In breaking news, asbestos mining to be restarted in Southland. Will create up to 30 jobs says government. Banned decades ago for it’s deadly side affects, the government has said compared to coal the death toll will be statistically insignificant.
Wee comment on some old news/non-news connected to this.
The other night there was a news report on asbestos dumped on DOC land. If disturbed or broken it becomes hazardous.
A quick google search will reveal that entire streets are shut down if a building containing asbestos suffers damage through fire or whatever.
But in Christchurch demolition and clear-up continues as though it is an asbestos free zone. Which it definately isn’t.
Plenty of footage coming from Christchurch showing workers in the vicinity of diggers etc that are throwing up immense quantities of dust. And those workers have no protective clothing. Neither does the public.
But it’s all okay. Because the CERA legislation indemnifies the authorities from consequences flowing from the clean up.
Fucking criminal doesn’t even begin to describe the situation. I cannot for the life of me understand why our media has been so resoundingly silent on the blindingly fucking obvious issue of cancergenic asbestos dust being constantly stirred up and liberated over Christchurch, both during the ‘excavation’/ loading of rubble phase and the transportation phase of that rubble.
I wonder if there hasn’t been a kind of veil thrown over the issue of which buildings are made of materials that contain asbestos.
A building inspector told me that I should be careful because the cladding tiles on my house may contain asbestos. Thing is, this is an ex-state house like thousands of others and you can be bloody sure that someone knows whether all these houses, and probably many other privately built buildings of a similar vintage, are potentially toxic.
But that information could be problematic, so maybe the official word has become ‘may contain asbestos’ to get around the potential consequences.
Just a possibility. Don’t know if this could be a factor in the ChCh situation.
Existing H&S guidelines or directives are that if asbestos is suspected then samples have to be taken. In the absense of sample analysis (due to overload, for example), then it would seem that the precautionary principle would properly apply and full protective measures put in place.
Current legislation has it that only workers registered/ qualified to work around asbestos over see or execute demolition/clear-up.
But as far as I can tell, no samples are being taken, no protective measures are being employed and no qualified oversight is being deployed.
People are going to be contracting cancers in 20 or 30 years time because of how Christchurch is being handled/mishandled and nobody is going to be held to account because of CERA.
There is no register. That’s why sampling and analysis kicks in if there is uncertainty or suspicion over what a material might be. It was used all over the place in a number of different applications over many decades and came in many different froms of manufacture. As such, it simply cannot be reliably identified by sight.
From memory (I wrote a post on this a long time back) there is only one lab in NZ. There is no way it could cope with an inundation of thousands of samples. That should have been tackled as one of the primary problems post quake.
But just look at the TV pictures. No protective suits. No respirators. No negative pressure environment tents.
Age of eligibility for super – the retirement Commissioner (and many other people) are calling for a raise in the age eligibility. What are the party policies on this?
Key says he will resign if it changes.
Labour, Greens, NZ First, Maori and Mana don’t seem to have a policy on it.
United Future has a different proposal and a poll to get public reaction.
Act has detailed super policies which aim at privatisation and personal responsibility.
What did Labour do when in power? Â Well there was the Cullen fund with $16 billion in it, ACC reserves built up to $11 billion (old people have accidents more often) and kiwisaver was also put in place. Â Following their actions the country did have the chance of continuing to fund superannuation at current levels.
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I’m sorry but the Labour Party does not think that satisfying your curiosity is reason for bringing forward the release of its policy but if you think of what it has done in the past you can be assured that there will be a coherent and costed policy.
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You should criticise Key. Â He is cutting the state’s ability to pay super in the future while cynically ruling out increasing the age of retirement. Â His actions mean that an increase will be inevitable.
Iâve researched and collated and posted facts.
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No you have not. You had a quick squizz at the Labour website and went “wah wah wah their policy is not up ergo they have no policy”.
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I am saying to you that if you had a skerrit of knowledge of politics and what has happened even over the past decade you would not diss Labour for not having a position on the issue. Labour and the Greens are the only ones with responsible positions on the issue and they have stuck to these positions consistently.
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Explain this. How can you post on superannuation policy and not mention the Cullen fund at all and only mention Kiwisaver incidentally when cutting and pasting ACT policy?
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I checked all the party websites looking for policy on the age of eligibility. That is what the Retirement Commissioner was referring to, and what I was researching.
If I missed something (on the age specifically) please let me know and I will amend my summary.
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You said
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“Labour … donât seem to have a policy on it.”
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I said
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“You had a quick squizz at the Labour website and went âwah wah wah their policy is not up ergo they have no policyâ.
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I also saidÂ
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“What did Labour do when in power? Â Well there was the Cullen fund with $16 billion in it, ACC reserves built up to $11 billion (old people have accidents more often) and kiwisaver was also put in place. Â Following their actions the country did have the chance of continuing to fund superannuation at current levels.”
