John Campbell would hardly be relevant to this story surely?
It is about the SUNDAY news program being the lowest for years.
I may be wrong as I never watched him, or either news program actually, but wasn’t he limited to weekdays?
It wouldn’t matter anyway as it is the lead-in program that affects the one after it, not the other way round. An unpopular news program would have affected Campbell but a dud Campbell wouldn’t have affected the news audience.
John Key on the 1981 tour: “sorry, no can’t recall”
John Key on Whaleoil: “sorry, no can’t recall”
John Key’s most famous line to come out of his political career: “sorry I can’t recall”
Well, as expected, this has caught on out in the real world now and everybody is running this line when in strife. It is as if the whole of NZ now considers lying about what you recall somehow acceptable. It is becoming more and more common as John Key’s poor and lowly character traits are picked up by others for less than quality purposes.
Maybe that is because they can’t recall. John Key was 20 years old in 1981. I was born in the same year as John Key. All I remember about 1981 is a lot of study, girls and beer. So when JK says he can’t recall events from 1981 you are deluded to go looking for some whacko explanation. He was focussed on Bronagh and his third year accountancy exams. In what time he had left he was working as a stable hand.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I was also born in the same year as Key. I can remember every protest, the escalation of police violence, the introduction of the red squad, the thwack thwack of batons. The only way you could not recall anything about the tour is if you lived on the moon at the time.
Exactly. SpRaYglands is not credible on this or any other issue. The entire nation was thinking of nothing else for weeks. Possible exceptions, hermits who’d gone bush for a few months and the mentally incompetent. Even the crew wintering over in Antarctica were probably divided on the issue.
Every pose Key takes is a Crosby Textor thing. No heart, no philosophy. Just a Crosby Textor thing. Oh except perhaps for that extraordinarily weird very possibly intoxicated “Gerrr Sarrrm Garrrds ” dance. Crosby Textor says deny having a position……”Right you are !”
Fuckin bullshit Grant, The only people getting all bent out of shape about the tour were the protesters. All I remember was seeing some nutter dropping flour bombs out of a plane and hearing some wankers had put razor blades on a rugby field.
I was only interested in piss, girls and surfing at the time.
If I hadn’t seen the news I wouldn’t have known about it.
Teenagers just want to have a good time and don’t know or care about politics.
You can say what you like but the vast majority of teenagers in 1981 would have been well aware of the tour, would have heard adults arguing and expressing opinions and would probably have formed an opinion or been prepared to parrot someone else’s. Key was scarcely even a teenager. He turned twenty that year (I turned 23). He was at Uni and the Uni’s were hot-beds of discussion and debate about the tour and focal points for organising marches and rallies. No one who lived through that time and was Key’s age, lived in a university city and had a functioning intelligence believe’s him when he claims to not remember what his opinion was at the time. It stretches incredulity way beyond breaking point.
So you did know about it. And people told you the stories about the razorblades, so obviously you discussed it. And you remember thinking about protestors as “nutters” and “wankers”.
No clues there about whether you thought the tour was ok to go ahead in NZ or not?
McFlock
No I said I saw it on the news and I said people who put razor blades on rugby fields are wankers and obviously anyone who endangers peoples lives dropping bags of flour on them from a plane is a nutter. I have no problem with peaceful protest but there was a few violent shitheads amongst them.
I like most people had no interest in rugby and don’t agree with mixing sport and politics.
I like most people had no interest in rugby and don’t agree with mixing sport and politics.
So, actually what you are saying is you knew about the tour and you had an opinion. The issue was should the government have allowed the 1981 SA team to tour.
Those opposed argued “No, apartheid has no place in sport, that is mixing sport and politics”.
Those not opposed to the tour proceeding argued “You shouldn’t mix sport and politics”. And refused to acknowledge that a racially selected team was already mixing politics with sport. Racial segregation is political.
And John Key also bloody well knew about it and had a position on it I bet. I’ll bet he believed you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, and even if he didn’t care, he wasn’t opposed. That’s a position. He’d know if he’d been opposed.
No mickey he’s on planet key which he’s shown again and again he prefers to the real world and the truth.
Given GST hike, Pike River, Fletcher at GCSB, ponytails, SCF, no more asset sales, Dirty politics etc etc (Blip’s list) it just consolidates his dishonest nature further in voters minds.
He could’ve been honest and I don’t believe it would’ve done him any harm at the polls but it just doesn’t seem to be in his nature.
Where were you on the night of blah blah?
“…sorry can’t recall”
What age were you then?
“… sorry can’t recall”
What was your opinion on Rob Muldoon’s wage and price freeze?
“… sorry can’t recall”
How much did the cricket fixers pay you?
“… sorry can’t recall”
How much did Merrill Lynch pay you under clause 32.2 of the subordinate loan agreement dated 22.2.96, amended 14 oct?
“… 4,552,221.34 less the deductions for x,y,z of $1,211.06 but that was only after Mr Dunderhead and the 3 foreign officials of YCorp collated their previous proposals under the DDD Scheme, which was interesting because blah blah on and on”
John Key is famous for being New Zealand’s biggest bald-faced liar
Its not credible to have no memory of the tour, I was 17 at the time and have very clear memories. From a provincial, rugby mad environment I was pro-tour until after the fact, though at the time I didn’t view it from a political or human rights perspective. But from the time I went on to University just a year or two later, I would and have had a very different view. I did go to the Bay of Plenty game in Rotorua, and threw half a pie at the protestors who were pulling down a fence. At the time it all seemed like a bit of a laugh.
One thing we forget about a bit now is how at the time it was framed for many New Zealanders – and this was in a time when the only source of information for a family like mine – was a local paper, the herald and TVNZ news. Nothing else. My parents were inclined to be against the tour but because all the framing we saw was as a law and order issue, communist agitators trying to destroy NZ institutions etc, a huge number of people who might have been against the tour, were not prepared to do so.
I was 14, in a similar small-town Waikato environment. Rugby was king (and I played rugby as well as Cricket) and the framing of the discussion was very much about law and order rather than about the moral issues around apartheid.
My views were altered when I had a History teacher who was one of the protesters on the field at Hamilton. He came to school the following Monday with a cut on his head from where he had been hit by a beer can. It was a brave stand in a conservative town – more so because he was local, an old-boy of the school who had been a member of the 1st XV and captain of the 1st XI. He changed the views of many of us I suspect.
Key would could have quite simply say he supported the tour but in hindsight and in the balance of history he was wrong as many other New Zealanders have subsequently realised they were to. (Assuming he did support the tour).
I was 11 in ’81 and remember even in the school playground kids were divided into pro & anti tour, influenced by parents obviously.
To say an adult of 20yo at uni can’t remember what side they were on during that time is so improbable, it’s laughable.
Really? You only “think” you were 21?
If someone can’t remember how old they were in any particular year I would have serious doubts about anything else they might claim to remember. Now are you sure that you remember the demonstrations?
On the other hand there is the famous quote from my generation –
“If you can remember the 1960s, you weren’t really there.”
The problem with that quote is that there is an enormous dispute about who said it. After all those of us who were there can’t remember clearly.
Perhaps you had a really good time when you were at University and can be forgiven for not remembering how old you were..
Yeahbut, at least Vincent has a viable excuse for poor memory, given that he was, by his own admission, suffering depression and doing a fair bit of substance abuse at the time.
John Key was in the Accounting school at the University of Canterbury during the Springbok tour.
I have family acquaintances who were at Canterbury at the same time. The accounting school were, as a group, supporters of the tour. They can’t say anything about Key specifically however, but it’s pretty easy to see how peer pressure works in a conservative and ‘elite’ area of study such as that.
You don’t give the Dutch Safety Board any chance of being honest?
Your comment is actually a really good example of the bad behaviour you accuse others of – a knee jerk ideological reaction.
If you had actually read any news reports you would see that the report is very neutral in not drawing conclusions where there is no clear evidence. It doesn’t for instance, blame rebels for the downing (although I personally believe it was russian backed rebels but they thought they were attacking a military plane not a civilian airliner).
And why do you see a conspiracy around timing of the release?
I think the only reason the authority is not pointing blame is because it’s not their job, they’re only supposed to find out why it crashed.
There are still a lot of murky details though, as Dmitry Orlov points out:
The black box recordings, the air traffic control records, the satellite surveillance photos—where are they? They have been hidden away.
Another point is why was Ukraine included in the team of countries to investigate the crash, alongside the Dutch, Australians, Malaysians. While Russia was not invited, seems a little odd doesn’t it?
Well the reason was included in the crash is because under international law it is their responsibility to be lead investigator – it happened on their territory. Ukraine actually gave up their role to the Dutch.
speaking of “international law” (international norms) many of the air accident reporting standards normally expected in an incident like this were not met by the Dutch.
It wasn’t until Spring i.e., 8 months after the crash that the investigators were able to fully survey and clear the site.
