This “trust” business is but an advised bullshit narrative to abuse Hone Harawira and ensure that Maori are not militated sufficiently to disturb a bunch of scabs.
Aye! It also shows a degree of arrogance and where exactly they see the people they purport to represent on the ‘pleb scale’.
It matters not the huge sense of betrayal those plebs are feeling just as long as the ‘entitled’ can remain in the tent pissing out. … Not limited to the MP either!
Simon Bridges on the Nation discussing NZ Oil and Gas:
Rachel Smally: we (NZ) collect taxes and royalties of 42 %, the OECD AVERAGE is 65%
Simon Bridges: “I think we are around the middle of the pack…”
What does average mean?????????????
And the in the next sentence he states that we earn $4b in Revenue from Oil and Gas and the Govt gets $800m in Tax and Royalties, I think that is actually 20%…???
New Zealand has one of the lowest royalty schemes in the world. Bridges is simply being dishonest when he claims “we are around the middle of the pack.”
Bridges is not good at this lying caper yet smalley is paid to give him his soapbox and not make him look like the shonkey clone he is. These so called polotical in depth shows are a joke hosted by muppetts for sheeple to be feed their staple diet of BS.
Yes, I wonder if any other interviewer would have picked up the 20% gaff? Kim Hill probably would have, Scarey Mary might have, maybe John Campbell…an opportunity wasted.
Or as usual an opportunity ignored. It was TV3 you know, and Smalley is just another ass kissing NAT loving Journo, in a long line of ass kissing TV3 Journo’s.
That is strange…I read in one of our local newspapers that NZ only got something like 2% royalties – well below the global average which “attracts” the buggers. So they can screw our nation. Wonder where the reporter got their figures and if they were wrong?
As if all this fracking business wasn’t bad enough.
It would be good if Simon Bridges was asked where he gets his figures/numbers from . The actual references. Because its very difficult to find the actual figures on Ministry websites. And often, when you do find some details, they’re either mixed up with other industries (eg agriculture) or they’re estimates.
I found the following on MBIE’s website – a paper called Economic Contribution and Potential of NZ”s
oil and gas industry – but in fact there appears to be very little about the actual economic contribution, and most of the paper is based on assumptions and estimates and hedged around with “ifs and buts”.
If anyone can provide other more factual info please put the links. Thanks.
eg
“As a result of the success of the petroleum and agricultural industries in Taranaki, the region has the highest average labour productivity (Figure 2) and the highest level of output per capita (Figure 3) in New Zealand. 5
5 This statement is based on regional estimates provided by BERL. Note that these estimates are less reliable for small regions such as Taranaki ”
Thanks Draco. And what Bridges doesn’t mention is the cost of remediating closed down mines because they’re dangerous – Tui cost $22.5 million, another one in the Coromandel was about $27m, and there have been some others as well. So by the time these costs are deducted, what is the real net profit from mining ? And is it worth it, because of the environmental damage ?
“The prime minister of Luxembourg announced his intent to resign on Thursday, after a parliamentary investigation revealed scores of illegal operations conducted by the country’s intelligence service. ”
A young woman was refused the birth control pill because she had not yet done her “reproductive job”.
Melissa Pont, 23, said her family practitioner, Dr Joseph Lee, would not renew her pill prescription, instead lecturing her on a baby’s right to live and on using the rhythm method, an unreliable family planning technique that involves having sex only at certain times of the month.
The Women’s Health Action Trust said it has a “simmering issue” with GPs who will not prescribe contraceptives.
“Contraception is a basic health right for women,” said senior policy analyst George Parker. “That should take precedence over a doctor’s personal beliefs.”
The NZ Medical Association said doctors can refuse treatment in non-emergency situations if their beliefs prohibit it – but they are required to refer the patient to another doctor.
Lee was initially reluctant to do that, Pont said, and she was concerned other women in her situation might not have had the confidence to argue back.
“I felt like my decision to not have children yet was being judged. That’s a decision me and my fiance made,” she said.
“We’re young and we just bought a house and who is he to say whether we should have children or not?”
Lee, a doctor at Wairau Community Clinic in Blenheim, stood by his views and actions. “I don’t want to interfere with the process of producing life,” the Catholic father-of-two told the Herald on Sunday.
Lee also does not prescribe condoms, and encourages patients as young as 16 to use the rhythm method.
Teen pregnancy might be a girl’s “destiny”, he said, and it was certainly not as bad as same- sex marriage.
The only circumstances in which he would prescribe the contraceptive pill would be if a woman wanted space between pregnancies, or had at least four children.
“I think they’ve already done their reproductive job”.
He acknowledged natural birth control was “not very reliable”.
“That’s the best thing about it. You can’t choose it, you just have to be committed to it.”
Family Planning national nursing adviser Rose Stewart said doctors should remember they were gatekeepers for a service, she said, and a woman’s conscience was as important as theirs.
Medical Council guidelines say personal beliefs should not affect the advice or treatment offered, and should not be expressed in a way that exploits a patient’s vulnerability or is likely to cause them distress.
Wairau Community Clinic lead GP Scott Cameron said a pamphlet at reception warned that some doctors did not prescribe birth control, and staff tried to screen patients. He would consider installing a sign.
The clinic is run by the Marlborough Public Health Organisation. Chief executive Beth Pester said Lee’s choice not to prescribe was “his ethical choice”, but she was concerned he discussed natural birth control with patients as young as 16, and would talk to him about that.
I wonder what Paula Bennett or Lindsay Mitchell et al have to say about the economic and social effects of having doctors with the ability to hold this type of power over reproductive needs of a patient?
Why the hell is our government prepared to continue to fund this type of “treatment”??
Is our country sooooo desperate for rural GP’s that anyone will do?
Given this GP’s attitude to what must be a sizeable chunk of the population (ie women who have NOT done their reproductive “duty”…and gays/bisexuals..and anyone like me who doesn’t fall into the previous groups but wouldn’t want to be alone in the room with him holding a speculum) is it appropriate that he continues in this role?
Yes, the response from the GP’s employers – Wairau Community Clinic and the Malborough Public Health Organisation was pathetic to the point of obscenity.
