relatively simple concern. Because today the views in this arena simply fly all over the place, each missing each other and flying off on their own tangents. No connection. Hence no start at understanding each other.
And meantime the smell gets worse.
I wonder, genuinely, whether this area is something you could speak to.
Keep rolling your eyes and taking the mick mickey mouse. It is all you ever do. If you don’t want to engage on the subject then leave it alone. You have made your point well clear on what you think of me personally. That’s fine. But the ongoing schoolyard mocking is offensive and abusive and a decent person would stop wallowing in it.
mickory mockery
abuse and offence
just make for one big pile of stench
… punch out your next piece mick, but I am off for a few days and wont see it. Your fans will though so go right ahead, knock yourself out, rub that ego …..
What reasonable excuse can there be for a Member of the New Zealand Parliament to be wandering round in public armed with a knifeâŠ
Too many to mention:
– good for keeping the nails clean
– handy for getting a key started on those tight-as key rings
– great for getting staples out
– opening envelopes
– slicing box tape
– flicks those SIM cards out of the back of cell phones easy-peasy
– sharpening pencils
– taking bottle caps off
– all manner of emergency uses
. . . I’ve always carried a pocket knife, inherited my ole man’s one a while back, and its a beauty. The one time I got nabbed with it at the Airport it was too late for me, a mere voter, to be “expedited” through to checked-in baggage. Instead, the nice lady there said if I gave her $5 and my address she’s stick in a courier bag. She said it was a personal favour and not policy. (Love ya, Tui).
I get that you’re probably making a joke, but I shall defend forever the right for anyone to carry a pen knife. I don’t think its unusual or bad or sufficient evidence of anything. Perhaps its a bit old fashioned, something of an affectation, and, maybe, a bit blokey. Believe me, I do understand how a person might feel if a such treasured item were to taken from them at an airport, especially when a cigarette lighter is a far more lethal weapon aboard an aircraft.
I think Prosser’s act of terror was not in being “armed” but that he used a lie to generate hate.
Yes many of us carry a pocket knife, should the plods find you with one tho i believe you would still likely to be charged and convicted for carrying an offensive weapon in a public place as all your list of reasons are easily accomplished with other tools,
Prosser adding whine to His cheese makes a mockery of Himself by raving at being held up at an airport security checkpoint specifically set up to detect passengers attempting to board domestic flights carrying just what He was, a concealed weapon for which i would suggest that He had no reasonable excuse to be carrying in a public place let alone an airport security check-in…
Not that I’ve had much to do with them, the plods seem okay about it. The fact that a multitude of other tools can be entirely replaced with a single penknife strikes me as being a perfectly reasonable excuse to carry one. Plods tend to agree, most of the time . . . once the knife was sitting on the front passenger’s seat and that, apparently, was sufficient cause for an otherwise arbitary search. South Auckland wankers.
And, yeah: the airport staff did their job and caught an idiot, probably, half a dozen other passengers were held up while the matter was sorted out . . . and Prosser is pissed off?? Odd MP is odd.
My understanding is that it’s a bit of a balance – the front passenger seat issue would be that it’s too readily accessible (as opposed to fishing it out of your pocket while seated), and they might have had a wee op on for proactive policing. “Fishing”, in other words.
Basically it’s a balance of “reasonable”. No prescribed criteria: tradies with multitools would be cool, some guy with a history of violence and a fucking great scimitar on a friday night … not so much. Holding for self defence = very uncool, taking it to and from self defence practise = probably cool, especially if it’s wrapped up or in the bottom of your gym bag.
Because you were carrying it in the apparent commission of a crime.
For the same reason that you can carry a screwdriver every day, but if you were breaking into a house it would suddenly become “carrying a tool for burglary”.
But then, if you were carrying a little swiss army knife, cooperated with the officer, advised them of its presence and volunteered it willingly, had not threatened them or anyone else with it, and had no history of violence, then any weapons charge could well just be a “contempt of cop” issue. You’d be amazed at how charges can disappear if you don’t make life difficult.
And if it’s a particularly small knife and all the other charges fell through, it could still be realistically challenged in court.
Of course, if you said you carried it “for protection”, you’re fucked.
Lolz, yes a perfectly reasonable excuse for carrying a knife, and if Garth says its ok then who is a mere peasant like me to argue with such a great um, (expletive deleted)…
I consider this strange as I have never met you and harbour no ill will toward you. I am certain that if I walked past you on the street your suspicions would not be raised. If you were a customer in my shop I am certain you would not suspect that I pose your family any risk. For you see, I am Muslim, I am 30, and I am also white. Throw in the fact that I am an American expatriate – accent and all – and I possess quite the subterfuge. After all, I could sit next to you on a flight, our arms negotiating the armrest for space, and you would think nothing of it. And yet if between us the subject of religion arose, my reply would disable you with fear.
Or so your column would lead me to believe.
I am writing an open letter to you out of sympathy, respect, and the desire for understanding. I do not write this so publicly in order to give your opinions greater status than they deserve. Instead, I hope to circumvent your vitriol from tainting the views of other people who, through lack of personal experience with the Muslim community, may be susceptible to your very limited and ignorant view of our religion and families.
Or were you pointing people to the speech in the hope that they might read/view their way past the lies and spin, while trying to interpret what he might, actually be telling the world!
Tragic situation where 5 people have lost their lives in the US and MSM media show their ineffectiveness yet again…
I have been following the Christoper Dorner saga in the US with great interest. Whilst not a fan at all of his methods, I am interested in anything that outs racism and corruption.