Can you reference the standards you claim weren’t followed? If its the “4 week guideline for a preliminary report” to be released then you probably missed the bit about “except in justifiably exceptional circumstances” which being unable to safely access the crash site would fit that criteria. As far as I am aware ICAO seemed pretty happy at the time, in fact not only did they agree that the preliminary report was “submitted” “in accordance with the provisions contained in Annex 13— Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.”, but they were also “encouraged” by the investigation:
So, which bits of the ICAO convention did the Dutch Safety Board flout?
Yeah we get it, MH17 was a false flag operation by the CIA to tarnish the good name of the Russians, any narrative to the contrary is dishonest. Of course the Dutch are gonna help cover that up.
How about this for a piece of grand nonsense from the commenter “Once Duped” in response to Kelsey’s article in the Herald yesterday…….it’s that or it’s a wicked send-up –
“Noone doubts your sincerity, but in a democracy we each get to decide what weight we should put on any public person’s opinion.
Because you have been denied access to any of the negotiation documents, you have little specific information above what a normal informed member of society would have.
Notwithstanding, you have adopted a position of unwavering opposition to the TPPA. However much that opposition may in fact be justified by scholarly analysis, the reality is that the majority of people have accepted it as a free expression of political views untarnished by academic objectivity.”
“……..untarnished by academic objectivity” ?????
Talk about contradictions in terms. I smell a Hosking, maybe a wag.
Ha ha, sometimes ignorance in people is funny.. and the more ignorant the funnier it is ….
That person’s view right there is a classic because under their opinion about opinions, an opinion that the grass is not green has equal validity…
“… untarnished by academic objectivity …”
that is a clanger that reflects back on the writer (who is it?)
Or actually maybe it reflects more on the general ignorant public who believe, like this person, that everybody’s opinions are equal. Certainly John Key believes he can just go and get another scientific ‘opinion’ whenever he likes to support or oppose whatever he likes……
…. just like my comment above, John Key’s lowly traits are catching on and it is not a good thing.
“One woman, who does not want to be identified, applied for a benefit when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She was put on Jobseeker Support, which replaced the sickness benefit after the 2013 welfare reforms.
She said she had to pay for a medical certificate every month to prove she could not work – even though her surgeon insisted she would be off for much longer.
“The letter from the hospital wasn’t sufficient. I then had to go back and get a doctor’s note to keep them happy, just to prove the fact that I was going in for surgery,” she said.
“Then I also had to, on the day of my surgery, get someone from the hospital to fax through that I had been operated on”
Anne -Where Did I leave My Heart- Tolley …
“…admitted that having to provide monthly medical certificates in the early stages of cancer was difficult, but said the government had to draw a line somewhere.
She said cancer patients could not expect special treatment, because then everyone would want it.
“Where you draw the line is always the issue,” she said.
“You start creating a whole lot of layers and there would be, I’m sure, other groups of people that would come forward and say, ‘we need special consideration too’.”
This is the “Crawling Out of The Woodwork” argument the Government used against the family carers of high needs disabled NZ citizens during the Atkinson Human Rights Review Tribunal hearing.
Bastards.
(Can anyone else hear the rail cars clanking as they pull into the sidings….?)
She said cancer patients could not expect special treatment, because then everyone would want it.
“Where you draw the line is always the issue,” she said.
Actually there is a pretty simple solution to that. You leave it to the medical people involved in the care to determine the length of time and they write it on the form. Because this is a clinical decision not a bureaucratic one. This is what happens already (with the medical exemption on job seeker allowance) except the doctor can’t determine the length of time. But they do make a clinical decision about the person’s fitness for work or not and there is no reason why that couldn’t include something like a 6 month exemption. In an age of computer technology this shouldn’t be a difficult thing to administier.
Is jobseeker now a monthly rather than 12 weekly cycle?
Based on UK “experts” from a certain school of thought, the MSD’s Principal Health Advisor has been working hard to “convince” medical practitioners, such as GPs and the WINZ designated doctors for years, that work is “therapeutic” and has “health benefits”, and that even sick and disabled are better off working: http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
Problem is most people just believe what they are told, or simply put up with arguments, without examining what it is actually all about.
I fear that doctors are increasingly being expected to diagnose and assess patients along the guidelines MSD now set, for work ability and duration of incapacity, and with the same forces lobbying the medical professional organisations, more and more practitioners go along with all this madness.
“How often does a person need to give Work and Income a medical certificate?
The medical certificate allows you to indicate an appropriate review period based on your clinical assessment.
The legislative requirements for the Jobseeker Support benefit mean that medical certificates can cover a maximum of four weeks for the first eight weeks, and then up to a maximum of 13 weeks subsequently.”
By the way as well as the incredibly heartless stance on Cancer there is also the absolute waste of taxpayers money on getting all those medical reports which are subsidised as well as the waste of time for the doctors and medical staff to supply such ridiculous level of documentation.
Oh I have cancer, lets let the state know MONTHLY if I still have it. Disgusting on all levels.
Sorry our hospitals are not so good as they cure cancer every month.
It appears that the Cancer Society did not present a submission then, probably because most felt they would never be affected by a draconian, inhumane benefit regime. But not all have working partners, or savings and other resources to fall back on when serious poor health hits them.
And it was again only Radio NZ National that reported on it this morning, as far as I could hear it. Paul Henry was busy cracking silly jokes and relishing in rubbishing Andrew Little and Labour again (with the help of Paddy Gower).
Indeed, this new approach, to look rather at what people can (hypothetically) do, rather than what they cannot, which was brought in from the UK, and had been thought out by their “experts” like Mansel Aylward et al, from one ‘Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research’ at Cardiff Uni, once generously “sponsored” by UNUM Provident (that nobody likes to mention these days), is insane and open to abuse by MSD and WINZ.
And Carmel Sepuloni had nothing more to say, than she had “anecdotally” heard of such cases, where seriously sick were expected to jump through hoops to “prove” they are too sick to work. What have you been doing as opposition spokesperson on social security then? Perhaps more should get out of the comfort zone and talk to people directly affected? But I fear most are so pressured and fearful now, they dare not rock the boat, and rather “harden up”, before the final day comes, and try and struggle, also with mental illness and what else some have that is now considered not so serious anymore.
Have the MSM been fast asleep for two years, to not come across other stories of people being expected to look for work while being seriously sick or disabled?
Mike @5.3 The MSM haven’t been fast asleep. We’re just not on their radar, why should we be? Unless of course we’re sprung for benefit fraud, now THAT’S good copy. Is my cynicism showing? I’ve been following the UK system with great fear, as you obviously have been. Note it’s only the left-wing papers (Guardian, Independent)that are reporting the ATOS and welfare reform tragedies going on there- it doesn’t even get a mention on the “impartial” BBC.
I honestly thought in NZ, with our 1.5-2 degrees of separation, everyone really does know someone with some sort of long term disability, many of whom can’t work, there would be more of the general public who cared, but there aren’t, until it happens to them. And there’s noone who can say that they’ve never known someone who’s had cancer and have some idea what the treatment entails. That would include our beloved Minister; her response only confirms the psychopathy, ie incapable of empathy.
As for Carmel Sepaloni- good that she’s bringing these things to the public’s attention but as happened with her pointing out the 18 years of benefit underpayments, Guyon couldn’t get her to say that she thinks we should be reimbursed. She was political point scoring off our backs, and just going along labour’s anti-benefit policy. So don’t expect any real work done on our behalf by her.
“She was political point scoring off our backs, and just going along labour’s anti-benefit policy. So don’t expect any real work done on our behalf by her.”
Totally. Labour hates beneficiaries. I don’t know what’s happened with the possibility of retrospective legislation papering over that one day of benefit payment thing, but it wouldn’t surprise if Labour votes with the government on it. That’s where things are at the moment – the first question when it comes to social welfare benefits and attacks on the poor is “will Labour vote with the government on this.” It’s quite incredible to think that’s where things have got to.
(Which I agree with BTW, and add to beneficiaries ….non ACC disabled and others with long term medical conditions….the ‘incurables’)
Considering the huff and puff from many on the Left about the Right’s attitude to “the poor” and “beneficiaries”…. it boggles the mind that when an example is presented about a specific group impacted by government policy, the usual flay brigade remain silent.
Non-ACC disabled and those too sick to work have been treated like shit by various governments.
The non-ACC disabled are reduced to living on a benefit for the whole of their lives because of something they cannot change. The NZ Disability Strategy and other core government documents sanction the idea of “an ordinary life” for all disabled people. Surely that must translate into rejecting the notion that disabled people must be reduced/forced/expected to live on a welfare benefit until they die? Surely this group must be treated differently and, perhaps, be given the equivalent of, say, at least the minimum wage? A percentage of the average wage? The average wage? Whatever the figure to condemn the non-ACC disabled to a life of poverty disgusts me.
