Convince the attendees at this conference of our deep determination to stop their mines, their coal and oil fracking, their deep sea oil drilling. Convince them, that despite the assurances, that they have received from industry and government leaders;
That – “IT IS NOT A DONE DEAL”
Become part of a large powerful and effective protest that gives this rich corporate scum, some pause for thought.
Join with others to peacefully swamp their conference with your numbers. Force the issue of climate change and pollution on to their money grubbing agenda. Make the self centred rich and powerful delegates attending this conference, in their bubble of luxury and privilege, confront the real world consequences of their actions. Make sure that whatever they do, the one thing they can’t do, is, ignore you, and all your brothers and sisters.
The holding of this conference in the heart of the North Island, almost perfectly triangulated between those opposed to fracking in the West, to those opposed to deep sea mining in the East, to those opposed to mining in the North. And midway between two of the biggest population centres in the country, is very auspicious, potentially allowing us to rally the very biggest numbers possible
[lprent: removed the first version of this as it looked like a near dup. ]
If Collins is seeking a culture change at ACC, is she not “dissing” Nick Smith. We know that he is history, but if he feels that his reputation is being further smeared, one can assume that the knives will be out and any skeletons in cupboards may be revealed … watch this space.
“We need to reverse this culture of disentitlement that’s taken hold since 2009 and with those key players – [former ACC minister] Nick Smith, John Judge and Ralph Stewart – gone we’ve got the environment to do that.”
Mr Hague said there were serious questions Mrs Collins needed to answer about her role in the Bronwyn Pullar affair.
But Labour’s ACC spokesman, Andrew Little, said Mrs Collins should be the next to go as Mr Stewart’s resignation confirmed the depth of the crisis.
“It is an absolute disgrace, and it is entirely the responsibility of that Government”, he told the House, and accused Mrs Collins and Dr Smith as her predecessor of driving ACC “into the ground”.
Mr Little said ACC now needed a minister who was focused on the needs of ACC claimants rather than on the Government’s “tawdry, nasty, filthy little strategy of trying to fleece people and get people to lose their entitlements”.
[…]
Dr Smith told Newstalk ZB opposition and media views on Ms Pullar had been contradictory – while two months ago people were saying she was a villain, she was now being portrayed as a hero.
“And either of those things are true. Bronwyn is a sad case of a very capable person who’s had an accident and actually well illustrates the dilemma for many New Zealanders involved in ACC as to what is the appropriate time of rehabilitation,” he said.
So Nick Smith is actually implying there should be a cut off point for ACC support, regardless of whether there is a continuing need for rehabilitation? Smith then is actually continuing to support the nasty policy of disentitlement?
And the public attitude to Pullar has changed as more information has been made public. What’s contradictory about that?
What astounded me was the headline – or more accurately headlie:
“Labour: Stop filthy fleecing ACC claimants”
and the actual quote:
Mr Little said ACC now needed a minister who was focused on the needs of ACC claimants rather than on the Government’s “tawdry, nasty, filthy little strategy of trying to fleece people and get people to lose their entitlements”.
It seems there is a new definition of headline – it should now mean exactly the opposite of what is being said in the article….
Stop filthy fleecing ACC clinicians is the headline I want to see. These gravy train clinicians are paid very well. I would like to see a detailed list on what they charge.
I was listening to ZB on the way to work this morning. Hosking interviewed both an expert and Collins with regards to ACC. He had a real open up to competition agenda in regards to his questioning. Both were adamant that ACC is a world best workers compensation system and both cited research that said as much. (I was surprised to a degree that Judith Collins seems to accept that there is nothing to again from competition) Yet still Hosking was banging on about competition being the way forward in summing up. The guys either got a commercial interest or he’s an idiot.
I remember last time it opened up my workplace went with a private outfit, a colleague working in and around flower beds was stung in the eye by a bee with obvious negative effects. The work place insurer tried to say it wasn’t work related so it was ACC’s responsibility while ACC quite rightly said that it was a workplace injury and not their problem. The poor guy was in limbo with medical care and in the end the employer put chasing the insurance in the too hard basket and just paid out of their own pocket.
Be dammed if we should go back to that….
Hey gareth, if people really to find out what it is like dealing with insurers come down to Christchurch – you have an entire city full of people with direct and applicable experience. In this situation, why would people want to even go near private insurers when they are more expensive and absolute c#@*s to deal with.
And yep Hosking always fills his interviews with his own personal small-brain ideologies.
Nick Smith gave a speech during the snap debate over ACC yesterday. He looked to be a broken sad man. I suppose its a Reap what ye sow. Will the policy change under Collins or will it be the same with new clothing?
Collins did front for Campbell Live last night and her smile became very very strained. Had she not been on TV I think her Devil Eyes would have shrivelled Campbell.
Chris Nelderini takes on the oil Polyannas and wins convincingly.
The future of oil prices
“In reality, despite the technological achievements that have enabled production from these difficult resources, the world is losing the race against the depletion of mature conventional oil fields. And the pace of that depletion is accelerating: it’s now an estimated 5 to 6 percent per year for OPEC, and 8 to 9 percent for non-OPEC. Unconventional oil cannot compensate for a drag of that magnitude for very long.