The reality is – this doctor has assumed for himself a paternalistic, authoritative role that is not part of his clinical service. Of course, the place he chooses to do so is a community clinic where it is more unlikely that his patients are going to respond assertively. (Can you imagine the howls from moneyed areas of Auckland where a GP refused contraception along these lines?)
Employment contracts need to spell out clearly that this type of value judgement and coercion is unacceptable practice. Then he should be dealt with accordingly.
(Also interesting that he is not against contraception per se: as he will prescribe it to someone that has performed her reproductive duty. So any references to belief systems is failing in consistency too)
Women’s reproductive choices: going backwards while wearing seven-league boots.
The Medical Council or the Health and Disability Commissioner need to look into the service this doctor provided and the service he needed to provide. Having a baby is life changing and expensive.
Is the GP prepared to fund the raising of the child and look after it when the childcare centre is closed?
The good doctor is entitled to whatever personal beliefs he feels like having. He is not entitled to inflict these beliefs on his patients. He should get another job until he can understand the distinction. Maybe he could work as a vet so as to not entirely waste his medical training?
I know physicists who believe the universe is 6000 years old. Somehow they still manage to do research within their own areas of specialisation. Their beliefs, while weird, are essentially harmless until they try to teach them in an astrophysics or cosmology lecture. I would hope that they would rapidly be shown the error of their ways. I hope the same happens with this Catholic doctor.
People like this don’t matter so much in a large city because their effects are diluted by the numbers of other practitioners. Choice is usually possible. In a small town like Blenheim, the situation is different. A young woman who wanted the pill might have to travel to Nelson, for example. If she were single and did decide to use the rhythm method, no doubt this good doctor would also be one of those who think benefits for single parents just encourage sin and a breakdown of morality. I wonder what his views are on the contraceptive methods commonly used before marriage as Catholic virgins in the 3rd world? These would be oral and anal sex, which also don’t contribute to the fulfilment of the reproductive job.
Dr. Lee, you make me sick. Wairau Community Clinic, get rid of this embarrassment.
Shades of yesteryear ! This used to happen regularly in the 1970s …. when the pill first came in, and Broadsheet (now defunct, feminist mag) had a good dr, bad dr column (forgotten what it was called) so women knew which doctors NOT to go to. Maybe such a column (nowadays a blogsite, I suppose) could be started up again !
Maybe those Catholic doctors need their own version of Green prescriptions – here have an abstinence prescription, don’t take twice daily until you are married.
Maybe behind the scenes this is one of the reasons behind the scenes the contraception for beneficiaries was done via welfare rather than health.
Here is someone who now for the FOURTH time is going to be jailed, although he has NEVER ‘broken any law’.
When ‘judicial discretion’, is not itself based upon the RULE OF LAW – then what sort of ‘democracy’ are we living in here in New Zealand?
In case you missed it?
MEDIA ALERT! Vince Siemer will present himself for 6 weeks imprisonment TODAY Sunday 14 July 2013. 12 noon, at the home of Justice Helen Winkelmann:
14 July 2013
PROTEST!: Sunday 14 July 2013, from 12 noon – 1pm, outside the home of Judge Helen Winkelmann, 20 Audrey Street, Takapuna, where Vince Siemer will ‘surrender’ himself for 6 weeks imprisonment at Mt Eden.
Vince Siemer is believed to be the first person in the free world to be sentenced to prison for reporting a criminal court judgment.
In New Zealand – ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
What a sick joke.
This ongoing persecution of Vince Siemer, in my opinion, NZ’s foremost ‘whistleblower’ against judicial corruption, makes me ashamed to be a New Zealander.
STATEMENT BY VINCE SIEMER:
______________________________________________________________________________
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
13 July 2013
First they came for the trade unionists…
I, Vince Siemer, am going to prison tomorrow after the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal ruling which in turn upheld two judges of the High Court decreeing I am in contempt of the Courts. I consider I can show no better respect for the rule of law than contempt for judges who pervert it. My “crime” is publishing the secret December 2010 judgment of Justice Helen Winkelmann which denied the Urewera 18 defendants their statutory right to trial by jury on the basis a jury “would likely use improper reasoning processes”. The Chief Justice strongly dissented, recognising I disobeyed an unlawful order yet was denied the lawful right to challenge it in order to preserve my liberty.
I am believed to be the first person in the free world to be sentenced to prison for reporting a criminal court judgment. (Who says New Zealand does not lead the world?!) One reason I am the first is secret criminal court judgments are unlawful. In my case, the Courts roundly protected the unlawfulness of Winkelmann?s order by asserting they need not determine the lawfulness on the ground even unlawful orders need to be obeyed until overturned – the Crown claiming a message needed to be sent to the larger community of this. Interestingly, I invited the Attorney General to make submissions in the public interest regarding the lawfulness of Winkelmann’s orders and he responded that, if he made submissions at all, he would seek an increased order of costs against me.
Where Winkelmann’s order gave no reasons for the secrecy, the High Court Judges tripped over each other to retrofit the reason that justice required the secrecy. The Crown conceded at my trial no prejudice or harm was alleged as a result of my publication, but they still wanted me imprisoned. In a page out of a George Orwell novel, the Court of Appeal censored Winkelmann’s reason for negating the statutory right of appeal when upholding my conviction out of fear the public would not take kindly to being called stupid in a secret judgment.
First they steal the words; stealing the meanings only when required.
New Zealand judges are out of control. We no longer have the instilling discipline of the Privy Council in England. The NZ Court of Appeal judges trounced by the Privy Council as law-breakers in Taito v R now comprise the Supreme Court which replaced the Privy Council.
Do you see any mainstream media reporting any of this?
We get what we deserve with our judges. The incestuous nature of judicial appointments being what it is, every judge in New Zealand signed on to submissions to Parliament opposing the passage of the pecuniary interest of judges bill currently before Parliament. Really? Not one judge in the whole of New Zealand not actively opposed to this bill which requires them to register their financial and business interests? While it seems impossible at times to get more than two Members of Parliament to completely agree, our 205 judges are in lock step with their independent view. It is evident “independent judge” is an oxymoron in New Zealand.