“Surely that must translate into rejecting the notion that disabled people must be reduced/forced/expected to live on a welfare benefit until they die? Surely this group must be treated differently and, perhaps, be given the equivalent of, say, at least the minimum wage? A percentage of the average wage? The average wage? Whatever the figure to condemn the non-ACC disabled to a life of poverty disgusts me.”
Going into WINZ as a person on the Supported Living Payment with your partner who is on the same benefit even though she provides you with all the care you have been assessed as needing is a humiliating and demoralising experience. You are scum, and treated like scum. (There is the odd WINZ employee who treats you like a human and gets that the system sucks, but they are rare)
Then you go to WINZ to transition to National Super.
And OMG…there is a separate waiting area (apart from the hoipolloi), and its all smiles, respect and congratulations.
We eschewed the special seating…we know where we belong.
Chris…the NZ Disability Strategy, along with the Carers Strategy and the UN Convention are the foundation documents for the so called advocacy organisations who happily accept $millions from the government for a pantomime of representation.
“…the NZ Disability Strategy, along with the Carers Strategy and the UN Convention are the foundation documents for the so called advocacy organisations who happily accept $millions from the government for a pantomime of representation.”
I’ve got a niece with an intellectual disability who used to live in an IHC residence. She had an average sort of an existence which is why my sister took her out of there. But I was always intrigued by IHC management people, probably from their head office, who you’d hear on the radio talking about this unfairness or that unfairness. Something never quite rang true. It was as if they didn’t really know what they were talking about or that they didn’t really ever want anything to change. I don’t know exactly what it is. But this post on The Daily Blog and some of the comments, particularly this one, get as close as I’ve seen to explaining it.
Labour didn’t always hate beneficiaries but it does now. Labour’s always been “the party for workers”, or so it says. Labour still says that. It’s just that its idea of who the workers are has changed. It used to be the “pool of labour”. Now it’s only those with a job, the employed, the workers. And that explains why Labour’s quite happy voting with Key’s government for legislation that attacks beneficiaries, and how its managed to shift its view of beneficiaries and the poor to one of hatred towards them, without too many people noticing.
Chris @5.3.1.1- I emailed Ms Sepaloni to her parliament address the day of that interview, both thanking her for bringing the matter to our attention, but also to express my disappointment in her response to Guyons questioning. 4 weeks later not even an acknowledgement my email was received, or a bounced back email. So it got there alright, but I’m guessing I can add myself to the list of voters who are having their emails ignored by MPs if they don’t like the subject matter. Seems to be a growing trend from what I’m hearing.
I was toying with the idea of re-sending it and asking for an update on the situation but I suspect that email will conviniently not make it either.
And Labour wonder where so many of their votes went after 1999? Ask the beneficiary bloc.
Now there would be about close to 300 thousand potential votes, or say, at least 100 to 200 thousand, going by a conservative estimate. If they would be more honest, and trustworthy, and also explain to the other voters they want to attract, that social justice and fairness must come first, and that it is in our all interest, they may even be able to “harvest” votes in that “centre” and from beneficiaries.
So far a gigantic FAIL by Labour, simply ignoring so many potential voters, also other disillusioned. Look at Sanders in the US, putting pressure on Clinton, at 74 years of age, attracting many students and other young voters, look at Corbyn in the UK, when do Labour damned wake up? It can be done!
Beneficiaries in NZ are too busy doing everything they can to feed their families. Benefits aren’t enough to do that so way more time is taken up dealing with that problem, including trying to avoid being kicked off the benefit in the first place.
“I honestly thought in NZ, with our 1.5-2 degrees of separation, everyone really does know someone with some sort of long term disability, many of whom can’t work, there would be more of the general public who cared, but there aren’t, until it happens to them. And there’s noone who can say that they’ve never known someone who’s had cancer and have some idea what the treatment entails. That would include our beloved Minister; her response only confirms the psychopathy, ie incapable of empathy.”
Rosemary, the problem we face is much greater than even many insiders are aware of. Even the Health and Disability Commissioner, same as the Office of Ombudsmen, seem to take a very dim view of the fate of some of those with permanent sickness and disability, especially if it involves mental health conditions. Strangely medical practitioners seem to be given more “credit” when it comes to complaints:
So while I have great reservations about the Taxpayers’ Union, they make a valid point also, re Beverley Wakem and some of her decisions, and the general disgusting situation of the OIA process having become farcical. Our democracy has been under threat for a while, this has never been shown so damned clearly.
My message is clear: Persist, keep it up, send the messages, remind them all out there, do NEVER stop telling and sharing the truth, the truth will prevail in the end, comment on all blogs there are, even on Kiwiblog, that is as long as we stand for the truth, and in that I HAVE NO DOUBT!
I remember hearing about someone refused the invalid’s benefit because their condition wasn’t going to last for two years or more. They had cancer and about six months to live. The condition wasn’t likely to last for two years or more because they weren’t going to last for two years or more! I think that’s been fixed up now, but the fact it happened illustrates the attitude.
Just like the young lady from Crewe
who once found a mouse in her stew.
Said the waiter, “Don’t shout
and wave it about,
or the others will all want one too.”
But that didn’t bother the lady,
Brought up in an orphanage shady,
“From where I’m sittin’,
I don’t mind it shittin’,
So long as it doesn’t have rabies.”
Yahya Hassan gives his baby daughter a last kiss goodbye. The 3 year old girl was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza last night. Their house collapsed on them while they slept. Her mother Nour who was 5 months pregnant was also killed in the blast.
I think more and more people will take up income protection insurance to avoid the clutches of WINZ when they fall sick. Can’t say I would blame them.At least the insurance company would leave you with enough money to pay bills and buy food after you pay rent/mortgage.
I dont know why people think that people live a caviar and champagne lifestyle on a benefit.
I would read the fine print if I was you because a lot of those policies sold to the poor do not kick in, until you qualify for unemployment benefit. If you can’t get that then you don’t get the pay out.
Yeah, cause private insurers are such an upstanding bunch, always doing the best for their clients and never trying to weasel out of their obligations. As the people of Christchurch found out.
Re the Rugby World Cup obsession .. I have a simple solution.
Put the champion of Islamic State (al-Baghdadi ?) together with his counterpart (Vladimir ?) in a spare Roman ampitheatre and to the victor go the spoils.
“Opponents of government aid to the poor often argue that the poor are not really poor. The evidence they are fond of is often an inappropriate comparison, usually with people in other countries: “Thus we can say that by global standards there are no poor people in the US at all: the entire country is at least middle class or better” (Tim Worstall in Forbes). Sometimes the comparison is with earlier times, as in this quote from Heritage’s Robert Rector: “‘Poor’ Americans today are better housed, better fed, and own more property than did the average US citizen throughout much of the 20th Century.””
Too Much: Behind every great fortune, Honoré de Balzac quipped back in the 19th century, lies a great crime. How might you edit that aphorism for today?
Sam Wilkin: Balzac was onto something. Most of the best wealth secrets from back in the age of the “robber barons” — Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan — would today be illegal.
The vast fortune of the Rockefeller clan, to somewhat oversimplify a fascinating story, was arguably built on cartels — not illegal at the time, but made illegal shortly thereafter. Pierpont Morgan’s “money trust,” which helped make Andrew Carnegie the world’s richest man, was constructed in part via interlocking directorships that were, shortly thereafter, outlawed.
The new monopolists like to claim that they face competition when really they don’t.
A lot of what went on in the modern banking sector in the 2000s, and that to some extent still goes on today, probably won’t be legal five to ten years from now.
So, to update Balzac: “Behind every great fortune lies something that was not a crime when it happened, but probably should have been.”
‘Fifteen months after the tragic loss of MH17 over war-torn Ukraine the Dutch Safety Board has presented the results of its investigation. From the very beginning the explicit aim of this probe was to determine why the plane was destroyed in midair. Will we ever learn the “who” and “why” parts of this tragedy?CrossTalking with John Laughland, Alexander Mercouris, and Dmitry Babich.”
‘BUK producer detonates missiles next to pilot’s cockpit in real-life MH17 experiment (VIDEO)’
Take the damage shown in the video and figure out exactly how it would be amplified if the missile and aircraft had a closing speed of a couple of thousand kph and the aircraft cabin was pressurised way above the outside atmosphere. You can’t? That’s why the video is completely useless, except for propaganda purposes.
I am so I’d like a centrist party in power (National) but National will still need support partners and maybe if Act get more seats then Peter Dunne can get the boot
No they weren’t.
It’s Ok, don’t feel shy.
I can understand why you’d be embarrassed to admit your desire to vote for Act or National, the extreme right parties of NZ politics.
You still haven’t looked at the political compass which shows the relative positions of the political parties have you?
Even though several commenters have linked to it for you? See the link at my comment 14.2.1.1: It shows that National and Act are furthest to the authoritarian right on the spectrum of NZ politics. You can claim that you made a hash of filling out your personal compass, but you can’t deny your self expressed preference for those two parties.
