There is more than one truth to tell in the awful story of Aleppo
Robert Fisk
Western politicians, “experts” and journalists are going to have to reboot their stories over the next few days now that Bashar al-Assad’s army has retaken control of eastern Aleppo. We’re going to find out if the 250,000 civilians “trapped” in the city were indeed that numerous. We’re going to hear far more about why they were not able to leave when the Syrian government and Russian air force staged their ferocious bombardment of the eastern part of the city.
And we’re going to learn a lot more about the “rebels” whom we in the West – the US, Britain and our head-chopping mates in the Gulf – have been supporting…..
…..But it’s time to tell the other truth: that many of the “rebels” whom we in the West have been supporting – and which our preposterous Prime Minister Theresa May indirectly blessed when she grovelled to the Gulf head-choppers last week – are among the cruellest and most ruthless of fighters in the Middle East. And while we have been tut-tutting at the frightfulness of Isis during the siege of Mosul (an event all too similar to Aleppo, although you wouldn’t think so from reading our narrative of the story), we have been willfully ignoring the behaviour of the rebels of Aleppo……….
……….Is this too harsh on my profession? Are we really “in league” with the rebels?
Certainly our political masters are – and for the same reason as the rebels kidnap their victims: money. Hence the disgrace of Brexit May and her buffoonerie of ministers who last week prostrated themselves to the Sunni autocrats who fund the jihadis of Syria in the hope of winning billions of pounds in post-Brexit arms sales to the Gulf.
In a few hours, the British parliament is to debate the plight of the doctors, nurses, wounded children and civilians of Aleppo and other areas of Syria. The grotesque behaviour of the UK Government has ensured that neither the Syrians nor the Russians will pay the slightest attention to our pitiful wails. That, too, must become part of the story…….
Joe90 and others regurgitating Jihadi and US propaganda – please read.
It’s bloody concerning how they did the pamphlet drop and have now herded up the people into one area, and the events that have followed over the last few days.
Such as Syrian government going into houses, executing people, and as a result of them being so trigger happy many women and children have died.
Now the army are grabbing any men that head into the ‘protected area’ where the rest of the ‘herd’ are, then giving them a gun and telling them they are now in the Syrian Army.
ALJazeera are now doing almost continuous live coverage of these events.
Al-Jazeera has been criticized over unfair coverage of the Syrian civil war. The channel’s reporting has been described as largely supportive of the rebels, while demonizing the Syrian government.
The Lebanese newspaper As-Safir cited outtakes of interviews showing that the channel’s staff coached Syrian eyewitnesses and fabricated reports of oppression by Syria’s government. It refers to leaked internal e-mails suggest that Al-Jazeera has become subordinated to the Qatari emir’s assertive foreign policy, which supports Syria’s rebels and advocates military intervention in the country.
In March 2012, Al-Jazeera correspondents Ali Hashim and two others resigned from their jobs because of objections over the reporting on the conflict. They reported that Al-Jazeera paid $50,000 for smuggling phones and satellite communication tools to Syria’s rebels. Hashim concluded, “The channel was taking a certain stance. It was meddling with each and every detail of reports on the Syrian revolution.”
Ahmad Ibrahim, who is in charge of the Al-Jazeera’s coverage on Syria, is the brother of a leading member of the rebels’ “Syrian National Council”. Al-Jazeera reportedly put pressure on its journalists to use the term “martyr” for slain Syrian rebels, but not pro-government forces. Ahmad Ibrahim, who is in charge of the Al-Jazeera’s coverage on Syria, is the brother of a leading member of the rebels’ “Syrian National Council”. Al-Jazeera reportedly put pressure on its journalists to use the term “martyr” for slain Syrian rebels, but not pro-government forces.
I don’t think is a reliable independent non aligned middle eastern news provider.
However there are some freelance independent non aligned journalists.
Eva Bartlett and Vanessa Beeley (both linked above by Paul) have been providing good info. One problem, (and Eva Bartlett touched on it in the vid link above) is that the non-mainstream left media has been going with the same narrative as the mainstream liberal media. That means their first hand accounts get no oxygen from the likes of ‘Democracy Now’ and other reasonably well regarded outlets. So less well regarded outlets are used.
Which then leads to the charge that they are right wing conspiracy nuts.
But you know, even just reading the Guardian with half a brain engaged would allow anyone to figure we’ve been fed a tsunami of bullshit. Mosul is the same situation as Aleppo, and yet the reporting could hardly be any more different. (Mosul seems to have dropped off the pages now – too difficult to square that circle I guess).
Look at the sources used by The Guardian and others. Always voices purporting to come from within non-government areas and always (it seems) filtered through Syrian Rights Observatory (a one man operation based in England), or footage and claims made by the ‘White Helmets’ (created by an ex-military Englishmen with historical links to Blackwater and other such orgs) being picked up on and reported on with no accompanying critical thought or analysis.
Never interviews with people who have sought the safe haven of government held areas. Never interviews with people who have been subjected to mortar attack in Western Aleppo. Never any video footage from there either.
And as Fisk points out, in the words of ‘our’ media terrorists ‘retake’ cities while cities ‘fall’ to the government.
And so it goes.
Thankfully, and at last, the tsunami of bullshit may be breaking. And thanks for the comments/postings Paul.
Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations’ Dr Zaidoun al-Zoabi told Morning Report the situation is “the worst ever”.
“These are the most terrifying times humanity’s seen, if there is anything called humanity.”
What is the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations?
This is part of that “tsunami of bullshit” you mention. A few differences between Mosul and Aleppo:
1. Mosul actually is occupied by Da’Esh, unlike Aleppo.
2. The rebels in Aleppo are part of an uprising against a brutal dictatorship, while the people occupying Mosul are part of an uprising against secularism, democracy, human rights and anything else that’s good about the modern world.
3. The forces attacking Mosul aren’t carrying out indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilian neighbourhoods, unlike the forces attacking Aleppo.
4. The forces attacking Mosul haven’t deliberately destroyed every hospital available to the people trapped there. This and 3 above are the main explanation for the different media coverage of the two battles.
5. The forces attacking Mosul aren’t rejecting out of hand cease-fire requests from the defenders, unlike those attacking Aleppo. (True, they might reject cease-fire requests if Da’esh were to make any, but no such requests will be made – another difference.)
And here’s the thing. This is the tactic of the Syrian government as voiced by Assad (make of that what you will). Promise safe passage for armed foreign terrorists out of populated areas. Then re-engage with the intention of driving them out of Syria.
You, Paul and Morrissey always declare me poorly-informed, as though I’d surely develop an enthusiasm for illiberal authoritarian nationalism if only I read up on it a bit more. It’s almost comical.
In the Syrian civil war, there is no ideological superiority to be had – it’s not objectively worse for western countries and the Gulf states to support the Syrian rebels than it is for Russia and Iran to support the Assad regime. The reign of terror that Assad is about to start in east Aleppo will be a terrible crime against humanity, but probably won’t be hugely different from the one that rebel groups would embark on if they’d won.
Those things don’t make Assad and Russia the villains of media reporting on this conflict. What makes them the villains is their campaign of aerial bombardment against the civilian population, emergency workers and hospitals of east Aleppo. No amount of energetic false-equivalence finger-pointing by illiberal authoritarians on this blog or elsewhere can alter that.
I regard the views of Patrick Cockburn and Robert Fisk way above the new writers on , RNZ, Fairfax and NZME.
For someone who was once a poltician, you appear hopelessly ill-informed.
Fisk and Cockburn are not ‘ trying to portray Assad as the noble liberator of his people.’ Clearly you have not read the articles, yet feel comfortable commenting on them.
Typical Tory. Willfully ignorant.
You need to do a lot more reading on the subject.
So here goes the usual mantra again, which we must repeat ad nauseam to avoid the usual hate mail and abuse that will today be cast at anyone veering away from the approved and deeply flawed version of the Syrian tragedy.
Yes, Bashar al-Assad has brutally destroyed vast tracts of his cities in his battle against those who wish to overthrow his regime. Yes, that regime has a multitude of sins to its name: torture, executions, secret prisons, the killing of civilians, and – if we include the Syrian militia thugs under nominal control of the regime – a frightening version of ethnic cleansing.
Yes, we should fear for the lives of the courageous doctors of eastern Aleppo and the people for whom they have been caring. Anyone who saw the footage of the young man taken out of the line of refugees fleeing Aleppo last week by the regime’s intelligence men should fear for all those who have not been permitted to cross the government lines. And let’s remember how the UN grimly reported it had been told of 82 civilians “massacred” in their homes in the last 24 hours.
But it’s time to tell the other truth: that many of the “rebels” whom we in the West have been supporting – and which our preposterous Prime Minister Theresa May indirectly blessed when she grovelled to the Gulf head-choppers last week – are among the cruellest and most ruthless of fighters in the Middle East. And while we have been tut-tutting at the frightfulness of Isis during the siege of Mosul (an event all too similar to Aleppo, although you wouldn’t think so from reading our narrative of the story), we have been willfully ignoring the behaviour of the rebels of Aleppo./blockquote>
Wayne, one of the things Frisk might be angry about is the British PM off selling arms to the Saudis.
Now if you have talked to any US or British vets you will know the one thing they hate above all the bureaucratic BS, is fighting guys who are using weapons made by them. I was a dinner a while a go with some Yanks, and they got quite upset talking about finding terrorist’s with brand new US equipment. Also some of the pome’s I’ve talked to have said the same thing, in one case worse, because the jihadist’s had some ammunition they could not get.
So from a purely military view point, it does seem some of the politicians are right tossers when it comes to making a buck selling arms. I’m not sure the British PM selling arms to the Saudi’s is going to endear her to her own troops.
Keep up the good work Paul and adam. The western propaganda is slowly being exposed but sadly the damage is done and the incorrect beliefs are now ingrained in so many westerners. We must all realize that in war truth is the first casualty, but the blind acceptance of either sides version is still prevalent( on both sides).
As with the Vietnam war when the truth finally comes out it certainly exposes the bullshit the west promulgates . Nothing has changed.
It should be noted that only 2 Arabian/Persian Gulf States use beheading as a form of execution – Saudi Arabia and (Assad’s & Iraq’s) ally Iran (although last used in 2001). Benin and Yemen are the only 2 other states that use beheading as a legal form of execution. As an aside Iran executes twice as many people a year than Saudi (although it has twice the population), About 45% are for drug offences (which is roughly the same proportion as in Saudi).
It’s interesting how we in the “West” now seem to resile at beheading over other forms of execution (as if the death penalty is acceptable in any other form) however France used beheading for execution up to 1981 (last execution in 1977), Sweden executed its second to last criminal – mass murderer Johan Filip Nordlund – by a manual cleaver in 1900, replacing it with a guillotine, which was then used for the first and only time in 1910 (death penalty abolished there in 1921). Beheading by guillotine survived in West Germany until 1949 and in East Germany until 1966 (also 40,000 Germans were legally executed under the Nazi regime, most of them by guillotine).
We may have got there before some of the rest of the world in finding beheading as an unacceptable form of execution but not by that much.
I don’t think he will receive a knighthood in New Zealand at all. He will get a well deserved award of the Order of New Zealand. He deserves it a great deal more that many of the hacks who have got it in the past.
The Queen on the other hand may make him the third New Zealand member of the Knights of the Garter.
It is the reason that David Lange, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger and Helen Clark got it.
I think, although I may be in a minority among those who contribute here, that he was at least the equal of any of that group.
On the other hand he is vastly more significant that Sonja Davies, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan and Jonathon Hunt ever were. How they got into the top 20 living New Zealanders at any time is beyond me.
“Key can’t handle it when under pressure.
Far too used to a compliant media.
Cracks when really questioned.”.
You are living in a dream world Paul.
Just the way Helen Clark did before the first Leader’s debate in 2008.
Just as John Campbell did before his session with Key on the GCSB.
In both cases Key took them apart.
You, like them, forget what Key’s profession was before he went in for politics. People in the Forex dealers profession have no nerves. They simply don’t crack under pressure. They cannot do the job if they don’t have that characteristic.
@ amirite (2) .. Yep spot on there. And don’t forget the treason, selling NZ off bit by bit, interfering with our sovereignty by attempting to change the flag, then trying to really sell us down the river with the (now failed) TPPA.
Qualifications for a knighthood indeed. Seems most of the confidence tricksters get one eventually.
New Year honours coming up. The title Sir (John Key) should have some pathetic clout with his Hollywood mates, Wall St and the likes! They go for anything with a bit of fancy decoration to it, even if it does stink to high heaven through the shit sticking to it. It’s all about facade and that’s what Key has been the past 8 years, a facade, fabricated by Crosby/Textor, much to the detriment of NZ!
“Finally, Key made his way, waving, down the steps of Parliament, as he was greeted and applauded by every suck-up loser he’d ever seen or worked with in the capital. He hated most of them, but he shook their hands and hugged them anyway.
“You’ll fail,” he whispered in Bill English’s ear, before hopping into his crown car, and disappearing into the foggy wilderness of our memories.”
I know and it explains perfectly why National slumped to the high 40s, oh wait they didn’t because most of NZ saw it for what it was, a political hit job manufactured by Bradbury
Assault, I’d have thought. Certainly became an international embarrassment for Key. Bet he wishes he’d taken his wife’s advice and grown up a little, kept his hands to himself and behaved as a Prime Minister should.
So the waitress’s account of what key’s interaction with her was, is unbalanced and unreliable. How do you know that?
You are just too afraid to read it aren’t you.
It might be if left wing people actually did that. But since they don’t, you’re talking shit 🙂
(myself, I don’t avoid WO and KB because they’re right wing, I avoid them because they neoliberal, neo-fascist, dangerous bullies. Which is a different thing entirely).
Pukish Rogue has the name John Key stamped on his backside so has difficulties recognizing the former prime minister as a pervert. No wonder his two children have issues.
Not just stupid, but sexual harassment, physical harassment, abuse of his position of power, and bullying.
Some above were confusing ‘sexual abuse’ with ‘sexual harassment/physical assault’, but that doesn’t mean that what Key did was merely an error of judgement. It had real world impacts on the person he was harassing.