We have forfeited much with the loss of the independent Privy Council. This should come as no surprise. Former Attorney General Margaret Wilson was undeterred when 82 percent of Auckland law practitioners voted against her new Supreme Court. When everyone’s back was turned it still happened. We built a $100 million palace for five elevated judges, most of whom were known to engage in breaches of due process. And, like sheep, this 82% fell into the fold even as this new court made mince out of established principles on judicial bias and essential legal rights, rolling over established legislation with all the finesse of a blitzkrieg. It is the law today that the “New Zealand independent and informed observer” is an endangered species and, where it does exist, does not consider a judge has a conflict of interest where he/she is business adversary or sibling to those who appear before him/her. You now have to be rich to get to a hearing in the courts – the Supreme Court ruling the requirement that plaintiffs pay the defendants’ anticipated legal costs into the Court as a condition to obtaining a hearing is “well-settled law” in New Zealand. Two years ago, in Atty General v Chapman, the Supreme Court ruled judges are exempt from the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 on the ground this statute that expressly bound them threatens their “independence” we all know so well.
Maybe the diminishing numbers allowed to be heard in the courtrooms no longer care. But we could possibly survive without the legal necessity of independent judges if these judges had any respect for the rule of law and the courts they serve. But they have no respect for laws where their mates and critics are concerned, and the most powerful sheep lawyers in New Zealand, while silent about it publicly, make no secret about it privately. As retired Judge Sir Edward Thomas said in a 2007 email to the president of the New Zealand Bar, “I am not a keeper of the court’s conscience and am of the view that my primary obligation is to Alan, not just as a matter of professional obligation but by virtue of my deep friendship for him. There is a limit to how far I will go to uphold the integrity of the court if the judges themselves won’t.”
Where is the “independent bar” on this? Flocking behind the independent judges, either cowering in fear or cloaked in protective partisanship. This silent flock is hoping the perverse court judgments in my cases do not generally denigrate the rule of law in New Zealand. History finds this the safest place for lawyers to be. Look at Fiji.
Those who see little comparison with Fiji fail to realise that Fijians do not feel oppressed. That is the insidious thing with erosion of the rule of law. It is frighteningly uneventful until the tipping point. In the Earthquake Commission contempt the Solicitor General filed against Marc Krieger this week, it was not the Bill of Rights or due process legislation which even featured in the SG’s application. The SG largely relies upon three of my court decisions to eventually bankrupt this poor citizen who had the audacity to expose the EQC’s attempt to write off $100 million which evaporated from the public coffers.
Anyone who doesn’t believe a “deep friendship for Alan” is a more valuable commodity in a New Zealand Court than truth and law chooses to ignore the reality. For whistleblowers, one obvious problem is they do not have deep friendships with the perpetrators whose power and influence is the currency of the New Zealand courts. Partisanship and secrecy is endemic, and it is laying ruin to the rule of law in black robe and white collar New Zealand. It would be better if it was blood in the streets, if only to wake people up to the huge corruption occuring behind closed court doors. No one should need to go to prison to protect the rule of law but the sad reality is sitting in prison is often the best way to stand up for legal rights. While it is unfortunate this price must be paid, I consider my imprisonment a demonstration of my highest respect for the law.
Translation: would apply reason in accord with common law rather than apply the usual political prejudice.
The NZ judiciary can not observe the rule of law because of the nature of their employment under a civil body politic. In order to get around this problem the body politic attempts to redefine the meaning of the term “rule of law”, just as it attempts to redefine the meaning of the term “common law”. These terms are closely related, and the redefinition supports atheism despite the theistic nature of the judicial and political oath.
Bad day for Crosby Textor as PM is told to cut his links with the firm following exposure of their spruiking for the tobacco industry. Ok, not our PM, sadly.
Awww, poor little tory doesn’t like the spotlight anymore.
And none of his thoughts, when they were just rattling unconnected around his mostly empty head, seemed so… fasc1st! But boy, when you link a few of them together in public, eh?
Just watched the latest Panorama – Alex Salmond versus Donald Trump (you know that was always going to go bad ffs!)
This morning, some poor bastard on Stuff (that seems to have now disappeared from easy access) who has been ripped a second time – now at retirement age – investment gone … kaput!
Bruce Tichbon (who I once worked with, and interacted with DAILY) – lost a million, and who I can only feel an emotionally driven sympathy for: Second time round; join up to this “once in a lifetime investment; word of mouth only clientele – the exclusive. JESUS H CHRIST Bruce – what were you thinking. It’s not as though you hadn’t been thru’ it ALL before ffs!
Lay down with dogs – get up with fleas.
PUSH RESET! (There Is No Alternative)
If it’s too hard, there’ll be a power failure coming along shortly to force that cold reboot
It’s difficult to have sympathy with those who chase the high return high risk investments that don’t work out.
Most people I know will take 30+ years to earn a million dollars let alone save it.
A million dollars at 4% will earn $40,000 per annum which is as much as / more than the income of many New Zealanders.
I remember at the height of Blue Chip’s fame in 2006 my father in law asking me to see what I could find out about the people running it.
Took only 15 minutes of research to find out about the dodgy stuff some of the owners did in the 1987 crash and a brokerage firm in Aussie warning investors not to touch them and explains that some of their investments were a house of cards.
I’ve never quite got why people who had worked hard all their lives and paid their mortgages off decided to mortgage their homes again and chase the big dollars.
I assumes it’s all the fear mongering done by the industry about the govt won’t pay your super in the future.
People would get a much more likely positive result from paying more tax towards super costs – trouble is that’s not in the interest of all those making the commissions and ripping people off.
It’s that type of fear environment that allows the financial predators out. At least a door to door salesman doesn’t pretend to be anything but – these people hide behind their suits and a veneer of respectability.
One of the interesting side comments Steven Keen made when he lectured here recently was that he did not believe that ordinary people should be investing in stocks and financials for their retirement.
“That’s a game for professional brokers and entrepreneurs.”