Ergo, you are not a centrist. In NZ terms you are an extreme rightist.
Also if it’s fair enough to call the Greens “hard left” as many of your fellow travelers like Wayne Mapp do, then it is equally fair to call National voters such as yourself “hard right”, is it not?
It is pitiable that I am still trying to get an intellectually honest answer from you so long into the conversation.
I have to admit that Seymour has been greatly underestimated by the left. He will probably be more effective at articulating ACT policies than Prebble, Hide, Banks, Brash and Whyte ever have/will.
It doesn’t take much for you to become enthralled! Alfred E Newman delivering his Master’s Voice in the guise of Paddy Gower has you creaming yourself.
The ultimate irony – it’s getting cold, can we please move south.
The second study, meanwhile, seeks to explain the Younger Dryas, a cold period that began abruptly 12,900 years ago, as the planet was actually coming out of a glacial period and entering the present interglacial. Suddenly, though, temperatures swung back and became quite cold again for more than a thousand years, leading glaciers and ice sheets to rebuild. And once again, a change in Atlantic ocean circulation has long been a leading suspect in causing this dramatic, sudden event.
“The start of the Younger Dryas was in a couple of years, really five years or so,” says Hans Renssen of VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, who led the research, along with scientists from Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.
Awesome performance by Bill English, delivering a technical surplus after only seven years. His government has always been a day late and a dollar short, but Bill is seven years late and $101 billion short.
The gibbering incompetence of far-right neo con ideologues is virtually infinite, being compromised of the second most abundant thing in the universe – 1 being hydrogen & 2 being stupidity.
worse than useless – nothing can make amends for the damage they have done to the NZ economy – but confiscating all their property and imprisoning them for life would be a good place to start.
It actually shows how feudal the ‘right’ are in NZ that folk like Hooten aren’t all over this maladministration for non-performance. Real growth – ex Christchurch & migration – at under 0.5% – if growth is their policy object they’re failures of truly awesome proportions. Screwups have no friends, left or right.
Will Michael Woodhouse resign?
Documents clearly show that Woodhouse not only lied to the people but also to Parliament when he said that he had not intervened and the exclusion of Dairy as a High Risk Industry wasn’t deliberate, but based on an the risks. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11528604
I’m not holding my breath – just watch this sort of corruptness go whoooooosh over the heads of the sheeple – their house prices are still making more than them.
Question 10 today from IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety was answered by not Woodhouse, but the “enthusiastic Dr Smith who argued quite differently. http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/40020
When Woodhouse is in a hole he hides. Smith will and has dug him out of the hole – sort of.
It would have been a Cabinet decision to protect farmers and Woodhouse would have just been following orders – perhaps.
Does the Labour Party have a problem with a more open and democratic process for candidate selection – something that has been developed for leadership races?
Is there a problem with people forming organised lobby groups within the party membership to agitate for this change?
And if so, who with/for – unions, groups that have managed to secure quotas for themselves (the national organisations involvement in selecting local candidates)?
It was pretty obvious from the start that the man arrested for burglary was Alex Fisher’s brother. Otherwise we would have heard from him because he was the last person the young lad was seen with. Deeply sad for all concerned.
Let’s just hope that the Sensible Sentencing Trust, that gang of callous publicity seekers and vultures that feed off human misery, are nowhere to be seen in the inevitable media coverage of this tragedy.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
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The boycott of TV3 after the political axing of John Campbell is working.
Stuff, however, fail to mention this once in their reporting.
The MSM lies.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/72981663/3-news-sees-lowest-ratings-in-four-years
But it’s all over the Comments.
John Campbell would hardly be relevant to this story surely?
It is about the SUNDAY news program being the lowest for years.
I may be wrong as I never watched him, or either news program actually, but wasn’t he limited to weekdays?
It wouldn’t matter anyway as it is the lead-in program that affects the one after it, not the other way round. An unpopular news program would have affected Campbell but a dud Campbell wouldn’t have affected the news audience.
John Key on the 1981 tour: “sorry, no can’t recall”
John Key on Whaleoil: “sorry, no can’t recall”
John Key’s most famous line to come out of his political career: “sorry I can’t recall”
Well, as expected, this has caught on out in the real world now and everybody is running this line when in strife. It is as if the whole of NZ now considers lying about what you recall somehow acceptable. It is becoming more and more common as John Key’s poor and lowly character traits are picked up by others for less than quality purposes.
Current example:
Chris Cairns cheating trial in UK at the moment. Lou Vincent in the dock yesterday…. check it out ….. “The phrase “I can’t recall” was used so often in response to questions, it was possible Vincent raised a century of them.” http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/72991117/chris-cairns-trial-daryl-tuffey-was-furious-over-non-payment-court-told
How apt – in a trial about cheating and lying, the participants use John Key’s most used line “I can’t recall”
It would be funny if it weren’t so sad
Maybe that is because they can’t recall. John Key was 20 years old in 1981. I was born in the same year as John Key. All I remember about 1981 is a lot of study, girls and beer. So when JK says he can’t recall events from 1981 you are deluded to go looking for some whacko explanation. He was focussed on Bronagh and his third year accountancy exams. In what time he had left he was working as a stable hand.
You were a University student in the early 80s and can’t remember the Springbok tour.
Yeah, right.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
sad
I was also born in the same year as Key. I can remember every protest, the escalation of police violence, the introduction of the red squad, the thwack thwack of batons. The only way you could not recall anything about the tour is if you lived on the moon at the time.
Exactly. SpRaYglands is not credible on this or any other issue. The entire nation was thinking of nothing else for weeks. Possible exceptions, hermits who’d gone bush for a few months and the mentally incompetent. Even the crew wintering over in Antarctica were probably divided on the issue.
We all know JK would have supported the racism in 1981 – that is why he can’t recall anything.
Every pose Key takes is a Crosby Textor thing. No heart, no philosophy. Just a Crosby Textor thing. Oh except perhaps for that extraordinarily weird very possibly intoxicated “Gerrr Sarrrm Garrrds ” dance. Crosby Textor says deny having a position……”Right you are !”
Fuckin bullshit Grant, The only people getting all bent out of shape about the tour were the protesters. All I remember was seeing some nutter dropping flour bombs out of a plane and hearing some wankers had put razor blades on a rugby field.
so you admit you were aware of it – pity key still lies through his teeth about it – shows how weak he is.
I was only interested in piss, girls and surfing at the time.
If I hadn’t seen the news I wouldn’t have known about it.
Teenagers just want to have a good time and don’t know or care about politics.
And yet the protest marches and opposing rugby crowds were full of teenagers. Funny that.
“And yet the protest marches and opposing rugby crowds were full of teenagers. Funny that.”
Not every teenager has a parent who is protester and some teenagers have interests other than rugby. Actually most of them.
You can say what you like but the vast majority of teenagers in 1981 would have been well aware of the tour, would have heard adults arguing and expressing opinions and would probably have formed an opinion or been prepared to parrot someone else’s. Key was scarcely even a teenager. He turned twenty that year (I turned 23). He was at Uni and the Uni’s were hot-beds of discussion and debate about the tour and focal points for organising marches and rallies. No one who lived through that time and was Key’s age, lived in a university city and had a functioning intelligence believe’s him when he claims to not remember what his opinion was at the time. It stretches incredulity way beyond breaking point.
So you did know about it. And people told you the stories about the razorblades, so obviously you discussed it. And you remember thinking about protestors as “nutters” and “wankers”.
No clues there about whether you thought the tour was ok to go ahead in NZ or not?
Heh..
McFlock
No I said I saw it on the news and I said people who put razor blades on rugby fields are wankers and obviously anyone who endangers peoples lives dropping bags of flour on them from a plane is a nutter. I have no problem with peaceful protest but there was a few violent shitheads amongst them.
I like most people had no interest in rugby and don’t agree with mixing sport and politics.
Oh look, another clue…
I like most people had no interest in rugby and don’t agree with mixing sport and politics.
So, actually what you are saying is you knew about the tour and you had an opinion. The issue was should the government have allowed the 1981 SA team to tour.
Those opposed argued “No, apartheid has no place in sport, that is mixing sport and politics”.
Those not opposed to the tour proceeding argued “You shouldn’t mix sport and politics”. And refused to acknowledge that a racially selected team was already mixing politics with sport. Racial segregation is political.
And John Key also bloody well knew about it and had a position on it I bet. I’ll bet he believed you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, and even if he didn’t care, he wasn’t opposed. That’s a position. He’d know if he’d been opposed.
and am I surprised you are a National supporter?
Naki man: “All I remember …..”
As I mentioned, hermits and the mentally incompetent may have been uninterested or unaware.
I don’t remember my opinion of the tour.
But then I wasn’t even in school yet, so the news was before my bedtime and I think we only had one TV channel in our location.
That’s ok, you’re excused. 🙂
I still have bouts of mental incompetence sometimes, too 🙂
Don’t worry we make allowances for you.