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You said
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“If I missed something (on the age specifically) please let me know and I will amend my summary.”
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Well you are missing that Labour wants to keep the age of retirement where it is and pay for increased costs through the Cullen Fund and Kiwisaver. This is clear from the history and Labour’s behaviour. Not putting its policy on the website right now is not an excuse for you to draw the conclusions that you have.
The cost will keep climbing for some time until the current bulge is through (then the cost will be falling falling falling). Unlike the other parties you mention, Labour has actually done something positive about it.
That was what the Cullen fund was for before the Nats gutted conibutions to it to pay for their tax cuts. Kiwi saver was a different form of retirement savings, and the Nats gutted the taxpayers contributions to that as well.
Raising the age is merely one of the alternatives, and more of an emergencyo ne thatn particularly useful. The problem with raising the age is that there are a lot of people who are hanging out for retirement long before age 65 now.
If you have been using your body as a crane throughout your working life doing manual labour, it is frequently broken and unemployable at age 60. They fluently wind up on invalids benefits or ACC. So merely raising the age of retirement isn’t the panacea that your simplistic mind views it as.
I think the Cullen Fund was a good idea. Suspending contributions to it during a severe recession had some merit but it set a bad precendent for ongoing meddling.
I never suggested raising the age is a panacea, I was following up on Diane Crossan’s suggestion.
I think Brash has suggested a variable age allowing for worn out bodies (and minds) who want to retire earlier. United Future have a proposal on a 60/70 option. They’re far from simple to make fair.
You know those branded beer glasses that you get in pubs? The oneâs that advertise which beer you are drinking. Not a bad thing, all in all. Different beers deserve different shaped glassware and bar owners can allay some of the cost by having the brewer provide the breakables.
Watch the size though. I mean that. If, say, a brewer wanted to up its price during the RWC it could shrink the glass, and raise the keg price. The second bit forces the bar owner to use the new smaller glass or wear the cost rise themselves. The punter, if they notice the small serves, will usually put ill feeling on the bar owner.
I donât particularly give a shit about the whole âclean stadiumsâ and all that restriction of advertising thing. Deals are deals. But a WRC sponser that pulled this sort of thing on top of that, one who was already getting the benefits of sponsorship; well, Iâm not going to give much of a damn if ambush marketers hit them hard. or if consumers boycotted their product where anything else was available.
Personnally speaking it is crap beer. There was a beer brewed in the West Coast (for a limited few you can still source beer from there) that was magic – but then they started brewing it in Auckland, this to save costs. Funny how some of these MASSIVE savings were not passed onto the consumer !!!
PB same as you re ambush markering hitting them hard. We can only hope !!!!
I love the way you can brew your own in this country, I once made an excellent trappist like beer for a fraction of the cost of commercial beer but sooo much better tasting.
Cheers (I wish) ROFL!
Nice beer, Bock beer. By the way my aim was to create a tripple Trappist with the idiotic but legal alcohol content of 9%. The monks in Belgium reckon that if you drink one you’re in heaven.
Why isn’t there any ‘weights and measures’ legislation in NZ? In the case of glasses it is simple to legislate for half pint and pint glasses. Brewers can still have all the vessel shapes and whatever that they wish. But a pint would actually be a pint.
Arbritary ‘handles’ and the like would disappear.
Fuck it. The same should apply to spirits. Those free pour ‘measures’ atop many bottles do not in any way measure the liquid being dispensed. So us punters are paying a set price for wildly varying amounts of alcohol.
There is a minimum alcohol % requirement for something to be considered spirits, I think its 37.5%
Many labels are at that now, when they started off at 45% or more a few years ago (check out the difference in the duty free spirits you buy compared to the adulterated ones in the local stores).
Every time profit margins are squeezed, they water down what they put in the bottle to fractionally avoid excise.
heh. that brought to mind a case from a number of years ago whereby a member of the Salvation Army (temperence soc.) who worked for ICI sold coloured water and industrial alcohol to pubs as whisky.
When the scam was uncovered, he was punished, liscences were lost and excise and duty claimed the unpaid alcohol tax from ICI.
Wonders if somewhere in Remuera Bronagh (rhymes with Mona you know) Key is saying “if all those hungry children cannot have bread why don’t they eat cake?”
Also on this day in 1984 (wet and windy, by all accounts), was the day New Zealand united to vote out Robert Muldoon’s National party and changed the face of New Zealand forever.
the 94.2% turnout remains the highest in the post war period.
1984 was one of the most dramatic times in our history. It would be appropriate for one of our illustrious (older) authors to remind our (younger) contributors what happened. We were on the brink of bankruptcy and we had a PM who was in total denial. He effectively refused to accept he had lost the election. The situation was so dire at one point there was talk of a Constitutional crisis… and a call for the Queen to intervene and sack him.