Further, even if the U.S. were to follow the path to so-called energy independence, it would likely cut the lifespan of our remaining oil in half, leaving us to struggle for decades afterward with greatly diminished domestic production at the very time when global oil exports are declining fastest and becoming intolerably expensive.
We also know that the shift to unconventional oil has moved up the floor of oil prices to around $85 a barrel, which I estimated to be the marginal average cost of profitable production worldwide. A report from Bernstein Research, covered in May by the ever-capable Kate Mackenzie for the Financial Times, suggested that the real floor was even higher at around $92 a barrel in 2011, on its way to $100 a barrel this year. This fits with the stated objective of OPEC members to defend a $100 price target.
But there is also a ceiling around $125 a barrel for the global Brent benchmark (roughly equivalent to $105 for the U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate). This is why world oil prices have been bouncing around the “narrow ledge” between that floor and ceiling since the beginning of 2011, as shown in the following chart.”
Leaked documents show New Zealand has agreed to let foreign investors sue the Government in overseas courts. The draft text of the TransPacific Partnership shows Australia has refused to sign up to that part of the deal.
Good on Kelsey for keeping on this case. Would this deal have an impact on any attempt to reverse NAct’s up-coming asset sales legislation?
It contained a section on investor-state disputes allowing investors to claim damages against Governments in special tribunals if their investments are impaired by Government action.
Firstly, this government does not have the authority to enter into such an arrangement with these sorts of provisions as it affects the value of our vote. It goes to the heart of our democracy and more than a skinny arse one-seat majority is required for such changes under our constitutional arrangements. Key is acting ultra vires on this.
Secondly, if investors want to get compensation in the event that the NZ govt changes the rules and that negatively affects the value of their investment, then the NZ govt must, in the exact same manner, get the ability to claim monetary value from the investors when the NZ govt changes the rules and that positively affects the value of their investment.
And actually, thirdly, does that mean that domestic investors also get the right to sue the government in the event that the rules are changed and that affects the value of their investment? Or does it only apply to foreign investors?
For fucks sake;;;;
1. Destroy the value of our vote.
2. Allow investors to sue the government but not the government to sue investors.
3. These benefits only apply to foreigners.
The hapless kiwi – bottom of the heap eating scraps and doing all the cleaning up. Fuck them.
The prevention by big drug companies of the Canadian manufacture of generic drugs (what price Pharmac?); the enforcement of toxic chemical use once the teeth had been removed from Canadian law; and in a related comment the trashing of the Ecuadorian environment by Chevron after overturning the rulings of the Ecuadorian courts.
Wasn’t there a problem with the trade agreement Canada-USA to do with Canada trying to conserve oil or coal to ensure future supply and a US company wanted to access and took them to Court?
“We actually want to attract foreign investment into New Zealand to exploit some of the natural resources New Zealand has because we want this country to grow faster. We want better jobs and we want to ensure our grandchildren can make a future for ourselves.”
Which a) contradicts his stated stance on not agreeing to deals that inhibit the NZ government and b) isn’t needed anyway. If the government really wanted to develop NZs economy then they would be developing those resources themselves and not turning NZers into serfs for foreign owners through FDI.
“We actually want to attract foreign investment into New Zealand to exploit some of the natural resources New Zealand has because we want this country to grow faster. We want better jobs and we want to ensure our grandchildren can make a future for ourselves”
— Tim, use of the words “exploit”, and “grow faster”, are a give away….PS – How will the TPPA provide “better jobs” Tim…
Jane Kelsey has seen a draft of the TPP agreement, in which NZ has signed up to investors being able to sue the government if they consider that their investments are impaired by government action. Australia has objected to this one. According to Kelsey “the draft text should ”worry the heck out of Labour” if it was serious about introducing taxes on capital gains or speculative financial flows.”
This came up on Morning Report as well, which I cannot link because I am not sure how, with Russel Norman challenging it, and Tim Groser replying. Groser attempted to reassure by saying that it would not interfere with health measures, for example, which reminded me of the old chicken ads in which they assured the viewer that “our chickens are not given hormones” with no mention of antibiotics. A big concern, one would think, along with those listed by Kelsey, would be unionisation and workers’ rights, which could well be seen to “impair” some corporates’ investment.
The gross ones statements were quite revealing:
“The New Zealand Government will not sign any agreement that stops us now or any Government in the future from regulating in public health and other legitimate policy purposes.” [my emphasis]
Interesting notion that – legitimate and illegitimate policy …..but then that’s what the TPPA is all about – allowing international courts, rather than sovereign governments to decide what is or isn’t legitimate.
And then the Freudian slip:
“We actually want to attract foreign investment into New Zealand to exploit some of the natural resources New Zealand has..” [my emphasis]
Exploitation – ugly concept, but pretty typical thinking from the Nats
I/S over on NRT has a good write-up of this as well and points out that it’s all been done in secret. This secrecy, IMO, makes the whole process undemocratic and thus illegitimate. You can’t possibly have democracy through secret discussions.
The amount of money spent by Key – after effectively cutting a full-time teacher from every NZ school – so he could have tea with the Queen, scones with the Camerons, and sacher torte with Angela would be enough to fund a Euro Masterchef Trifle for every school kid in Tamaki Makarau on Waitangi Day .
Hah ….. and recommendation for any new member to National caucus
and especially if John Key and Judith Collins are around –
for survival, must remember to bring along sanitiser, eg
I had an idea. It wouldn’t be that hard to find a really good journalist and pay them through a donation system to go looking for the bigger/more important stories?
