Open Mike 15/01/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 15th, 2019 - 88 comments
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88 comments on “Open Mike 15/01/2019 ”

  1. More on PR versus substance – from Stacey Kirk at Stuff: No amount of photoshop will paste over broken promises or scandal in 2019

    Problems arise though, when the photoshopping – both metaphorical and literal – is carried out with a bit too much gusto.

    Just ask Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who found himself the butt of ridicule when his staff botched an unnecessary photoshop job, by pasting hip new sneakers over his tired old kicks.

    Mistakenly giving the embattled leader two left feet in the process was just too good for the internet to let slide. More seriously, the gaffe served to highlight the level of detail a leader’s army of press secretaries will go to, to control their image.

    New Zealand’s politicians are no different in that regard.

    Whether it’s Clark Gayford breaking a month-long Instagram hiatus to poke self-deprecating fun at his “christmas belly”, National leader Simon Bridges guzzling a beer in a floral shirt, or Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern signing on for a round of soft media in the gossip mags.

    None of these images tell us anything worth knowing about them. All are designed to give the illusion that they do.

    Sadly, in the case of women, it’s more closely aligned to the subject’s looks. But as it applies to male political leaders, it could perhaps be more accurately described as the “beer test”, as in “he seems like a good guy to have a beer with”.

    Hence the beer gut, the drinking shot, and myriad softly-lit photo shoots.

    But that only gets a politician so far and this is the year where the rubber hits the road for the leaders of both major parties.

    The Government’s stalled as long as it can with sundry working groups. The trouble with appointing experts to these things is that they’re incredibly earnest in their responsibilities to come up with solutions.

    Solutions which cost money, of which the Government has plenty but still not enough to fulfil the promises it’s made.

    Health, mental health, education reform, justice reform, public service pay, climate change and tax issues are all crying out for bold decisions and tankers of cash.

    For the Opposition, getting through the inevitable return of Jami-Lee Ross unscathed, and avoiding a significant drop in the polls, will be what decides Simon Bridges’ leadership.

    It looks likely it will be a make or break year for the leadership Bridges. More of the same is not going to do it.

    It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.

    perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.

    • WeTheBleeple 1.1

      Maybe it’s all a kneejerk reaction to Keys cult of personality.

      Clark Gayford isn’t a politician so you need to retract that BS. Then after actually talking about MP’s (being in social media means you aint working) you bring in the opposition to appear balanced.

      Kind of dishonest wrapped in cheese.

      You got nothing but you’re gonna have a jab anyway.

      Real class.

      • Sacha 1.1.1

        He’s just quoting a disgraceful hack from parliament’s press gallery. That’s who you need to complain about.

      • Muttonbird 1.1.2

        That Stacey Kirk is dreadful. I suspect Scott Morrison’s helpers were trying to cover the branding of his shoes rather than their age.

  2. Robert Guyton 2

    Make or break for Bridges?
    How could he possibly make it???
    You’ve seen his “Chrissy-drinks” photo.

    • Could be make or break for James Shaw and climate change measures – he has to start coming up with substantial and credible and affordable plans or many Green supporters and potential supporters will be disillusioned (there’s already some signs of that).

      It could also be make or break for the Green Party, whose less popular social reform faction seems to get much more media attention than their environmental faction. A split vote may make 5% difficult to achieve. There were warning signs last election.

      • Robert Guyton 2.1.1

        Nah, they’ll be fine. It’s Bridges who’ll be sweating bricks. No one’s got his back and it’s a knife-magnet. His yapping in the House is annoying all those inside and even his own “family” think he needs time on the porch. What can he do, cease his constant wimpering and hope to allowed to stay inside, or bark louder to convince the Household he’s indispensable as a guard dog?
        There’s really nothing a dog can do.

        • Sacha 2.1.1.1

          Could be make or break for the new Conservatives! Lack of solid backing makes 5% unlikely and it’s not clear which electorate the Nats will gift them – or if the coat-tailing provisions will survive long enough for it to pay off.
          (How am I doing at this distraction thing?)

        • patricia bremner 2.1.1.2

          Robert priceless lol.

      • Kevin 2.1.2

        ‘Affordable’?

        Does life just pass you by in a blur Pete?

        Where are well beyond the point where CC policies need to be affordable.

      • lprent 2.1.3

        …many Green supporters and potential supporters will be disillusioned…

        Always a problem for political parties. Even in opposition you can’t be all things for all people. It gets harder in government. And all political parties are coalitions internally. They are always annoying supporters.

        This is why Labour often leaks support to the Greens and NZ First and there are the floaters who leak between NZ First, Labour to and from National.

        However the harder line Green supporters have the same problem as the remaining hardline NAct supporters. Where are they going to go? Their choice really is to vote for their best party to:-

        1. express vaguely something like their views and hope.
        2. not vote – something that extremists don’t usually do.
        3. waste their vote on a party that has no hope of hitting the threshold – which most of the time is a zero sum game (the extremists from all angles generally cancel themselves out). Think mana, conservatives, and united future (the beige extremists).
        4. get involved in a viable political party and try to shift their positions.