It was knife edge stuff for about two weeks… and, as we know, provided the perfect background scenario for the introduction of Rogernomics.
Natz are still bucking at a fair backpay settlement for âsleepoverâ carers in the long running PSA/Service & Food Union case.
Minister Ryall is able to regurgitate a script as evidenced on RNZ this morning, sounding like a stuck CD. Simon Mercepâs gentle interviewing style again let a prize prick get away with his âPaid for sleepingâ slurs. A way better line is âpaid for ripping off the taxpayerâ in respect of $1.7 bill to bail out South Canterbury Finance.
Carers are rendered unavailable for a life of their own while on duty. Which is why they deserve recompense as various legal forums have already determined. It looks like this may now be headed to the Supreme Court, if of course the tories donât head âem off at the pass and legislate as they have previously threatened.
What is IT about that man or thing?
I was sitting on the toilet seat before Ryall, the sleeper ripper, came on.
When his voice oozed and excreted over the radio, I felt like I was getting really dirty and I hurriedly reached for generous amounts of the toilet paper to wipe my bottom. I then rushed into the shower to have a good clean.
However … if a carer is employed from 4 pm till 8 am and the law says that person must be paid for all 16 hours I would say that is then 2 jobs and not one and 2 people should be employed for it, and that carer then should not sleep on the job and should be doing something that recovers some of his/her cost of employment.
and that carer then should not sleep on the job and should be doing something that recovers some of his/her cost of employment.
They do, of course! It’s not true that carers do nothing but sleep… I have worked as a carer for IHC and never slept the night through… Breaking up fights between children in the same room, corralling romers and returning them to bed, calling the manager who was the only person able to soothe a frightened and agitated man with manic depression and intellectual disabilities… Even at the most basic, we were there in case of emergency, fire for instance.
A statement I read this morning…The economy is closely linked with the physical resources that underly it. Most economists assume debt can rise endlessly, just as they assume GDP can rise endlessly. But if there really is a limit that prevents oil supply from rising endlessly, it seems to me that there is also a corresponding limit that prevents debt from rising endlessly.
Critique please all market rationalists out there please…LS, rusty et al.
There are now several times more financial obligations existing in the world than the world has the physical resources to pay for. Estimates exist into the tens of trillions of dollars and beyond.
Many of these obligations are “invisible” i.e. not in the form of the Greeks owe the German banks $1B or whatever (that’s quite straight forward after all), but in the form of derivative contracts and multiple interconnected counterparty liabilities that are hidden and almost impossible to collate and assess.
Thanks Lan and CV, been away all day, really thought the usual RWNJ suspects would have had a go here…..useless buggers would not know where to start a critique, the proposition that the economy must be attached to something tangible and real is way beyond them.
Man it is really bleak in the US. It seems like this guy at the ground level gets it. The process happening in the US is extraordinarily destructive at a real economy – main st level.
Yep. Looks like Smith relied on schedule 17 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. Hone was meant to say:
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“I, ……, swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her [or His] Majesty [Specify the name of the reigning Sovereign, as thus: Queen Elizabeth the Second], Her [or His] heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”
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Under section 4A of that Act there has to be a Te Reo equivalent described in regulations made under the Act. Looks like there may not have been.
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Not sure but maybe Smith was technically correct although not right …
One law for all? They are so going to regret saying that in the months to come.
Here’s a link to his speech. The one he was going to make after his swearing in that is: Hone’s speech.
And I agree; one law for all so let’s throw the bums who think that lying, rorting and profiting from their “elevated” positions is OK and drag them to court for stealing from “the people”.
And all this on Bastille day too! Well done Hone. You go my man. It’s a great day to start the revolution!!!
Nat P HQ – What can we do to distract the media from Labour’s tax announcements? We tried the boat people and it didn’t last long enough. Let’s manufacture a Hone crisis!
Spot on JS . I have been waiting on edge to try and guess what the Tories would come up with.This is typical Textor/ Crosby dealings. What next I wonder?
No, they didn’t ask him. He was just doing what many other MPs before have done, and probably didn’t expect any reaction. They chose to make a fuss of it.
I seem to recollect a similar thing happened when Sinn Fein won seats in Westminster – they refused to swear allegiance to the crown and were refused entry.
Good to see Helen Clark commenting on the recent boat people episode. As usual sensible and humane. What a loss to NZ she is ,however a big gain to the UN. All NZ should be proud of her . Lets hope that when she returns she will be offered a post that will be of benefit to all NZ. from her talents.