But, really, does anyone take him seriously any more…. especially on the Local Government Bill’s restriction of local councils to its “core” functions?
If we had a half decent MSM Banks would be gone right now after kim dotcom and Hulich the bloke is a serial liar who has been caught and yet he’s still there.
I’m still waiting for the video the police have on him .. according to sources here in earlier posts … and it’s hard for me to understand how he has no charges laid against him .. isn’t there a police investigation going on re the campaign donations ? What’s taking so long ??
If we progressively raise the age to make it more affordable long term won’t we further disadvantage people who work in demanding labour type roles? I haven’t researched this but surely people carrying out manual labour roles have a shorter work life/ overall life expectancy? As they become unable to work in such roles will they just end up on the unemployment or sickness benefits and once they do make the age for super they will draw it for less time than say someone who is in a more privileged position with top notch healthcare and liable to have a much longer working life and expectancy.
As an alternative would we be better off if we said you can’t receive super and work full time? In my relatively short working life I have had @30 direct workmates of those 6 have received super while working.And/or we start means testing it, I can’t see why we pay super to people with large amounts of cash in the bank who earn enough interest to take care of themselves in relative comfort. We could have some kind of sliding system much like the way Working for Families works. In that the greater your income stream the lower the super payment.
We could set the bar pretty high and still save a packet. I realise their will be people who try to scam the system but surely such holes could be closed through good legislation.
While I’m at we could also trim the top 10% off working for families without serious effect and put that money towards it.
Would we not be better to just set taxation rates so as to make Universal Superannuation affordable at any given time,
This is a rich country at present the spend on the pension is 8% while comparable country’s spend is at 11% and if after every collapse of confidence and loss of capital as the system self destructs under the weight of its own bullshit we were to move the age of entitlement out by a further 2 years then my estimation is that by 2050 the age of entitlement will have become 80 and rising,
I tend to agree with your view about those who continue to work while collecting a ‘retirement’ income and have less of a problem with changing this aspect of the entitlement rather than simply addressing the structural faults in the monetarist system we at present slave under by making the entitlement even more un-attainable…
As an alternative would we be better off if we said you can’t receive super and work full time? In my relatively short working life I have had @30 direct workmates of those 6 have received super while working.And/or we start means testing it, I can’t see why we pay super to people with large amounts of cash in the bank who earn enough interest to take care of themselves in relative comfort. We could have some kind of sliding system much like the way Working for Families works. In that the greater your income stream the lower the super payment.
That (unless I am remembering wrongly) was as it used to be! I don’t remember exactly when, but why it changed is beyond me to understand.
Having heard/seen nothing in the media (or here) re Cunliffe’s speech on Monday at Kensington Swann, I found it in full on the Tumeke website this morning – and have now found a link to it through Google on the Labour Party website:
From a quick read, another excellent speech from Cunliffe focusing on the lessons to be learnt from the Great Depression and their application to the current situation, put in simple terms and taking into account the audience it was being delivered to.
Wow, a politician actually analyzing things and saying it the way it is. And no sugar coating.
Brave speech.
Cunliffe wants to regulate financial markets, he wants us to keep and build our assets, he wants to provide work for everyone, and he wants the state to be smart and to invest in education and research.
He is even talking about a Tobin tax.
He definately does not want to leave our future to the market and he makes a pretty compelling case against doing so.
He made all the right noises but the underlying message is just more of the same. More capitalism, more production, more exports – which is not a path to wealth or sustainability.
Thanks National, Maori party, and,Hone for building a whole new industry,(albeit an illegal one),with the rack raising and revenue gathering of the tobacco taxes,
A small piece in the Herald yesterday, (sorry I’m hopeless at linking back to them), and another last week highlight the recent conviction of both a Motueka man and a Northland man for producing a couple of million bucks of tobacco products, the Motueka man being the grower and the Northland man being the ‘manufacturer’,
Thats just the first convictions after the stupid ‘we are saving your life’ tobacco tax rises and will be the tip of the ice berg of the new burgeoning tobacco black-market brought to you by National/Maori/Mana, which the Treasury in its budget advice to the Minister while laughing up its sleeve describing such revenue gathering from tobacco as an excellent means of taxation as all the participants in the product being taxed are ‘addicted’ and so the tax take is guaranteed,
The cost to the Health budget of 350 million dollars a year has now been far out-stripped by the actual tax collected off of the addicted which has now become an obscene 1.7 billion dollars a year which appears to not only be funding Turia’s personal little slush fund, “Whanauora’ but also appears to be funding to the tune of over a billion bucks a year other parts of the general Government spend,
Amusingly Tariana and Hone ‘walking the walk, and, ‘saving the lives of their people’ by continually calling for the ‘addicted’ to suffer further tax rises are doing far more damage to those individuals in the lower economic decile (who’s votes keep those two’s bums in the leather seats of the Parliament), to the health of ‘their people’ as they sacrifice dietary requirements for the addiction being out-rageously over-taxed…
Amusingly Tariana and Hone ‘walking the walk, and, ‘saving the lives of their people’ by continually calling for the ‘addicted’ to suffer further tax rises are doing far more damage to those individuals in the lower economic decile (who’s votes keep those two’s bums in the leather seats of the Parliament), to the health of ‘their people’ as they sacrifice dietary requirements for the addiction being out-rageously over-taxed…
“I guess she’s been under a little bit of pressure and her memory has been a little faulty under those circumstances,” Green MP Kevin Hague says.