The fact is that NZ Super is a pittance. The gap between it and an normal middle class income is huge. The fact is that most two-income, middle class families have in income somewhere in the $70-120k range … and you don’t work hard at that for 40yrs and then happily choose to retire at 65 and potentially face another 2 or 3 decades of life living off $20k pa.
In that scenario of course you are looking for ways to generate a secure income after you retire. But crucially once you retire you have no way to recover from an investment that loses your capital. That is the fatal flaw.
Ordinary people should not ever be put in a position where they are induced to gamble their life savings.
Well done to the protestors for protesting peacefully, and well done for
people being allowed to protest wrong decisions, and fuck you to the
jury. Can you imagine if this had of been reversed, if Zimmerman had
of been black and the kid had of been white.
The Miami Herald got it right. When they wrote.
1. The man thought the teen looked suspicious.
2. The man called the police to report his suspicions about the teen.
3. The man was told by the police not to chase and pursue the teen.
4. The man decided to chase and pursue the teen anyway.
5 . The man was carrying a loaded gun.
6. The teen was not carrying a gun.
7. The teen was not carrying any weapon.
8. The teen was carrying candy.
9. The teen was not committing any crime.
10. The teen was not trespassing, as he was walking toward his father’s condo.
11. The man and the teen met in a physical confrontation.
12. The man and the teen fought, wrestled to the ground, and punches were exchanged.
13. The man shot the teen with his gun.
14. The man shot the teen while both were on the ground.
15. The shot from the man’s gun killed the teen.
16. There is no evidence that the teen was committing a crime or about to commit any crime.
17. But for the man chasing and pursuing the teen, there would have been no physical confrontation.
18. But for the physical confrontation, there would have been no fight.
19. But for the fight, the man would not have shot the teen.
Just like when that douche Bruce Emery murde… oops sorry, not allowed to say murdered… slaughtered 15 year old Pihema Cameron.
All the circumstances you describe fit exactly, except that Emery didn’t bother calling the police, and instead of a gun Emery used a foot-long knife to assassinate his victim.
Oh but that’s right, Cameron might or might not have been about to tag Emery’s fence, so I guess it’s totes different.
He was charged with murder and found not guilty. Oddly, in my opinion, as he definitely killed the kid, and repeatedly stabbing someone with a foot-long knife doesn’t seem like an accidental killing, especially when they were running away and you had to chase them for 300 metres to do it.
But then I wasn’t in the courtroom so I don’t have access to crucial information like the class and ethnicity of the killer and the victim.
Brett D
A very clear provision of the salient points. I presume you vouch that each point is correct?
It seems to match with what I have heard in short media reports.
But the numbers appear to disordered. I have rearranged the statements so they read in a better progression of the facts. Do you agree?
After 10. The teen was not trespassing, as he was walking toward his father’s condo.
then –
16. There is no evidence that the teen was committing a crime or about to commit any crime.
11. The man and the teen met in a physical confrontation.
17. But for the man chasing and pursuing the teen, there would have been no physical confrontation.
18. But for the physical confrontation, there would have been no fight.
12. The man and the teen fought, wrestled to the ground, and punches were exchanged.
13. The man shot the teen with his gun.
14. The man shot the teen while both were on the ground.
19. But for the fight, the man would not have shot the teen.
15. The shot from the man’s gun killed the teen.
Brett D
I haven’t heard that. It would be chilling, and I don’t think that I need to hear that to be aware of the disgraceful series of events and malfunction of justice that has resulted in this exoneration.
There was an announced survey result comparing NZ’s happiness with those of Europeans. Seems we are reasonably happy but isolated from community somewhat. And depression got mentioned. A spokesperson on managing depression talked about concentrating on the ‘now’, not getting caught up in the past or the future. So perhaps I should do that. Then I don’t have to be worried, or feel upset about anything.
It apparently would be bad for me to hear Trayvon. According to current self-management proposals, Timothy Leary’s “Turn on, tune in, drop out” has shrunk to merely ‘drop out’, all that the human psyche can stand!
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Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
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Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
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The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Malalai Joya interview with CNN: US Get OUT of Afghanistan
Malalai Joya speaks against US occupation of Afghanistan in her interview with CNN International on October 28, 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JYhMg6_Q5k&list=PLC48C56131A2082B5
RNZ News 0800 Sunday:
TT says there’s a significant issue of TRUST with Hone (re suggestions the MP and Mana should merge)
Pot calls kettle black!
This “trust” business is but an advised bullshit narrative to abuse Hone Harawira and ensure that Maori are not militated sufficiently to disturb a bunch of scabs.
Aye! It also shows a degree of arrogance and where exactly they see the people they purport to represent on the ‘pleb scale’.
It matters not the huge sense of betrayal those plebs are feeling just as long as the ‘entitled’ can remain in the tent pissing out. … Not limited to the MP either!
Not limited to the MPs, no. Why ? Because wherever there are scabs there are baby scabs.
Scab 101: all scabs must bash the non-scab by use of the narrative “Oooh……untrustworthy !”
Simon Bridges on the Nation discussing NZ Oil and Gas:
Rachel Smally: we (NZ) collect taxes and royalties of 42 %, the OECD AVERAGE is 65%
Simon Bridges: “I think we are around the middle of the pack…”
What does average mean?????????????
And the in the next sentence he states that we earn $4b in Revenue from Oil and Gas and the Govt gets $800m in Tax and Royalties, I think that is actually 20%…???
Something really screwey about his figures.
“What does average mean?”
Maybe he’s talking about the median (which is the mid point or middle of the pack).
Yes he probably is Weka, its weasling out of the the more meaningful measure which is “average”, he is a classical National weasel.
New Zealand has one of the lowest royalty schemes in the world. Bridges is simply being dishonest when he claims “we are around the middle of the pack.”
Bridges is not good at this lying caper yet smalley is paid to give him his soapbox and not make him look like the shonkey clone he is. These so called polotical in depth shows are a joke hosted by muppetts for sheeple to be feed their staple diet of BS.
Yes, I wonder if any other interviewer would have picked up the 20% gaff? Kim Hill probably would have, Scarey Mary might have, maybe John Campbell…an opportunity wasted.