Yesterday Police had him surrounded and cornered in a cabin. The Cabin then catches fire.
At this point There are 3 possibilities
1. Dorner set fire to the cabin himself – Unlikely in my view as he was inside
2. The police set fire to it either accidently or on purpose.
3. it caught fire for some other reason. perhaps a freak lightening strike, an electrical fault, or perhaps he was cooking himself something to eat whilst trying to figure out a way out of this mess and left the oven on. – I’m pretty sure we can rule this one out too.
This then begs the question why none of the mainstream media are asking the question of how did the cabin actually catch fire. Some non MSM media are asking this very question. What makes it even more chilling is reports and recordings puported to be from police via a local radio station KCal 9 where police can be heard saying.
âburn this F#$*erâ
Someone is heard to shout: âBurn that smoke grenade out. Burn that F$%*ing house down!â
Moments later another voice says: âGet it going right now! F%^&ing burn this F$%&er!â
Another video, posted to YouTube, purports to be a recording of police radio conversations during the raid.
Posters on some sites have already started likening this to Waco Texas (obviously less people but same tactics),
The course of action Dorner took was clearly wrong but should he not be caught if possible and brought before the Justice system? Or were police exacting their own justice as revenge for fellow officers and family members killed by Dorner.
Given two earlier incidents involving trucks where police opened fire without warning that involved members of the public (two hispanic women in one and a white male in another) that were not Dorner, and now with how this appears to have ended. Were police hell bent on ensuring he didn’t have his day in court especially as he was alleging ongoing racism and corruption within the LAPD…. Conspiratorial??
But again MSM show their ineffectiveness and bias by not asking the questions that need to be asked.
Remember that that next link in the sequence of events to *destroy America*, is to create situations, where people and the police turn on eachother – These events have been predicted, and appear to be playing themselves out through the media, what a surprise /sarc!
I try to be more subtle in my approach đ but understand where you are coming from. Do you have any links I think they may be useful to help wake some people up or at least start them thinking in this instance…..
Kathryn Ryan this morning interviewed Denise Arnold, a Tauranga lawyer who runs the Cambodia Charitable Trust. This is by all accounts an excellent organization, and Denise Arnold is a hard working and articulate advocate for it.
However, it is surely incumbent on someone like Denise Arnold to speak plainly and honestly about all aspects of her work, and about the political and historical reality of the country in which she is doing so much good work. Sadly, however, she has chosen to rigorously censor her public utterances. So when Kathryn Ryan said, only half-accurately, that Cambodia “was devastated after the Khmer Rouge years”, Denise Arnold restrained herself from pointing out that Cambodia had already been devastated by the United States, and that the horrors of the Khmer Rouge were made possible largely because of that.
Sadly, she simply reiterated Ryan’s anodyne and dishonest approach. “Cambodia lost,” Arnold said, “one quarter of its population due to Pol Pot’s genocide.”
Of course, the rise to power of Pol Pot was only possible because of the genocidal attack on Cambodia by the United States. This history was studiously ignored by both Kathryn Ryan and Denise Arnold. No one benefits from such cleansed public discourse—except the people who colluded with the Pol Pot regime, both at the height of its atrocities and for years afterwards.
As Ms. Arnold would know perfectly well, one of the governments that obediently followed the U.S. directive to support the Khmer Rouge was our own. Read more HERE… http://brothernumberone.co.nz/nzcambodianrelations
[lprent – the information in the comment history vs the ban list is inconsistent, I can’t work out if Morrissey has served his time or not. Can we let him out of purgatory? r0b]
Kathryn Ryan – like morning TV except on radio, lightweight and trying hard not to be challenging to whatever line’s being pushed.
A publicly funded soapbox most of the time oh goody.
tc
Don’t moan at Kathryn Ryan and NinetoNoon – it’s meant to be current news that tells it like it is but doesn’t push the barrow. If you want a drop of the hard stuff go to Mary Wilson at night. But Kathryn seems okay, asks good questions. But then I used to think Maggie Barry was good. I was a bit younger then and perhaps less cynical.
Much preferred Kim Hill, She has the ability to put people completely at their ease and then ask them a hardie right out of left field which deflates their egos big time…
Let’s hope KH is still around when we eventually get PSB TV back. And by that I mean true PSB.
That doesn’t mean pseudo PSBTV like FACE or KIDZONE or HEARTLAND designed to give a monopoly interest a veneer of “corporate responsibility and concern” and only available to the “UN”digitally-divided.
I fear though, she’s getting to the stage of weighing up whether pushing shit uphill is worth the effort.
Still – she likes gardening and feeding the soil with seaweed, sheep and cowshit, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that a bit of poli-shit could be worth an experiment.
I’m sure there’s some sort of ‘smart-think-recycling-politician-anal or verbal crap’ possibility there, whereby a fascist Key-NAct-brand type kaka could be fed into fertilising a crop of something useful. And if it all fails, we’ll just put it all down to a venture that was ‘mis-sold’ and appoint Steven Joyce to investigate it’s failure (on minimum wage)
Kathryn Ryan asks good questions, initially, but doesn’t take the time to listen to the answers so misses the opportunities for killer follow up questions. Kim Hill is brilliant at that.
hee hee, from through the Square Window
RNZ-there is a slip to the lowest common denominator when it comes to the training and experience of people caring for the impaied in this country (and this is current info from friends employed in the sector)
61/2 % Current Acount Deficit, heading towards 8% (not so good I read); Parker “2nd worse in the developed world”
the fishing industries are slaughtering marine mammals and comparing the collateral to “road kill kiwis” (yep!)