A police statement has raised fresh doubts about Collins’ claims, showing yes ACC did go to the police straight away on the Tuesday, but the extortion complaint against Ms Boag and Ms Pullar wasn’t lodged until three days later meaning there was time for her to discuss it with the ACC bosses, as alleged by the Opposition. The statement said:
How many Christchurch families living in broken houses (waiting for EQC and the insurers to extract heads from arses) can we fit into one famous Parnell residence?
I suggest a respite exchange programme where the Chch families are evacuated to the Key house. The Key family move into a home of one of the evacuated families – for a month. After the month that family returns and the Keys move into another house of a family recently sent to Auckland for R & R.
Apparently there’s a property in Dipton that is not being used that people can stay in.
And what about all those state houses we own. I mean the ones Ministers of the Crown live in. They also could be used to house Ch-ch families for R & R.
The ministers, being in public service for the good of all New Zealanders, would only be too happy to surrender their accommodation.
However, the Ministers would be not be given a housing allowance to find new accommodation as austerity measures are in place because we “do not want to become like Greece” and because of the “mess we inherited from nine years of Labour”.
But not to worry, Ministers will be encouraged to use the tax breaks they received as high income earners to pay for their new accommodation.
They could also, when required to be in Wellington, could “double-bunk” in shipping containers or, better still, move into the English household (after all we pay for it).
the trouble with national is that they all watch the godfather, and the sopranos, annd boardwalk empire and kweewee is so far gone that he thinks he is al pacino, bruce willis and whats his name all wrapped up in one.
steve joyce just looks like woody woodpecker on ibogaine.
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…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
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 Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori 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 Tāmaki 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 Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori 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 Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s 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 that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning 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,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – 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 – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - 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. 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. 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. “Our 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 Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I 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 Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s 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. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s 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 Ngā 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. “Our 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 Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I 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. “Over 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. “It 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. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” 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. “Recently 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 Teachers’ 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 ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shireen Morris, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, Macquarie University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock Foreign interference in Australian democracy poses a growing risk to our national sovereignty. It refers to coercive, corrupt or ...
A defendant charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception in relation to a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for 14 August 2024. ...
What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like ‘can you name a single book you’ve ever read?’ and ‘did you read it, or did you just see the movie?’This week, Act Party arts spokesperson Todd Stephenson foolishly agreed to an interview with Newsroom’s Steve Braunias regarding his ...
Explainer - What will a ban on cellphones in schools achieve? Can students use them during lunch breaks? And what happens if you need to contact your child? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs started dropping dead. People began posting images of dead frogs on social media. Unable to travel to investigate the deaths ...
In the year ended March 2024, 0.4 percent of home transfers were to people who didn’t hold New Zealand citizenship or a resident visa, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare. The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government. ...
Protesting the removal of bins by leaving piles of your dog’s shit for others to deal with doesn’t make you a hero – it’s precious and entitled behaviour. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve stood on the shoreline of Auckland’s Cheltenham beach, desperately trying to scoop increasingly liquid dog shit ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon will be alert to the factors driving the dire polling, but won't be waving the white flag just yet, RNZ political editor Jo Moir writes. ...
Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a burnt-out corporate escapee explains how she gets by ‘working as little as possible’. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 31 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Contractor in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Schmidt, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Albert Russ / Shutterstock The icebreaker of many a barbeque conversation is something like “what do you do for a crust?” “I teach chemistry at university,” is what we usually reply. Then silence. Our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash University Shutterstock Sexual harassment is often considered to be a person-to-person act, but new research shows Australians are also experiencing and perpetrating workplace harassment in large numbers through technology. Our latest study shows one ...
A petition signed by more than 16,500 people, demanding the government take stronger action to halt the genocide of Palestinians by the State of Israel, is being presented to the House of Representatives today by Hon Phil Twyford. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University jenmartin/Shutterstock April has been a bad month for the Australian environment. The Great Barrier Reef was hit, yet again, by intense coral bleaching. And Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek delayed ...
Winston Peters might not give a ‘rat’s derriere’ about last night’s poll, but it revealed the unusual absence of a honeymoon period and little payoff for the government’s action plan approach, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marco de Jong, Lecturer, Law School, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Details released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Official Information Act reveal New Zealand officials have been considering involvement in AUKUS from the outset. ...
The government's treatment of Māori raised eyebrows, with countries saying New Zealand needed to do more to reduce health, education and justice inequities. ...
The age of criminal responsibility was one of numerous human rights issues raised during Aotearoa New Zealand’s UPR. Other key themes were racism and discrimination, the disproportionate representation of Māori in prison, and to uphold the UN Declaration ...
In a sitdown interview ahead of his final day at Parliament this week, the former Green Party co-leader tells RNZ about his lowest point during 2017's rough election campaign. ...
Is the fringe radio station really in a financial crisis, or is it just running a hyped-up donation drive? Fringe internet radio station Reality Check Radio was launched by the anti-vaccine mandates group Voices for Freedom in March 2023. For the next year, it undertook probably the most aggressive promotional ...