        With the greens of all flavors, once you get outside of the flaky fashion voters (useless damn voters for any party to pursue in my opinion), then they usually do something like 1 or 4 and almost invariably within the Greens.

        It is pretty damn apparent to any green voter that they either figure out how to tolerate each other ( for instance the the conservationists and social equity crowds ) or they they just forget about having any say in parliament.

        This isn’t exactly rocket science. After all the Nats are a complete anathema to almost every consistent green voter I have ever run across outside of the fashion victims. National have a very long and extended history of being environmental and social terrorists – and are complete hypocrites about it. And they don’t think that Labour is much better.

        Sure in theory a new party could form. But that is so virtually impossible with a 5% threshold that I feel it is unlikely to happen. I suspect that any attempt to do so will just cause the Green supporters to vote tactically to make sure that National won’t get in (and I think that a lot of NZ First voters feel the same way).

  3. cleangreen 3

    “It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.

    perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.”

    Yes to all that pete, I agree fully.

    Jacinda made us vote for her on her solid performance with her famous “auckland town Hall speech” which still remains to be largely fulllfilled in it’s promises made.

    Things such as “Climate Change” ‘This is my generations nuclear moment’ – has been left on the back burner along with getting regional rail freight moving again, because labour in their last time in Government in 2008 bought the rail back for us all, and now in power she has done little to restore regional rail freight, as it and free up roads for tourists and Kiwi people to travel fafer, but all we see so far is Labour pouring more god money after bad into minior alterations to make roads better for trucks so that is dumb as trucks are now wrecking our climat change emisions targets.

    Next was Labour Jacinda promised was to bring us a Government that was a softer, gentler, caring, inclusive, considerate and transperant Government who will listen to our concerns, and provide ousing for all and jobs, but this was the basic plan Jacinda made us believe, and sadly so far the opposite has occurred here.

    The clock is ticking jacinda so please make this wish come true for us all this year. ‘Lets do this’. – (Jacinda called her plea as in pre-election 2017.)

  4. Dennis Frank 4

    Latest examination of US imperialism leads to surprising identification of the cause: https://exhalantblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/generals-gathered-in-their-masses-the-expansion-of-empire-continues-unabated/

    “But while official Washington united in opposition, new polling data from Morning Consult/Politico shows that a large plurality of Americans support Trump’s Syria withdrawal announcement: 49 percent support to 33 percent opposition.” https://theintercept.com/2019/01/11/as-democratic-elites-reunite-with-neocons-the-partys-voters-are-becoming-far-more-militaristic-and-pro-war-than-republicans/

    “That’s not surprising given that Americans by a similarly large plurality agree with the proposition that “the U.S. has been engaged in too many military conflicts in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan for too long and should prioritize getting Americans out of harm’s way” far more than they agree with the pro-war view that “the U.S. needs to keep troops in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan to help support our allies fight terrorism and maintain our foreign policy interests in the region.””

    Greenwald reports the evidence that the real warmongers are the Democrats: “But what is remarkable about the new polling data on Syria is that the vast bulk of support for keeping troops there comes from Democratic Party voters, while Republicans and independents overwhelming favor their removal. The numbers are stark: Of people who voted for Clinton in 2016, only 26 percent support withdrawing troops from Syria, while 59 percent oppose it. Trump voters overwhelmingly support withdraw by 76 percent to 14 percent.”

    • Gabby 4.1

      Let’s wait and see if the withdrawal happens in praxis franxie. Til then it’s just words.

  5. Dennis Frank 5

    There’s a cold shower of reality falling on all those here who keep pretending that the Democrats are the good guys:

    “Democratic policy elites in Washington are once again formally aligning with neoconservatives, even to the point of creating joint foreign policy advocacy groups (a reunion that predated Trump). The leading Democratic Party think tank, the Center for American Progress, donated $200,000 to the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute and has multilevel alliances with warmongering institutions.” https://theintercept.com/2019/01/11/as-democratic-elites-reunite-with-neocons-the-partys-voters-are-becoming-far-more-militaristic-and-pro-war-than-republicans/

  6. francesca 6

    There is zero evidence that the Ukrainian political consultant ..note ..Ukrainian not Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik , has ties to the Russian security services.
    The long bow being strung here is that when Kilimkin applied for his job at the International Republican Institute(strongly associated with the US govt), he was perfectly open about where he learned his fluent English…at a Soviet military school ,pretty standard for Soviet citizens, and later worked as a translator for the Russian army.He was jokingly referred to as GRU.and not considered a security risk
    Kilimnik worked for Manafort’s consultancy in Ukraine, which was advising Yanukovich to turn towards the west and pursue admittance to the EU.Yanukovich straddled a line between Russia and Europe and tried to play both off against each other as a way to tread water
    (In the event, the EU aid package didnt weigh up against the loss of Ukraine’s biggest trading partner, Russia , some 60 billion dollars down according to Yanukovich’s own treasury advisors.The Russian offer along with cheap gas was the only workable one.
    When Yanukovich pleaded with the EU to cut him a better deal, they refused.)