Martyn Bradbury has all the subtlety of a landmine. He doesn’t really do “hit jobs” and Machiavellian scheming really isn’t his MO. A waitress had been repeatedly harassed by the PM, and he reported it. It was hardly some vast conspiracy to destabilise the government by smearing John Key. Key smeared himself by acting like an ill-disciplined, testosterone-addled teenage boy. And those desperate to protect Key from the consequences of his own, frankly bizarre, actions, hauled her over the coals accordingly. Shame on the whole damn lot of them.
Just wanted to mention that all the kids know about johns creepy ponytail pulling, seriously it has and did create much talk between them, especially it created discussion among the parents of girls, such is the legacy he leaves behind for the children. Well at least it brought up the narrative of good and bad touching so I will give him that.
When i was a kid it was Piggy Muldoon, but what Key is now known for by kiwi children is far more sinister. JS
You’re decent enough to add the mad smiley face at the end of your comment @ 3.1 PR. Tipping that you’re just taking the piss with that comment. If not mate, sorry, but you’re fucked. Close to Jonestown. But nah you’re not there. You give it away with “Slur” John Key.
Mayor Phil Goff has granted me speaking rights at tomorrow’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting.
(WHEN : Thursday 15 December 2016.
TIME: 9.30am
WHERE: Auckland Town Hall
Reception Lounge Level 2
(Open to the public – support welcome 🙂
My subject matter is as follows:
1) The unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict involving Auckland Council Controlled Organisation, Auckland Transport, announced on Friday 9 December 2016 (on ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’) has provided evidence which supports what I have been saying for some time.
Namely, that you cannot have transparency or accountability, without proper written records available for public scrutiny.
“Claims the relationship between Noone and Projenz was informal and verbal-only during the seven-year duration of the relationship – explaining the total lack of documentation – “defies common sense,” Justice Fitzgerald said.”
In my considered opinion, seven years of a ‘verbal-only’ /’informal’ relationship between this Auckland Transport senior manager and private contractor, also clearly ‘defies’ the statutory obligations arising from the Public Records Act 2005, s.17:
(1)Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
(2)Every public office must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all public records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act or required by or under another Act.
(3)Every local authority must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all protected records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act.
How on earth did this happen?
What was the ‘systems flaw’ that allowed this total lack of documentation to occur for SEVEN years?
Where was the auditing – internal and external – that failed to pick up this total lack of documentation for SEVEN years?
How widespread is this lack of documentation, regarding ‘relationships’ between those who award contracts, and those who receive contracts?
Not just at Auckland Transport, but across Auckland Council and all CCOs?
2) In my view, as an ‘Anti-Corruption Public Watchdog’, it is now more necessary than ever, to instruct the CEO of Auckland Council, and the Boards of all Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) to comply with the statutory requirements of the Public Records Act 2005, and make the following information about awarded contracts, available and easily accessible for public scrutiny, by publishing them on the front page of Auckland Council and all CCO websites under ‘Procurement – Awarded Contracts’:
a) The unique contract number.
b) The name of the consultant/contractor.
c) A brief description of the scope of the contract.
d) The contract start and finish dates.
e) The exact dollar value of each and every contract, including those subcontracted.
f) How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
2) FYI, here is the above-mentioned decision of Justice Sally Fitzgerald on 9 December 2016, in the Auckland High Court:
CRI-2015-044-001286 [2016] NZHC 2971 THE QUEEN v STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE MURRAY JOHN NOONE
In my view, in order to learn the lessons from this unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict, both this decision, in full, plus the full transcript of evidence, should be made available for public perusal on the websites of both Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.
3) For Auckland Council to comprehensively and thoroughly investigate the cost-effectiveness of the underpinning private procurement model for Council (and CCO) services, when significant international research has proven that contracting out is actually ‘bad business’, and twice as expensive as in-house service provision.
“Bad Business: Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Wasted on Hiring Contractors”
What this above-mentioned unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict has revealed, in my opinion, is not just that ‘contracting out’ is BAD business, but it can and has bred corruption.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’
Don’t be such a killjoy SM – good luck Penny – you sock it to them about the bribery and corruption that is going on with the council and the rorters who get away with overseas trips etc – its hard enough to keep up with our rates up here in Auckland so we need more like you Penny – mores the pity that people like Stunned Mullet don’t get off their asses and try to do more for exposing corruption on the council.
The Public Records Act does not control making records available or publishing them. That’s the role of the LGOIMA as you have been repeatedly told, you mental midget.
If we review the Key years, the trends are unmistakable. Business interests have been given top priority, social and environmental issues have been increasingly relegated to the second or third rank. Public assets have been privatised and the public sector and public spending have been subject to constant cuts, the law has been changed when required to suit the interests of overseas corporations.
Workers’ rights have been reduced, employers have been given more power. Child poverty, and poverty more generally, has increased and life on benefits is tougher. The rich have enjoyed tax cuts. Homelessness has re-appeared in our midst and owning their own home is now beyond many young Kiwis; those already owning their own homes and property speculators in particular have made fortunes from soaring house prices.
It is John Key’s politics, not his personality, that have produced these intended outcomes. They have been produced not by a relaxed middle-of-the-roader but by a dedicated ideologue. They are the result of a particular kind of neo-liberal politics, of a consistent and deliberate push from our Prime Minister to turn New Zealand into a “trickle down” economy (and society), one that clearly differentiates between winners and losers, where the top priority is to ensure winners do even better and losers get by as best they can.
A few years ago, the then Premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman, was contemplating asset sales to raise cash. He sought advice from John Key as to how he could get away politically with what he knew would be an unpopular measure. Key’s advice, as reported in the New Zealand media? “Do it in small stages,” he said, “and people won’t notice”.
Here, in other words, was a political operator who knew exactly what he was doing. It is no accident that he was highly regarded by his right-wing colleagues in other countries, to the extent that he has for some time been chair of the International Democratic Union, the global association of right-wing political parties.
He had, after all, achieved what so many of them had struggled with – he had sold a neo-liberal agenda to voters who would normally have rejected it as extreme and contrary to their values.
The Opposition, and the Labour Party in particular, always underestimated John Key. What they saw was no more than a genial glad-hander and a seat-of-the-pants chancer – at best, a populist adept at winning the centre ground. It was only a matter of time, they thought, before he came unstuck.
What they missed was a sharp political intelligence and a clear ideological commitment. The result – they were always fighting the wrong battle.
No we do not. I think it would be educational if a true right wing political party took power a couple of years just to show you what it would really be like.
Partial sell down of assets, nope it’d be back to Rogernomics and sell everything off
Partial increase for benes, the first time in something like 40 years, nope it’d be slashing the benefits and there’d be a maximum amount of time on the benefit
WFF, nope nothing.
Interest free loans, nope the interest would come back and you wouldn’t be able to leave the country until they’re paid
You think the msm is bad now, well get ready for a crackdown on political websites criticising the government
Voluntary trade unionism, get ready for banning of trade unions
90 day fire at will, too soft it’ll be no reason needed at any time
You’ve got no idea of what would really happen if right wing (forget hard right) party really took charge, you sit there in your nice, safe, comfortable little corner of the world and think (hope) this is a hard right party
I like John Keys centrist government and, in hindsight, Helen Clarks centrist government.
The only enjoyment I would get out of a hard right government being sworn in is you finally experiencing a hard right government and what that actually entail.
I believe most people in NZ want either a centre left or centre right party, they (the majority of voters) do not want a hard right or hard left party.
“The only enjoyment I would get out of a hard right government being sworn in is you finally experiencing a hard right government and what that actually entail.”
He was a little worried that government entities like the Ministry of Social Development and Housing New Zealand were not doing enough to reduce numbers accessing expensive services…
“”it’s a bit hard to tell if they are trying hard enough. We don’t know a lot about what happens in some of these fairly big outfits so we are always arguing internally between myself and Treasury about whether we need to step in or not.”
English says the process of examining the big cost-drivers is called the responsibility model because it throws the responsibility back.
“The traditional view of the public service is when things get tight, Treasury and the Minister of Finance are responsible. We are saying ‘no it’s you, you’re the chief executive, you’re responsible’.””
Well, Bill as you ascend to the throne…kinda like a congratulatory gift, the inquest is being heard at the moment into the death of Wendy Shoebridge.
“Shoebridge, a 41-year-old mother, was found dead in Lower Hutt on April 3, 2011.
The day before, she opened a letter saying she was to be referred for prosecution over an alleged $22,000 benefit fraud.”
An investigator from WINZ was under unbearable pressure to send this letter…he didn’t want to, or at least he wanted to deliver it in person as he was concerned about her…she was slowly recovering from severe depression.
But no…his boss, obviously acting under instructions from Much Higher UP…ordered the letter sent.
” After her death, that amount fell to about $5500.”
And in an update tonight…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87469253/shakeup-at-msd-after-woman-died-and-manager-was-accused-of-abusing-staff
…we read that this manager
“was accused of firing a staple gun at staff she didn’t like, and calling one a “f…tard” in front of colleagues, an inquest has heard.
The inquest in Wellington into the death of Wendy Shoebridge heard allegations of a dysfunctional Ministry of Social Development office in which the prosecution of suspected benefit fraud was a major priority.
The manager has not had the chance to respond to the latest claims, and the inquest on Monday also heard suggestions the manager was herself under pressure. The hearing was told last week that a quota system for prosecuting beneficiaries was in operation in 2011, when Shoebridge died.”
Well, Bill…this is why you have that smirky, twisted little smile on your face. You might want to have a wee think before you see your promotion as an affirmation that there is widespread approval for your social investment model.
You see…this Coroner has the MSD in her sights, just as the Judge did in the Ashburton Shooting case…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/87258487/msd-convicted-after-judge-says-staff-felt-unsafe-in-ashburton-office
…and although the court can’t actually fine a Ministry…there was harsh condemnation….
How many deaths, Bill???”
THIS is what “hard right” looks like PR…its here in NZ, and has been for the past seven years.
I could link to other posts where I and others have highlighted cases where Kiwis from “the middle” have been subjected to appallingly inhumane treatment by WINZ when applying for a benefit to support themselves and their families while undergoing cancer treatment.
You see PR…when ‘middle NZ’ fall upon hard times and have to go down to WINZ to access supports they are entitled to and encounter shit treatment like that….borne out of rabidly right directives from the government…it increases the numbers of those who have been dehumanised by the state, and those people in turn come to a fuller appreciation of the way the ‘system’ has alienated those who have had to interact with it for many years. This is called “sympathy”…a foreign emotion to the sociopaths who sit on the government benches.
Like it or not there IS a rising tide of compassion in “middle” New Zealand for those Bill the Lizard calls the “large liability”….simply because there have been a huge number of people across all strata who have been impacted directly or indirectly by these draconian policies.
No pithy, cryptic one-liners to demonstrate your superior knowledge and insight?
The government you claim has been benignly ‘centrist’ has instituted an offensive against the most vulnerable of New Zealanders, and unfortunately for this government the negative impacts have splattered way beyond those people Bill the Lizard targeted openly in 2010.
Now, if this translates in a reduction of support for National depends on whether opposition parties can drag their arses off the spike that seems to lock them into a ‘centre’ position.
I simply disagree with you because you’ve highlighted a couple of incidences over 7 years so really it doesn’t prove anything but I do appreciate the effort
…this Coroner has the MSD in her sights, just as the Judge did in the Ashburton Shooting case…
Be careful what you wish for. The judge was punishing MSD for not putting sufficient barriers between its staff and the nation’s social welfare beneficiaries. MSD management know what the judge is telling them:
“… it was estimated by MSD chief executive Brendan Boyle that the cost of outfitting its offices with bulletproof glass and guards could be up to $200 million.
MSD has already placed guards at offices and has been trialling a new layout at offices in Wellington and Levin.”
Back in 1979 while signing up for a job on a Student Work scheme I was sent to apply for an emergency benefit. The benefit department was just like a bank. Long counter with glass/perspex shields between client and staff.
Conversations were, by necessity, held fortissimo…so the poor sod recently discharged from Tokanui had to tell his story for all of us assembled to hear.
Ah, the good old days.
This was in Hamilton….don’t know if it was like this elsewhere.
Spot on PR, first sign of hard right or left countries, blogs like the standard don’t exist Paul however finds meaning in raging against the machine, no matter what that machine if he was in a hard left country he would be hard right
Like many here Paul, when you start with “You need to educate yourself” normally followed by a barrage of left wing links and videos I don’t go any further as I have seen what it has done to you
Trite slur from a closed mind. You would probably enjoy the documentary because you would get great satisfaction from cheering the Baddies while learning nothing.
You are absolutely correct Paul, J Key is the chairman of the International Democratic Union – a hard right think tank of international businessmen, bankers etc who gather in different places in the world and get up to no good. It does’t get much of a mention over here in sleepy ol’ New Zealand but is worth looking the IDU up to see what its all about. He played with us here and he did it very well indeed. Tinfoil hat wearers probably agree he was sent here to do a hatchet job on this country, I have no idea why he came here other than collecting handshakes, selfies, big noting and meeting world leaders. He has a job lined up somewhere after his holiday in Maui I have no doubt, IMF maybe but most certainly in the US.
Isn’t it a paradox, he flies out to a Hawaiian holiday as quick as he can bugger off – shouldn’t he still be here – isn’t the House sitting for another week – the ultimate indulgence and Mr Shearer is off to the “shittiest place on the planet” Paul Henry’s words – to try and stabilize South Sudan – how different can two men be. I didn’t know Paul Henry had been an on the ground reporter in South Sudan but he said South Sudan was the quote above on today’s morning show.
Well one has been leader of the country since 2008 and left with his party in the high 40s the other was knifed in the back by his own party (though wouldn’t Labour love to have shearers numbers)
Their careers may be quite different Pucky but Shearer’s previous job was one you had to have cajones of steel for plus a rough lifestyle in arid conditions and seriously dangerous situations – he may not have been cut out for political life and that’s not such a bad thing considering its rife with corruption, dirty politics and other unsavoury things, he is better off out of it. You cannot compare the positions of the two but I know which is more admiring of and its not the selfie obsessed ex PM.