I’m predicting she will be the next Secretary General of the UN, so her return to NZ will be some years away. I agree with you though about it being our loss. I have heard many people (no not Labour members) say they wish Helen Clark was still running the country. I think a lot of NZers didn’t appreciate how good in the job she was.. until after she had gone.
c’mon that could be caused by any number of disasters these days, there’s the 2 Dons, the bait and Switch court cases, the bankrupt politicians (morally), the hardship pleas from millionaires, the RWC, the …list is quite long actually, stick with the Quake. Its safer ground
Lockwood Smith didn’t allow Hone Harawira to swear his oath of allegiance to the crown in Parliament today. Instead the Leader of te Mana party had to make his valedictory speech outside in front of the house of representatives. Lockwood was unhappy that Hone wanted to swear his allegiance to the crown in Maori. Unless I’m mistaken, Lockwood Smith does not speak te Reo, so he had no call to admonish Hone Harawira in such a disrespectful manner and insist that he leave the house…
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This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as âits largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliffâ. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the countryâs leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that âcorruptâ the nationâs ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealandâs growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesnât know or care about the frontline cuts sheâs making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. Â ...
Todayâs Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and itâs only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. âThis is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. âThe government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicineâ, said Ayesha Verrall âThis is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoonâs interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour childrenâs spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.  "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Councilâs Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.  Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. âThese reforms are long overdue. New Zealandâs insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. âThree years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. âBeing able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canadaâs refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ânext moveâ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Childrenâs Commissioner. âThe Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.    âThe coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. âOur Governmentâs thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening â  Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealandâs foreign policy, weâd like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âCreating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northlandâs marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. âThis is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the countryâs total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ĺ-RÄkau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mĹ Ĺ-RÄkau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ĺ-RÄkau 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 Governmentâs plan to supercharge New Zealandâs EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four â and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Governmentâs plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âI 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 â 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 Governmentâs plan to restore law and order. âSpeaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). âNew Zealandâs 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. âIâm 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 âone stop shopâ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. âThe NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
WhÄnau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. âGiving these whÄnau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Governmentâs goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave OâSullivan (OBE). âOur sympathies are with the OâSullivan family with the sad news of Dave OâSullivanâs recent passing,â Mr Peters says. âHis 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 Pharmacâs largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.  âAccess to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwisâ lives. Weâve 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,â 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. âWe know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,â Dr Reti says. âEvery day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikoheâs new $14.7 million sports complex. âThe completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,â Mr Jones says. âThis facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Petersâ engagements in TĂźrkiye 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 ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fijiâs ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fijiâs improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. Thatâs where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didnât feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when heâs in the great outdoors. âThe scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, âOh, thereâs that thing and thereâs another thing,â but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, âCool bush.ââ Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carterâs favourite way to unwind is⌠kicking goals. Why canât he get enough of it? And what itâs like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ĺtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling Iâve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNowâs new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNowâs new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, weâre finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff donât work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: donât ask him to adopt you. So, youâve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didnât know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions â the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapĹŤ, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are âgoâ for tonightâs launch of Chinaâs next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workersâ hostel. The partyâs 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day â May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. MÄtou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
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 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if thereâs something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatuâs former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down â just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABCâs Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
Whatâs to blame for the coalitionâs choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Actâs Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the governmentâs proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
Whatâs more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A âratâ was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by menâs violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this yearâs federal budget. Thatâs the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions â and air pollution â from transport. Is this view correct? Yes â but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, ârentvestingâ is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
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In breaking news, asbestos mining to be restarted in Southland. Will create up to 30 jobs says government. Banned decades ago for it’s deadly side affects, the government has said compared to coal the death toll will be statistically insignificant.
Morning Haiku
Coal Kills:
Coal Kills people
Coal Kills planets
Coal kills
Ban it.
batshit crazy Haiku
i luvs it.
I don’t know what it is… but I know what it ain’t, and that’s a haiku.
Just call it a poem and be done with it… đ
Wee comment on some old news/non-news connected to this.
The other night there was a news report on asbestos dumped on DOC land. If disturbed or broken it becomes hazardous.
A quick google search will reveal that entire streets are shut down if a building containing asbestos suffers damage through fire or whatever.
But in Christchurch demolition and clear-up continues as though it is an asbestos free zone. Which it definately isn’t.
Plenty of footage coming from Christchurch showing workers in the vicinity of diggers etc that are throwing up immense quantities of dust. And those workers have no protective clothing. Neither does the public.
But it’s all okay. Because the CERA legislation indemnifies the authorities from consequences flowing from the clean up.
Fucking criminal doesn’t even begin to describe the situation. I cannot for the life of me understand why our media has been so resoundingly silent on the blindingly fucking obvious issue of cancergenic asbestos dust being constantly stirred up and liberated over Christchurch, both during the ‘excavation’/ loading of rubble phase and the transportation phase of that rubble.
Wonder where and how it’s being dumped?
I wonder if there hasn’t been a kind of veil thrown over the issue of which buildings are made of materials that contain asbestos.
A building inspector told me that I should be careful because the cladding tiles on my house may contain asbestos. Thing is, this is an ex-state house like thousands of others and you can be bloody sure that someone knows whether all these houses, and probably many other privately built buildings of a similar vintage, are potentially toxic.