I suspect that even on my worst days you’d not be in much of a position to do so.
No mickey he’s on planet key which he’s shown again and again he prefers to the real world and the truth.
Given GST hike, Pike River, Fletcher at GCSB, ponytails, SCF, no more asset sales, Dirty politics etc etc (Blip’s list) it just consolidates his dishonest nature further in voters minds.
He could’ve been honest and I don’t believe it would’ve done him any harm at the polls but it just doesn’t seem to be in his nature.
Imagine if John Key ever ended up on trial…
Where were you on the night of blah blah?
“…sorry can’t recall”
What age were you then?
“… sorry can’t recall”
What was your opinion on Rob Muldoon’s wage and price freeze?
“… sorry can’t recall”
How much did the cricket fixers pay you?
“… sorry can’t recall”
How much did Merrill Lynch pay you under clause 32.2 of the subordinate loan agreement dated 22.2.96, amended 14 oct?
“… 4,552,221.34 less the deductions for x,y,z of $1,211.06 but that was only after Mr Dunderhead and the 3 foreign officials of YCorp collated their previous proposals under the DDD Scheme, which was interesting because blah blah on and on”
John Key is famous for being New Zealand’s biggest bald-faced liar
Its not credible to have no memory of the tour, I was 17 at the time and have very clear memories. From a provincial, rugby mad environment I was pro-tour until after the fact, though at the time I didn’t view it from a political or human rights perspective. But from the time I went on to University just a year or two later, I would and have had a very different view. I did go to the Bay of Plenty game in Rotorua, and threw half a pie at the protestors who were pulling down a fence. At the time it all seemed like a bit of a laugh.
One thing we forget about a bit now is how at the time it was framed for many New Zealanders – and this was in a time when the only source of information for a family like mine – was a local paper, the herald and TVNZ news. Nothing else. My parents were inclined to be against the tour but because all the framing we saw was as a law and order issue, communist agitators trying to destroy NZ institutions etc, a huge number of people who might have been against the tour, were not prepared to do so.
100% with you nadis.
I was 14, in a similar small-town Waikato environment. Rugby was king (and I played rugby as well as Cricket) and the framing of the discussion was very much about law and order rather than about the moral issues around apartheid.
My views were altered when I had a History teacher who was one of the protesters on the field at Hamilton. He came to school the following Monday with a cut on his head from where he had been hit by a beer can. It was a brave stand in a conservative town – more so because he was local, an old-boy of the school who had been a member of the 1st XV and captain of the 1st XI. He changed the views of many of us I suspect.
Key would could have quite simply say he supported the tour but in hindsight and in the balance of history he was wrong as many other New Zealanders have subsequently realised they were to. (Assuming he did support the tour).
To claim he doesn’t remember is just bullshit.
I was 11 in ’81 and remember even in the school playground kids were divided into pro & anti tour, influenced by parents obviously.
To say an adult of 20yo at uni can’t remember what side they were on during that time is so improbable, it’s laughable.
@ Srylands (2.1)
Pathetic!
I think I was 21 years old at the time. I remember it, both in the initial arguments about the tour in 1980 and when i happened in 1981.
You’d have had to have been living in a glass bottle not to have an opinion by the time the tour started. You have a big test tube?
“I think I was 21 years old at the time”
Really? You only “think” you were 21?
If someone can’t remember how old they were in any particular year I would have serious doubts about anything else they might claim to remember. Now are you sure that you remember the demonstrations?
On the other hand there is the famous quote from my generation –
“If you can remember the 1960s, you weren’t really there.”
The problem with that quote is that there is an enormous dispute about who said it. After all those of us who were there can’t remember clearly.
Perhaps you had a really good time when you were at University and can be forgiven for not remembering how old you were..
Yeahbut, at least Vincent has a viable excuse for poor memory, given that he was, by his own admission, suffering depression and doing a fair bit of substance abuse at the time.
Key? No excuse.
John Key was in the Accounting school at the University of Canterbury during the Springbok tour.
I have family acquaintances who were at Canterbury at the same time. The accounting school were, as a group, supporters of the tour. They can’t say anything about Key specifically however, but it’s pretty easy to see how peer pressure works in a conservative and ‘elite’ area of study such as that.
.. and with what could only be a deeply insecure young man, judging from what he has grown into.
Russia back in the news as source of MH17 downing; how opportune that the final report is released now….
Once upon a time I believed western propaganda …and then they told me about weapons of mass destruction in 2003 and invaded Iraq.
No more lies for war.
You don’t give the Dutch Safety Board any chance of being honest?
Your comment is actually a really good example of the bad behaviour you accuse others of – a knee jerk ideological reaction.
If you had actually read any news reports you would see that the report is very neutral in not drawing conclusions where there is no clear evidence. It doesn’t for instance, blame rebels for the downing (although I personally believe it was russian backed rebels but they thought they were attacking a military plane not a civilian airliner).
And why do you see a conspiracy around timing of the release?
I think the only reason the authority is not pointing blame is because it’s not their job, they’re only supposed to find out why it crashed.
There are still a lot of murky details though, as Dmitry Orlov points out:
Another point is why was Ukraine included in the team of countries to investigate the crash, alongside the Dutch, Australians, Malaysians. While Russia was not invited, seems a little odd doesn’t it?
Great write up by respected journalist Robert Parry who also talks about neo-Nazis running Ukraine’s national security and western media repeating their side of the story:
https://consortiumnews.com/2014/07/20/what-did-us-spy-satellites-see-in-ukraine/
Also have a look at who had the greater motive for the attack.
http://cluborlov.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/fact-free-zone.html
Well the reason was included in the crash is because under international law it is their responsibility to be lead investigator – it happened on their territory. Ukraine actually gave up their role to the Dutch.
speaking of “international law” (international norms) many of the air accident reporting standards normally expected in an incident like this were not met by the Dutch.
Like? Can list them?
Perhaps some of those norms weren’t followed because they didnt get access to much of the crash site for the better part of a year.
ICAO rules (a UN organisation) govern the procedures to be followed. Havent seen any complaints to ICAO about the dishonesty of the Dutch.
The crash site was open and accessible from the start, albeit there were security concerns
It is ICAO standards which were not followed, including the preparation, timing and release of the preliminary investigation report.
yeah nah.
It was at least 2 weeks before crash investigators could get to the site:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/still-no-safe-passage-to-malaysia-airlines-crash-site-1406714025
Then they had to leave a week later
http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/21-more-mh17-crash-victims-identified-experts-leave-site/854102
On again off again:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30000967
It wasn’t until Spring i.e., 8 months after the crash that the investigators were able to fully survey and clear the site.
Can you reference the standards you claim weren’t followed? If its the “4 week guideline for a preliminary report” to be released then you probably missed the bit about “except in justifiably exceptional circumstances” which being unable to safely access the crash site would fit that criteria. As far as I am aware ICAO seemed pretty happy at the time, in fact not only did they agree that the preliminary report was “submitted” “in accordance with the provisions contained in Annex 13— Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.”, but they were also “encouraged” by the investigation:
http://www.icao.int/newsroom/pages/icao-receives-preliminary-report-on-mh17-accident-investigation.aspx
So, which bits of the ICAO convention did the Dutch Safety Board flout?
Yeah we get it, MH17 was a false flag operation by the CIA to tarnish the good name of the Russians, any narrative to the contrary is dishonest. Of course the Dutch are gonna help cover that up.
How about this for a piece of grand nonsense from the commenter “Once Duped” in response to Kelsey’s article in the Herald yesterday…….it’s that or it’s a wicked send-up –
“Noone doubts your sincerity, but in a democracy we each get to decide what weight we should put on any public person’s opinion.
Because you have been denied access to any of the negotiation documents, you have little specific information above what a normal informed member of society would have.
Notwithstanding, you have adopted a position of unwavering opposition to the TPPA. However much that opposition may in fact be justified by scholarly analysis, the reality is that the majority of people have accepted it as a free expression of political views untarnished by academic objectivity.”
“……..untarnished by academic objectivity” ?????
Talk about contradictions in terms. I smell a Hosking, maybe a wag.
The Herald buried the story of her victory in court.
An inconvenient story in face of their daily pro-TPP brainwashing.
It had normal prominence on their website.
Both TVNZ and ChristieWorks did not cover the story at all.
Ha ha, sometimes ignorance in people is funny.. and the more ignorant the funnier it is ….
That person’s view right there is a classic because under their opinion about opinions, an opinion that the grass is not green has equal validity…
“… untarnished by academic objectivity …”
that is a clanger that reflects back on the writer (who is it?)