Nathan Guy “well, I’ll read the briefings , talk to the officials, then get some advice.” :), talk about drivel!
Shearer, NEATs now 90,000.
ha ha! on 3 “have the US negotiate MORE with N.K”, when previously their leader is on record referring to “sworn enemy” and Major Tom (North Korean astronaut) dreams of a US city being annihilated by nuclear attack!
Robertson-describes Regional Equivalent GDP akin to economic apartheid, with mainly the extractive, polluting provinces proceeding…and outside promary industries, foreign investment contracting (never fear, English Budget nearly here). Did you see how primary produce is exported overseas and then flown back to restock cruise ships???
Winston appears to be an ongoing nemesis for Carter. then there is the price of groceries in NZ compared to OZ (where food used to be more expensive). Now, Campbell Live, the comparitive total was $24 less in OZ, incl. a lamb roast that was $8 cheaper.
Bertram-“no NZ govt in the last three decades has been prepared to tackle economic problems like the food-supply duopoly”.
New Zealand Post-owned print and mailing house Datam has today informed unions it intends to make 100 redundancies in Wellington and Auckland.
The proposed job cuts come as a result of a restructuring exercise and will lead to the closure of the Petone plant at a cost of 75 jobs and a reduction of 28 roles in Auckland.
This announcement follows recent mass redundancies at Summit Wool Spinners, Mainzeal and Contact Energy.
EPMU postal sector organiser Joe Gallagher says the job cuts are a blow for communities already struggling with high unemployment.
âThese redundancies have come as a shock to workers and it will take a while for everyone to digest what it means. New Zealand Post has committed to a fair consultation and timeframe but the reality is redundancy is never easy for anyone.
âWhile we accept the restructuring is a result of new machinery being installed, we have serious concerns about the state of the job market our members will be facing and we believe this shows the need for a Government strategy to tackle the jobs crisis.â
The PSA says unions will be working with the company to look at future options for workers.
âItâs always disappointing to see good jobs being lost and given the lack of employment opportunities in the market, itâs important that Datam look at retraining and redeployment possibilities for affected staff within the organisation. Weâll be working hard to make sure that happens,â says PSA Assistant Secretary Jeff Osborne.
The unions understand the company intends to create 30 new positions in Christchurch as part of the restructure.
re Corrections Amendment Bill; govt wants to dilate all the inmates orifices for inspection, while even the Dept. says this is inflammatory; Goff made a good summary of the contrast between private and state prison provision, and Chauvel articulated some real concerns Human Rights; Serco have come in for a lot of criticism remember, for scandals and abuse in the UK NHS and Prison Service; even NZF supports state provision of corrections.
Dom-a “Laziness Pandemic” is active in our population, burdening the purse to 1.3B in 2010. (sometimes i wonder what happened to the outdoorsy, sports mad, country I grew up in); The Lancet-“50% of population insufficiently active.”
meanwhile, back at the batsh*t cave; “NZ exchange rate effectively a pawn in the currency wars between larger economies”.
“We are effectively destroying ourselves by violence masquerading as love.” R.D Laing
a lament or two for that ‘Dick”; you know who.
Surah 43:83
So leave them to babble
And play (with vanities)
Until they meet that Day
Of theirs, which they
Have been promised (perhaps retribution)
Surah 3:10
Those who reject Faith-
Neither their possessions
Nor their numerous progeny
Will avail them aught
Against Allah; they are themselves
But fuel for the fire. (Liked that one Alot)
Surah 2:171
The parable of those
Who reject faith is
As if one were to shout
Like a goat-herd to things
That listen to nothing
But calls a nd cries:
Deaf, dumb and blind,
They are void of wisdom. (cannot distinguish intelligently between shades of meaning or subtle differences in values)
now, for some comedy I’m going to watch par-ley-ment. đ
Wages produce dependence. This governments attack upon the welfare system is a means to ram that dependence home. As a society we need to break that dependence and that means breaking the capitalist ownership model that brings it about.
I look after two children once a week and normally they do not have their TV on One, which I do not watch.EVER!!! While I was trying to turn Breakfast off (up high,couldn’t find remote) and I heard the cute giggly Toni? and the pom waaing on about valentines and I THINK ! I heard that the honourable (“we would love to see wages DROP”) tedious little mankey had been voted DRUM ROLL!! sexiest something or other for the fourth year in a row.
Question. Did I hear this or was it just an extremely hilarious dream.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 20
A millionaire businessman is among 19 people arrested after a covert investigation targeting a criminal syndicate allegedly making and selling thousands of Ecstasy pills every week.
Or perhaps we shouldn’t trust businessmen either?
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 20.1.1
My point is the exact opposite. I admire their industry. Goes to show that sickness is no impediment to supporting yourself through running a business.
They were running at least a retail operation. That requires a procurement, business plan, systems, marketing, cash handling procedures, a policy for dealing with returns and dissatisfied customers and a plan for dealing with emergencies.
If they were running a wholesale operation, they would need manufacturing and distribution.
I admire and support the small businessperson. To do all that while you are sick as well shows real grit.
But you said “Goes to show that sickness is no impediment to supporting yourself through running a business.”
Perhaps you’d like to rephrase that so it relates to those particular peoples’ particular sickness and their particular business. Cos as it stands your statement says anyone with any sickness could be running a business, which is pretty much saying anyone on a sickness benefit or invalids benefit is a bludger for not running one.