He will be as far away from the UN as he can possibly be, away from the machinations that go on there. His job out there will be to help the people of South Sudan where his life will constantly be in danger – Key never had the bottle for anything like that – Pucky you never give up – Key was a selfish me me me person, he never gave a jot for this country and the fact that so many people thought the sun shone out of his ass is a terrible indictment of the morals and ethics of such a lot of people. How has it come about that there are still so many fogged up and their antennae all skewed and could not see through this sham of a man. It was staring all of us in the face so plainly – go back Pucky and watch John Campbell’s programme “Meet the Leaders” and see how much he bothered with his wife on the programme, it was shameful – JC saw it but then he has his antennae right in tune. The man is a shallow hollow man – get used to it.
Hes an intelligent, erudite and a complete troll. When he states how he thinks Labour will sweep to power, despite the abundance of polls and polling that suggest otherwise, he’s doing it because he knows he’ll get a reaction
Actually I come for the humour, for the education (yes I do listen to some people), to get a different viewpoint, to pass the working day, for all types of things
and what I’ve noticed is that most of the posters here probably have a lot more in common then there are differences
Bryan Gould was the most left wing contender for the leadership of UK Labour in the mid 1990’s. So I guess for him a centrist like John Key is a hardline neo-liberal (or “dedicated ideologue”). That also seems to be the default setting of most commenters on this site.
However, if that is how Labour is going to try and position National, they will fail. It hasn’t worked for 8 years and it won’t work for the next election.
But MMP will provide an opening. Winston is likely to hold the balance of power and will therefore decide the next government.
If National is quite close to 50% it might be hard for him to ignore the public legitimacy that confers, especially if Labour is below 30%. On the other hand if that is the case he can pretty much demand Labour give him the PM ship for the first two years as the price of power.
I wonder where Bryan stands in relation to Jeremy Corbyn. He must know him quite well since they spent more than 10 years in the Hose of Commons together. Does he think Jeremy is the answer, or not?
How about debating the issue rather than shooting the messenger.
‘It is John Key’s politics, not his personality, that have produced these intended outcomes. They have been produced not by a relaxed middle-of-the-roader but by a dedicated ideologue. ‘
The political attitudes of people tend to influence their opinions. None of us are immune to that.
Bryan’s writings over the years show he is a man of the left, so what I perceive as the centre, will be for him hard right, the product of a “dedicated ideologue”.
Nothing wrong in pointing that out.
Pat, I see no evidence that John Key was anything other than moderate right of centre. If Standardnista’s want to believe the something different, fine, but don’t expect it to go uncontested.
The policies of Key would have been far right of most National and Conservative parties of the 70s. Then he would have been seen as an extremist.
But, thanks to relentless propaganda from right wing think tanks and willing politicians like yourself, the Overton window has moved far to the right.
John Key was totally chameleon and “blokey” in his behaviour.
English and Bennett haven’t got any chance of keeping that up. If their honeymoon lasts until the New Year they will be lucky. After that it will all turn to custard.
I said Labour now “appear” far left, not Andrew. His job is to inform and engage those voters that flee at the mere suggestion of social policies as being on the verge of a communist dictatorship. Not easy, in this highly reactive, tribal, sensation seeking climate.
Special investigation: How Mt Eden’s private prison went from golden child to a misfit
A week, they say, is a long time in politics. A few months can be swift and brutal.
April, 2015, Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga stands in Parliament to face questions about the private prison operator, Serco.
“In the last prison performance table, might I just add, Serco’s Mt Eden Corrections Facility was the most exceptional prison,” he tells the House.
Serco Mt Eden: the golden child.
July, 2015, Lotu-Iiga is back on his feet in Parliament.
“I am appalled at the images that were shown in the last week that have come out of our corrections facilities,” he says, in reference to the YouTube footage of Mt Eden Fight Clubs.
Sam has always been a scape goat. Now he is standing down from his portfolio as well as not seeking re-election. Once again we hear the excuse of ‘family reasons’ for his decision, frequently used excuse of late.. ‘family reasons’
There should be an early election, all these Nat MP’s simply giving up, how many now.. seven or so of them about to quit, but hanging in there until next election, using the excuse of not wanting the tax payer to foot out for a by-election, while they continue to get a salary for a job they are no longer interested in.
Get some guts Bill and see if the people really want you and your party that is falling apart to lead NZ. This is NOT what many voted for, your government is wasting our tax payer money by paying salaries for quitters.
Early Election
Judith I’d say you will have some questions to address today.
Part of me has always felt a bit sorry for Sam. He, along with Alfred Ngaro, was an obviously uncomfortable “fiapalagi” prop to Keydashian’s widely and pridefully bugled election-time swings through South Auckland. The two of them by their presence purporting to verify a picture of Keydashian as the deserving beneficiary of Polynesian “fa’aaloalo ma talitonuina” (respect and trust).
A total crock of course but nothing like a spot of triennial smiling/anagram/sliming when someone has something you want. Going by what I’ve observed during long and close association with various mature and well-established members of Sam’s own aiga indeed, there was always lots of private tittering about that whole carry-on. For the rank bullshit of it. As bullshitty and insulting as Sam’s assertion on TV a couple of years ago that saving-up the 20% deposit on a $650,000 house is reasonably do-able by ordinary people.
I’ve seen no more heartfelt regard for Keydashian than for Tuilaepa. Tune in to Auckland’s Samoan talkback radio some time.
Judith hailed Serco’s entry into Mt Eden prison but Sam has got the chop. let’s wait and see where he pops up. National always reward those they use to make themselves look like “clearing out” with plumb, well paid jobs. Mike Sabin anyone?
A crap interview by Espiner he got his come up ins this morning from Winston
and the interview with Blinglish was even worse the day before rather weak to say the least it was a save our funding interview in other words we wont ask the hard questions he might cut our funding again even worse he might get rid us like they got rid of Campbell
Oh dear. Did he drop another cigarette onto his pin-striped, double breasted, booze sodden suit and set himself alight again?
He really needs someone with him at all times to keep him from harm.
I listened to that interview and its quite amazing stream of consciousness ramblings. As always he reverted to talking about the Wine Box affair, the highlight of his life, at least in his own failing memory.
Winston today was best summed up by a little item in the introduction to the book of “Yes Minister” episodes.
Talking about Sir Humphrey it says –
” …. before the advancing years, without in any way impairing his verbal fluency, disengaged the operation of his mind from the content of his speech.”
Sums the old fellow up beautifully doesn’t it? It will be a sad loss when he stumbles out of the House for the last time.
I’ve noticed in the last week or so that all these barbs being shot at Winston. It’s like something happened so that right-wing criticism about alcohol use suddenly became ok – it’s almost as if there is no around to take a hit on the return volley.
The last two times Winston has gone into coalition it has always been with the largest party, will you still say the same thing when Winston (most likely) goes with National?
Good call. Winston believes the tide is turning on this and has stated his position. Bill must be freaking out right now having forgotten what it’s like to be in the top job.
Good to see your bitter arse paining Alwyn. Your reason for taking breath having fucked off. Poor diddums……left all alone in Jonestown. Hurt hard troll !
Are you still around?
I thought you had gone back to your Kindergarten and left the adults to talk.
You still owe me an apology by the way. Remember?
Or is you memory like Winnies?
“Child Poverty Action Group: The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, proving that any Government efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on children are insignificant.
That the numbers remain so persistently high demonstrates that poverty among New Zealand children is enduring and long-term. Policies have made little to no change for the better for many children.”
If we review the Key years, the trends are unmistakable. Business interests have been given top priority, social and environmental issues have been increasingly relegated to the second or third rank. Public assets have been privatised and the public sector and public spending have been subject to constant cuts, the law has been changed when required to suit the interests of overseas corporations.
Workers’ rights have been reduced, employers have been given more power. Child poverty, and poverty more generally, has increased and life on benefits is tougher. The rich have enjoyed tax cuts. Homelessness has re-appeared in our midst and owning their own home is now beyond many young Kiwis; those already owning their own homes and property speculators in particular have made fortunes from soaring house prices.
“The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, proving that any Government efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on children are insignificant.”
Which can also be re-written as:
“while there have been improvements in the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, even in light of a Global Financial Crisis, more need to to be done to make further significant improvements”
There you go, same content, drop the negativity, add context and make your point.
Also: “The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty”
I would have thought that a near 50% reduction in cases if SUDI, approx 40% drop in deaths from conditions with a social gradient, >50% reduction in deaths from assault, neglect or maltreatment, and an approx 20% reduction in hospitalisations due to assault, neglect or maltreatment would be classed as significant…
Child Poverty Action Group – I am free if you would like people to actually read and think more in depth about what you are saying, rather than just immediately switching off to the negativity. Hell, you may even get the Government to buy into your message.
I didn’t vote Internet Mana because I’m a strategic voter. Never voted Labour because there’s always been something to the left (apart from the first time I voted and then I voted an independent). I’d vote for Harre in a flash in the electorate vote, and could easily see her in either Labour or the Greens. She’d be a great asset as a left wing MP in any party, which is the point you seem to be deliberately trying to obscure.
Righties trying to make out they know what left wing voters want, lolz.
Well Robert I think I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one, people will see Liala and think KDC
However I maybe attempting a double bluff and secretly I’m scared of Laila coming back…so it might best if Laila if Laila goes for an electorate seat maybe even a really high profile seat so everyone knows Lailas with Labour 🙂
It wasn’t public money so I don’t know what you’re so upset about. Unlike National of course who aren’t shy about using public money to give sub 1% parties a leg up into parliament.
I’m not but I’m pointing out that even with the colossal amount of money and free publicity Laila Harre couldn’t get a seat especially given how highly you rate her
Laila didn’t stand for Mana. She was the leader of the Internet Party. Yes I understand there was an alliance, but giving Laila credit for increasing Mana’s vote is a very long stretch.
Where did say she had nothing to do with them? I was simply pointing out she can’t be given any credit for Mana’s increase in vote. In fact, given the influence of the IP, Hone did incredibly well to get any votes.
My friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges,
and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation.
Helen Keller
Brownlee is a failure in Defence, the auditor general was not impressed with his department. Maybe his health is hindering his performance, probably more like a lack of skills and experience in that role is the problem.
“I was disappointed to note that the Defence Force did not adequately assess material changes in the fair value of its assets on a timely basis. Without enough assurance on this matter, both the Defence Force and my appointed auditor had to carry out substantial additional work, which led to significant delays. This is unacceptable. I stress that it is important for entities to prepare accounts in a timely manner and to an appropriate level of quality.”
Another area of interest is housing and the value of government owned housing especially in regards to their ongoing search for community buyers in order to create the much opposed sale of state owned assets…. outgoing government likes those house prices to be kept high, it makes their asset base appear more inflated.
Having trouble finding buyers? Why not offer some of the properties to first home buyers at a good rate, sure you won’t make the massive profit that you accounted for, but hey looks like you want to flick them off below value anyway, zero deposit rent to own, that would give many a bit more of a chance at living, after all they are just sitting empty, wasting away during a housing crisis excuse me building boom lolz
“The valuation of the Government’s investment in its social housing portfolio (primarily held by Housing New Zealand) is based on the highest and best use and on comparable market sales data for each individual property. In the year ended 30 June 2016, the value of the social housing stock increased by $3.2 billion, largely as a result of increases in the value of Auckland properties.
2.47
As part of the Social Housing Reform Programme, the Government announced that it is taking steps towards transferring ownership of some Housing New Zealand houses and tenancies to registered community housing providers. This has raised some specific accounting issues.
2.48
We identified this matter because of the judgement involved in determining the appropriate accounting treatment for social houses proposed to be transferred to community housing providers, either sold or redeveloped as part of the Government’s social housing reform programme.”
Jacinda Ardern is considering Mt Albert. She will humiliate in that seat the next token minority National puts up.
Perhaps National will dig up a gay, climate-change denying Ethiopian refugee as the face of their campaign in a desperate attempt to appear relevant and diverse.
It’s an impressive sustained rise by NZFirst there.
Would expect National to go even higher on the back of the dominant media coverage surrounding both the Kaikoura earthquakes and the leadership change.
There’s very, very little space for Labour or other Opposition figures in the media until February 2017.
Also very hard to see significant %% of voters switching away from National into 2017.
Wow, how impressive was the nose dive that Cunliffe took Labour on! I haven’t look at his term as leader of the opposition like that before.
Based on Shearer having Labour in the mid-30’s, and Cunliffe taking Labour to the low 20’s, I now completely agree with Andrew Little and a number of commentators here, Labour should ignore the center and move further left.
Sure, I used to be in the Coromandel electorate (1999 and 2002) when Jeanette Fitzsimons was the local MP. I thought she was a brilliant, straight up local MP and I was still in a FPP mind set so gave both of my votes to her.
2005 I opposed Labour’s interest free student loans (even though I had a huge student debt at that point), and didn’t like Don Brash’s racially divisive tactics, so I held my nose and voted Winston First.
2008 – 2014 I voted National. I was sick of politics by this stage, but John Key’s move to work with Helen Clark and Sue Bradford on the ‘anti-smacking’ legislation, plus his centrist policy platform and general pragmatism leading up to the election lead me to vote National, and I haven’t seen a viable alternative since (except maybe The Greens again at the last election).
I had been considering TOP at the next election until they ruled out pushing the Big Kahuna in their first term.
I keep coming back here as my interest in politics has increased since becoming a Dad, and I found I am nowhere near as far right as Whaleoil or Kiwiblog commenters.
EDIT: I do miss seeing comments from Lanthanide and CV recently, they generally seemed to be the most closely aligned with my own beliefs
There’s a weird spritzer-gulping species that does take a holiday from National and vote Green from time to time. Met quite a few. Influenced principally by their freeholding, maybe even cross-lease, in the well-leafed suburbs in which they reside. It’s a ‘pro-test’. Real hard out bastards. On the ramparts. “Patu Squad” and all that. Hehehehe.