Above the Fold: On Monday, the biggest Māori screen production company faced down the biggest funder of Māori content at the High Court. It was an incredibly tense moment – then, just as quickly, it resolved. Duncan Greive breaks down a strange day in the screen sector.Yesterday morning, Māori ...
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It’s a ride that’s lasted almost 30 years for mother and daughter BMX riders Nancy and Toni James, and the next stop is the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Almost 27 years ago, Nancy and her husband Gerrard took their oldest child, Daniel, to the Waitākere BMX Club. ...
When it comes to talking about the Government’s controversial fast-track consenting process, political scientist Richard Shaw refers to the famous Chinese sci-fi novel Three-Body Problem, while RNZ’s In Depth journalist Farah Hancock talks about zombie projects. Shaw is referring to the three-party coalition Government and how the proposed legislation is ...
Opinion: The debate over single gender versus co-educational schooling has long been controversial. I went to a co-ed school and was inspired by a remarkable woman who was my maths teacher, and because of her deep knowledge and passion for the subject, I knew that maths was definitely an option ...
He won everything and he earned a knighthood and he was a senior literary figure to the point that he was a living monument to himself until his death in the weekend at 86, but there was something about Vincent O’Sullivan that flew under the radar, that was independent and ...
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All roads lead to Rotorua in August.
Stop the thieves! Stop the polluters! Stop climate change! Stop the poisoners of the land the sea and the air!
Stop the conference of the wealthy environmental vandals being held in Rotorua.
http://www.cvent.com/events/ausimm-nz-branch-2012-conference/event-summary-9bf04bf7cef44d439214fc6296f62776.aspx
Convince the attendees at this conference of our deep determination to stop their mines, their coal and oil fracking, their deep sea oil drilling. Convince them, that despite the assurances, that they have received from industry and government leaders;
That – “IT IS NOT A DONE DEAL”
Become part of a large powerful and effective protest that gives this rich corporate scum, some pause for thought.
Join with others to peacefully swamp their conference with your numbers. Force the issue of climate change and pollution on to their money grubbing agenda. Make the self centred rich and powerful delegates attending this conference, in their bubble of luxury and privilege, confront the real world consequences of their actions. Make sure that whatever they do, the one thing they can’t do, is, ignore you, and all your brothers and sisters.
The holding of this conference in the heart of the North Island, almost perfectly triangulated between those opposed to fracking in the West, to those opposed to deep sea mining in the East, to those opposed to mining in the North. And midway between two of the biggest population centres in the country, is very auspicious, potentially allowing us to rally the very biggest numbers possible
[lprent: removed the first version of this as it looked like a near dup. ]
If Collins is seeking a culture change at ACC, is she not “dissing” Nick Smith. We know that he is history, but if he feels that his reputation is being further smeared, one can assume that the knives will be out and any skeletons in cupboards may be revealed … watch this space.
Nick Smith, today with a weak attempt to continue to undermine Pullar, meanwhile Hague raises an important question and Little tells it like it is:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10812920
So Nick Smith is actually implying there should be a cut off point for ACC support, regardless of whether there is a continuing need for rehabilitation? Smith then is actually continuing to support the nasty policy of disentitlement?
And the public attitude to Pullar has changed as more information has been made public. What’s contradictory about that?
What astounded me was the headline – or more accurately headlie:
“Labour: Stop filthy fleecing ACC claimants”
and the actual quote:
Mr Little said ACC now needed a minister who was focused on the needs of ACC claimants rather than on the Government’s “tawdry, nasty, filthy little strategy of trying to fleece people and get people to lose their entitlements”.
It seems there is a new definition of headline – it should now mean exactly the opposite of what is being said in the article….
Hmmm. Well, at best it could be seen as ambiguous. ie using headline logic it could mean Labour; stop filthy fleecing of ACC claimants
But its not a good headline because of how it can mislead.
…and now its been changed on the on-line version.
Little has a nasty way of letting his mouth move before thinking. I would expect better.
I suppose Gerry Brownlee is your shining light?
CL crushless collins
lol
Stop filthy fleecing ACC clinicians is the headline I want to see. These gravy train clinicians are paid very well. I would like to see a detailed list on what they charge.
I was listening to ZB on the way to work this morning. Hosking interviewed both an expert and Collins with regards to ACC. He had a real open up to competition agenda in regards to his questioning. Both were adamant that ACC is a world best workers compensation system and both cited research that said as much. (I was surprised to a degree that Judith Collins seems to accept that there is nothing to again from competition) Yet still Hosking was banging on about competition being the way forward in summing up. The guys either got a commercial interest or he’s an idiot.
I remember last time it opened up my workplace went with a private outfit, a colleague working in and around flower beds was stung in the eye by a bee with obvious negative effects. The work place insurer tried to say it wasn’t work related so it was ACC’s responsibility while ACC quite rightly said that it was a workplace injury and not their problem. The poor guy was in limbo with medical care and in the end the employer put chasing the insurance in the too hard basket and just paid out of their own pocket.
Be dammed if we should go back to that….
Hey gareth, if people really to find out what it is like dealing with insurers come down to Christchurch – you have an entire city full of people with direct and applicable experience. In this situation, why would people want to even go near private insurers when they are more expensive and absolute c#@*s to deal with.
And yep Hosking always fills his interviews with his own personal small-brain ideologies.