Or as usual an opportunity ignored. It was TV3 you know, and Smalley is just another ass kissing NAT loving Journo, in a long line of ass kissing TV3 Journo’s.
That is strange…I read in one of our local newspapers that NZ only got something like 2% royalties – well below the global average which “attracts” the buggers. So they can screw our nation. Wonder where the reporter got their figures and if they were wrong?
As if all this fracking business wasn’t bad enough.
It would be good if Simon Bridges was asked where he gets his figures/numbers from . The actual references. Because its very difficult to find the actual figures on Ministry websites. And often, when you do find some details, they’re either mixed up with other industries (eg agriculture) or they’re estimates.
I found the following on MBIE’s website – a paper called Economic Contribution and Potential of NZ”s
oil and gas industry – but in fact there appears to be very little about the actual economic contribution, and most of the paper is based on assumptions and estimates and hedged around with “ifs and buts”.
If anyone can provide other more factual info please put the links. Thanks.
eg
“As a result of the success of the petroleum and agricultural industries in Taranaki, the region has the highest average labour productivity (Figure 2) and the highest level of output per capita (Figure 3) in New Zealand. 5
5 This statement is based on regional estimates provided by BERL. Note that these estimates are less reliable for small regions such as Taranaki ”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3502112/6-5m-royalties-from-mining-the-cherry-on-the-top
The royalties for oil are much higher than for minerals.
The royalty rate for the oil sector is 5 per cent of net revenues from petroleum sales or 20 per cent of the accounting profit.
Mining companies pay a royalty of 2 per cent of revenues or 5 per cent of profit, whichever is the greater, as well as corporate tax.
Thanks Draco. And what Bridges doesn’t mention is the cost of remediating closed down mines because they’re dangerous – Tui cost $22.5 million, another one in the Coromandel was about $27m, and there have been some others as well. So by the time these costs are deducted, what is the real net profit from mining ? And is it worth it, because of the environmental damage ?
That wasn’t me but Descendant Of Sssmith.
Assuming they pay much/any corporate tax-unlikely.
“The prime minister of Luxembourg announced his intent to resign on Thursday, after a parliamentary investigation revealed scores of illegal operations conducted by the country’s intelligence service. ”
http://intelnews.org/2013/07/11/01-1297/
While the Prime Minister of New Zealand…..
Workers allegedly exploited:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8916261/Dark-side-of-cheap-takeaways
OHMYGOD – someone should take away this doctor’s practice certificate.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10897927
A young woman was refused the birth control pill because she had not yet done her “reproductive job”.
Melissa Pont, 23, said her family practitioner, Dr Joseph Lee, would not renew her pill prescription, instead lecturing her on a baby’s right to live and on using the rhythm method, an unreliable family planning technique that involves having sex only at certain times of the month.
The Women’s Health Action Trust said it has a “simmering issue” with GPs who will not prescribe contraceptives.
“Contraception is a basic health right for women,” said senior policy analyst George Parker. “That should take precedence over a doctor’s personal beliefs.”
The NZ Medical Association said doctors can refuse treatment in non-emergency situations if their beliefs prohibit it – but they are required to refer the patient to another doctor.
Lee was initially reluctant to do that, Pont said, and she was concerned other women in her situation might not have had the confidence to argue back.
“I felt like my decision to not have children yet was being judged. That’s a decision me and my fiance made,” she said.
“We’re young and we just bought a house and who is he to say whether we should have children or not?”
Lee, a doctor at Wairau Community Clinic in Blenheim, stood by his views and actions. “I don’t want to interfere with the process of producing life,” the Catholic father-of-two told the Herald on Sunday.
Lee also does not prescribe condoms, and encourages patients as young as 16 to use the rhythm method.
Teen pregnancy might be a girl’s “destiny”, he said, and it was certainly not as bad as same- sex marriage.
The only circumstances in which he would prescribe the contraceptive pill would be if a woman wanted space between pregnancies, or had at least four children.
“I think they’ve already done their reproductive job”.
He acknowledged natural birth control was “not very reliable”.
“That’s the best thing about it. You can’t choose it, you just have to be committed to it.”
Family Planning national nursing adviser Rose Stewart said doctors should remember they were gatekeepers for a service, she said, and a woman’s conscience was as important as theirs.
Medical Council guidelines say personal beliefs should not affect the advice or treatment offered, and should not be expressed in a way that exploits a patient’s vulnerability or is likely to cause them distress.
Wairau Community Clinic lead GP Scott Cameron said a pamphlet at reception warned that some doctors did not prescribe birth control, and staff tried to screen patients. He would consider installing a sign.
The clinic is run by the Marlborough Public Health Organisation. Chief executive Beth Pester said Lee’s choice not to prescribe was “his ethical choice”, but she was concerned he discussed natural birth control with patients as young as 16, and would talk to him about that.
I wonder what Paula Bennett or Lindsay Mitchell et al have to say about the economic and social effects of having doctors with the ability to hold this type of power over reproductive needs of a patient?
Why the hell is our government prepared to continue to fund this type of “treatment”??
Is our country sooooo desperate for rural GP’s that anyone will do?
Given this GP’s attitude to what must be a sizeable chunk of the population (ie women who have NOT done their reproductive “duty”…and gays/bisexuals..and anyone like me who doesn’t fall into the previous groups but wouldn’t want to be alone in the room with him holding a speculum) is it appropriate that he continues in this role?
No, it’s not.
+1 He should be told in no uncertain terms to fuck off.
Yes, the response from the GP’s employers – Wairau Community Clinic and the Malborough Public Health Organisation was pathetic to the point of obscenity.
The reality is – this doctor has assumed for himself a paternalistic, authoritative role that is not part of his clinical service. Of course, the place he chooses to do so is a community clinic where it is more unlikely that his patients are going to respond assertively. (Can you imagine the howls from moneyed areas of Auckland where a GP refused contraception along these lines?)
Employment contracts need to spell out clearly that this type of value judgement and coercion is unacceptable practice. Then he should be dealt with accordingly.