And I can’t figure out how you get that from a story about a small business that failed so spectacularly.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
Well, was the failure to plan for the events which led to the demise of the business caused by the sickness the business owners were suffering under, or something else?
hey, when you were deep-sea trawling, did you come across any of the wall posters I seem to have mislaid over the years; had a really excellent on with The Rolling Stones as Tolkien-esque characters, oh those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end…
“Derivatives have been described by the US investment guru Warren Buffett as âfinancial weapons of mass destructionâ. NZ Prime Minister John Key was the former Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch, when he was also a Foreign Exchange Advisor for the New York Federal Reserve. In whose interests is NZ Prime Minister John Key working? ‘Once a Wall St bank$ter – always a Wall St bank$ter’?
For folk in Dunedin who have a bit of spare time this coming Monday (18th Feb).
Gordon Holmes was underpaid by WINZ and was awarded $17 000 damages by the Human Rights Commission. And, of course, WINZ are appealing. His court case is on Monday (not to be confused with the Wednesday stated in the linked article)
He has asked for public support. And so if you are of a mind to gather with others at 9:40 a.m. on the grass outside the court in Lower Stuart Street I’m sure he would greatly appreciate the show of solidarity.
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Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the governmentâs readiness to make urgent changes to âthe resource management systemâ through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes donât go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a âmedia summitâ to discuss âthe state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalismâ. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes –Â This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
 Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for âfast trackâ consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill â currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes-Â The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you arenât wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said âSince we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Te PÄti MÄori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonightâs court decision to overturn the summons of the Childrenâs Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about MÄori without evidence, says Te PÄti MÄori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. âThe judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te PÄti MÄori Justice Spokesperson, TÄkuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, MÄori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te PÄti MÄori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. âThis act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.â Said Te PÄti MÄori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mĆ TÄmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with MÄori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Petersâ engagements in TĂŒrkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.  âReturning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,â Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen â good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood â a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Â Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. âThe report shows that New Zealandâs emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,â Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where heâll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Governmentâs work to restore law and order. âAttending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the worldâs largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. âThe reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealandâs wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin  NgÄ mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho  Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.  I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. âOur Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealandâs overseas missions.  âOur diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealandâs interests around the world,â Mr Peters says.  âI am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. Â âOver 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. âIt is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
âChina remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,â Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĆ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĆ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĆ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar â a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldnât stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes â while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. Itâs not often an episode of a childrenâs cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but thatâs exactly what happened this week when ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people ⊠and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minuteâs silence to mark the âblood debtâ owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. âA promise to most people is a promise,â Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an âadministrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the countryâs major TV network of broadcasting âpropagandaâ backing Israelâs genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to menâs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock âChildhoodâ and âdementiaâ are two words we wish we didnât have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The governmentâs Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9â17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Thereâs been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russiaâs war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peaceâs new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a womanâs hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingwayâs Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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.
Hmmm . . .
Yes once Findlayson got Labour off nana Kate it was always going to come to something like this.
Keep and eye on the sneaky ones like him, Ryall, Joyce and also watch housing now it’s in with ‘wouldn’t lie straught in bed’ Smith as Heatley didn’t plunder the stock for mates enough and got the shove.
Peter Dunne wants multi-nationals to pay their fair share:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/128020/minister-backs-global-action-on-tax-avoidance
Why is this creep pushing this policy? Trying to stay relevant for the next election?
.
Well, see, “global action on tax avoidance” = contracting out the collection of taxes to private companies with an international reach. Privisation. But worse: contracting multi-nationals to collect tax from themselves. Good luck with that. Basically, he’s selling the public on the idea of putting the fox in the hen house but, because he’s so stupid, he doesn’t realise it. Alternatively, John Key has just given him a wee media spot so he can feel he’s helping out. You know, keep the Belmont Bouffant busy doing something useful rather than standing around being a dork.
Correct, Dunne is actually showing his support for global governance in the open, this is no surprise!
Harry Duynhoven, the mendacious, bullying, cowardly, fascist mayor of New Plymouth, has just orchestrated the silencing of one of the few honest and caring councillors on NPDC via yet another ‘code of conduct’ hearing, the third under his nasty regime and just the fourth in the history of the council.
Harry Dunhoven was Labour MP for the district until booted out. He was known locally as Harry Do-nothing (though he did manage to sign away a slice of our fossil fuel reserves to overseas corporations and orchestrate raised CO2 levels) .Via a massive advertising campaign (paid for by his corporate mates no doubt) and a series of lies he told at the local body elections he managed to win the mayoralty by a very slim majority.
It all goes to show what awful people have constituted the Labour Party in recent decades.
Harry wasn’t booted out as MP, he lost by a mere hundred votes in 2008. He then went on to comfortably win the mayoralty. He’s not a fascist. The councillor concerned was rightly censured for a cowardly attack on a person who could not fight back. Other than those minor points, you’re 100% correct.
A more balanced account of what happened can be found here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8300708/Conduct-vote-against-George
btw, Sherrill George is an unrepentant racist; her last censuring was for trying to destroy the business of a Waitara couple for being too Cambodian.
Duynhoven was booted out [by the voters]. If he wasn’t we would still be enduring his mendacity as an MP.
Do you really think that the corporation-owned Daily News gives a balanced view? Everything in the Daily News is propaganda, designed to keep ‘proles’ believing in the system that has enslaved them from birth (and keep the advertising revenue flowing). Neuro-linguistic programming and manufacturing consent for corporate looting is the norm for ALL mainstream media.
Having spoken at length with both Duynhoven and George and seen the policies they promote I KNOW who the lying fascist is.
Harry’s most recent push for complete control is to implement a ban on public deputation to the council for anyone who tells the truth… nasty, vicious creep that he is.
However, he has been very successful as a conman.