But that information could be problematic, so maybe the official word has become ‘may contain asbestos’ to get around the potential consequences.
Just a possibility. Don’t know if this could be a factor in the ChCh situation.
Existing H&S guidelines or directives are that if asbestos is suspected then samples have to be taken. In the absense of sample analysis (due to overload, for example), then it would seem that the precautionary principle would properly apply and full protective measures put in place.
Current legislation has it that only workers registered/ qualified to work around asbestos over see or execute demolition/clear-up.
But as far as I can tell, no samples are being taken, no protective measures are being employed and no qualified oversight is being deployed.
People are going to be contracting cancers in 20 or 30 years time because of how Christchurch is being handled/mishandled and nobody is going to be held to account because of CERA.
A couple of questions could easily be asked in the house:
Is there a register of buildings that may contain asbestos?
Are samples from such buildings being tested before work on them is undertaken?
Seems like the old story with asbestos – mainly poor and powerless affected, so easy to turn a blind eye.
There is no register. That’s why sampling and analysis kicks in if there is uncertainty or suspicion over what a material might be. It was used all over the place in a number of different applications over many decades and came in many different froms of manufacture. As such, it simply cannot be reliably identified by sight.
From memory (I wrote a post on this a long time back) there is only one lab in NZ. There is no way it could cope with an inundation of thousands of samples. That should have been tackled as one of the primary problems post quake.
But just look at the TV pictures. No protective suits. No respirators. No negative pressure environment tents.
Age of eligibility for super – the retirement Commissioner (and many other people) are calling for a raise in the age eligibility. What are the party policies on this?
Key says he will resign if it changes.
Labour, Greens, NZ First, Maori and Mana don’t seem to have a policy on it.
United Future has a different proposal and a poll to get public reaction.
Act has detailed super policies which aim at privatisation and personal responsibility.
Collated details here.
And nothing will change, and the cost will keep climbing, and climbing, and climbing.
Squirrel
Another fact free comment I see.
What did Labour do when in power? Â Well there was the Cullen fund with $16 billion in it, ACC reserves built up to $11 billion (old people have accidents more often) and kiwisaver was also put in place. Â Following their actions the country did have the chance of continuing to fund superannuation at current levels.
Â
I’m sorry but the Labour Party does not think that satisfying your curiosity is reason for bringing forward the release of its policy but if you think of what it has done in the past you can be assured that there will be a coherent and costed policy.
Â
You should criticise Key. Â He is cutting the state’s ability to pay super in the future while cynically ruling out increasing the age of retirement. Â His actions mean that an increase will be inevitable.
Another fact free comment I see.
From you. You should read and think before posting your daily diss.
FFS, check the details. I’ve researched and collated and posted facts.
Ah, hang on, no, I’ve posted what is on (or not on) party websites. Not facts.
I have and am criticising Key, I don’t agree with his stance on this.
I’m also criticisng the other parties for having soft or no policy on it.
Iâve researched and collated and posted facts.
Â
No you have not. You had a quick squizz at the Labour website and went “wah wah wah their policy is not up ergo they have no policy”.
Â
I am saying to you that if you had a skerrit of knowledge of politics and what has happened even over the past decade you would not diss Labour for not having a position on the issue. Labour and the Greens are the only ones with responsible positions on the issue and they have stuck to these positions consistently.
Â
Explain this. How can you post on superannuation policy and not mention the Cullen fund at all and only mention Kiwisaver incidentally when cutting and pasting ACT policy?
Â
How about turning your brain on before piling in.
I checked all the party websites looking for policy on the age of eligibility. That is what the Retirement Commissioner was referring to, and what I was researching.
If I missed something (on the age specifically) please let me know and I will amend my summary.
SS
Â
You said
Â
“Labour … donât seem to have a policy on it.”
Â
I said
Â
“You had a quick squizz at the Labour website and went âwah wah wah their policy is not up ergo they have no policyâ.
Â
I also saidÂ
Â
“What did Labour do when in power? Â Well there was the Cullen fund with $16 billion in it, ACC reserves built up to $11 billion (old people have accidents more often) and kiwisaver was also put in place. Â Following their actions the country did have the chance of continuing to fund superannuation at current levels.”
Â
You said
Â
“If I missed something (on the age specifically) please let me know and I will amend my summary.”
Â
Well you are missing that Labour wants to keep the age of retirement where it is and pay for increased costs through the Cullen Fund and Kiwisaver. This is clear from the history and Labour’s behaviour. Not putting its policy on the website right now is not an excuse for you to draw the conclusions that you have.
Not putting its (Labour’s) policy on the website right now is not an excuse for you to draw the conclusions that you have.
The conclusion I drew is that Labour (and others) didn’t mention it in policy on their website.