Yes, there are a few like the above, CV, Lanthanide, Ad, and David Farrar who simply and blindly hate Labour. They skirt around Labour to the left and right but can’t explain why.
“They skirt around Labour to the left and right but can’t explain why.”
Why would anyone vote Labour? If you want a neo-liberal party you vote National, if you want a party with social and environmental conscience vote Greens. Labour sort of sits in between tinkering without thinking of consequences of their actions (see WFF, Interest Free student loans, Seabed and Foreshore etc.), at least National are open about what they are and The Greens stick to their principles.
Ha, well I don’t fit that mold North, try a ‘brown bottle’ beer drinking renter, living in Otahuhu which is pretty far from a ‘well-leafed suburb’!
In fact, you couldn’t have gotten it any more wrong!
Wonder why Key liked him so much.
His impartiality?
“And can I make one special thank you to the best pollster in New Zealand — and don’t charge us more for it — David Farrar, who got his numbers right!”
The biggest news that dwarfs all other news.
We need a thread to discuss what is going on in the Arctic.
Parts of the Arctic were an average of 11 degrees Celsius warmer than they were in the late 20th century as the region experienced “extreme record temperature anomalies”, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said.
The report found the average annual air temperature over land areas was the “highest in the observational record” at 3.5C above 1900. Sea ice levels also fell to the lowest since satellite records began in 1979.
These are both likely to indicate the warmest Arctic weather for tens of thousands of years.
The Arctic has a considerable effect on the northern hemisphere’s weather with some experts saying the rapid warming of the region – more than twice the global average – could produce “catastrophic” extreme weather events
for much of the planet.
“For Arctic researchers, communicating the impacts of our discoveries has taken on an unprecedented urgency in the face of environmental change that – in many instances – is outpacing our ability to understand and explain the changes we are witnessing,” the report said.
Professor Peter Wadhams, the head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at Cambridge University and author of the book, A Farewell to Ice, warned the loss of snow cover, which has hit a record low, and sea ice was speeding up global warming.
“I calculate that between them they are causing the effective heating of the planet to be 50 per cent higher than would be caused by the added greenhouse gases alone – entirely due to snow and ice retreat,” he told the Independent in an email.
Professor Wadhams suggested that Arctic sea ice was “well and truly set on a collapse”.
And this, he warned, could have a dramatic and sudden effect on global temperatures.
“The warm sea water melts the offshore permafrost, which releases methane trapped in the sediments below,” Professor Wadhams said.
“There is potential for a catastrophic methane pulse which cause immediate warming of up to 0.6C , according some calculations which we did in [the journal] Nature a couple of years back.
Problem is PR Labour is not the party of the rich and powerful. They can’t pay them off or find them a good little lurk somewhere among the pile of quangos and other such bodies.
Jilted MPs who don’t get looked after have a habit of turning on their former pollie masters. The political landscape is full of them.
Puhlease….the Nats and Labour are both past masters at lining up current and former MPs with diplomatic postings, appointments to boards and appointments to such nebulous rorts as the film and literature review office and ltes not talk about the bipartisan annual rort that is the speakers tour.
You are correct. Both parties fill diplomatic postings etc. with their own people. They would be crazy to do otherwise. I’m not talking about those sort of positions. Now what’s the name of that National Party trust? Ahhh, that’s right, its called the Waitemata Trust…
I suspect Foss is in a sulk now his ex squash partner is gone, and he now intends to work full time on his investment portfolio that he’s so damnably proud of.
Craig Foss to step down, another National Party MP resigns for ‘family reasons’ and does not want to stand down until next year to avoid a by election.
Told ya’s the National Party is falling apart, most of their MP’s hearts aren’t in the job, but they are happy to collect the salary until next year using the excuse of ‘avoiding the tax payer the cost of a by election”
FFS THE CITIZENS OF NZ DEMAND AN EARLY ELECTION!!
WHERE ON EARTH HAS OUR DEMOCRACY GONE ?
1. John Key – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
2. Hekia Parata – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
3. Craig Foss – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
4. Sam Lotu-liga – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
5. Chester Borrows – want;s to do something different, awaiting the courts in regards to a careless driving causing injury charge.
6. Jono Naylor – quits after one term in parliament
7. Lindsay Tisch – quits for family reasons
8. Murray McCully (standing down in his electorate MAY stay on the list instead)
9. English is the same (quitting his electorate for the list),
That’s quite a number of Nat MP’s. No wonder they don’t want an early election, they’ve much work to do.
As for the general public as suggested I’ve been asking around, many National supporters feel let down that English is PM.
Why is everyone leaving for ‘family reasons’ ? Is it because the National Party is a toxic environment at present? These events scream instability to me
What would be interesting is looking at the average length of tenure across the MPs of the 3 (4) major parties.
I’m thinking there would be little difference between Labour and National with third place going to NZ (with the Winnie outlier discounted) and the Green party being the most rejuvenated over the last ten years or so.
WTF? He taught the lesson. It was English who first tried to brand the National Party as more of a centrist, caring party between the hard-line Shipley and Brash periods.
Ho Ho Santa Claus I’ve bigger fish to fry than spending time conducting polls, I’ll just keep listening to the people, and seeing this is an amazing tourist town, there will be plenty of them to converse with. People tend to open up to me, not sure why, but one learns so much by listening.
Crikey you never know, might take a wander around some camping grounds with my note book in hand, ALL walks of life come here for summer.
Where the tourist are from kinda of depends on what day it is.. during the week this last month you will find most shopping in the supermarket have accents.
During the weekend it’s different, many NZer’s flock to Motueka and many more are coming, already the main road is congested, it’s that time of year when one ditches the car for the bike around town, it’s quicker and easier.
Nothing is more fun on a holiday than having a political person coming around the campground with a notebook interrupting family time. Especially when you start trotting out your “outgoing government” and “Alpha Andy” sayings.
I’ve this one comment that is a sure fire conversation starter, simple interesting, and all one has to do is listening after saying it.. goes like this..
“Gosh I was shocked last week when John Key resigned”
And it’s all the encouragement people need, everyone has an opinion on his resignation.
Seeing Hosking pop up is an absurd departure from those rules. People seem to be annoyed by different aspects of his character: his incessant pen-clicking, his vacuum cleaner fetish, his short attention span, his tendency to talk over female co-hosts, his unshakeable certainty on complex topics he seems to know little about, his smug, intolerant, I’m-alright-Jack approach to the world.
But for everyone, there’s something about the man that grates. I’ve yet to meet anyone who was an unqualified fan of the man (although I’ve never met Kate Hawkesby, who I assume must think he’s alright, and I’ve never met Hosking, which isn’t surprising as he’s never agreed to an interview with this organisation in my memory). For me, it’s all of the above. But I can (and do) avoid him. But now I can’t.
The saving grace is that Hosking’s role in the in-flight video is to sit in his flash car in a traffic jam, looking annoyed.
But in reality, Hosking’s part in the Air NZ video is of course, to show that the Great Mike can have a good old laugh at himself. And of course, as we’ve seen over and over again in his pompous Seven Sharp sermons, he can’t.
Many of Air NZ’s repeat customers have sat through Dagg’s one-note rap on multiple occasions with commendable restraint, never once ripping the screen from the seat in front.
Whether they can survive multiple views of the Hosk is less certain.
Air NZ safety ad – brown(ish?) really is the new black……but of course living and working in the Bay of Islands/Hokianga I already knew that, as to the real brown at least. Can’t withhold the lament that it’s a pity the racists/classists who skitter nervously by the Kaikohe District Court, nostrils clenched shut (metaphorical me), don’t appreciate that. Also…….can’t for the life of me imagine why anyone thought a cameo by scarecrowishly slight, grimacing, impatient, entitled, mutton-as-lamb, white dork Hosking…….that this works for the safety of any fucking thing. It’s Judge Judy in skinny jeans on meth’. Must have been some special ‘tatou tatou bro’ going on down in Aux when this got made.
An absolutely fantastic piece by Stephanie Rodgers has been published in Overland today. The subject is “Solidarity” and is essential reading for those on the left IMO.
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 ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
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There is more than one truth to tell in the awful story of Aleppo
Robert Fisk
Joe90 and others regurgitating Jihadi and US propaganda – please read.
Western media lies about Syria exposed (Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VNQGsiP8M
Why Everything You Hear About Aleppo Is Wrong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8mA0h7dCKI
It’s bloody concerning how they did the pamphlet drop and have now herded up the people into one area, and the events that have followed over the last few days.
Such as Syrian government going into houses, executing people, and as a result of them being so trigger happy many women and children have died.
Now the army are grabbing any men that head into the ‘protected area’ where the rest of the ‘herd’ are, then giving them a gun and telling them they are now in the Syrian Army.
ALJazeera are now doing almost continuous live coverage of these events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YnlX4CkPDY
Did you read Robert Fisk’s article?
Al Jazeera is not a reliable source on Syria.
Al Jazeera’s controversies and criticism
Al Jazeera reporter resigns over “biased” Syria coverage
Al Jazeera: From Media Power To Laughing Stock
Thanks for the info, that’s sad about AJs apparent dodgy agenda re Syria.
AJ is the only news channel i have on my tv so i do watch a bit of it, love the listening post.
I wonder where is a reliable independent non aligned middle eastern news provider?
And thanks so much for all the links you have provided on Syria, it’s much appreciated Paul. Cheers for that.
I don’t think is a reliable independent non aligned middle eastern news provider.
However there are some freelance independent non aligned journalists.
Patrick Cockburn.
The rebels of Aleppo will fight on, but Assad is taking their last power base in Syria
This is why everything you’ve read about the wars in Syria and Iraq could be wrong
Robert Fisk
There’s one key difference between the Second World War and the Syrian conflict – the rebels of Aleppo are no heroes
Eva Bartlett and Vanessa Beeley (both linked above by Paul) have been providing good info. One problem, (and Eva Bartlett touched on it in the vid link above) is that the non-mainstream left media has been going with the same narrative as the mainstream liberal media. That means their first hand accounts get no oxygen from the likes of ‘Democracy Now’ and other reasonably well regarded outlets. So less well regarded outlets are used.
Which then leads to the charge that they are right wing conspiracy nuts.
But you know, even just reading the Guardian with half a brain engaged would allow anyone to figure we’ve been fed a tsunami of bullshit. Mosul is the same situation as Aleppo, and yet the reporting could hardly be any more different. (Mosul seems to have dropped off the pages now – too difficult to square that circle I guess).
Look at the sources used by The Guardian and others. Always voices purporting to come from within non-government areas and always (it seems) filtered through Syrian Rights Observatory (a one man operation based in England), or footage and claims made by the ‘White Helmets’ (created by an ex-military Englishmen with historical links to Blackwater and other such orgs) being picked up on and reported on with no accompanying critical thought or analysis.
Never interviews with people who have sought the safe haven of government held areas. Never interviews with people who have been subjected to mortar attack in Western Aleppo. Never any video footage from there either.
And as Fisk points out, in the words of ‘our’ media terrorists ‘retake’ cities while cities ‘fall’ to the government.
And so it goes.
Thankfully, and at last, the tsunami of bullshit may be breaking. And thanks for the comments/postings Paul.
Thanks Bill as well for your info, and Paul I’ll look towards where both you fellas directed, really appreciate both of your comments and insight.
For example, let’s look at RNZ’s news today.
Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations’ Dr Zaidoun al-Zoabi told Morning Report the situation is “the worst ever”.
“These are the most terrifying times humanity’s seen, if there is anything called humanity.”
What is the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations?
http://www.uossm.org/who_we_are
http://www.uossm.us/history
Mosul is the same situation as Aleppo…
This is part of that “tsunami of bullshit” you mention. A few differences between Mosul and Aleppo:
1. Mosul actually is occupied by Da’Esh, unlike Aleppo.
2. The rebels in Aleppo are part of an uprising against a brutal dictatorship, while the people occupying Mosul are part of an uprising against secularism, democracy, human rights and anything else that’s good about the modern world.
3. The forces attacking Mosul aren’t carrying out indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilian neighbourhoods, unlike the forces attacking Aleppo.
4. The forces attacking Mosul haven’t deliberately destroyed every hospital available to the people trapped there. This and 3 above are the main explanation for the different media coverage of the two battles.
5. The forces attacking Mosul aren’t rejecting out of hand cease-fire requests from the defenders, unlike those attacking Aleppo. (True, they might reject cease-fire requests if Da’esh were to make any, but no such requests will be made – another difference.)
You really do need to do some reading PM.
btw. Just on number 5.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/13/deal-reached-to-evacuate-rebels-and-civilians-from-aleppo
And here’s the thing. This is the tactic of the Syrian government as voiced by Assad (make of that what you will). Promise safe passage for armed foreign terrorists out of populated areas. Then re-engage with the intention of driving them out of Syria.
You, Paul and Morrissey always declare me poorly-informed, as though I’d surely develop an enthusiasm for illiberal authoritarian nationalism if only I read up on it a bit more. It’s almost comical.
In the Syrian civil war, there is no ideological superiority to be had – it’s not objectively worse for western countries and the Gulf states to support the Syrian rebels than it is for Russia and Iran to support the Assad regime. The reign of terror that Assad is about to start in east Aleppo will be a terrible crime against humanity, but probably won’t be hugely different from the one that rebel groups would embark on if they’d won.
Those things don’t make Assad and Russia the villains of media reporting on this conflict. What makes them the villains is their campaign of aerial bombardment against the civilian population, emergency workers and hospitals of east Aleppo. No amount of energetic false-equivalence finger-pointing by illiberal authoritarians on this blog or elsewhere can alter that.
RNZ news reporting on Syria at 12 May as well be renamed ‘The Voice of Saudi Arabia’ given its unremitting bias.
This stream of discussion shows just how disconnected from the mainstream some of the commenters on this site are.
How many people are you going to convince that the actions of the western coalition against ISIS are as bad as Assad’s forces?
I would suggest virtually no-one.