Cr George tried to organise a racist boycott. That sounds pretty fascist to me, to be honest.
The Richard Prosser (or is that Tosser?) saga gets more and more bizarre.
His professed reason for his anti muslim rant was the “confiscation” of a prized pocketknife when he tried to board an Air New Zealand plane. Most people would have the good sense to realise that taking a potential weapon onto a plane was not a good thing to do and it is reasonable for the authorities to have rules about this sort of thing. But apparently not Richard. He obviously does not think that rules should apply to him. The incident happened in December last year and he was an MP at the time.
The weird thing is that Stuff reports this morning that the knife was not confiscated and that Airport staff facilitated the checking in of the knife as baggage.
He is one unusual individual …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8295162/Wogistan-MP-should-resign-Islamic-leader
This is on Scoop NZ news this morning. IMO Harawira is justified in his stance.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013, 2:55 pm
Press Release: Mana Party
Today I opposed a request from Richard Prosser to make a personal statement to the house. I did so because if he has an apology to make for his offensive remarks to the Muslim community, then he can make his way to the nearest mosque and ask forgiveness there.
I do not accept that he should be able to make such remarks and then simply wash away his venom via an unchallenged explanation in the house.
Hone Harawira
MANA leader and MP for Tai Tokerau
Well done Hone.
Fair enough Mr Hone, but what do you make of what will be a big fat rump of the populace slowly shaking their heads at the apparent double and triple and quadruple standards around the big stinking pile of shit that is race relations and bigotry in this country. It is ok to be racist or advocate for racist policies, or to mock other genders and ages and races, in some but not in others.
I am not defending that rump nor wanting to debate the pluses and minuses, I am wondering how you deal with that rump and their relatively simple concern. Because today the views in this arena simply fly all over the place, each missing each other and flying off on their own tangents. No connection. Hence no start at understanding each other.
And meantime the smell gets worse.
I wonder, genuinely, whether this area is something you could speak to.
Over.
đ
Keep rolling your eyes and taking the mick mickey mouse. It is all you ever do. If you don’t want to engage on the subject then leave it alone. You have made your point well clear on what you think of me personally. That’s fine. But the ongoing schoolyard mocking is offensive and abusive and a decent person would stop wallowing in it.
mickory mockery
abuse and offence
just make for one big pile of stench
… punch out your next piece mick, but I am off for a few days and wont see it. Your fans will though so go right ahead, knock yourself out, rub that ego …..
Well done Hone.
Tosser/Prosser should be booted out by 2 faced Peters,, but he won’t be as it fits right in with Peters racist rants.
Good job Hone – thanks for doing that because I agree we let these race baiters off too easy.
+1000 Hone.
Maybe it’s time he went back to winemaking.
Yes it is usually the province of the Terrorist to be attempting to board airplanes armed with knives,
It is also border-line illegal as it is illegal to possess a knife in a public place without a reasonable excuse,
What reasonable excuse can there be for a Member of the New Zealand Parliament to be wandering round in public armed with a knife…
.
Too many to mention:
– good for keeping the nails clean
– handy for getting a key started on those tight-as key rings
– great for getting staples out
– opening envelopes
– slicing box tape
– flicks those SIM cards out of the back of cell phones easy-peasy
– sharpening pencils
– taking bottle caps off
– all manner of emergency uses
. . . I’ve always carried a pocket knife, inherited my ole man’s one a while back, and its a beauty. The one time I got nabbed with it at the Airport it was too late for me, a mere voter, to be “expedited” through to checked-in baggage. Instead, the nice lady there said if I gave her $5 and my address she’s stick in a courier bag. She said it was a personal favour and not policy. (Love ya, Tui).
I get that you’re probably making a joke, but I shall defend forever the right for anyone to carry a pen knife. I don’t think its unusual or bad or sufficient evidence of anything. Perhaps its a bit old fashioned, something of an affectation, and, maybe, a bit blokey. Believe me, I do understand how a person might feel if a such treasured item were to taken from them at an airport, especially when a cigarette lighter is a far more lethal weapon aboard an aircraft.
I think Prosser’s act of terror was not in being “armed” but that he used a lie to generate hate.
you can take my Zippo from my cold, dead fingers!
But I make sure I don’t carry it onto a plane.
Yes many of us carry a pocket knife, should the plods find you with one tho i believe you would still likely to be charged and convicted for carrying an offensive weapon in a public place as all your list of reasons are easily accomplished with other tools,
Prosser adding whine to His cheese makes a mockery of Himself by raving at being held up at an airport security checkpoint specifically set up to detect passengers attempting to board domestic flights carrying just what He was, a concealed weapon for which i would suggest that He had no reasonable excuse to be carrying in a public place let alone an airport security check-in…
.
Not that I’ve had much to do with them, the plods seem okay about it. The fact that a multitude of other tools can be entirely replaced with a single penknife strikes me as being a perfectly reasonable excuse to carry one. Plods tend to agree, most of the time . . . once the knife was sitting on the front passenger’s seat and that, apparently, was sufficient cause for an otherwise arbitary search. South Auckland wankers.
And, yeah: the airport staff did their job and caught an idiot, probably, half a dozen other passengers were held up while the matter was sorted out . . . and Prosser is pissed off?? Odd MP is odd.
My understanding is that it’s a bit of a balance – the front passenger seat issue would be that it’s too readily accessible (as opposed to fishing it out of your pocket while seated), and they might have had a wee op on for proactive policing. “Fishing”, in other words.