History and behaviour and what you think is not policy.
“Labour, Greens, NZ First, Maori and Mana donât seem to have a policy on it”
=/=
“[…] Labour (and others) didnât mention it in policy on their website.”
Stop sliding.
The cost will keep climbing for some time until the current bulge is through (then the cost will be falling falling falling). Unlike the other parties you mention, Labour has actually done something positive about it.
That was what the Cullen fund was for before the Nats gutted conibutions to it to pay for their tax cuts. Kiwi saver was a different form of retirement savings, and the Nats gutted the taxpayers contributions to that as well.
Raising the age is merely one of the alternatives, and more of an emergencyo ne thatn particularly useful. The problem with raising the age is that there are a lot of people who are hanging out for retirement long before age 65 now.
If you have been using your body as a crane throughout your working life doing manual labour, it is frequently broken and unemployable at age 60. They fluently wind up on invalids benefits or ACC. So merely raising the age of retirement isn’t the panacea that your simplistic mind views it as.
Also, if the retirement age is raised, there needs to be enough jobs for the older people as well a for all the people below retirement age.
I think the Cullen Fund was a good idea. Suspending contributions to it during a severe recession had some merit but it set a bad precendent for ongoing meddling.
I never suggested raising the age is a panacea, I was following up on Diane Crossan’s suggestion.
I think Brash has suggested a variable age allowing for worn out bodies (and minds) who want to retire earlier. United Future have a proposal on a 60/70 option. They’re far from simple to make fair.
Squirrell,
New Zealand has the lowest rate of senior poverty in the OECD.
I think that alone is why we should NOT change NZ Super.
Hereâs a rumour for you mongers.
You know those branded beer glasses that you get in pubs? The oneâs that advertise which beer you are drinking. Not a bad thing, all in all. Different beers deserve different shaped glassware and bar owners can allay some of the cost by having the brewer provide the breakables.
Watch the size though. I mean that. If, say, a brewer wanted to up its price during the RWC it could shrink the glass, and raise the keg price. The second bit forces the bar owner to use the new smaller glass or wear the cost rise themselves. The punter, if they notice the small serves, will usually put ill feeling on the bar owner.
I donât particularly give a shit about the whole âclean stadiumsâ and all that restriction of advertising thing. Deals are deals. But a WRC sponser that pulled this sort of thing on top of that, one who was already getting the benefits of sponsorship; well, Iâm not going to give much of a damn if ambush marketers hit them hard. or if consumers boycotted their product where anything else was available.
Personnally speaking it is crap beer. There was a beer brewed in the West Coast (for a limited few you can still source beer from there) that was magic – but then they started brewing it in Auckland, this to save costs. Funny how some of these MASSIVE savings were not passed onto the consumer !!!
PB same as you re ambush markering hitting them hard. We can only hope !!!!
It is indeed crap beer. And there are plenty of really good local beers availaiable such that boycotting this infringer should be a pleasure for most.
I love the way you can brew your own in this country, I once made an excellent trappist like beer for a fraction of the cost of commercial beer but sooo much better tasting.
Got a recipe, travellerev? Especially, what yeast did you use? This from one whose duties today include bottling my latest bock. đ
From what I remember I used a dark Australian commercial kit with extra molasses.
But this conversation just inspired me to try again and I found this link:
http://stoutfellow.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/trappist-technique-belgian-sugar/
I now have a cool store so making wine and beer has become an option again
Thanks, travellerev. A great link and answers some of my questions. Cheers!
Cheers (I wish) ROFL!
Nice beer, Bock beer. By the way my aim was to create a tripple Trappist with the idiotic but legal alcohol content of 9%. The monks in Belgium reckon that if you drink one you’re in heaven.
LOL, so much better to talk about beer making than all the other shit don’t you think? Here is another great link on triple Trappist:
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2010/09/01/trappist-dubbel-and-tripel-beer-recipes/
Have you tried Moa’s St Joseph Belgian style ale? Lucky me. It’s local!
I can’t say that I did. I’ll have to try one day. Great song by the way!
Why isn’t there any ‘weights and measures’ legislation in NZ? In the case of glasses it is simple to legislate for half pint and pint glasses. Brewers can still have all the vessel shapes and whatever that they wish. But a pint would actually be a pint.
Arbritary ‘handles’ and the like would disappear.
Fuck it. The same should apply to spirits. Those free pour ‘measures’ atop many bottles do not in any way measure the liquid being dispensed. So us punters are paying a set price for wildly varying amounts of alcohol.
There is a minimum alcohol % requirement for something to be considered spirits, I think its 37.5%
Many labels are at that now, when they started off at 45% or more a few years ago (check out the difference in the duty free spirits you buy compared to the adulterated ones in the local stores).
Every time profit margins are squeezed, they water down what they put in the bottle to fractionally avoid excise.