I would also note that Fisk does not help his case by his vitriol against the current British PM. It makes him look like an Assad puppet.
ISIS would be pretty quick to say that hospitals and schools are the targets of the western coalition if they could do so.
In contrast bombing hospitals seems to be the modus operandi of Assad and his Russian helpers.
In short, you are up against it trying to portray Assad as the noble liberator of his people.
I regard the views of Patrick Cockburn and Robert Fisk way above the new writers on , RNZ, Fairfax and NZME.
For someone who was once a poltician, you appear hopelessly ill-informed.
Fisk and Cockburn are not ‘ trying to portray Assad as the noble liberator of his people.’ Clearly you have not read the articles, yet feel comfortable commenting on them.
Typical Tory. Willfully ignorant.
You need to do a lot more reading on the subject.
Fisk and Cockburn are not ‘ trying to portray Assad as the noble liberator of his people.’
No, Paul, they aren’t, and wouldn’t. That’s the task you and other regime apologists have taken on, which is presumably why Wayne pointed it out.
Show me where I have done that.
Wayne, one of the things Frisk might be angry about is the British PM off selling arms to the Saudis.
Now if you have talked to any US or British vets you will know the one thing they hate above all the bureaucratic BS, is fighting guys who are using weapons made by them. I was a dinner a while a go with some Yanks, and they got quite upset talking about finding terrorist’s with brand new US equipment. Also some of the pome’s I’ve talked to have said the same thing, in one case worse, because the jihadist’s had some ammunition they could not get.
So from a purely military view point, it does seem some of the politicians are right tossers when it comes to making a buck selling arms. I’m not sure the British PM selling arms to the Saudi’s is going to endear her to her own troops.
Keep up the good work Paul and adam. The western propaganda is slowly being exposed but sadly the damage is done and the incorrect beliefs are now ingrained in so many westerners. We must all realize that in war truth is the first casualty, but the blind acceptance of either sides version is still prevalent( on both sides).
As with the Vietnam war when the truth finally comes out it certainly exposes the bullshit the west promulgates . Nothing has changed.
Thanks garibaldi
Many have forgotten the lies behind weapons of mass destruction.
It should be noted that only 2 Arabian/Persian Gulf States use beheading as a form of execution – Saudi Arabia and (Assad’s & Iraq’s) ally Iran (although last used in 2001). Benin and Yemen are the only 2 other states that use beheading as a legal form of execution. As an aside Iran executes twice as many people a year than Saudi (although it has twice the population), About 45% are for drug offences (which is roughly the same proportion as in Saudi).
It’s interesting how we in the “West” now seem to resile at beheading over other forms of execution (as if the death penalty is acceptable in any other form) however France used beheading for execution up to 1981 (last execution in 1977), Sweden executed its second to last criminal – mass murderer Johan Filip Nordlund – by a manual cleaver in 1900, replacing it with a guillotine, which was then used for the first and only time in 1910 (death penalty abolished there in 1921). Beheading by guillotine survived in West Germany until 1949 and in East Germany until 1966 (also 40,000 Germans were legally executed under the Nazi regime, most of them by guillotine).
We may have got there before some of the rest of the world in finding beheading as an unacceptable form of execution but not by that much.
I’m sure that Key will receive a knighthood for services to private businesses in enabling exploitation of migrant workers for cheap labour http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11766210
Arise, Slur John Key.
ñìçě1
From smiling assassin to SirJohn the welfare dissecting surgeon
Part of the ‘brighter future’ he promised.
That and tax dodging multi-nationals.
Tax dodging multinationals
Can immigrant workers join a union in NZ? Does anyone know please?
I assume so because I found this page…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNEMIG Union Network of Migrants
Union Network of Migrants is a network of migrant workers within FIRST Union. FIRST UNEMIG is migrant led, non-profit and non-sectarian.
UNEMIG aims to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers in New Zealand.
http://firstunion.org.nz/unemig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for that much appreciated
I don’t think he will receive a knighthood in New Zealand at all. He will get a well deserved award of the Order of New Zealand. He deserves it a great deal more that many of the hacks who have got it in the past.
The Queen on the other hand may make him the third New Zealand member of the Knights of the Garter.
” He will get a well deserved award of the Order of New Zealand. ”
for what? doing his job?
i get that thats how many are handed out now – but explain why it would be well deserved
“for what? doing his job?”
It is the reason that David Lange, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger and Helen Clark got it.
I think, although I may be in a minority among those who contribute here, that he was at least the equal of any of that group.
On the other hand he is vastly more significant that Sonja Davies, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan and Jonathon Hunt ever were. How they got into the top 20 living New Zealanders at any time is beyond me.
I believe, for all his faults, Lange would have run rings around Key.
Question time would have been fun, wouldn’t it?
It wouldn’t have mattered which one was the Prime Minister and which the Leader of the Opposition.
Geez imagine a leaders debate between Lange and Key, that’d be a ratings winner
Lange would probably win but he’d have to be on the top of his game
Key can’t handle it when under pressure.
Far too used to a compliant media.
Cracks when really questioned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfUozKMgA-Y
“Key can’t handle it when under pressure.
Far too used to a compliant media.
Cracks when really questioned.”.
You are living in a dream world Paul.
Just the way Helen Clark did before the first Leader’s debate in 2008.
Just as John Campbell did before his session with Key on the GCSB.
In both cases Key took them apart.
You, like them, forget what Key’s profession was before he went in for politics. People in the Forex dealers profession have no nerves. They simply don’t crack under pressure. They cannot do the job if they don’t have that characteristic.
he deserves nothing just like he hasn’t given nothing
He gave massive tax cuts to the rich and the corporations.
They’ll thank him for that.
He delivered what Wall St wanted so he is guaranteed of a gong.
@ amirite (2) .. Yep spot on there. And don’t forget the treason, selling NZ off bit by bit, interfering with our sovereignty by attempting to change the flag, then trying to really sell us down the river with the (now failed) TPPA.
Qualifications for a knighthood indeed. Seems most of the confidence tricksters get one eventually.
New Year honours coming up. The title Sir (John Key) should have some pathetic clout with his Hollywood mates, Wall St and the likes! They go for anything with a bit of fancy decoration to it, even if it does stink to high heaven through the shit sticking to it. It’s all about facade and that’s what Key has been the past 8 years, a facade, fabricated by Crosby/Textor, much to the detriment of NZ!
Recommended reading for Puckish Rogue:
“Finally, Key made his way, waving, down the steps of Parliament, as he was greeted and applauded by every suck-up loser he’d ever seen or worked with in the capital. He hated most of them, but he shook their hands and hugged them anyway.
“You’ll fail,” he whispered in Bill English’s ear, before hopping into his crown car, and disappearing into the foggy wilderness of our memories.”
The Civilian dismisses Key, elegantly.
Lalalalala I can’t hear you
In a decade or so we’ll look back at the time of Slur John Keys leadership as a highpoint in our democracy 🙂
Yes, a real high point when your leader abuses young women.
Even his sycophants could see that.
Today I’m embarrassed John Key is Prime Minister
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihReeJg08ns
I know and it explains perfectly why National slumped to the high 40s, oh wait they didn’t because most of NZ saw it for what it was, a political hit job manufactured by Bradbury
Sorry to see you support sexual abuse.
Just as long as the polls are high, eh?
Anything to support the Dear Leader.
Contemptible.
Why bother ranting about Key…in case you didn’t notice he’s resigned.
in case you hadn’t heard his replacement wants to continue the same agenda.
..and why wouldn’t he when the Nats are cruising in the high 40s.
First rule of politics heading into an election…if you are in power and have strong support avoid doing anything that might spook the horses.
odd…I thought the first rule of politics was there are no rules?
…..horses are looking pretty jittery , but don’t worry, bubbly Paula will calm them down.
I see Tracy Watkins talking up Bennett on stuff as NZ most famous westie? What a load of shit! maybe in her head but more like NZ most loathed westie.
must say i love reading that, it sure does not get old… Resigned, Key has resigned. Gives me a sense of great happiness and optimism.
“Sorry to see you support sexual abuse.”
What sexual abuse?
“Just as long as the polls are high, eh?”
Its certainly a better gauge of how the voting public then posting in an echo chamber
“Anything to support the Dear Leader.”
Helen Clark left the building awhile ago, also around the same time Labour had any chance of winning an election
“Contemptible.”
You really are a dreary and, worst of all, boring person
Pulling someone’s pony tail against their stated wishes is sexual abuse.
No it isn’t
Assault, I’d have thought. Certainly became an international embarrassment for Key. Bet he wishes he’d taken his wife’s advice and grown up a little, kept his hands to himself and behaved as a Prime Minister should.
Careful Robert, that didn’t sound over the top, in fact that sounded reasonable so you better watch yourself or you’ll be accused of being a Key lover
I would call it sexual harassment. Which is serious enough. It’s also physical assault, and abuse of positional/institutional power.
+1
there is bullying involved too.
yep.
Describe what Key did then to the waitress.
Sexual abuse? Wow. That escalated quickly.
Describe what Key did then to the waitress.
He pulled her pony tail, would a pat on the arm also be sexual abuse. mild assault at best and yes abuse of power but sexual abuse, get real
So you condone sexual harassment and physical assault if it doesn’t affect poll ratings?
+1
Sexual abuse?
It is hyperbole like this which explains a lot about why we are languishing at record low poll levels
Describe what Key did then to the waitress.
For Pukish Rogue, Enough is Enough, and Sam C the following is the link to the account by the waitress of key’s treatment of her.
When you’ve read it you will be able to do as Paul suggests, and describe what key did to her.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/22/exclusive-the-prime-minister-and-the-waitress/
You’re welcome.
Sorry Brigid but I don’t read The Daily Blog, its so unbalanced and unreliable you can’t take anything on there (except Chris Trotter) seriously
So the waitress’s account of what key’s interaction with her was, is unbalanced and unreliable. How do you know that?
You are just too afraid to read it aren’t you.
Sorry Brigid but I don’t read The Daily Blog, its so unbalanced and unreliable you can’t take anything on there (except Chris Trotter) seriously
Oh good, everyone can stop reading your comments now too.
Hi Weka
I thought I’d take a play out of the lefts playbook
“that commentator/website/newspaper is on the right therefore I won’t read it which means your argument is invalid”
Its a good one isn’t it 😉
It might be if left wing people actually did that. But since they don’t, you’re talking shit 🙂
(myself, I don’t avoid WO and KB because they’re right wing, I avoid them because they neoliberal, neo-fascist, dangerous bullies. Which is a different thing entirely).
Pukish Rogue has the name John Key stamped on his backside so has difficulties recognizing the former prime minister as a pervert. No wonder his two children have issues.
I think I have No Entry on my backside but that’s beside the point. What issues does John Keys kids have pray tell?
It’s not hyperbole.
it’s not but the term is wrong. It’s sexual harassment and physical assault.
+1 Weka.
OK,, I take your point.
So pr and others are happy to condone sexual harassment and physical assault as long as it doesn’t damage the polls.
Yep. Typical of Authoritarian Followers. They will always defend their leaders no matter how despicable their leaders actions are.
Draco, I find their actions and words repulsive and contemptible.
Good for you Paul if it makes you feel better
“So pr and others are happy to condone sexual harassment and physical assault as long as it doesn’t damage the polls.”
Pretty much.
“Sexual abuse?
It is hyperbole like this which explains a lot about why we are languishing at record low poll levels”
Very true E is E, clearly your judgement is NOT clouded by KDS.
“…a political hit job manufactured by Bradbury.”
Do you have evidence to support this statement or are you making shit up?
Of course he does not.
pr is a troll.
My understanding is that there is a lot of political gaming involved.
Regardless of that – JK pulled the ponytail. So in this case he was his own worse enemy. It would only be a political hit job if he HAD NOT pulled it.
Thus – no hit job, just gaming with the release of the info, which lets face it every political party would do.
However – the majority of people dont see it as the big sexual assault that some on here would like to make it out to be.
“some on here would like to make it out to be.”
what do you call a grown adult male, repeatedly, over several months, seeking out a young woman and pulling her hair?
A miss understanding of familiarity and stupid
Stupid for sure – sexual assault – nope.
Not just stupid, but sexual harassment, physical harassment, abuse of his position of power, and bullying.
Some above were confusing ‘sexual abuse’ with ‘sexual harassment/physical assault’, but that doesn’t mean that what Key did was merely an error of judgement. It had real world impacts on the person he was harassing.
Absolutely it is sexual harassment. A clearer example you couldn’t find in the form you sign as part of a work contract.
Although I seem to remember he tried to mitigate the intent by saying he’d pull a man’s ponytail too!
Anyway. The creep has gone, and that is something everyone should be celebrating.
It is instructive (and concerning) that this issue is even being discussed.
As if men can’t sexually harass men 😉
Martyn Bradbury has all the subtlety of a landmine. He doesn’t really do “hit jobs” and Machiavellian scheming really isn’t his MO. A waitress had been repeatedly harassed by the PM, and he reported it. It was hardly some vast conspiracy to destabilise the government by smearing John Key. Key smeared himself by acting like an ill-disciplined, testosterone-addled teenage boy. And those desperate to protect Key from the consequences of his own, frankly bizarre, actions, hauled her over the coals accordingly. Shame on the whole damn lot of them.
“Martyn Bradbury has all the subtlety of a landmine. ”
its how he got the name bomber in the first place wasnt it?
Just wanted to mention that all the kids know about johns creepy ponytail pulling, seriously it has and did create much talk between them, especially it created discussion among the parents of girls, such is the legacy he leaves behind for the children. Well at least it brought up the narrative of good and bad touching so I will give him that.
When i was a kid it was Piggy Muldoon, but what Key is now known for by kiwi children is far more sinister. JS
You’re decent enough to add the mad smiley face at the end of your comment @ 3.1 PR. Tipping that you’re just taking the piss with that comment. If not mate, sorry, but you’re fucked. Close to Jonestown. But nah you’re not there. You give it away with “Slur” John Key.
He put the smiley face because he copied ‘Slur’ off Robert Guyton. Don’t be too generous…
Mayor Phil Goff has granted me speaking rights at tomorrow’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting.