(Also interesting that he is not against contraception per se: as he will prescribe it to someone that has performed her reproductive duty. So any references to belief systems is failing in consistency too)
Women’s reproductive choices: going backwards while wearing seven-league boots.
The Medical Council or the Health and Disability Commissioner need to look into the service this doctor provided and the service he needed to provide. Having a baby is life changing and expensive.
Is the GP prepared to fund the raising of the child and look after it when the childcare centre is closed?
The good doctor is entitled to whatever personal beliefs he feels like having. He is not entitled to inflict these beliefs on his patients. He should get another job until he can understand the distinction. Maybe he could work as a vet so as to not entirely waste his medical training?
I know physicists who believe the universe is 6000 years old. Somehow they still manage to do research within their own areas of specialisation. Their beliefs, while weird, are essentially harmless until they try to teach them in an astrophysics or cosmology lecture. I would hope that they would rapidly be shown the error of their ways. I hope the same happens with this Catholic doctor.
People like this don’t matter so much in a large city because their effects are diluted by the numbers of other practitioners. Choice is usually possible. In a small town like Blenheim, the situation is different. A young woman who wanted the pill might have to travel to Nelson, for example. If she were single and did decide to use the rhythm method, no doubt this good doctor would also be one of those who think benefits for single parents just encourage sin and a breakdown of morality. I wonder what his views are on the contraceptive methods commonly used before marriage as Catholic virgins in the 3rd world? These would be oral and anal sex, which also don’t contribute to the fulfilment of the reproductive job.
Dr. Lee, you make me sick. Wairau Community Clinic, get rid of this embarrassment.
Shades of yesteryear ! This used to happen regularly in the 1970s …. when the pill first came in, and Broadsheet (now defunct, feminist mag) had a good dr, bad dr column (forgotten what it was called) so women knew which doctors NOT to go to. Maybe such a column (nowadays a blogsite, I suppose) could be started up again !
Maybe those Catholic doctors need their own version of Green prescriptions – here have an abstinence prescription, don’t take twice daily until you are married.
Maybe behind the scenes this is one of the reasons behind the scenes the contraception for beneficiaries was done via welfare rather than health.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10804206
There’s some obvious known links between this government and religous groups.
This is a VERY big deal people!
Here is someone who now for the FOURTH time is going to be jailed, although he has NEVER ‘broken any law’.
When ‘judicial discretion’, is not itself based upon the RULE OF LAW – then what sort of ‘democracy’ are we living in here in New Zealand?
In case you missed it?
MEDIA ALERT! Vince Siemer will present himself for 6 weeks imprisonment TODAY Sunday 14 July 2013. 12 noon, at the home of Justice Helen Winkelmann:
14 July 2013
PROTEST!: Sunday 14 July 2013, from 12 noon – 1pm, outside the home of Judge Helen Winkelmann, 20 Audrey Street, Takapuna, where Vince Siemer will ‘surrender’ himself for 6 weeks imprisonment at Mt Eden.
https://maps.google.co.nz/maps?q=Map+20+Audrey+St+Takapuna&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6d0d375fc7190a51:0x1be04919b4257c68,20+Audrey+Rd,+Takapuna,+Auckland+0620&gl=nz&ei=xyrhUaeANoboiAedx4CQCA&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA
This is a DISGRACE – when NZ Judges do not follow the RULE OF LAW – but just ‘make it up’?
Vince Siemer is believed to be the first person in the free world to be sentenced to prison for reporting a criminal court judgment.
In New Zealand – ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
What a sick joke.
This ongoing persecution of Vince Siemer, in my opinion, NZ’s foremost ‘whistleblower’ against judicial corruption, makes me ashamed to be a New Zealander.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
______________________________________________________________________________
Don’t jail Siemer, says dissenting Chief Justice
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/dont-jail-siemer-says-chief-justice-gb-p-142808
(Includes links to Supreme Court Judgment)
______________________________________________________________________________
STATEMENT BY VINCE SIEMER:
______________________________________________________________________________
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
13 July 2013
First they came for the trade unionists…
I, Vince Siemer, am going to prison tomorrow after the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal ruling which in turn upheld two judges of the High Court decreeing I am in contempt of the Courts. I consider I can show no better respect for the rule of law than contempt for judges who pervert it. My “crime” is publishing the secret December 2010 judgment of Justice Helen Winkelmann which denied the Urewera 18 defendants their statutory right to trial by jury on the basis a jury “would likely use improper reasoning processes”. The Chief Justice strongly dissented, recognising I disobeyed an unlawful order yet was denied the lawful right to challenge it in order to preserve my liberty.
I am believed to be the first person in the free world to be sentenced to prison for reporting a criminal court judgment. (Who says New Zealand does not lead the world?!) One reason I am the first is secret criminal court judgments are unlawful. In my case, the Courts roundly protected the unlawfulness of Winkelmann?s order by asserting they need not determine the lawfulness on the ground even unlawful orders need to be obeyed until overturned – the Crown claiming a message needed to be sent to the larger community of this. Interestingly, I invited the Attorney General to make submissions in the public interest regarding the lawfulness of Winkelmann’s orders and he responded that, if he made submissions at all, he would seek an increased order of costs against me.
Where Winkelmann’s order gave no reasons for the secrecy, the High Court Judges tripped over each other to retrofit the reason that justice required the secrecy. The Crown conceded at my trial no prejudice or harm was alleged as a result of my publication, but they still wanted me imprisoned. In a page out of a George Orwell novel, the Court of Appeal censored Winkelmann’s reason for negating the statutory right of appeal when upholding my conviction out of fear the public would not take kindly to being called stupid in a secret judgment.
First they steal the words; stealing the meanings only when required.
New Zealand judges are out of control. We no longer have the instilling discipline of the Privy Council in England. The NZ Court of Appeal judges trounced by the Privy Council as law-breakers in Taito v R now comprise the Supreme Court which replaced the Privy Council.
Do you see any mainstream media reporting any of this?