Just after 9 am this morning on RNZ a chap from EQC was on. Insurance and EQC problems were discussed.
Euuww, poor guy! What a terrible farce he went through…
Nick Smith gave a speech during the snap debate over ACC yesterday. He looked to be a broken sad man. I suppose its a Reap what ye sow. Will the policy change under Collins or will it be the same with new clothing?
Collins did front for Campbell Live last night and her smile became very very strained. Had she not been on TV I think her Devil Eyes would have shrivelled Campbell.
Chris Nelderini takes on the oil Polyannas and wins convincingly.
The future of oil prices
“In reality, despite the technological achievements that have enabled production from these difficult resources, the world is losing the race against the depletion of mature conventional oil fields. And the pace of that depletion is accelerating: it’s now an estimated 5 to 6 percent per year for OPEC, and 8 to 9 percent for non-OPEC. Unconventional oil cannot compensate for a drag of that magnitude for very long.
Further, even if the U.S. were to follow the path to so-called energy independence, it would likely cut the lifespan of our remaining oil in half, leaving us to struggle for decades afterward with greatly diminished domestic production at the very time when global oil exports are declining fastest and becoming intolerably expensive.
We also know that the shift to unconventional oil has moved up the floor of oil prices to around $85 a barrel, which I estimated to be the marginal average cost of profitable production worldwide. A report from Bernstein Research, covered in May by the ever-capable Kate Mackenzie for the Financial Times, suggested that the real floor was even higher at around $92 a barrel in 2011, on its way to $100 a barrel this year. This fits with the stated objective of OPEC members to defend a $100 price target.
But there is also a ceiling around $125 a barrel for the global Brent benchmark (roughly equivalent to $105 for the U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate). This is why world oil prices have been bouncing around the “narrow ledge” between that floor and ceiling since the beginning of 2011, as shown in the following chart.”
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/energy-futurist/the-future-of-oil-prices/508
Whoops it’s Chris Nelder. @Nelderini is his twitter name.
Coming to you next from this useless lot in government:
more of NZ’s sovereignty to be for sale
Leaked draft of trade deal exposes risks – professor
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10812873
Holy shit, we should be rioting..
Good on Kelsey for keeping on this case. Would this deal have an impact on any attempt to reverse NAct’s up-coming asset sales legislation?
I think a point of it is to ensure that a signatory can’t do an Argentina – just renationalise an asset and not compensate at all.
There’s probably a few United Nations human rights and weapons conventions I would want the US to sign up to first before agreeing to that.
I agree we should be rioting. Couple things..
Firstly, this government does not have the authority to enter into such an arrangement with these sorts of provisions as it affects the value of our vote. It goes to the heart of our democracy and more than a skinny arse one-seat majority is required for such changes under our constitutional arrangements. Key is acting ultra vires on this.
Secondly, if investors want to get compensation in the event that the NZ govt changes the rules and that negatively affects the value of their investment, then the NZ govt must, in the exact same manner, get the ability to claim monetary value from the investors when the NZ govt changes the rules and that positively affects the value of their investment.
How can either of these points be wrong?
And actually, thirdly, does that mean that domestic investors also get the right to sue the government in the event that the rules are changed and that affects the value of their investment? Or does it only apply to foreign investors?
For fucks sake;;;;
1. Destroy the value of our vote.
2. Allow investors to sue the government but not the government to sue investors.
3. These benefits only apply to foreigners.
The hapless kiwi – bottom of the heap eating scraps and doing all the cleaning up. Fuck them.
What fucking planet are these muppets on?
The Canadian experience is salutory.
http://richardschmitt.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/do-you-think-that-globalcorporations.html
The prevention by big drug companies of the Canadian manufacture of generic drugs (what price Pharmac?); the enforcement of toxic chemical use once the teeth had been removed from Canadian law; and in a related comment the trashing of the Ecuadorian environment by Chevron after overturning the rulings of the Ecuadorian courts.
Wasn’t there a problem with the trade agreement Canada-USA to do with Canada trying to conserve oil or coal to ensure future supply and a US company wanted to access and took them to Court?
Which a) contradicts his stated stance on not agreeing to deals that inhibit the NZ government and b) isn’t needed anyway. If the government really wanted to develop NZs economy then they would be developing those resources themselves and not turning NZers into serfs for foreign owners through FDI.
“We actually want to attract foreign investment into New Zealand to exploit some of the natural resources New Zealand has because we want this country to grow faster. We want better jobs and we want to ensure our grandchildren can make a future for ourselves”
— Tim, use of the words “exploit”, and “grow faster”, are a give away….PS – How will the TPPA provide “better jobs” Tim…
Transparent stuff indeed!
Jane Kelsey has seen a draft of the TPP agreement, in which NZ has signed up to investors being able to sue the government if they consider that their investments are impaired by government action. Australia has objected to this one. According to Kelsey “the draft text should ”worry the heck out of Labour” if it was serious about introducing taxes on capital gains or speculative financial flows.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10812873
This came up on Morning Report as well, which I cannot link because I am not sure how, with Russel Norman challenging it, and Tim Groser replying. Groser attempted to reassure by saying that it would not interfere with health measures, for example, which reminded me of the old chicken ads in which they assured the viewer that “our chickens are not given hormones” with no mention of antibiotics. A big concern, one would think, along with those listed by Kelsey, would be unionisation and workers’ rights, which could well be seen to “impair” some corporates’ investment.