Or actually maybe it reflects more on the general ignorant public who believe, like this person, that everybody’s opinions are equal. Certainly John Key believes he can just go and get another scientific ‘opinion’ whenever he likes to support or oppose whatever he likes……
…. just like my comment above, John Key’s lowly traits are catching on and it is not a good thing.
it would be funny if it weren’t so sad
Only if “…the majority of people have accepted it… untarnished by academic objectivity”. 🙂
(Actually when I read that commenter’s whole sentence again it’s so confused and ambiguous it’s meaningless.)
Finally, finally, this scummy reality for those battling serious health issues has floated to the top of the news bulletin….on Natrad anyway.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/286914/jobseeker-benefit-for-cancer-patients-'ludicrous‘
“One woman, who does not want to be identified, applied for a benefit when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She was put on Jobseeker Support, which replaced the sickness benefit after the 2013 welfare reforms.
She said she had to pay for a medical certificate every month to prove she could not work – even though her surgeon insisted she would be off for much longer.
“The letter from the hospital wasn’t sufficient. I then had to go back and get a doctor’s note to keep them happy, just to prove the fact that I was going in for surgery,” she said.
“Then I also had to, on the day of my surgery, get someone from the hospital to fax through that I had been operated on”
Anne -Where Did I leave My Heart- Tolley …
“…admitted that having to provide monthly medical certificates in the early stages of cancer was difficult, but said the government had to draw a line somewhere.
She said cancer patients could not expect special treatment, because then everyone would want it.
“Where you draw the line is always the issue,” she said.
“You start creating a whole lot of layers and there would be, I’m sure, other groups of people that would come forward and say, ‘we need special consideration too’.”
This is the “Crawling Out of The Woodwork” argument the Government used against the family carers of high needs disabled NZ citizens during the Atkinson Human Rights Review Tribunal hearing.
Bastards.
(Can anyone else hear the rail cars clanking as they pull into the sidings….?)
BUT….you will have a choice….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72984566/david-seymours-voluntary-euthanasia-bill-to-be-lodged-in-parliament
Rather not have your illness or disability drag you and your family into financial despair????
She said cancer patients could not expect special treatment, because then everyone would want it.
“Where you draw the line is always the issue,” she said.
Actually there is a pretty simple solution to that. You leave it to the medical people involved in the care to determine the length of time and they write it on the form. Because this is a clinical decision not a bureaucratic one. This is what happens already (with the medical exemption on job seeker allowance) except the doctor can’t determine the length of time. But they do make a clinical decision about the person’s fitness for work or not and there is no reason why that couldn’t include something like a 6 month exemption. In an age of computer technology this shouldn’t be a difficult thing to administier.
Is jobseeker now a monthly rather than 12 weekly cycle?
If it was so easy, the fact is, the attempts to influence the medical profession has been a parallel effort over recent years, all smartly planned by vested interest players and their selected, mostly UK based “experts”:
http://members.racp.edu.au/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/may-2010-video-presentation-professor-sir-mansel-aylward/
http://www.racp.org.nz/docs/default-source/default-document-library/australian-and-new-zealand-consensus-statement-on-the-health-benefits-of-work.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Based on UK “experts” from a certain school of thought, the MSD’s Principal Health Advisor has been working hard to “convince” medical practitioners, such as GPs and the WINZ designated doctors for years, that work is “therapeutic” and has “health benefits”, and that even sick and disabled are better off working:
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
There are more efforts under way, to open up the ways to re-assess sick and disable for work ability, by more health professionals, I suspect, ones that may be more happy to collaborate with MSD/WINZ:
https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/assets/Submissions/Submission-Widening-who-can-sign-Work-Capacity-Medical-Certificates.pdf
And while some suitable activities, e.g. perhaps some forms of suitable work, may benefit some sick and disabled, that does not mean to be so for all. Someone has actually bothered looking at the so often presented “evidence”, and it is at best inconclusive, the supposed “health benefits of work”:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/
Some work may actually be more harmful than not working, certainly much precarious work we have now:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/work-has-fewer-health-benefits-than-mansel-aylward-and-other-experts-claim-it-can-cause-serious-harm/
Problem is most people just believe what they are told, or simply put up with arguments, without examining what it is actually all about.
I fear that doctors are increasingly being expected to diagnose and assess patients along the guidelines MSD now set, for work ability and duration of incapacity, and with the same forces lobbying the medical professional organisations, more and more practitioners go along with all this madness.
“How often does a person need to give Work and Income a medical certificate?
The medical certificate allows you to indicate an appropriate review period based on your clinical assessment.
The legislative requirements for the Jobseeker Support benefit mean that medical certificates can cover a maximum of four weeks for the first eight weeks, and then up to a maximum of 13 weeks subsequently.”
More info re the new requirements:
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/community/brochures/work-capacity-med-cert-health-practitioners.html
So for the first 8 weeks after applying for Jobseeker Support (deferred) about once every four weeks a medical certificate is required.
+1 Rosemary
By the way as well as the incredibly heartless stance on Cancer there is also the absolute waste of taxpayers money on getting all those medical reports which are subsidised as well as the waste of time for the doctors and medical staff to supply such ridiculous level of documentation.
Oh I have cancer, lets let the state know MONTHLY if I still have it. Disgusting on all levels.
Sorry our hospitals are not so good as they cure cancer every month.
You beat me to it, I see, thanks for posting this comment!
Indeed, what a disgrace, it takes the Cancer Society and terminal cancer sufferers to suddenly raise this OVER TWO YEARS after this was passed and introduced, and about three years since the submission process started:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/legislation/bills/00DBHOH_BILL11634_1/social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment
It appears that the Cancer Society did not present a submission then, probably because most felt they would never be affected by a draconian, inhumane benefit regime. But not all have working partners, or savings and other resources to fall back on when serious poor health hits them.
And it was again only Radio NZ National that reported on it this morning, as far as I could hear it. Paul Henry was busy cracking silly jokes and relishing in rubbishing Andrew Little and Labour again (with the help of Paddy Gower).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/286914/jobseeker-benefit-for-cancer-patients-'ludicrous‘
Indeed, this new approach, to look rather at what people can (hypothetically) do, rather than what they cannot, which was brought in from the UK, and had been thought out by their “experts” like Mansel Aylward et al, from one ‘Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research’ at Cardiff Uni, once generously “sponsored” by UNUM Provident (that nobody likes to mention these days), is insane and open to abuse by MSD and WINZ.
And Carmel Sepuloni had nothing more to say, than she had “anecdotally” heard of such cases, where seriously sick were expected to jump through hoops to “prove” they are too sick to work. What have you been doing as opposition spokesperson on social security then? Perhaps more should get out of the comfort zone and talk to people directly affected? But I fear most are so pressured and fearful now, they dare not rock the boat, and rather “harden up”, before the final day comes, and try and struggle, also with mental illness and what else some have that is now considered not so serious anymore.
As I remember, all this had been raised before:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-controversial-bio-psycho-social-model/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/designated-doctors-used-by-work-and-income-some-also-used-by-acc-the-truth-about-them/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-a-revealing-fact-study-part-a/
Radio NZ National presented an interview on this topic also some time ago:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2592666/winz-expands-scheme-to-support-unemployed-with-illness-issues
A post with some transcripts and comments on that one:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-a-revealing-fact-study-part-d/
And they have even changed the process they use for the Medical Appeals Board hearings some time ago, bringing in a “presenter” from MSD or WINZ to have an extra player in appeal hearings, supporting their new approaches:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/the-medical-appeal-board-how-msd-and-winz-have-secretely-changed-the-process-disadvantaging-beneficiaries/
Have the MSM been fast asleep for two years, to not come across other stories of people being expected to look for work while being seriously sick or disabled?
Mike @5.3 The MSM haven’t been fast asleep. We’re just not on their radar, why should we be? Unless of course we’re sprung for benefit fraud, now THAT’S good copy. Is my cynicism showing? I’ve been following the UK system with great fear, as you obviously have been. Note it’s only the left-wing papers (Guardian, Independent)that are reporting the ATOS and welfare reform tragedies going on there- it doesn’t even get a mention on the “impartial” BBC.
I honestly thought in NZ, with our 1.5-2 degrees of separation, everyone really does know someone with some sort of long term disability, many of whom can’t work, there would be more of the general public who cared, but there aren’t, until it happens to them. And there’s noone who can say that they’ve never known someone who’s had cancer and have some idea what the treatment entails. That would include our beloved Minister; her response only confirms the psychopathy, ie incapable of empathy.
As for Carmel Sepaloni- good that she’s bringing these things to the public’s attention but as happened with her pointing out the 18 years of benefit underpayments, Guyon couldn’t get her to say that she thinks we should be reimbursed. She was political point scoring off our backs, and just going along labour’s anti-benefit policy. So don’t expect any real work done on our behalf by her.
“She was political point scoring off our backs, and just going along labour’s anti-benefit policy. So don’t expect any real work done on our behalf by her.”
Totally. Labour hates beneficiaries. I don’t know what’s happened with the possibility of retrospective legislation papering over that one day of benefit payment thing, but it wouldn’t surprise if Labour votes with the government on it. That’s where things are at the moment – the first question when it comes to social welfare benefits and attacks on the poor is “will Labour vote with the government on this.” It’s quite incredible to think that’s where things have got to.