We get what we deserve with our judges. The incestuous nature of judicial appointments being what it is, every judge in New Zealand signed on to submissions to Parliament opposing the passage of the pecuniary interest of judges bill currently before Parliament. Really? Not one judge in the whole of New Zealand not actively opposed to this bill which requires them to register their financial and business interests? While it seems impossible at times to get more than two Members of Parliament to completely agree, our 205 judges are in lock step with their independent view. It is evident “independent judge” is an oxymoron in New Zealand.
We have forfeited much with the loss of the independent Privy Council. This should come as no surprise. Former Attorney General Margaret Wilson was undeterred when 82 percent of Auckland law practitioners voted against her new Supreme Court. When everyone’s back was turned it still happened. We built a $100 million palace for five elevated judges, most of whom were known to engage in breaches of due process. And, like sheep, this 82% fell into the fold even as this new court made mince out of established principles on judicial bias and essential legal rights, rolling over established legislation with all the finesse of a blitzkrieg. It is the law today that the “New Zealand independent and informed observer” is an endangered species and, where it does exist, does not consider a judge has a conflict of interest where he/she is business adversary or sibling to those who appear before him/her. You now have to be rich to get to a hearing in the courts – the Supreme Court ruling the requirement that plaintiffs pay the defendants’ anticipated legal costs into the Court as a condition to obtaining a hearing is “well-settled law” in New Zealand. Two years ago, in Atty General v Chapman, the Supreme Court ruled judges are exempt from the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 on the ground this statute that expressly bound them threatens their “independence” we all know so well.
Maybe the diminishing numbers allowed to be heard in the courtrooms no longer care. But we could possibly survive without the legal necessity of independent judges if these judges had any respect for the rule of law and the courts they serve. But they have no respect for laws where their mates and critics are concerned, and the most powerful sheep lawyers in New Zealand, while silent about it publicly, make no secret about it privately. As retired Judge Sir Edward Thomas said in a 2007 email to the president of the New Zealand Bar, “I am not a keeper of the court’s conscience and am of the view that my primary obligation is to Alan, not just as a matter of professional obligation but by virtue of my deep friendship for him. There is a limit to how far I will go to uphold the integrity of the court if the judges themselves won’t.”
Where is the “independent bar” on this? Flocking behind the independent judges, either cowering in fear or cloaked in protective partisanship. This silent flock is hoping the perverse court judgments in my cases do not generally denigrate the rule of law in New Zealand. History finds this the safest place for lawyers to be. Look at Fiji.
Those who see little comparison with Fiji fail to realise that Fijians do not feel oppressed. That is the insidious thing with erosion of the rule of law. It is frighteningly uneventful until the tipping point. In the Earthquake Commission contempt the Solicitor General filed against Marc Krieger this week, it was not the Bill of Rights or due process legislation which even featured in the SG’s application. The SG largely relies upon three of my court decisions to eventually bankrupt this poor citizen who had the audacity to expose the EQC’s attempt to write off $100 million which evaporated from the public coffers.
Anyone who doesn’t believe a “deep friendship for Alan” is a more valuable commodity in a New Zealand Court than truth and law chooses to ignore the reality. For whistleblowers, one obvious problem is they do not have deep friendships with the perpetrators whose power and influence is the currency of the New Zealand courts. Partisanship and secrecy is endemic, and it is laying ruin to the rule of law in black robe and white collar New Zealand. It would be better if it was blood in the streets, if only to wake people up to the huge corruption occuring behind closed court doors. No one should need to go to prison to protect the rule of law but the sad reality is sitting in prison is often the best way to stand up for legal rights. While it is unfortunate this price must be paid, I consider my imprisonment a demonstration of my highest respect for the law.
______________________________________________________________________________
Vince Siemer
Editor
Spartan News Limited
on-line NZ news: http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz
Translation: would apply reason in accord with common law rather than apply the usual political prejudice.
The NZ judiciary can not observe the rule of law because of the nature of their employment under a civil body politic. In order to get around this problem the body politic attempts to redefine the meaning of the term “rule of law”, just as it attempts to redefine the meaning of the term “common law”. These terms are closely related, and the redefinition supports atheism despite the theistic nature of the judicial and political oath.
Bad day for Crosby Textor as PM is told to cut his links with the firm following exposure of their spruiking for the tobacco industry. Ok, not our PM, sadly.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jul/13/david-cameron-lynton-crosby-tobacco
The founder of the Pissed Pakeha Party on worker’s rights:
http://runningreds.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/pakeha-party-tosser-abuses-mana-member.html
Awww, poor little tory doesn’t like the spotlight anymore.
And none of his thoughts, when they were just rattling unconnected around his mostly empty head, seemed so… fasc1st! But boy, when you link a few of them together in public, eh?
Diddums.
Yep, nice to see the weasel exposed for the fool he is. Classy ride, too!
Just watched the latest Panorama – Alex Salmond versus Donald Trump (you know that was always going to go bad ffs!)
This morning, some poor bastard on Stuff (that seems to have now disappeared from easy access) who has been ripped a second time – now at retirement age – investment gone … kaput!
Bruce Tichbon (who I once worked with, and interacted with DAILY) – lost a million, and who I can only feel an emotionally driven sympathy for: Second time round; join up to this “once in a lifetime investment; word of mouth only clientele – the exclusive. JESUS H CHRIST Bruce – what were you thinking. It’s not as though you hadn’t been thru’ it ALL before ffs!
Lay down with dogs – get up with fleas.
PUSH RESET! (There Is No Alternative)
If it’s too hard, there’ll be a power failure coming along shortly to force that cold reboot
….. must learn to cite …… must learn to cite ……. must learn to cite:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8916301/Couples-2-8m-double-disaster
It’s difficult to have sympathy with those who chase the high return high risk investments that don’t work out.
Most people I know will take 30+ years to earn a million dollars let alone save it.
A million dollars at 4% will earn $40,000 per annum which is as much as / more than the income of many New Zealanders.
I remember at the height of Blue Chip’s fame in 2006 my father in law asking me to see what I could find out about the people running it.
Took only 15 minutes of research to find out about the dodgy stuff some of the owners did in the 1987 crash and a brokerage firm in Aussie warning investors not to touch them and explains that some of their investments were a house of cards.