The RNZ links are here:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/20120614
There are about 3 separate audio-files on the issue.
“This came up on Morning Report as well …”
Like these ones?
New Zealand cedes rights to foreign investors in trade talks
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2521857/new-zealand-cedes-rights-to-foreign-investors-in-trade-talks.asx
NZ to give foreign investors right to sue govt in trade talks
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2521863/nz-to-give-foreign-investors-right-to-sue-govt-in-trade-talks.asx
And keep an eye for more at, for eg, http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
Thanks Carol and Jim. I confess to being technologically challenged.
The gross ones statements were quite revealing:
“The New Zealand Government will not sign any agreement that stops us now or any Government in the future from regulating in public health and other legitimate policy purposes.” [my emphasis]
Interesting notion that – legitimate and illegitimate policy …..but then that’s what the TPPA is all about – allowing international courts, rather than sovereign governments to decide what is or isn’t legitimate.
And then the Freudian slip:
“We actually want to attract foreign investment into New Zealand to exploit some of the natural resources New Zealand has..” [my emphasis]
Exploitation – ugly concept, but pretty typical thinking from the Nats
Global Trade Watch’s analysis of this leaked TPP document.
I/S over on NRT has a good write-up of this as well and points out that it’s all been done in secret. This secrecy, IMO, makes the whole process undemocratic and thus illegitimate. You can’t possibly have democracy through secret discussions.
Dear Standard,
The amount of money spent by Key – after effectively cutting a full-time teacher from every NZ school – so he could have tea with the Queen, scones with the Camerons, and sacher torte with Angela would be enough to fund a Euro Masterchef Trifle for every school kid in Tamaki Makarau on Waitangi Day .
Sorry, Chef ..
R with all that food he could become a Contestant on New Zealands Biggest Looser
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10812753
Good to hear our Aussie mates have taste and standard re Paul Henry
‘In the Toilet’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/7100358/Henrys-shows-ratings-in-the-toilet
Just one quick word of suggestion to the Aussies:
Flush!
nooooo he’ll end uu back here on some primetime spot
please do well in aussie paul and never return to these shores
Can Henry no longer think up anything despicable enough to say? Or is he running scared?
A National caucus meeting
http://www.despair.com/meetings.html
Hah ….. and recommendation for any new member to National caucus
and especially if John Key and Judith Collins are around –
for survival, must remember to bring along sanitiser, eg
http://surviveall.co.nz/images/handsanitiser.jpg
What’s happened to john banks?
I had an idea. It wouldn’t be that hard to find a really good journalist and pay them through a donation system to go looking for the bigger/more important stories?
John Banks is doing his best to stay relevant, on superannuation and the Local Government bill, and ACC.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10812620
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/local-govt-bill-will-reverse-labours-failed-experiment/5/126134
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/868585009-Greens-pushing-for-ACC-chairman-to-be-sacked
But, really, does anyone take him seriously any more…. especially on the Local Government Bill’s restriction of local councils to its “core” functions?
Dead man talking!
If we had a half decent MSM Banks would be gone right now after kim dotcom and Hulich the bloke is a serial liar who has been caught and yet he’s still there.
I’m still waiting for the video the police have on him .. according to sources here in earlier posts … and it’s hard for me to understand how he has no charges laid against him .. isn’t there a police investigation going on re the campaign donations ? What’s taking so long ??
The Police might be waiting for him to finish a private cup of tea with the boss.
A question around super,
If we progressively raise the age to make it more affordable long term won’t we further disadvantage people who work in demanding labour type roles? I haven’t researched this but surely people carrying out manual labour roles have a shorter work life/ overall life expectancy? As they become unable to work in such roles will they just end up on the unemployment or sickness benefits and once they do make the age for super they will draw it for less time than say someone who is in a more privileged position with top notch healthcare and liable to have a much longer working life and expectancy.
As an alternative would we be better off if we said you can’t receive super and work full time? In my relatively short working life I have had @30 direct workmates of those 6 have received super while working.And/or we start means testing it, I can’t see why we pay super to people with large amounts of cash in the bank who earn enough interest to take care of themselves in relative comfort. We could have some kind of sliding system much like the way Working for Families works. In that the greater your income stream the lower the super payment.
We could set the bar pretty high and still save a packet. I realise their will be people who try to scam the system but surely such holes could be closed through good legislation.
While I’m at we could also trim the top 10% off working for families without serious effect and put that money towards it.
Doable? Better? Fairer?
Would we not be better to just set taxation rates so as to make Universal Superannuation affordable at any given time,
This is a rich country at present the spend on the pension is 8% while comparable country’s spend is at 11% and if after every collapse of confidence and loss of capital as the system self destructs under the weight of its own bullshit we were to move the age of entitlement out by a further 2 years then my estimation is that by 2050 the age of entitlement will have become 80 and rising,
I tend to agree with your view about those who continue to work while collecting a ‘retirement’ income and have less of a problem with changing this aspect of the entitlement rather than simply addressing the structural faults in the monetarist system we at present slave under by making the entitlement even more un-attainable…
That (unless I am remembering wrongly) was as it used to be! I don’t remember exactly when, but why it changed is beyond me to understand.