The Man that Waters the Workers’ Beer.
http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiWATRBEER;ttSONGAMB.html
heh. that brought to mind a case from a number of years ago whereby a member of the Salvation Army (temperence soc.) who worked for ICI sold coloured water and industrial alcohol to pubs as whisky.
When the scam was uncovered, he was punished, liscences were lost and excise and duty claimed the unpaid alcohol tax from ICI.
Portugal celebrates the success of 10 years drug decriminalisation, NZ fights another losing battle in the War on Drugs. Go figure…
14 July: Don’t forget today is a special day back in 1789 in Paris.
Bastille Day!
Good day for a game changing Labour economic policy release đ
“Allons, Enfants de la patrie, le jour de gloire est arrive.
Contre nous de la tyrannie l’etendard sanglant est leve.”
Time to fertilise the ploughed fields………metaphorically speaking.
Wonders if somewhere in Remuera Bronagh (rhymes with Mona you know) Key is saying “if all those hungry children cannot have bread why don’t they eat cake?”
Also on this day in 1984 (wet and windy, by all accounts), was the day New Zealand united to vote out Robert Muldoon’s National party and changed the face of New Zealand forever.
the 94.2% turnout remains the highest in the post war period.
wet and windy, by all accounts
It was. I was never so glad to get out in lousy weather.
The Bob Jones got 20% (From faulty memory) and no seats.
Thank heaven for small mercies….
1984 was one of the most dramatic times in our history. It would be appropriate for one of our illustrious (older) authors to remind our (younger) contributors what happened. We were on the brink of bankruptcy and we had a PM who was in total denial. He effectively refused to accept he had lost the election. The situation was so dire at one point there was talk of a Constitutional crisis… and a call for the Queen to intervene and sack him.
It was knife edge stuff for about two weeks… and, as we know, provided the perfect background scenario for the introduction of Rogernomics.
So similar to US and EU at the moment, then. Perhaps a little more dire. Give it a couple of weeks and see if the US actually manages to pull finger…
Changed the face all right, wasn’t that the govt that started selling off 100% stakes of NZs silverware?
NZ not for sale (unless Labour are in power)
Natz are still bucking at a fair backpay settlement for âsleepoverâ carers in the long running PSA/Service & Food Union case.
Minister Ryall is able to regurgitate a script as evidenced on RNZ this morning, sounding like a stuck CD. Simon Mercepâs gentle interviewing style again let a prize prick get away with his âPaid for sleepingâ slurs. A way better line is âpaid for ripping off the taxpayerâ in respect of $1.7 bill to bail out South Canterbury Finance.
Carers are rendered unavailable for a life of their own while on duty. Which is why they deserve recompense as various legal forums have already determined. It looks like this may now be headed to the Supreme Court, if of course the tories donât head âem off at the pass and legislate as they have previously threatened.
What is IT about that man or thing?
I was sitting on the toilet seat before Ryall, the sleeper ripper, came on.
When his voice oozed and excreted over the radio, I felt like I was getting really dirty and I hurriedly reached for generous amounts of the toilet paper to wipe my bottom. I then rushed into the shower to have a good clean.
It’s not as if said carers were not on mega salaries too – probably on just above minimum wage.
However … if a carer is employed from 4 pm till 8 am and the law says that person must be paid for all 16 hours I would say that is then 2 jobs and not one and 2 people should be employed for it, and that carer then should not sleep on the job and should be doing something that recovers some of his/her cost of employment.
They do, of course! It’s not true that carers do nothing but sleep… I have worked as a carer for IHC and never slept the night through… Breaking up fights between children in the same room, corralling romers and returning them to bed, calling the manager who was the only person able to soothe a frightened and agitated man with manic depression and intellectual disabilities… Even at the most basic, we were there in case of emergency, fire for instance.
A statement I read this morning…The economy is closely linked with the physical resources that underly it. Most economists assume debt can rise endlessly, just as they assume GDP can rise endlessly. But if there really is a limit that prevents oil supply from rising endlessly, it seems to me that there is also a corresponding limit that prevents debt from rising endlessly.
Critique please all market rationalists out there please…LS, rusty et al.
There are now several times more financial obligations existing in the world than the world has the physical resources to pay for. Estimates exist into the tens of trillions of dollars and beyond.
Many of these obligations are “invisible” i.e. not in the form of the Greeks owe the German banks $1B or whatever (that’s quite straight forward after all), but in the form of derivative contracts and multiple interconnected counterparty liabilities that are hidden and almost impossible to collate and assess.
These derivatives seem like a gamble, really.
When the economy starts crashing, if your derivatives cash out first, you win. Everyone else is left holding the empty bag.
Thanks Lan and CV, been away all day, really thought the usual RWNJ suspects would have had a go here…..useless buggers would not know where to start a critique, the proposition that the economy must be attached to something tangible and real is way beyond them.