I’ve never quite got why people who had worked hard all their lives and paid their mortgages off decided to mortgage their homes again and chase the big dollars.
I assumes it’s all the fear mongering done by the industry about the govt won’t pay your super in the future.
People would get a much more likely positive result from paying more tax towards super costs – trouble is that’s not in the interest of all those making the commissions and ripping people off.
It’s that type of fear environment that allows the financial predators out. At least a door to door salesman doesn’t pretend to be anything but – these people hide behind their suits and a veneer of respectability.
One of the interesting side comments Steven Keen made when he lectured here recently was that he did not believe that ordinary people should be investing in stocks and financials for their retirement.
“That’s a game for professional brokers and entrepreneurs.”
The fact is that NZ Super is a pittance. The gap between it and an normal middle class income is huge. The fact is that most two-income, middle class families have in income somewhere in the $70-120k range … and you don’t work hard at that for 40yrs and then happily choose to retire at 65 and potentially face another 2 or 3 decades of life living off $20k pa.
In that scenario of course you are looking for ways to generate a secure income after you retire. But crucially once you retire you have no way to recover from an investment that loses your capital. That is the fatal flaw.
Ordinary people should not ever be put in a position where they are induced to gamble their life savings.
It’s similar advice in Rich Dad Poor Dad that most people seem to miss.
No risk was taken until his safe investment income equalled his salary.
You can easily apply the same principle to investing for retirement. Take no risk until your investment income equals the rate of NZS.
What is above that is what you can then can in theory afford to lose.
Meanwhile I’ll carry on paying off my mortgage and won’t ever be upsizing my house.
Imani ABL @AngryBlackLady 17m
Not guilty. Now we know where we stand, Black America. #WELP
https://twitter.com/AngryBlackLady/status/356231709441802240
Zimmerman lights up the US
http://rt.com/usa/zimmerman-acquittal-nationwide-protests-071/
Well done to the protestors for protesting peacefully, and well done for
people being allowed to protest wrong decisions, and fuck you to the
jury. Can you imagine if this had of been reversed, if Zimmerman had
of been black and the kid had of been white.
The Miami Herald got it right. When they wrote.
1. The man thought the teen looked suspicious.
2. The man called the police to report his suspicions about the teen.
3. The man was told by the police not to chase and pursue the teen.
4. The man decided to chase and pursue the teen anyway.
5 . The man was carrying a loaded gun.
6. The teen was not carrying a gun.
7. The teen was not carrying any weapon.
8. The teen was carrying candy.
9. The teen was not committing any crime.
10. The teen was not trespassing, as he was walking toward his father’s condo.
11. The man and the teen met in a physical confrontation.
12. The man and the teen fought, wrestled to the ground, and punches were exchanged.
13. The man shot the teen with his gun.
14. The man shot the teen while both were on the ground.
15. The shot from the man’s gun killed the teen.
16. There is no evidence that the teen was committing a crime or about to commit any crime.
17. But for the man chasing and pursuing the teen, there would have been no physical confrontation.
18. But for the physical confrontation, there would have been no fight.
19. But for the fight, the man would not have shot the teen.
20. But for the shot, the teen would be alive.
Just like when that douche Bruce Emery murde… oops sorry, not allowed to say murdered… slaughtered 15 year old Pihema Cameron.
All the circumstances you describe fit exactly, except that Emery didn’t bother calling the police, and instead of a gun Emery used a foot-long knife to assassinate his victim.
Oh but that’s right, Cameron might or might not have been about to tag Emery’s fence, so I guess it’s totes different.
Right Brett?
felix, don’t waste your energy. Have you checked who you are trying to reason with?
True. But you never know what’s going to be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s brain 😀
Felix:
Bruce Emery was found guilty.
Nope, he was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
‘cos apparently he chased the kid 300 metres and gutted him with a foot-long knife by accident
He served two years I think. But you know, taggers eh?
Yes felix, he went to jail.
How long do you think killers should spend in jail, Bretty?
Proper killers I mean, ones who kill real people not just taggers.
Felix:
what do you mean nope? I just said he was found guilty.
He was charged with murder and found not guilty. Oddly, in my opinion, as he definitely killed the kid, and repeatedly stabbing someone with a foot-long knife doesn’t seem like an accidental killing, especially when they were running away and you had to chase them for 300 metres to do it.
But then I wasn’t in the courtroom so I don’t have access to crucial information like the class and ethnicity of the killer and the victim.
Brett D
A very clear provision of the salient points. I presume you vouch that each point is correct?
It seems to match with what I have heard in short media reports.
But the numbers appear to disordered. I have rearranged the statements so they read in a better progression of the facts. Do you agree?
After 10. The teen was not trespassing, as he was walking toward his father’s condo.
then –
16. There is no evidence that the teen was committing a crime or about to commit any crime.
11. The man and the teen met in a physical confrontation.
17. But for the man chasing and pursuing the teen, there would have been no physical confrontation.
18. But for the physical confrontation, there would have been no fight.
12. The man and the teen fought, wrestled to the ground, and punches were exchanged.
13. The man shot the teen with his gun.
14. The man shot the teen while both were on the ground.
19. But for the fight, the man would not have shot the teen.
15. The shot from the man’s gun killed the teen.
20. But for the shot, the teen would be alive.
The audio tape they released today is chilling, hearing Trayvon yell out “help me” is awful.
Brett D
I haven’t heard that. It would be chilling, and I don’t think that I need to hear that to be aware of the disgraceful series of events and malfunction of justice that has resulted in this exoneration.
There was an announced survey result comparing NZ’s happiness with those of Europeans. Seems we are reasonably happy but isolated from community somewhat. And depression got mentioned. A spokesperson on managing depression talked about concentrating on the ‘now’, not getting caught up in the past or the future. So perhaps I should do that. Then I don’t have to be worried, or feel upset about anything.
It apparently would be bad for me to hear Trayvon. According to current self-management proposals, Timothy Leary’s “Turn on, tune in, drop out” has shrunk to merely ‘drop out’, all that the human psyche can stand!