God save New Zealand from this Government…..please.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/tpp-fears-realized-in-leak.html
But DON’T save the Government, please, please . . .
Having heard/seen nothing in the media (or here) re Cunliffe’s speech on Monday at Kensington Swann, I found it in full on the Tumeke website this morning – and have now found a link to it through Google on the Labour Party website:
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=david%20cunliffe%20speech&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CGgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.labour.org.nz%2Fnews%2Fspeech-learning-the-lessons-of-history&ei=SiLZT5z7KMqciQeK37WEAw&usg=AFQjCNE_HFZSUjJYozB7sfOUPw41lJBG0w
From a quick read, another excellent speech from Cunliffe focusing on the lessons to be learnt from the Great Depression and their application to the current situation, put in simple terms and taking into account the audience it was being delivered to.
That’s a good speech and I particularly like the way Cunliffe called Key and cronies corrupt and in cahoots with business.
And cunliffes answer to our woes is… Plant trees, and lots of them.
I too thought it odd it has received no AirPlay on red alert or here. Sharers iron grip asserting its control?
outsider you obviously can’t see the wood for the trees.
Wow, a politician actually analyzing things and saying it the way it is. And no sugar coating.
Brave speech.
Cunliffe wants to regulate financial markets, he wants us to keep and build our assets, he wants to provide work for everyone, and he wants the state to be smart and to invest in education and research.
He is even talking about a Tobin tax.
He definately does not want to leave our future to the market and he makes a pretty compelling case against doing so.
No wonder the right wing hate him so much.
He made all the right noises but the underlying message is just more of the same. More capitalism, more production, more exports – which is not a path to wealth or sustainability.
Thanks National, Maori party, and,Hone for building a whole new industry,(albeit an illegal one),with the rack raising and revenue gathering of the tobacco taxes,
A small piece in the Herald yesterday, (sorry I’m hopeless at linking back to them), and another last week highlight the recent conviction of both a Motueka man and a Northland man for producing a couple of million bucks of tobacco products, the Motueka man being the grower and the Northland man being the ‘manufacturer’,
Thats just the first convictions after the stupid ‘we are saving your life’ tobacco tax rises and will be the tip of the ice berg of the new burgeoning tobacco black-market brought to you by National/Maori/Mana, which the Treasury in its budget advice to the Minister while laughing up its sleeve describing such revenue gathering from tobacco as an excellent means of taxation as all the participants in the product being taxed are ‘addicted’ and so the tax take is guaranteed,
The cost to the Health budget of 350 million dollars a year has now been far out-stripped by the actual tax collected off of the addicted which has now become an obscene 1.7 billion dollars a year which appears to not only be funding Turia’s personal little slush fund, “Whanauora’ but also appears to be funding to the tune of over a billion bucks a year other parts of the general Government spend,
Amusingly Tariana and Hone ‘walking the walk, and, ‘saving the lives of their people’ by continually calling for the ‘addicted’ to suffer further tax rises are doing far more damage to those individuals in the lower economic decile (who’s votes keep those two’s bums in the leather seats of the Parliament), to the health of ‘their people’ as they sacrifice dietary requirements for the addiction being out-rageously over-taxed…
Seconded! 🙂
Natural Standards (video)
DTB
I seem to have a strange desire to go out and buy a Toyota after looking at the video.
Whoopsie…. that politician got amnesia! Not a good look, Judith!
Are you referring to the lie reported on TV3 News ?? She did tell some whoppas to Andrew Little in the House this afternoon it would seem …..
Yes, TV3 tonight.
First the amnesia, then the dodgy replies when her memory miraculously returned in the House today.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Collins-memory-back-over-ACC-police-calls/tabid/1607/articleID/257798/Default.aspx
Collins crushed by her own lies.
can’t get anything right even when trying to crush 1 car she got that wrong.
Off to the back benchs.
Latest opinion poll from Roy Morgan:
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4792/
Basically no change, Nats up but partners down, Greens and Labour same, all margin of error stuff.
The commentary from Gary Morgan is hilariously bad … totally missing the last 2 weeks of news!
How many Christchurch families living in broken houses (waiting for EQC and the insurers to extract heads from arses) can we fit into one famous Parnell residence?
I suggest a respite exchange programme where the Chch families are evacuated to the Key house. The Key family move into a home of one of the evacuated families – for a month. After the month that family returns and the Keys move into another house of a family recently sent to Auckland for R & R.
Apparently there’s a property in Dipton that is not being used that people can stay in.
And what about all those state houses we own. I mean the ones Ministers of the Crown live in. They also could be used to house Ch-ch families for R & R.
The ministers, being in public service for the good of all New Zealanders, would only be too happy to surrender their accommodation.
However, the Ministers would be not be given a housing allowance to find new accommodation as austerity measures are in place because we “do not want to become like Greece” and because of the “mess we inherited from nine years of Labour”.
But not to worry, Ministers will be encouraged to use the tax breaks they received as high income earners to pay for their new accommodation.
They could also, when required to be in Wellington, could “double-bunk” in shipping containers or, better still, move into the English household (after all we pay for it).
the trouble with national is that they all watch the godfather, and the sopranos, annd boardwalk empire and kweewee is so far gone that he thinks he is al pacino, bruce willis and whats his name all wrapped up in one.
steve joyce just looks like woody woodpecker on ibogaine.
Ideal class size – pass it on