“Labour hates beneficiaries. ”
Now there’s a very interesting comment.
(Which I agree with BTW, and add to beneficiaries ….non ACC disabled and others with long term medical conditions….the ‘incurables’)
Considering the huff and puff from many on the Left about the Right’s attitude to “the poor” and “beneficiaries”…. it boggles the mind that when an example is presented about a specific group impacted by government policy, the usual flay brigade remain silent.
Non-ACC disabled and those too sick to work have been treated like shit by various governments.
Can’t see this changing any time soon.
The non-ACC disabled are reduced to living on a benefit for the whole of their lives because of something they cannot change. The NZ Disability Strategy and other core government documents sanction the idea of “an ordinary life” for all disabled people. Surely that must translate into rejecting the notion that disabled people must be reduced/forced/expected to live on a welfare benefit until they die? Surely this group must be treated differently and, perhaps, be given the equivalent of, say, at least the minimum wage? A percentage of the average wage? The average wage? Whatever the figure to condemn the non-ACC disabled to a life of poverty disgusts me.
“Surely that must translate into rejecting the notion that disabled people must be reduced/forced/expected to live on a welfare benefit until they die? Surely this group must be treated differently and, perhaps, be given the equivalent of, say, at least the minimum wage? A percentage of the average wage? The average wage? Whatever the figure to condemn the non-ACC disabled to a life of poverty disgusts me.”
Going into WINZ as a person on the Supported Living Payment with your partner who is on the same benefit even though she provides you with all the care you have been assessed as needing is a humiliating and demoralising experience. You are scum, and treated like scum. (There is the odd WINZ employee who treats you like a human and gets that the system sucks, but they are rare)
Then you go to WINZ to transition to National Super.
And OMG…there is a separate waiting area (apart from the hoipolloi), and its all smiles, respect and congratulations.
We eschewed the special seating…we know where we belong.
Chris…the NZ Disability Strategy, along with the Carers Strategy and the UN Convention are the foundation documents for the so called advocacy organisations who happily accept $millions from the government for a pantomime of representation.
“…the NZ Disability Strategy, along with the Carers Strategy and the UN Convention are the foundation documents for the so called advocacy organisations who happily accept $millions from the government for a pantomime of representation.”
I’ve got a niece with an intellectual disability who used to live in an IHC residence. She had an average sort of an existence which is why my sister took her out of there. But I was always intrigued by IHC management people, probably from their head office, who you’d hear on the radio talking about this unfairness or that unfairness. Something never quite rang true. It was as if they didn’t really know what they were talking about or that they didn’t really ever want anything to change. I don’t know exactly what it is. But this post on The Daily Blog and some of the comments, particularly this one, get as close as I’ve seen to explaining it.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/28/ihc-helping-national-abandon-vulnerable-families/#comment-306664
Labour didn’t always hate beneficiaries but it does now. Labour’s always been “the party for workers”, or so it says. Labour still says that. It’s just that its idea of who the workers are has changed. It used to be the “pool of labour”. Now it’s only those with a job, the employed, the workers. And that explains why Labour’s quite happy voting with Key’s government for legislation that attacks beneficiaries, and how its managed to shift its view of beneficiaries and the poor to one of hatred towards them, without too many people noticing.
Chris @5.3.1.1- I emailed Ms Sepaloni to her parliament address the day of that interview, both thanking her for bringing the matter to our attention, but also to express my disappointment in her response to Guyons questioning. 4 weeks later not even an acknowledgement my email was received, or a bounced back email. So it got there alright, but I’m guessing I can add myself to the list of voters who are having their emails ignored by MPs if they don’t like the subject matter. Seems to be a growing trend from what I’m hearing.
I was toying with the idea of re-sending it and asking for an update on the situation but I suspect that email will conviniently not make it either.
And Labour wonder where so many of their votes went after 1999? Ask the beneficiary bloc.
Now there would be about close to 300 thousand potential votes, or say, at least 100 to 200 thousand, going by a conservative estimate. If they would be more honest, and trustworthy, and also explain to the other voters they want to attract, that social justice and fairness must come first, and that it is in our all interest, they may even be able to “harvest” votes in that “centre” and from beneficiaries.
So far a gigantic FAIL by Labour, simply ignoring so many potential voters, also other disillusioned. Look at Sanders in the US, putting pressure on Clinton, at 74 years of age, attracting many students and other young voters, look at Corbyn in the UK, when do Labour damned wake up? It can be done!
Beneficiaries in NZ are too busy doing everything they can to feed their families. Benefits aren’t enough to do that so way more time is taken up dealing with that problem, including trying to avoid being kicked off the benefit in the first place.
@Kay 5.3.1
“I honestly thought in NZ, with our 1.5-2 degrees of separation, everyone really does know someone with some sort of long term disability, many of whom can’t work, there would be more of the general public who cared, but there aren’t, until it happens to them. And there’s noone who can say that they’ve never known someone who’s had cancer and have some idea what the treatment entails. That would include our beloved Minister; her response only confirms the psychopathy, ie incapable of empathy.”
Deserves to be repeated that…spot on.
Every last word.
Yep…same old same old isn’t it Mike TSO.
Scream it from the highest rooftop in the loudest voice and those who will not listen won’t.
If there was anything approaching an Opposition Party in NZ, they would be screaming “unfuckingacceptable!!!”.
Yet…watch the cross- Party accord on Voluntary Euthanasia.
Rosemary, the problem we face is much greater than even many insiders are aware of. Even the Health and Disability Commissioner, same as the Office of Ombudsmen, seem to take a very dim view of the fate of some of those with permanent sickness and disability, especially if it involves mental health conditions. Strangely medical practitioners seem to be given more “credit” when it comes to complaints:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/how-the-n-z-health-and-disability-commissioner-let-off-a-biased-designated-doctor/
Hence I and a few friends celebrated Jane Kelsey’s and her friends’ win at court yesterday, it really exposed how useless the Ombudsmen (and other Officers of Parliament) have been, at least in some cases:
http://thestandard.org.nz/congratulations-jane-kelsey/#comment-1082082
So while I have great reservations about the Taxpayers’ Union, they make a valid point also, re Beverley Wakem and some of her decisions, and the general disgusting situation of the OIA process having become farcical. Our democracy has been under threat for a while, this has never been shown so damned clearly.
“Hence I and a few friends celebrated Jane Kelsey’s and her friends’ win at court yesterday,”
Yes. One of those occasions when a cry of triumph cannot be contained.
(Even if passersby thought we had lost the plot.)
Its well past time for Kiwis to demand a stop to this…yet so many are locked into the mindless drivel that passes for ‘news’ and ‘journalism’.
How do we get the attention of those who would care if only they had the information???
My message is clear: Persist, keep it up, send the messages, remind them all out there, do NEVER stop telling and sharing the truth, the truth will prevail in the end, comment on all blogs there are, even on Kiwiblog, that is as long as we stand for the truth, and in that I HAVE NO DOUBT!
I’ve just popped in for a visit, Good post MTS one. 🙂
Just popped in, Good post MST one. 🙂
I remember hearing about someone refused the invalid’s benefit because their condition wasn’t going to last for two years or more. They had cancer and about six months to live. The condition wasn’t likely to last for two years or more because they weren’t going to last for two years or more! I think that’s been fixed up now, but the fact it happened illustrates the attitude.
Just like the young lady from Crewe
who once found a mouse in her stew.
Said the waiter, “Don’t shout
and wave it about,
or the others will all want one too.”
But that didn’t bother the lady,
Brought up in an orphanage shady,
“From where I’m sittin’,
I don’t mind it shittin’,
So long as it doesn’t have rabies.”
“Can anyone else hear the rail cars clanking as they pull into the sidings…”
Quite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_T4
Most people have no idea this happened.
Yahya Hassan gives his baby daughter a last kiss goodbye. The 3 year old girl was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza last night. Their house collapsed on them while they slept. Her mother Nour who was 5 months pregnant was also killed in the blast.
https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/a-fathers-last-kiss-goodbye/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/72344235/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-nzs-oil-spill-record-revealed.html
‘Death by a thousand cuts’: NZ’s oil spill record revealed
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1510/S00193/governments-credibility-in-tatters.htm
I think more and more people will take up income protection insurance to avoid the clutches of WINZ when they fall sick. Can’t say I would blame them.At least the insurance company would leave you with enough money to pay bills and buy food after you pay rent/mortgage.
I dont know why people think that people live a caviar and champagne lifestyle on a benefit.
Yeah, just look at all those malingerers, choosing to be poor. It’s a disgrace.
@Millsy
I would read the fine print if I was you because a lot of those policies sold to the poor do not kick in, until you qualify for unemployment benefit. If you can’t get that then you don’t get the pay out.