“Consultant” is another word for unemployed
Man it is really bleak in the US. It seems like this guy at the ground level gets it. The process happening in the US is extraordinarily destructive at a real economy – main st level.
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly11/why-smallbiz-not-hiring-6-11.html
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly11/smallbiz-not-hiringII-6-11.html
Jump You F$%^K’ers
Harsh language in this music video, but makes a point.
ah yes the linky thing
Magic CV, am forwarding to like minded contacts.
From Stuff….
“Parliament’s Speaker, Lockwood Smith, has refused to swear controversial MP Hone Harawira in. “
Yep. Looks like Smith relied on schedule 17 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. Hone was meant to say:
Â
“I, ……, swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her [or His] Majesty [Specify the name of the reigning Sovereign, as thus: Queen Elizabeth the Second], Her [or His] heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”
Â
Under section 4A of that Act there has to be a Te Reo equivalent described in regulations made under the Act. Looks like there may not have been.
Â
Not sure but maybe Smith was technically correct although not right …
Further comment. Section 4A does not appear to allow a te reo version of the oath from being used. Strange.
Â
Hone tricks = boring.
there are more important things …..
Don’t forget to say why! I disagree, MS, he was (for perhaps the first time in his life) right.
Hone was sh*t stirring, and that was all…
hey MR Speaker if the rule of law is so important how come Blinglish is still there after lying to the House this week?
if lying got a politician binned the place would be empty!
One law for all? They are so going to regret saying that in the months to come.
Here’s a link to his speech. The one he was going to make after his swearing in that is: Hone’s speech.
And I agree; one law for all so let’s throw the bums who think that lying, rorting and profiting from their “elevated” positions is OK and drag them to court for stealing from “the people”.
And all this on Bastille day too! Well done Hone. You go my man. It’s a great day to start the revolution!!!
Nat P HQ – What can we do to distract the media from Labour’s tax announcements? We tried the boat people and it didn’t last long enough. Let’s manufacture a Hone crisis!
This is just Hone drumming up some free publicity.
Spot on JS . I have been waiting on edge to try and guess what the Tories would come up with.This is typical Textor/ Crosby dealings. What next I wonder?
The Nats asked Hone to do this? you guys really do now how to make me laugh!
“It wasn’t that he was speaking Maori, he wanted to swear allegiance to the Treaty of Waitangi rather than the Queen.”
No, they didn’t ask him. He was just doing what many other MPs before have done, and probably didn’t expect any reaction. They chose to make a fuss of it.
I seem to recollect a similar thing happened when Sinn Fein won seats in Westminster – they refused to swear allegiance to the crown and were refused entry.
Good to see Helen Clark commenting on the recent boat people episode. As usual sensible and humane. What a loss to NZ she is ,however a big gain to the UN. All NZ should be proud of her . Lets hope that when she returns she will be offered a post that will be of benefit to all NZ. from her talents.
I’m predicting she will be the next Secretary General of the UN, so her return to NZ will be some years away. I agree with you though about it being our loss. I have heard many people (no not Labour members) say they wish Helen Clark was still running the country. I think a lot of NZers didn’t appreciate how good in the job she was.. until after she had gone.
Rachel Maddow on the lunacy gripping the US.
Unexpected Earthquake Observation #1,251;
Increased blood pressure.
c’mon that could be caused by any number of disasters these days, there’s the 2 Dons, the bait and Switch court cases, the bankrupt politicians (morally), the hardship pleas from millionaires, the RWC, the …list is quite long actually, stick with the Quake. Its safer ground
This is brilliant!
đ
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2011/jul/14/cartoon-steve-bell-murdoch-bskyb
1. Labour says they won’t work with MANA.
2. Labour announce BIG TAX PLAN on same day that Hone Harawria is being sworn in.
3. Oops. Hone just stole the limelight.
Shouldn’t try play hardball Labour, most the true lefties have given up on your bullshit.
Wrong, NAct manufactured a crises to try to steal Labours thunder. There was no reason for the Speaker to stop Hone from being sworn in.
Except that if he read the text that he wanted to he wouldnt have actually been sworn in according to the law. Moron.
I love how those here that want to make this the Speakers “fault” ignore all the facts.
Yes jackal I am looking at you.
Enjoy your damp squib tax policy.
Asshole of the Week Award – Lockwood Smith
Lockwood Smith didn’t allow Hone Harawira to swear his oath of allegiance to the crown in Parliament today. Instead the Leader of te Mana party had to make his valedictory speech outside in front of the house of representatives. Lockwood was unhappy that Hone wanted to swear his allegiance to the crown in Maori. Unless I’m mistaken, Lockwood Smith does not speak te Reo, so he had no call to admonish Hone Harawira in such a disrespectful manner and insist that he leave the house…
So Hone Harawera is not officially an MP but he can officially draw a party leader’s salary…
I’d love to climb on that gravy train!!