Basically it’s a balance of “reasonable”. No prescribed criteria: tradies with multitools would be cool, some guy with a history of violence and a fucking great scimitar on a friday night … not so much. Holding for self defence = very uncool, taking it to and from self defence practise = probably cool, especially if it’s wrapped up or in the bottom of your gym bag.
Get arrested for anything and be found with a knife in your pocket and you can bet the charge sheet includes a charge of carrying an offensive weapon…
Most likely, yes.
Because you were carrying it in the apparent commission of a crime.
For the same reason that you can carry a screwdriver every day, but if you were breaking into a house it would suddenly become “carrying a tool for burglary”.
But then, if you were carrying a little swiss army knife, cooperated with the officer, advised them of its presence and volunteered it willingly, had not threatened them or anyone else with it, and had no history of violence, then any weapons charge could well just be a “contempt of cop” issue. You’d be amazed at how charges can disappear if you don’t make life difficult.
And if it’s a particularly small knife and all the other charges fell through, it could still be realistically challenged in court.
Of course, if you said you carried it “for protection”, you’re fucked.
“What reasonable excuse can there be for a Member of the New Zealand Parliament to be wandering round in public armed with a knife⊔
Very handy if you come across someone who looks like they might tag your fence and you have to chase them 300 metres and stab them to death.
I go by Garth McVicar’s judgement on matter such as these and he said it was OK.
Be fair, CV, he said it was fair because the guy was really frustrated. He’s not advocating total anarchy.
Lolz, yes a perfectly reasonable excuse for carrying a knife, and if Garth says its ok then who is a mere peasant like me to argue with such a great um, (expletive deleted)…
Prosser gets told what is what; someone make this writer an MP
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10865255
Very good letter. Extremely generous to invite Prosser to dinner.
A good State of the Union speech from Obama. He has signalled a legacy building last term in office.
He promises to pull out of Afghanistan in the next year, but unfortunately I suspect Gitmo will still be open and operating strong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKwE2EGsfMk
A video from Greenpeace 3.
Sub-Antarctic islands. Beautiful. Must be protected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZZhf6VM7k&feature=youtu.be
Full transcript.
CV did you leave the sarc tag off?
Or were you pointing people to the speech in the hope that they might read/view their way past the lies and spin, while trying to interpret what he might, actually be telling the world!
Oh you cynic đ
It’d be nice if he promised to ground the drones. They don’t need boots on the ground as much as they used to.
Tragic situation where 5 people have lost their lives in the US and MSM media show their ineffectiveness yet again…
I have been following the Christoper Dorner saga in the US with great interest. Whilst not a fan at all of his methods, I am interested in anything that outs racism and corruption.
Yesterday Police had him surrounded and cornered in a cabin. The Cabin then catches fire.
At this point There are 3 possibilities
1. Dorner set fire to the cabin himself – Unlikely in my view as he was inside
2. The police set fire to it either accidently or on purpose.
3. it caught fire for some other reason. perhaps a freak lightening strike, an electrical fault, or perhaps he was cooking himself something to eat whilst trying to figure out a way out of this mess and left the oven on. – I’m pretty sure we can rule this one out too.
This then begs the question why none of the mainstream media are asking the question of how did the cabin actually catch fire. Some non MSM media are asking this very question. What makes it even more chilling is reports and recordings puported to be from police via a local radio station KCal 9 where police can be heard saying.
âburn this F#$*erâ
Someone is heard to shout: âBurn that smoke grenade out. Burn that F$%*ing house down!â
Moments later another voice says: âGet it going right now! F%^&ing burn this F$%&er!â
Another video, posted to YouTube, purports to be a recording of police radio conversations during the raid.
Posters on some sites have already started likening this to Waco Texas (obviously less people but same tactics),
The course of action Dorner took was clearly wrong but should he not be caught if possible and brought before the Justice system? Or were police exacting their own justice as revenge for fellow officers and family members killed by Dorner.
Given two earlier incidents involving trucks where police opened fire without warning that involved members of the public (two hispanic women in one and a white male in another) that were not Dorner, and now with how this appears to have ended. Were police hell bent on ensuring he didn’t have his day in court especially as he was alleging ongoing racism and corruption within the LAPD…. Conspiratorial??
But again MSM show their ineffectiveness and bias by not asking the questions that need to be asked.
It seems if you’ve gone deliberately hunting for US cops, killing them, this is the usual favour that they return to you.
But yes, the MSM are unquestioning and ineffective at bringing important points to light.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/dorner-manhunt-highly-incendiary-hot-gas-used-on-cabin.html
This too.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/13/audio-catches-cops-shouting-burn-this-motherfcker-during-dorner-siege/
Remember that that next link in the sequence of events to *destroy America*, is to create situations, where people and the police turn on eachother – These events have been predicted, and appear to be playing themselves out through the media, what a surprise /sarc!
I try to be more subtle in my approach đ but understand where you are coming from. Do you have any links I think they may be useful to help wake some people up or at least start them thinking in this instance…..
The Mystery of the Urinal Deuce.
Conveniently “forgetting” who supported Pol Pot
National Radio, Nine to Noon, Thursday 14 February 2013
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Kathryn Ryan this morning interviewed Denise Arnold, a Tauranga lawyer who runs the Cambodia Charitable Trust. This is by all accounts an excellent organization, and Denise Arnold is a hard working and articulate advocate for it.
http://www.cambodiatrust.org.nz/
However, it is surely incumbent on someone like Denise Arnold to speak plainly and honestly about all aspects of her work, and about the political and historical reality of the country in which she is doing so much good work. Sadly, however, she has chosen to rigorously censor her public utterances. So when Kathryn Ryan said, only half-accurately, that Cambodia “was devastated after the Khmer Rouge years”, Denise Arnold restrained herself from pointing out that Cambodia had already been devastated by the United States, and that the horrors of the Khmer Rouge were made possible largely because of that.