Hey it worked for a certain Mr Slater, for a while.
Yeah, cause private insurers are such an upstanding bunch, always doing the best for their clients and never trying to weasel out of their obligations. As the people of Christchurch found out.
Re the Rugby World Cup obsession .. I have a simple solution.
Put the champion of Islamic State (al-Baghdadi ?) together with his counterpart (Vladimir ?) in a spare Roman ampitheatre and to the victor go the spoils.
Think of the ratings.
this ones for you doc
“Opponents of government aid to the poor often argue that the poor are not really poor. The evidence they are fond of is often an inappropriate comparison, usually with people in other countries: “Thus we can say that by global standards there are no poor people in the US at all: the entire country is at least middle class or better” (Tim Worstall in Forbes). Sometimes the comparison is with earlier times, as in this quote from Heritage’s Robert Rector: “‘Poor’ Americans today are better housed, better fed, and own more property than did the average US citizen throughout much of the 20th Century.””
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2015/10/13/arent-the-poor-comparatively-rich-the-fallacy-of-faulty-comparison/
The Real Secrets to Grand Fortune
Most definitely an interesting interview.
The other side of the story:
‘MH17 shot with BUK missile, Ukraine failed to close airspace’
https://www.rt.com/news/318536-mh17-investigation-dutch-report/
‘BUK producer detonates missiles next to pilot’s cockpit in real-life MH17 experiment (VIDEO)’
https://www.rt.com/news/318505-almaz-antey-video-simulation/
and ‘MH17 report’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/318603-mh17-report-investigation-results/
‘Fifteen months after the tragic loss of MH17 over war-torn Ukraine the Dutch Safety Board has presented the results of its investigation. From the very beginning the explicit aim of this probe was to determine why the plane was destroyed in midair. Will we ever learn the “who” and “why” parts of this tragedy?CrossTalking with John Laughland, Alexander Mercouris, and Dmitry Babich.”
‘BUK producer detonates missiles next to pilot’s cockpit in real-life MH17 experiment (VIDEO)’
Take the damage shown in the video and figure out exactly how it would be amplified if the missile and aircraft had a closing speed of a couple of thousand kph and the aircraft cabin was pressurised way above the outside atmosphere. You can’t? That’s why the video is completely useless, except for propaganda purposes.
David Seymour is doing some good work in the house as of late…might have to start thinking about changing my party vote again
Did you like his recent comment that “the French love the cock”
says the man who claims he’s a centrist.
I am so I’d like a centrist party in power (National) but National will still need support partners and maybe if Act get more seats then Peter Dunne can get the boot
“I am so I’d like a centrist party in power (National)..”
Lying again…
http://www.politicalcompass.org/nz2014
Those questions were a bit skewed towards the left 🙂
No they weren’t.
It’s Ok, don’t feel shy.
I can understand why you’d be embarrassed to admit your desire to vote for Act or National, the extreme right parties of NZ politics.
I was also working at the same time so my concentration was on other things!
lol
ah, the “I can’t remember my opinion” defence.
You still haven’t looked at the political compass which shows the relative positions of the political parties have you?
Even though several commenters have linked to it for you? See the link at my comment 14.2.1.1: It shows that National and Act are furthest to the authoritarian right on the spectrum of NZ politics. You can claim that you made a hash of filling out your personal compass, but you can’t deny your self expressed preference for those two parties.
Ergo, you are not a centrist. In NZ terms you are an extreme rightist.
Also if it’s fair enough to call the Greens “hard left” as many of your fellow travelers like Wayne Mapp do, then it is equally fair to call National voters such as yourself “hard right”, is it not?
It is pitiable that I am still trying to get an intellectually honest answer from you so long into the conversation.
I have to admit that Seymour has been greatly underestimated by the left. He will probably be more effective at articulating ACT policies than Prebble, Hide, Banks, Brash and Whyte ever have/will.
There is a very interesting article on three news….
“Labour is swallowing an enormous, filthy, stinking, rotten, maggot-infested dead rat called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).”
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/opinion/opinion-labour-swallowing-tppa-rats-2015101316#ixzz3oUVXNHqw
Because it is a Paddy Rant it is probably way off course. Written and paid for by National’s subsidary.
I think you are dreaming.
So you don’t think that Mr Shouty is gagging on a maggoty rat then???
Only time will tell.
Tempting as your vision sounds, Paddy Gower can gag perfectly well on 3News’ audience ratings.
waffer-thin: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/72981663/3-news-sees-lowest-ratings-in-four-years
I don’t watch National Party propaganda.
I boycott TV3.
Gower and garner alone are enough reason not to bother regardless of who fills their coin tin up.
It doesn’t take much for you to become enthralled! Alfred E Newman delivering his Master’s Voice in the guise of Paddy Gower has you creaming yourself.
The ultimate irony – it’s getting cold, can we please move south.
The second study, meanwhile, seeks to explain the Younger Dryas, a cold period that began abruptly 12,900 years ago, as the planet was actually coming out of a glacial period and entering the present interglacial. Suddenly, though, temperatures swung back and became quite cold again for more than a thousand years, leading glaciers and ice sheets to rebuild. And once again, a change in Atlantic ocean circulation has long been a leading suspect in causing this dramatic, sudden event.
“The start of the Younger Dryas was in a couple of years, really five years or so,” says Hans Renssen of VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, who led the research, along with scientists from Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/why-the-earths-past-has-scientists-so-worried-about-the-atlantic-oceans-circulation/
Awesome performance by Bill English, delivering a technical surplus after only seven years. His government has always been a day late and a dollar short, but Bill is seven years late and $101 billion short.
The gibbering incompetence of far-right neo con ideologues is virtually infinite, being compromised of the second most abundant thing in the universe – 1 being hydrogen & 2 being stupidity.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/10/houston_we_have_a_surplus.html
Well done John Key and Bill English
if it were a poll this surplus would be within the margin of error……
lol ACT-level…
Hey its not the size its what you do with it that counts remember
1. Attack children.
2. Tax cuts.
3. Deny responsibility.
4. Win next election
5. Wake up.
0. Scream #repeat
Yes indeed
worse than useless – nothing can make amends for the damage they have done to the NZ economy – but confiscating all their property and imprisoning them for life would be a good place to start.
Useless treacherous wasters.
The law allows Cabinet Club and other examples of money-laundering. The National Party is merely filling a gap in the market.
Get the money out of politics.
“imprisoning them for life would be a good place to start.”
I for one welcome such trials.
Yeah – better keep the trials short I think – some people mistake notoriety for fame – Gower, Slater, Key for a start.
When the national debt is something like $100 billion, this surplus is basically irrelevant.
@Puckish Rogue
For what? a pseudo surplus? Or the unprecedented level of debt National are clocking up?
It actually shows how feudal the ‘right’ are in NZ that folk like Hooten aren’t all over this maladministration for non-performance. Real growth – ex Christchurch & migration – at under 0.5% – if growth is their policy object they’re failures of truly awesome proportions. Screwups have no friends, left or right.
Will Michael Woodhouse resign?
Documents clearly show that Woodhouse not only lied to the people but also to Parliament when he said that he had not intervened and the exclusion of Dairy as a High Risk Industry wasn’t deliberate, but based on an the risks.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11528604
I’m not holding my breath – just watch this sort of corruptness go whoooooosh over the heads of the sheeple – their house prices are still making more than them.
Question 10 today from IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety was answered by not Woodhouse, but the “enthusiastic Dr Smith who argued quite differently.
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/40020
When Woodhouse is in a hole he hides. Smith will and has dug him out of the hole – sort of.
It would have been a Cabinet decision to protect farmers and Woodhouse would have just been following orders – perhaps.
The relationship between Smith and the truth of the matter, is somewhat strained at best.
No doubt about it.
So Woodhouse avoids telling porkies in Parliament again, and has someone else do it for him.. Lovely!
“The relationship between Smith and the truth”
.. of any sort has been tenuous. Yet folk vote for him.
Does the Labour Party have a problem with a more open and democratic process for candidate selection – something that has been developed for leadership races?
Is there a problem with people forming organised lobby groups within the party membership to agitate for this change?
And if so, who with/for – unions, groups that have managed to secure quotas for themselves (the national organisations involvement in selecting local candidates)?
“Is there a problem with people forming organised lobby groups within the party membership to agitate for this change?”
Pagani/Nash et al?
“The man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Alex Fisher is his older brother Eric McIsaac.”
Note that the Judge asked for a Psychiatric report. Pretty awful for so many reasons.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11529097
It was pretty obvious from the start that the man arrested for burglary was Alex Fisher’s brother. Otherwise we would have heard from him because he was the last person the young lad was seen with. Deeply sad for all concerned.
Let’s just hope that the Sensible Sentencing Trust, that gang of callous publicity seekers and vultures that feed off human misery, are nowhere to be seen in the inevitable media coverage of this tragedy.