(WHEN : Thursday 15 December 2016.
TIME: 9.30am
WHERE: Auckland Town Hall
Reception Lounge Level 2
(Open to the public – support welcome 🙂
My subject matter is as follows:
1) The unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict involving Auckland Council Controlled Organisation, Auckland Transport, announced on Friday 9 December 2016 (on ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’) has provided evidence which supports what I have been saying for some time.
Namely, that you cannot have transparency or accountability, without proper written records available for public scrutiny.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11763963
“Claims the relationship between Noone and Projenz was informal and verbal-only during the seven-year duration of the relationship – explaining the total lack of documentation – “defies common sense,” Justice Fitzgerald said.”
In my considered opinion, seven years of a ‘verbal-only’ /’informal’ relationship between this Auckland Transport senior manager and private contractor, also clearly ‘defies’ the statutory obligations arising from the Public Records Act 2005, s.17:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html
17Requirement to create and maintain records
(1)Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
(2)Every public office must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all public records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act or required by or under another Act.
(3)Every local authority must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all protected records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act.
How on earth did this happen?
What was the ‘systems flaw’ that allowed this total lack of documentation to occur for SEVEN years?
Where was the auditing – internal and external – that failed to pick up this total lack of documentation for SEVEN years?
How widespread is this lack of documentation, regarding ‘relationships’ between those who award contracts, and those who receive contracts?
Not just at Auckland Transport, but across Auckland Council and all CCOs?
2) In my view, as an ‘Anti-Corruption Public Watchdog’, it is now more necessary than ever, to instruct the CEO of Auckland Council, and the Boards of all Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) to comply with the statutory requirements of the Public Records Act 2005, and make the following information about awarded contracts, available and easily accessible for public scrutiny, by publishing them on the front page of Auckland Council and all CCO websites under ‘Procurement – Awarded Contracts’:
a) The unique contract number.
b) The name of the consultant/contractor.
c) A brief description of the scope of the contract.
d) The contract start and finish dates.
e) The exact dollar value of each and every contract, including those subcontracted.
f) How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
2) FYI, here is the above-mentioned decision of Justice Sally Fitzgerald on 9 December 2016, in the Auckland High Court:
CRI-2015-044-001286 [2016] NZHC 2971 THE QUEEN v STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE MURRAY JOHN NOONE
http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/judgments/high-court
(Linked directly to the decisions here:)
http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/r-v-borlase-verdicts-and-summary-of-reasons/@@images/fileDecision
http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/r-v-borlase-reasons/@@images/fileDecision
In my view, in order to learn the lessons from this unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict, both this decision, in full, plus the full transcript of evidence, should be made available for public perusal on the websites of both Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.
3) For Auckland Council to comprehensively and thoroughly investigate the cost-effectiveness of the underpinning private procurement model for Council (and CCO) services, when significant international research has proven that contracting out is actually ‘bad business’, and twice as expensive as in-house service provision.
http://www.pogo.org/our-work/reports/2011/co-gp-20110913.html?referrer=https://www.google.co.nz/
“Bad Business: Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Wasted on Hiring Contractors”
What this above-mentioned unprecedented bribery and corruption verdict has revealed, in my opinion, is not just that ‘contracting out’ is BAD business, but it can and has bred corruption.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’
How many votes did you get in the election Penny ?
Don’t be such a killjoy SM – good luck Penny – you sock it to them about the bribery and corruption that is going on with the council and the rorters who get away with overseas trips etc – its hard enough to keep up with our rates up here in Auckland so we need more like you Penny – mores the pity that people like Stunned Mullet don’t get off their asses and try to do more for exposing corruption on the council.
The Public Records Act does not control making records available or publishing them. That’s the role of the LGOIMA as you have been repeatedly told, you mental midget.
Will there be refreshments to justify going
Bryan Gould nails it.
Bryan Gould: Labour Party never really knew what they were dealing with in John Key
Agreed:
The Opposition, and the Labour Party in particular, always underestimated John Key. What they saw was no more than a genial glad-hander and a seat-of-the-pants chancer – at best, a populist adept at winning the centre ground. It was only a matter of time, they thought, before he came unstuck.
What they missed was a sharp political intelligence and a clear ideological commitment. The result – they were always fighting the wrong battle.
Good we agree.
John Key was hard right, not the mushy centrist that is always propounded.
No we do not. I think it would be educational if a true right wing political party took power a couple of years just to show you what it would really be like.
Partial sell down of assets, nope it’d be back to Rogernomics and sell everything off
Partial increase for benes, the first time in something like 40 years, nope it’d be slashing the benefits and there’d be a maximum amount of time on the benefit
WFF, nope nothing.
Interest free loans, nope the interest would come back and you wouldn’t be able to leave the country until they’re paid
You think the msm is bad now, well get ready for a crackdown on political websites criticising the government
Voluntary trade unionism, get ready for banning of trade unions
90 day fire at will, too soft it’ll be no reason needed at any time
You’ve got no idea of what would really happen if right wing (forget hard right) party really took charge, you sit there in your nice, safe, comfortable little corner of the world and think (hope) this is a hard right party
And you would love it.
I like John Keys centrist government and, in hindsight, Helen Clarks centrist government.
The only enjoyment I would get out of a hard right government being sworn in is you finally experiencing a hard right government and what that actually entail.
I believe most people in NZ want either a centre left or centre right party, they (the majority of voters) do not want a hard right or hard left party.
They (we) want something near the middle
“The only enjoyment I would get out of a hard right government being sworn in is you finally experiencing a hard right government and what that actually entail.”
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-12122016/#comment-1274147
But I’ll do a copy and paste….
Bill ‘the lizard’ English now has licence to continue his ‘social investment’ plan to rid the country of what he calls….
“”this big hard lump of long-term waste of human potential….large long-term liability.””
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10644993
He was a little worried that government entities like the Ministry of Social Development and Housing New Zealand were not doing enough to reduce numbers accessing expensive services…
“”it’s a bit hard to tell if they are trying hard enough. We don’t know a lot about what happens in some of these fairly big outfits so we are always arguing internally between myself and Treasury about whether we need to step in or not.”
English says the process of examining the big cost-drivers is called the responsibility model because it throws the responsibility back.
“The traditional view of the public service is when things get tight, Treasury and the Minister of Finance are responsible. We are saying ‘no it’s you, you’re the chief executive, you’re responsible’.””
Well, Bill as you ascend to the throne…kinda like a congratulatory gift, the inquest is being heard at the moment into the death of Wendy Shoebridge.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87347930/Aggressive-prosecution-focus-at-MSD-preceded-womans-death-inquest-told
“Shoebridge, a 41-year-old mother, was found dead in Lower Hutt on April 3, 2011.
The day before, she opened a letter saying she was to be referred for prosecution over an alleged $22,000 benefit fraud.”
An investigator from WINZ was under unbearable pressure to send this letter…he didn’t want to, or at least he wanted to deliver it in person as he was concerned about her…she was slowly recovering from severe depression.
But no…his boss, obviously acting under instructions from Much Higher UP…ordered the letter sent.
” After her death, that amount fell to about $5500.”
And in an update tonight…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87469253/shakeup-at-msd-after-woman-died-and-manager-was-accused-of-abusing-staff
…we read that this manager
“was accused of firing a staple gun at staff she didn’t like, and calling one a “f…tard” in front of colleagues, an inquest has heard.
The inquest in Wellington into the death of Wendy Shoebridge heard allegations of a dysfunctional Ministry of Social Development office in which the prosecution of suspected benefit fraud was a major priority.
The manager has not had the chance to respond to the latest claims, and the inquest on Monday also heard suggestions the manager was herself under pressure. The hearing was told last week that a quota system for prosecuting beneficiaries was in operation in 2011, when Shoebridge died.”
Well, Bill…this is why you have that smirky, twisted little smile on your face. You might want to have a wee think before you see your promotion as an affirmation that there is widespread approval for your social investment model.
You see…this Coroner has the MSD in her sights, just as the Judge did in the Ashburton Shooting case…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/87258487/msd-convicted-after-judge-says-staff-felt-unsafe-in-ashburton-office
…and although the court can’t actually fine a Ministry…there was harsh condemnation….
How many deaths, Bill???”
THIS is what “hard right” looks like PR…its here in NZ, and has been for the past seven years.
I could link to other posts where I and others have highlighted cases where Kiwis from “the middle” have been subjected to appallingly inhumane treatment by WINZ when applying for a benefit to support themselves and their families while undergoing cancer treatment.
You see PR…when ‘middle NZ’ fall upon hard times and have to go down to WINZ to access supports they are entitled to and encounter shit treatment like that….borne out of rabidly right directives from the government…it increases the numbers of those who have been dehumanised by the state, and those people in turn come to a fuller appreciation of the way the ‘system’ has alienated those who have had to interact with it for many years. This is called “sympathy”…a foreign emotion to the sociopaths who sit on the government benches.
Like it or not there IS a rising tide of compassion in “middle” New Zealand for those Bill the Lizard calls the “large liability”….simply because there have been a huge number of people across all strata who have been impacted directly or indirectly by these draconian policies.
I disagree with you but I respect and appreciate the effort you’ve put into this
Is that the best you’ve got PR?
No pithy, cryptic one-liners to demonstrate your superior knowledge and insight?
The government you claim has been benignly ‘centrist’ has instituted an offensive against the most vulnerable of New Zealanders, and unfortunately for this government the negative impacts have splattered way beyond those people Bill the Lizard targeted openly in 2010.
Now, if this translates in a reduction of support for National depends on whether opposition parties can drag their arses off the spike that seems to lock them into a ‘centre’ position.
I simply disagree with you because you’ve highlighted a couple of incidences over 7 years so really it doesn’t prove anything but I do appreciate the effort
…this Coroner has the MSD in her sights, just as the Judge did in the Ashburton Shooting case…
Be careful what you wish for. The judge was punishing MSD for not putting sufficient barriers between its staff and the nation’s social welfare beneficiaries. MSD management know what the judge is telling them:
“… it was estimated by MSD chief executive Brendan Boyle that the cost of outfitting its offices with bulletproof glass and guards could be up to $200 million.
MSD has already placed guards at offices and has been trialling a new layout at offices in Wellington and Levin.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1612/S00138/work-and-income-limit-access-through-forced-id-checks.htm
Back in 1979 while signing up for a job on a Student Work scheme I was sent to apply for an emergency benefit. The benefit department was just like a bank. Long counter with glass/perspex shields between client and staff.
Conversations were, by necessity, held fortissimo…so the poor sod recently discharged from Tokanui had to tell his story for all of us assembled to hear.
Ah, the good old days.
This was in Hamilton….don’t know if it was like this elsewhere.
Spot on PR, first sign of hard right or left countries, blogs like the standard don’t exist Paul however finds meaning in raging against the machine, no matter what that machine if he was in a hard left country he would be hard right
You need to educate yourself about your country’s history.
Here’s a start for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJQvKIHV6n4
Like many here Paul, when you start with “You need to educate yourself” normally followed by a barrage of left wing links and videos I don’t go any further as I have seen what it has done to you
Trite slur from a closed mind. You would probably enjoy the documentary because you would get great satisfaction from cheering the Baddies while learning nothing.
You are absolutely correct Paul, J Key is the chairman of the International Democratic Union – a hard right think tank of international businessmen, bankers etc who gather in different places in the world and get up to no good. It does’t get much of a mention over here in sleepy ol’ New Zealand but is worth looking the IDU up to see what its all about. He played with us here and he did it very well indeed. Tinfoil hat wearers probably agree he was sent here to do a hatchet job on this country, I have no idea why he came here other than collecting handshakes, selfies, big noting and meeting world leaders. He has a job lined up somewhere after his holiday in Maui I have no doubt, IMF maybe but most certainly in the US.
Isn’t it a paradox, he flies out to a Hawaiian holiday as quick as he can bugger off – shouldn’t he still be here – isn’t the House sitting for another week – the ultimate indulgence and Mr Shearer is off to the “shittiest place on the planet” Paul Henry’s words – to try and stabilize South Sudan – how different can two men be. I didn’t know Paul Henry had been an on the ground reporter in South Sudan but he said South Sudan was the quote above on today’s morning show.
“how different can two men be”
Well one has been leader of the country since 2008 and left with his party in the high 40s the other was knifed in the back by his own party (though wouldn’t Labour love to have shearers numbers)
So yeah different I guess
Their careers may be quite different Pucky but Shearer’s previous job was one you had to have cajones of steel for plus a rough lifestyle in arid conditions and seriously dangerous situations – he may not have been cut out for political life and that’s not such a bad thing considering its rife with corruption, dirty politics and other unsavoury things, he is better off out of it. You cannot compare the positions of the two but I know which is more admiring of and its not the selfie obsessed ex PM.
“considering its rife with corruption, dirty politics and other unsavoury things”
You do know hes gone back to working with the UN
He will be as far away from the UN as he can possibly be, away from the machinations that go on there. His job out there will be to help the people of South Sudan where his life will constantly be in danger – Key never had the bottle for anything like that – Pucky you never give up – Key was a selfish me me me person, he never gave a jot for this country and the fact that so many people thought the sun shone out of his ass is a terrible indictment of the morals and ethics of such a lot of people. How has it come about that there are still so many fogged up and their antennae all skewed and could not see through this sham of a man. It was staring all of us in the face so plainly – go back Pucky and watch John Campbell’s programme “Meet the Leaders” and see how much he bothered with his wife on the programme, it was shameful – JC saw it but then he has his antennae right in tune. The man is a shallow hollow man – get used to it.
It’s part of pr’s job to sell the lie that Key and English are centrist.
I much more respect the opinion of Brian Gould.
Of course because not biased at all either
Gould is not a troll.
Hes an intelligent, erudite and a complete troll. When he states how he thinks Labour will sweep to power, despite the abundance of polls and polling that suggest otherwise, he’s doing it because he knows he’ll get a reaction
So yes he’s a troll
And you come to this site as a troll.