Sadly, she simply reiterated Ryan’s anodyne and dishonest approach. “Cambodia lost,” Arnold said, “one quarter of its population due to Pol Pot’s genocide.”
Of course, the rise to power of Pol Pot was only possible because of the genocidal attack on Cambodia by the United States. This history was studiously ignored by both Kathryn Ryan and Denise Arnold. No one benefits from such cleansed public discourse—except the people who colluded with the Pol Pot regime, both at the height of its atrocities and for years afterwards.
As Ms. Arnold would know perfectly well, one of the governments that obediently followed the U.S. directive to support the Khmer Rouge was our own. Read more HERE…
http://brothernumberone.co.nz/nzcambodianrelations
[lprent – the information in the comment history vs the ban list is inconsistent, I can’t work out if Morrissey has served his time or not. Can we let him out of purgatory? r0b]
Kathryn Ryan – like morning TV except on radio, lightweight and trying hard not to be challenging to whatever line’s being pushed.
A publicly funded soapbox most of the time oh goody.
tc
Don’t moan at Kathryn Ryan and NinetoNoon – it’s meant to be current news that tells it like it is but doesn’t push the barrow. If you want a drop of the hard stuff go to Mary Wilson at night. But Kathryn seems okay, asks good questions. But then I used to think Maggie Barry was good. I was a bit younger then and perhaps less cynical.
Much preferred Kim Hill, She has the ability to put people completely at their ease and then ask them a hardie right out of left field which deflates their egos big time…
Let’s hope KH is still around when we eventually get PSB TV back. And by that I mean true PSB.
That doesn’t mean pseudo PSBTV like FACE or KIDZONE or HEARTLAND designed to give a monopoly interest a veneer of “corporate responsibility and concern” and only available to the “UN”digitally-divided.
I fear though, she’s getting to the stage of weighing up whether pushing shit uphill is worth the effort.
Still – she likes gardening and feeding the soil with seaweed, sheep and cowshit, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that a bit of poli-shit could be worth an experiment.
I’m sure there’s some sort of ‘smart-think-recycling-politician-anal or verbal crap’ possibility there, whereby a fascist Key-NAct-brand type kaka could be fed into fertilising a crop of something useful. And if it all fails, we’ll just put it all down to a venture that was ‘mis-sold’ and appoint Steven Joyce to investigate it’s failure (on minimum wage)
Kathryn Ryan asks good questions, initially, but doesn’t take the time to listen to the answers so misses the opportunities for killer follow up questions. Kim Hill is brilliant at that.
Okay, okay, r0b, I’ll come back in March.
[See you then – r0b]
[deleted – sorry you picked up a one week ban. r0b]
hee hee, from through the Square Window
RNZ-there is a slip to the lowest common denominator when it comes to the training and experience of people caring for the impaied in this country (and this is current info from friends employed in the sector)
61/2 % Current Acount Deficit, heading towards 8% (not so good I read); Parker “2nd worse in the developed world”
the fishing industries are slaughtering marine mammals and comparing the collateral to “road kill kiwis” (yep!)
Nathan Guy “well, I’ll read the briefings , talk to the officials, then get some advice.” :), talk about drivel!
Shearer, NEATs now 90,000.
ha ha! on 3 “have the US negotiate MORE with N.K”, when previously their leader is on record referring to “sworn enemy” and Major Tom (North Korean astronaut) dreams of a US city being annihilated by nuclear attack!
Robertson-describes Regional Equivalent GDP akin to economic apartheid, with mainly the extractive, polluting provinces proceeding…and outside promary industries, foreign investment contracting (never fear, English Budget nearly here). Did you see how primary produce is exported overseas and then flown back to restock cruise ships???
Winston appears to be an ongoing nemesis for Carter. then there is the price of groceries in NZ compared to OZ (where food used to be more expensive). Now, Campbell Live, the comparitive total was $24 less in OZ, incl. a lamb roast that was $8 cheaper.
Bertram-“no NZ govt in the last three decades has been prepared to tackle economic problems like the food-supply duopoly”.
Brighter Future Update:
Joint Media Release
PSA?EPMU
100 jobs cut at Datam
New Zealand Post-owned print and mailing house Datam has today informed unions it intends to make 100 redundancies in Wellington and Auckland.
The proposed job cuts come as a result of a restructuring exercise and will lead to the closure of the Petone plant at a cost of 75 jobs and a reduction of 28 roles in Auckland.
This announcement follows recent mass redundancies at Summit Wool Spinners, Mainzeal and Contact Energy.
EPMU postal sector organiser Joe Gallagher says the job cuts are a blow for communities already struggling with high unemployment.
âThese redundancies have come as a shock to workers and it will take a while for everyone to digest what it means. New Zealand Post has committed to a fair consultation and timeframe but the reality is redundancy is never easy for anyone.
âWhile we accept the restructuring is a result of new machinery being installed, we have serious concerns about the state of the job market our members will be facing and we believe this shows the need for a Government strategy to tackle the jobs crisis.â
The PSA says unions will be working with the company to look at future options for workers.
âItâs always disappointing to see good jobs being lost and given the lack of employment opportunities in the market, itâs important that Datam look at retraining and redeployment possibilities for affected staff within the organisation. Weâll be working hard to make sure that happens,â says PSA Assistant Secretary Jeff Osborne.