Actually I come for the humour, for the education (yes I do listen to some people), to get a different viewpoint, to pass the working day, for all types of things
and what I’ve noticed is that most of the posters here probably have a lot more in common then there are differences
What in God’s name is that last sentence supposed to mean, PR? If you are going to troll, please at least make your meaning clear.
bang on the money…..as Monbiot has said, we should know it by its name.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot
Bryan Gould was the most left wing contender for the leadership of UK Labour in the mid 1990’s. So I guess for him a centrist like John Key is a hardline neo-liberal (or “dedicated ideologue”). That also seems to be the default setting of most commenters on this site.
However, if that is how Labour is going to try and position National, they will fail. It hasn’t worked for 8 years and it won’t work for the next election.
But MMP will provide an opening. Winston is likely to hold the balance of power and will therefore decide the next government.
If National is quite close to 50% it might be hard for him to ignore the public legitimacy that confers, especially if Labour is below 30%. On the other hand if that is the case he can pretty much demand Labour give him the PM ship for the first two years as the price of power.
I wonder where Bryan stands in relation to Jeremy Corbyn. He must know him quite well since they spent more than 10 years in the Hose of Commons together. Does he think Jeremy is the answer, or not?
How about debating the issue rather than shooting the messenger.
‘It is John Key’s politics, not his personality, that have produced these intended outcomes. They have been produced not by a relaxed middle-of-the-roader but by a dedicated ideologue. ‘
Paul,
The political attitudes of people tend to influence their opinions. None of us are immune to that.
Bryan’s writings over the years show he is a man of the left, so what I perceive as the centre, will be for him hard right, the product of a “dedicated ideologue”.
Nothing wrong in pointing that out.
Pat, I see no evidence that John Key was anything other than moderate right of centre. If Standardnista’s want to believe the something different, fine, but don’t expect it to go uncontested.
The policies of Key would have been far right of most National and Conservative parties of the 70s. Then he would have been seen as an extremist.
But, thanks to relentless propaganda from right wing think tanks and willing politicians like yourself, the Overton window has moved far to the right.
And what you perceive as centre is also to the Right because you want to seem centrist despite being quite right-wing.
still pushing the moderate line hey Wayne…..that weight of contrary evidence must be getting quite heavy.
all depends who dictates the fulcrum? Key has shifted it so far to the right, of course Labour now APPEAR to be “far left” too easy.
No-one has suggested Andrew Little is far-left. That is not how Labour is generally described.
But there is no doubt that Bryan Gould was on the left of his party – he would readily admit that.
John Key was totally chameleon and “blokey” in his behaviour.
English and Bennett haven’t got any chance of keeping that up. If their honeymoon lasts until the New Year they will be lucky. After that it will all turn to custard.
Already wobbly.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/watch-jack-tame-catches-nzs-evasive-new-deputy-pm-unprepared-questions-kiwi-kids-in-severe-poverty
I said Labour now “appear” far left, not Andrew. His job is to inform and engage those voters that flee at the mere suggestion of social policies as being on the verge of a communist dictatorship. Not easy, in this highly reactive, tribal, sensation seeking climate.
Your link was broken, here it is again
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11765941
Special investigation: How Mt Eden’s private prison went from golden child to a misfit
Special investigation: How Mt Eden’s private prison went from golden child to a misfit.
Sam has always been a scape goat. Now he is standing down from his portfolio as well as not seeking re-election. Once again we hear the excuse of ‘family reasons’ for his decision, frequently used excuse of late.. ‘family reasons’
There should be an early election, all these Nat MP’s simply giving up, how many now.. seven or so of them about to quit, but hanging in there until next election, using the excuse of not wanting the tax payer to foot out for a by-election, while they continue to get a salary for a job they are no longer interested in.
Get some guts Bill and see if the people really want you and your party that is falling apart to lead NZ. This is NOT what many voted for, your government is wasting our tax payer money by paying salaries for quitters.
Early Election
Judith I’d say you will have some questions to address today.
Part of me has always felt a bit sorry for Sam. He, along with Alfred Ngaro, was an obviously uncomfortable “fiapalagi” prop to Keydashian’s widely and pridefully bugled election-time swings through South Auckland. The two of them by their presence purporting to verify a picture of Keydashian as the deserving beneficiary of Polynesian “fa’aaloalo ma talitonuina” (respect and trust).
A total crock of course but nothing like a spot of triennial smiling/anagram/sliming when someone has something you want. Going by what I’ve observed during long and close association with various mature and well-established members of Sam’s own aiga indeed, there was always lots of private tittering about that whole carry-on. For the rank bullshit of it. As bullshitty and insulting as Sam’s assertion on TV a couple of years ago that saving-up the 20% deposit on a $650,000 house is reasonably do-able by ordinary people.
I’ve seen no more heartfelt regard for Keydashian than for Tuilaepa. Tune in to Auckland’s Samoan talkback radio some time.
spot on, cinny.
i, too, reckon corrections was a hospital pass.
ms collins needs to bear some responsibility as serco is her vision.
Judith hailed Serco’s entry into Mt Eden prison but Sam has got the chop. let’s wait and see where he pops up. National always reward those they use to make themselves look like “clearing out” with plumb, well paid jobs. Mike Sabin anyone?
Peters: I want to be first to re-enter Pike River.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201827628
A quite repulsive interview by that right wing hack Espiner.
Missing Kim Hill already.
A crap interview by Espiner he got his come up ins this morning from Winston
and the interview with Blinglish was even worse the day before rather weak to say the least it was a save our funding interview in other words we wont ask the hard questions he might cut our funding again even worse he might get rid us like they got rid of Campbell
Winston was really on fire! Support of the miners and criticism of the system long and loud.
“Winston was really on fire”.
Oh dear. Did he drop another cigarette onto his pin-striped, double breasted, booze sodden suit and set himself alight again?
He really needs someone with him at all times to keep him from harm.
I listened to that interview and its quite amazing stream of consciousness ramblings. As always he reverted to talking about the Wine Box affair, the highlight of his life, at least in his own failing memory.
Winston today was best summed up by a little item in the introduction to the book of “Yes Minister” episodes.
Talking about Sir Humphrey it says –
” …. before the advancing years, without in any way impairing his verbal fluency, disengaged the operation of his mind from the content of his speech.”
Sums the old fellow up beautifully doesn’t it? It will be a sad loss when he stumbles out of the House for the last time.
I’ve noticed in the last week or so that all these barbs being shot at Winston. It’s like something happened so that right-wing criticism about alcohol use suddenly became ok – it’s almost as if there is no around to take a hit on the return volley.
For: alwyn
Nice to hear a person like Winston say it the way it is, no wonder you are so upset Alwyn;-)))
The last two times Winston has gone into coalition it has always been with the largest party, will you still say the same thing when Winston (most likely) goes with National?
Not when Winston says he will not form a coalition with the party that seals Pike River Mine.
Good call. Winston believes the tide is turning on this and has stated his position. Bill must be freaking out right now having forgotten what it’s like to be in the top job.
For once I agree with you alwyn. Winston is showing tell tale signs of losing the plot.
Good to see your bitter arse paining Alwyn. Your reason for taking breath having fucked off. Poor diddums……left all alone in Jonestown. Hurt hard troll !
Are you still around?
I thought you had gone back to your Kindergarten and left the adults to talk.
You still owe me an apology by the way. Remember?
Or is you memory like Winnies?
You can keep on stroking for as long as you like Alwyn Troll. Not ultimately dependable as pain relief though. Jonestown is fucked. Own it!
“Child Poverty Action Group: The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, proving that any Government efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on children are insignificant.
That the numbers remain so persistently high demonstrates that poverty among New Zealand children is enduring and long-term. Policies have made little to no change for the better for many children.”
Bryan Gould: Key was a concealed ideologue
“The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, proving that any Government efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on children are insignificant.”
Which can also be re-written as:
“while there have been improvements in the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty, even in light of a Global Financial Crisis, more need to to be done to make further significant improvements”
There you go, same content, drop the negativity, add context and make your point.
Also: “The Child Poverty Monitor results reveal no significant improvement for the lives of children in New Zealand experiencing the effects of poverty”
I would have thought that a near 50% reduction in cases if SUDI, approx 40% drop in deaths from conditions with a social gradient, >50% reduction in deaths from assault, neglect or maltreatment, and an approx 20% reduction in hospitalisations due to assault, neglect or maltreatment would be classed as significant…
Child Poverty Action Group – I am free if you would like people to actually read and think more in depth about what you are saying, rather than just immediately switching off to the negativity. Hell, you may even get the Government to buy into your message.
Rex Tillertson for US Secretary of State.
Quite a choice there by President-Elect Trump.
More great news for National 🙂
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/exclusive-laila-harre-rejoins-labour-party-sets-her-sights-standing-in-election
“The veteran campaigner says she does regret her four months with the Internet Party because of the damage it did to her reputation.”
Naah Laila I’m sure everyones forgotten that, it’ll be fine so you really should run for a seat 🙂
funny u should say that, pr.
laila would damn near secure my vote for labour.
Same here.
so Greens or the communist party minus two, Labour plus two, yes that will make a massive difference.
🙂
Did you vote for the Internet party when she was their leader.
Or the Greens when she was there.
Or Alliance when she was there..
Or Labour, or New Labour….
Hell she will prob be with Act next if she thought there was a seat in it for her.
But yeah – to the voting public – she will always be the face of the internet party.
Which one of these is not like the other?
IP
Greens
ACT
Alliance
Labour
🙄
I didn’t vote Internet Mana because I’m a strategic voter. Never voted Labour because there’s always been something to the left (apart from the first time I voted and then I voted an independent). I’d vote for Harre in a flash in the electorate vote, and could easily see her in either Labour or the Greens. She’d be a great asset as a left wing MP in any party, which is the point you seem to be deliberately trying to obscure.
Righties trying to make out they know what left wing voters want, lolz.
Yep million dollar, aspirational mt Albert voters are just crying out for Lialliance representation
Liala’s loveable. Voters will love her.
Paula’s lo… hang on!!
Well Robert I think I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one, people will see Liala and think KDC
However I maybe attempting a double bluff and secretly I’m scared of Laila coming back…so it might best if Laila if Laila goes for an electorate seat maybe even a really high profile seat so everyone knows Lailas with Labour 🙂
To: Puckish Rogue
Fabricate much?
Only those who would never vote for Harre or Dotcom.
So about 99.9% of the voting public?
Sorry, I meant 98.58% 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_general_election,_2014
Yeah, but funnily enough – Harre does not need body guards to walk down the street…
When no one knows who you are you don’t really need protecting do you
You seem to know who she is – you were so eager to bring the topic up. Backpedalling much?
Yet more than the Maori Party. More than twice ACT, and 7 times United Future.
She also raised Mana’s vote by 0.34% while ACT lost 0.37% under Seymour. UF dropped a similar amount under Dunne.
Imagine what Laila Harre could do for ACT!
and yet no seats even after all that money was spent
It wasn’t public money so I don’t know what you’re so upset about. Unlike National of course who aren’t shy about using public money to give sub 1% parties a leg up into parliament.
I’m not but I’m pointing out that even with the colossal amount of money and free publicity Laila Harre couldn’t get a seat especially given how highly you rate her
When it comes to spending public money National still have a lot to learn from Labour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_New_Zealand_election_funding_controversy
No. The ones like you, so about 47% of society, which still leaves a majority
Laila has tanked every political group she has ever been associated with (and the list of her associations is quite long)
She is preferable compared to Penny Bright
Wrong, she lifted the Mana popular vote by a third. Not her fault Hone couldn’t win his seat.
Laila didn’t stand for Mana. She was the leader of the Internet Party. Yes I understand there was an alliance, but giving Laila credit for increasing Mana’s vote is a very long stretch.
Was she or was she not representing the Mana Party that had joined with the Internet Party to become Internet Mana?
Yes. Mana retained it’s own leader. The Internet Party flopped, and likely it’s influenced reduced the chances of Mana.
Good, glad we have cleared that up. She was coleader of the party you said she had nothing to do with.
Where did say she had nothing to do with them? I was simply pointing out she can’t be given any credit for Mana’s increase in vote. In fact, given the influence of the IP, Hone did incredibly well to get any votes.
Shes great, and will absolutely destroy any newbie nitwit put up against her.
I agree, she really should go for a really well known, highest profile seat she can, think of all the free publicity she’d receive 🙂
Good thing you don’t work in political strategy.
Couldn’t be worse then what Labour are doing 🙂
Labour, Labour, Labour!!!
Oi, Oi, Oi!
That’s it – PR comes from Kath and Kim.
The Third day of Christmas on Friendship:
Brownlee is a failure in Defence, the auditor general was not impressed with his department. Maybe his health is hindering his performance, probably more like a lack of skills and experience in that role is the problem.
“I was disappointed to note that the Defence Force did not adequately assess material changes in the fair value of its assets on a timely basis. Without enough assurance on this matter, both the Defence Force and my appointed auditor had to carry out substantial additional work, which led to significant delays. This is unacceptable. I stress that it is important for entities to prepare accounts in a timely manner and to an appropriate level of quality.”
http://www.oag.govt.nz/2016/central-government?utm_source=subs&utm_campaign=cg1-2016&utm_medium=subs
Another area of interest is housing and the value of government owned housing especially in regards to their ongoing search for community buyers in order to create the much opposed sale of state owned assets…. outgoing government likes those house prices to be kept high, it makes their asset base appear more inflated.
Having trouble finding buyers? Why not offer some of the properties to first home buyers at a good rate, sure you won’t make the massive profit that you accounted for, but hey looks like you want to flick them off below value anyway, zero deposit rent to own, that would give many a bit more of a chance at living, after all they are just sitting empty, wasting away during a housing crisis excuse me building boom lolz
“The valuation of the Government’s investment in its social housing portfolio (primarily held by Housing New Zealand) is based on the highest and best use and on comparable market sales data for each individual property. In the year ended 30 June 2016, the value of the social housing stock increased by $3.2 billion, largely as a result of increases in the value of Auckland properties.
2.47
As part of the Social Housing Reform Programme, the Government announced that it is taking steps towards transferring ownership of some Housing New Zealand houses and tenancies to registered community housing providers. This has raised some specific accounting issues.
2.48
We identified this matter because of the judgement involved in determining the appropriate accounting treatment for social houses proposed to be transferred to community housing providers, either sold or redeveloped as part of the Government’s social housing reform programme.”
http://www.oag.govt.nz/2016/central-government/part2.htm
Interesting reading
Jacinda Ardern is considering Mt Albert. She will humiliate in that seat the next token minority National puts up.
Perhaps National will dig up a gay, climate-change denying Ethiopian refugee as the face of their campaign in a desperate attempt to appear relevant and diverse.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/jacinda-ardern-confirms-bid-for-mt-albert-seat-2016121411
Well you can only flog a dead horse so many times before you learn the electorate don’t want you 🙂
PR.
Happy to condone sexual harassment and physical assault as long as it doesn’t damage the polls.
You seem a bit fixated on this, is it giving you funny feeling in your tummy?
You seem unwilling to answer the question.
Do you condone John Key’s sexual harassment and physical assault of the waitress?
Yes or no.
I simply don’t want to be part of your sordid fantasy, I have no issues with whatever turns you on but don’t include me in them
“Sorry to see you support sexual abuse.”
What sexual abuse?
Your words at 3.1.1.1.1.2
Look Paul to shut you you up and on behalf of the average kiwi, stupid yes, sexual assault, no mild assault over familiarity, yes
” On behalf of the average kiwi”
You speak on behalf of people as usual – how arrogant of you.
Don’t worry Paul his almighty exleader in law used the same kind of talk.
Very presumptuous of them.
he finds tales of pony tails slightly exciting
Your hero John Key certainly does.
Thus we have two, maybe start a pony club
Ok so trigger warning, here’s Curias polls for the last 3 years so if you have a delicate constitution (or vote Labour) you may not want to look at it
Surprisingly its not bad for the Greens, they’re quite steady
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2016/12/november_2016_polls.html
It’s an impressive sustained rise by NZFirst there.
Would expect National to go even higher on the back of the dominant media coverage surrounding both the Kaikoura earthquakes and the leadership change.
There’s very, very little space for Labour or other Opposition figures in the media until February 2017.
Also very hard to see significant %% of voters switching away from National into 2017.
I think that there will be a drop off but it’ll mostly be of benefit to NZFirst
Wow, how impressive was the nose dive that Cunliffe took Labour on! I haven’t look at his term as leader of the opposition like that before.
Based on Shearer having Labour in the mid-30’s, and Cunliffe taking Labour to the low 20’s, I now completely agree with Andrew Little and a number of commentators here, Labour should ignore the center and move further left.
I assume you vote National or Act.
Depends on the election, I am not a member of any political party so I have voted The Greens, Winston First and National over the past 6 elections.
But never Labour.
Can I ask why you range from Green to National?
Sure, I used to be in the Coromandel electorate (1999 and 2002) when Jeanette Fitzsimons was the local MP. I thought she was a brilliant, straight up local MP and I was still in a FPP mind set so gave both of my votes to her.
2005 I opposed Labour’s interest free student loans (even though I had a huge student debt at that point), and didn’t like Don Brash’s racially divisive tactics, so I held my nose and voted Winston First.
2008 – 2014 I voted National. I was sick of politics by this stage, but John Key’s move to work with Helen Clark and Sue Bradford on the ‘anti-smacking’ legislation, plus his centrist policy platform and general pragmatism leading up to the election lead me to vote National, and I haven’t seen a viable alternative since (except maybe The Greens again at the last election).
I had been considering TOP at the next election until they ruled out pushing the Big Kahuna in their first term.
I keep coming back here as my interest in politics has increased since becoming a Dad, and I found I am nowhere near as far right as Whaleoil or Kiwiblog commenters.
EDIT: I do miss seeing comments from Lanthanide and CV recently, they generally seemed to be the most closely aligned with my own beliefs
Yes I too appreciate CV’s input.
There’s a weird spritzer-gulping species that does take a holiday from National and vote Green from time to time. Met quite a few. Influenced principally by their freeholding, maybe even cross-lease, in the well-leafed suburbs in which they reside. It’s a ‘pro-test’. Real hard out bastards. On the ramparts. “Patu Squad” and all that. Hehehehe.
Yes, there are a few like the above, CV, Lanthanide, Ad, and David Farrar who simply and blindly hate Labour. They skirt around Labour to the left and right but can’t explain why.
Perhaps it is Labour Derangement Syndrome.
“Yes, there are a few like the above, CV, Lanthanide, Ad, and David Farrar who simply and blindly hate Labour”
You do realise CV was a Labour member?
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/11/25/leaving-jiangxi-tat-loo-marches-out-of-the-labour-party/
“They skirt around Labour to the left and right but can’t explain why.”
Why would anyone vote Labour? If you want a neo-liberal party you vote National, if you want a party with social and environmental conscience vote Greens. Labour sort of sits in between tinkering without thinking of consequences of their actions (see WFF, Interest Free student loans, Seabed and Foreshore etc.), at least National are open about what they are and The Greens stick to their principles.
Ha, well I don’t fit that mold North, try a ‘brown bottle’ beer drinking renter, living in Otahuhu which is pretty far from a ‘well-leafed suburb’!
In fact, you couldn’t have gotten it any more wrong!
Rogue polls obviously.
Labours internal polling has them far higher than any of the rigged public polls.
Curia is not public.
Damn straight, better ignore it 🙂
Wonder why Key liked him so much.
His impartiality?
“And can I make one special thank you to the best pollster in New Zealand — and don’t charge us more for it — David Farrar, who got his numbers right!”
So – whats that got to do with anything? Are you thinking that perhaps its different to all the public ones – secretly with National on 20%?
The biggest news that dwarfs all other news.
We need a thread to discuss what is going on in the Arctic.
Arctic temperatures have hit levels last seen a ridiculously long time ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czlvafm5kF0
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87562998/craig-foss-to-step-down-from-cabinet-as-calls-for-rejuvenation-claim-another-victim
See Labour this is how rejuvenation is supposed to work, get rid of the dead wood and all that
Problem is PR Labour is not the party of the rich and powerful. They can’t pay them off or find them a good little lurk somewhere among the pile of quangos and other such bodies.
Jilted MPs who don’t get looked after have a habit of turning on their former pollie masters. The political landscape is full of them.
Spot on.
National Party MPs get rewarded with the revolving door – very corrupt.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolving_door_(politics)
Puhlease….the Nats and Labour are both past masters at lining up current and former MPs with diplomatic postings, appointments to boards and appointments to such nebulous rorts as the film and literature review office and ltes not talk about the bipartisan annual rort that is the speakers tour.
You are correct. Both parties fill diplomatic postings etc. with their own people. They would be crazy to do otherwise. I’m not talking about those sort of positions. Now what’s the name of that National Party trust? Ahhh, that’s right, its called the Waitemata Trust…
I suspect Foss is in a sulk now his ex squash partner is gone, and he now intends to work full time on his investment portfolio that he’s so damnably proud of.
English no doubt gave Maxwell a call asking for a press release to begin the process.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/87548876/lift-nz-super-age-to-67-by-2034-retirement-commissioner-tells-politicians
Craig Foss to step down, another National Party MP resigns for ‘family reasons’ and does not want to stand down until next year to avoid a by election.
Told ya’s the National Party is falling apart, most of their MP’s hearts aren’t in the job, but they are happy to collect the salary until next year using the excuse of ‘avoiding the tax payer the cost of a by election”
FFS THE CITIZENS OF NZ DEMAND AN EARLY ELECTION!!
WHERE ON EARTH HAS OUR DEMOCRACY GONE ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11766805
Its called removing the deadwood and what do you mean the citizens demand?
The majority of voters (the ones that’ve returned National to power the last three elections) do not want an early election.
So PR, Key, Foss, Parata, Lotu-Iiga etc are dead wood. then.
Slur John Key will get the newest created award of greatest ever kiwi, the rest are surplus to requirements so yes
Was the ‘deadwood’
1. John Key – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
2. Hekia Parata – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
3. Craig Foss – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
4. Sam Lotu-liga – quitting politics for ‘family reasons’
5. Chester Borrows – want;s to do something different, awaiting the courts in regards to a careless driving causing injury charge.
6. Jono Naylor – quits after one term in parliament
7. Lindsay Tisch – quits for family reasons
8. Murray McCully (standing down in his electorate MAY stay on the list instead)
9. English is the same (quitting his electorate for the list),
That’s quite a number of Nat MP’s. No wonder they don’t want an early election, they’ve much work to do.
As for the general public as suggested I’ve been asking around, many National supporters feel let down that English is PM.
Why is everyone leaving for ‘family reasons’ ? Is it because the National Party is a toxic environment at present? These events scream instability to me
John Key is leaving before the shit hits the fan.
You forgot Mike Sabin. He also resigned.
Who is Mike Sabin?
From Kiwiblog:
What is interesting is to look at the makeup of both National’s and Labour’s caucuses in terms of who is standing again. Of those standing in 2017
•Only 12% of Nats entered before 2005 and 21% of Labour MPs
•38% of remaining Nats entered from 2005 to 2010 and 45% of remaining Labour MPs
•50% of National’s remaining caucus entered in 2011 or later compared to 34% for Labour
Somehow National will look the fresher party at the next election
and near on 12% of current national party mp’s are quitting, the majority of which cite ‘family reasons’
Will National look fresher or simply inexperienced with a lack lustre leadership?
Jeepers when you think about it looking at your stat’s PR people in the Nat party don’t seem to stick around, wonder why that is?
“As for the general public as suggested I’ve been asking around, many National supporters feel let down that English is PM.”
I’m sure you have and I’m sure you have better idea than I do of what the average National voter is thinking 🙂
Wouldn’t be surprised to see Simon Power back now Key has scuttled off.
They couldn’t stand each other apparently.
What would be interesting is looking at the average length of tenure across the MPs of the 3 (4) major parties.
I’m thinking there would be little difference between Labour and National with third place going to NZ (with the Winnie outlier discounted) and the Green party being the most rejuvenated over the last ten years or so.
What might be worrying is who will be selected to replace them ? Could be even more hard-right types will get into Parliament under National.
Naah Bill has learnt his lesson, it’ll be centre right foe a wee while now
WTF? He taught the lesson. It was English who first tried to brand the National Party as more of a centrist, caring party between the hard-line Shipley and Brash periods.
FFS THE CITIZENS OF NZ DEMAND AND EARLY ELECTION!!
“You speak on behalf of people as usual – how arrogant of you.”
– Paul
I agree with you James.
One up for you Paul on consistency 😀
If I knew how to add a smiley face, I would.
We agree on that issue – be true to your principles.
ikr shame on me for voicing the opinions of others, by crikey it’s shocking how one thinks of others, better sort that out asap lolololol
I know I’ll start a polling company, maybe that would be more acceptable
As long as you publish your methodology its all good
Ho Ho Santa Claus I’ve bigger fish to fry than spending time conducting polls, I’ll just keep listening to the people, and seeing this is an amazing tourist town, there will be plenty of them to converse with. People tend to open up to me, not sure why, but one learns so much by listening.
Crikey you never know, might take a wander around some camping grounds with my note book in hand, ALL walks of life come here for summer.
Where are most of the tourists from these days ?
Where the tourist are from kinda of depends on what day it is.. during the week this last month you will find most shopping in the supermarket have accents.
During the weekend it’s different, many NZer’s flock to Motueka and many more are coming, already the main road is congested, it’s that time of year when one ditches the car for the bike around town, it’s quicker and easier.
Next week it will really start
People often tell you what they think what you want to hear not what they really think, just some thing to be aware of 😀
Maybe that is why the polls were so wrong re Trump for that very reason.
Would be an interesting experiment to dress casually and ask around, then dress in business clothes and ask the same questions.
Nothing is more fun on a holiday than having a political person coming around the campground with a notebook interrupting family time. Especially when you start trotting out your “outgoing government” and “Alpha Andy” sayings.
Nah i wouldn’t go about it like that, not my way.
I’ve this one comment that is a sure fire conversation starter, simple interesting, and all one has to do is listening after saying it.. goes like this..
“Gosh I was shocked last week when John Key resigned”
And it’s all the encouragement people need, everyone has an opinion on his resignation.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1612/S00190/police-pay-out-for-hager-raid.htm
Another payout to the Hagar family – from the police. Good.
Excellent news. That was a shocking way to treat a young woman. The psychological effects could be long lasting.
Air NZ: why subject us to more Mike Hosking?
Air NZ: why subject us to more Mike Hosking?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnlEVLyD1s
Here we agree Paul ANZ safety videos are nauseating
Thanks Red.
Better add Air NZ to the boycott list.
thats fairly easy as there are plenty other companies flying in and out of NZ and all of them cheaper.
Air NZ safety ad – brown(ish?) really is the new black……but of course living and working in the Bay of Islands/Hokianga I already knew that, as to the real brown at least. Can’t withhold the lament that it’s a pity the racists/classists who skitter nervously by the Kaikohe District Court, nostrils clenched shut (metaphorical me), don’t appreciate that. Also…….can’t for the life of me imagine why anyone thought a cameo by scarecrowishly slight, grimacing, impatient, entitled, mutton-as-lamb, white dork Hosking…….that this works for the safety of any fucking thing. It’s Judge Judy in skinny jeans on meth’. Must have been some special ‘tatou tatou bro’ going on down in Aux when this got made.
An absolutely fantastic piece by Stephanie Rodgers has been published in Overland today. The subject is “Solidarity” and is essential reading for those on the left IMO.
https://overland.org.au/2016/12/this-is-what-solidarity-looks-like/
Thanks!
Great to see you in Overland Stephanie!
Damn but that’s good. And thanks to Stephanie for the perfect antidote to the hate identity politics meme. Solidarity politics!
Newsflash dummies. Build a fucking rail service!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/87578963/auckland-airport-projects-cleared-for-takeoff-as-traffic-causes-further-frustration