The unions understand the company intends to create 30 new positions in Christchurch as part of the restructure.
re Corrections Amendment Bill; govt wants to dilate all the inmates orifices for inspection, while even the Dept. says this is inflammatory; Goff made a good summary of the contrast between private and state prison provision, and Chauvel articulated some real concerns Human Rights; Serco have come in for a lot of criticism remember, for scandals and abuse in the UK NHS and Prison Service; even NZF supports state provision of corrections.
Dom-a “Laziness Pandemic” is active in our population, burdening the purse to 1.3B in 2010. (sometimes i wonder what happened to the outdoorsy, sports mad, country I grew up in); The Lancet-“50% of population insufficiently active.”
meanwhile, back at the batsh*t cave; “NZ exchange rate effectively a pawn in the currency wars between larger economies”.
“We are effectively destroying ourselves by violence masquerading as love.” R.D Laing
a lament or two for that ‘Dick”; you know who.
Surah 43:83
So leave them to babble
And play (with vanities)
Until they meet that Day
Of theirs, which they
Have been promised (perhaps retribution)
Surah 3:10
Those who reject Faith-
Neither their possessions
Nor their numerous progeny
Will avail them aught
Against Allah; they are themselves
But fuel for the fire. (Liked that one Alot)
Surah 2:171
The parable of those
Who reject faith is
As if one were to shout
Like a goat-herd to things
That listen to nothing
But calls a nd cries:
Deaf, dumb and blind,
They are void of wisdom. (cannot distinguish intelligently between shades of meaning or subtle differences in values)
now, for some comedy I’m going to watch par-ley-ment. đ
More like Par LIAR ment.
The beginning of the collapse of an entire marine resource?. Probably.
http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21571386-global-warming-may-make-northernmost-ocean-less-productive-not-more
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/climatesnapshot/arctic-death-spiral-leaves-climate-scientists-shocked-and-worried
David Cunliffe on free markets …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C7er64lx9A
Wages produce dependence. This governments attack upon the welfare system is a means to ram that dependence home. As a society we need to break that dependence and that means breaking the capitalist ownership model that brings it about.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10865297
Claire Trevitt: Shearer’s reshuffle comes out of the shadows.
Worth a giggle.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/8304869/Salisbury-School-consultation-a-sham
This shows up the shonky dealings that have enveloped this Key led Nact govt,just disgraceful
I look after two children once a week and normally they do not have their TV on One, which I do not watch.EVER!!! While I was trying to turn Breakfast off (up high,couldn’t find remote) and I heard the cute giggly Toni? and the pom waaing on about valentines and I THINK ! I heard that the honourable (“we would love to see wages DROP”) tedious little mankey had been voted DRUM ROLL!! sexiest something or other for the fourth year in a row.
Question. Did I hear this or was it just an extremely hilarious dream.
If only they’d been painting the roof:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865417
The point you seem to miss is that them being on the sickness benefit has nothing to do with the drug bust.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10766619
Or perhaps we shouldn’t trust businessmen either?
My point is the exact opposite. I admire their industry. Goes to show that sickness is no impediment to supporting yourself through running a business.
Can you explain how it shows that?
They were running at least a retail operation. That requires a procurement, business plan, systems, marketing, cash handling procedures, a policy for dealing with returns and dissatisfied customers and a plan for dealing with emergencies.
If they were running a wholesale operation, they would need manufacturing and distribution.
I admire and support the small businessperson. To do all that while you are sick as well shows real grit.
But you said “Goes to show that sickness is no impediment to supporting yourself through running a business.”
Perhaps you’d like to rephrase that so it relates to those particular peoples’ particular sickness and their particular business. Cos as it stands your statement says anyone with any sickness could be running a business, which is pretty much saying anyone on a sickness benefit or invalids benefit is a bludger for not running one.
And I can’t figure out how you get that from a story about a small business that failed so spectacularly.
Well, it seems it only failed because the sale of the product was illegal. That was a hole in the plan.
Many illegal businesses operate successfully for decades, lifetimes, even across generations.
This failed because a) it wasn’t run well enough to avoid detection and b) plans weren’t in place to cope with such a predictable event.
But anyway, what about your ‘anyone on a sickness bene can run a business’ schtick?
Well, was the failure to plan for the events which led to the demise of the business caused by the sickness the business owners were suffering under, or something else?
hey, when you were deep-sea trawling, did you come across any of the wall posters I seem to have mislaid over the years; had a really excellent on with The Rolling Stones as Tolkien-esque characters, oh those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end…
Happy Valentine’s Day folks!
đ
“Derivatives have been described by the US investment guru Warren Buffett as âfinancial weapons of mass destructionâ. NZ Prime Minister John Key was the former Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch, when he was also a Foreign Exchange Advisor for the New York Federal Reserve. In whose interests is NZ Prime Minister John Key working? ‘Once a Wall St bank$ter – always a Wall St bank$ter’?
http://theconversation.edu.au/uk-banking-reform-bill-wont-curb-reckless-risk-taking-12087
Cheers!
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
For folk in Dunedin who have a bit of spare time this coming Monday (18th Feb).
Gordon Holmes was underpaid by WINZ and was awarded $17 000 damages by the Human Rights Commission. And, of course, WINZ are appealing. His court case is on Monday (not to be confused with the Wednesday stated in the linked article)
He has asked for public support. And so if you are of a mind to gather with others at 9:40 a.m. on the grass outside the court in Lower Stuart Street I’m sure he would greatly appreciate the show of solidarity.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7779571/Jobless-battler-takes-on-Winz-for-a-3-cause