    So working with an American flash Harry who’s advising a Ukrainian despot to turn west is apparently the work of a “Russian operative”… but these are the times we live in , where journalism is in thrall to partisan, old and tired geopolitical agendas .
    And we the consumers have to pretend not to gag on outlandish bullshit .
    Repeat after me, Black is White
    Here’s the Nation , rather more Democrat aligned than Republican

    https://www.thenation.com/article/manafort-no-smoking-gun-collusion/

  7. Andre 7

    Heh. The most libertarian free-marketeer in the US Senate rejects the services available from his home free market and goes to a foreign country with a socialist system and socialized service providers to get his medical care.

    https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/14/rand-paul-canada-surgery-neighbor-attack-1099485

  8. greywarshark 8

    I think we are going to have to bring back the death penalty. Such behaviour as this mean that this person should never be let out into society again. With a planet full of people, and not able to look after the innocent and vulnerable now, those who cross over into viciousness have no place in the world and should be humanely put down.

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/380139/jayme-closs-kidnap-suspect-tells-police-he-picked-her-at-random

  9. greywarshark 10

    What’s that about adam. Can you explain its relevance?

  10. DJ Ward 11

    Some men are so smart they can out smart scientists by decades. Even after death they can continue to show how smart they were.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/health/2017/10/science-backs-up-hugh-hefner-s-number-one-rule.html

    • Molly 11.1

      What is the purpose of this comment? The objectification of women by one man is supported by others who regard sexual objectification as meritorious?

  11. soddenleaf 12

    Yellow shirts argue for tax reform… …on the rich. How about banning foriegn multi millionaires? over say 100 million from travel overseas. Those individuals that rich are incapable of spend even a smidgen in a foreign country, except on homes,so reek havoc to the global economy in inequality, and it’s not like their numbers are growing, in fact wealth is falling to fewer and fewer. When there is a threat to the people our leaders must act… …and it’s not like the wealthy will have it hard, they are swimming in money, they can fly the four star French chef over and simulate the world economy for a change. And it’s not like they are thick, they have the ability to give to charity, raise wages of faithful employees, or family…etc. Why would we create and maintain a system of economic value, that allows value to be acrued, yet then once acrued inhibits wider wealth dissipation, or we could, as the yellow shirts want, just tax them more to pay for the troubles tgey are producing. although a few Saudi princes kept at home might have redirected their locus of perception and saved a journalist.

    • DJ Ward 12.1

      These are the present tax rates in France.

      Up to €9,807: 0%
      €9,807–27,086: 14%
      €27,086–72,617: 30%
      €72,617–153,783: 41%
      €153,783+: 45%

      ………………
      In addition to the basic rates of income tax those fortunate few with a taxable income of upwards of €250,000 pa are liable for a special tax called contribution exceptionnelle sur les hauts revenus.

      This tax is at the rate of 3% on income up to €500,000, and at the rate of 4% on income above €500,000.

      Married couples and those in a civil partnership are exempt up to €500,000, when they then become liable at the rate of 3% to €1m, and 4% above this figure.

      The tax is imposed on net income, after determination of the tax liability under the standard scale rates.
      …………….

      They also rebate tax liability for dependants.
      A couple with 2 kids pay no tax until €47,452

      So how are the rich not paying there fair share of tax. They are already not far off the only ones paying.

      In practice, less than 50% of inhabitants in France pay any income tax at all; only around 14% pay at the rate of 30%, and less than 1% pay at the rate of 45%.

      My guess is the ones protesting are in that 50% figure and pay no tax.

      • soddenleaf 12.1.1

        Tax was lowered on the wealthiest. Still you miss the point, great wealth can buy real estate in nz that harms our economy, pushing up housing costs for citizens here. The idea is either raise taxes on the wealthy, or stop them travelling and using that wealth to collude, distort and open unproductive relationships. Sure we want the good investments just have the debate also about the bad. giving someone bragging rights over multiple homes, boats, etc in multiple dominion is wealth pollution. Look a fail maker who moves here and invests great, a psuedo journalist who never made a buck anyone actually needed… …why expose ourselves to wealth acquired by colluding in foreign. We don’t allow free movement of people, why should we want fire movement of wealth people who have all the same spectrum of infalliabilities just more money to damage economies.

        John Key millionarie exception brought in dotcom… …really can’t we debate now was that good policy, is it good to have nonproductive ownership…

  12. greywarshark 13

    Get down where you belong NZs – where tourism is king and queen or Irish or something. Tote that barge, lift that rubbish, joyride in a car and you’ll really be rubbished.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz//nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12190151&ref=clavis
    Bad tourists: Group refused to pay for food in restaurant ‘scam’, bullied staff

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12190060
    Worst flight we’ve had’: Alleged chaos on travellers’ flight to NZ

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12189846
    ‘I’ll knock your brains out’: Unruly tourists dump rubbish at Takapuna Beach, threaten locals
    (This from a 9 year old?)

    Guess what – all the same group. The Brits won the pools and came to rubbish us,
    supposed to be Irish but who knows. For the reporter this was the gift that kept on giving. Watch out they might be headed your way and ready for some hooliganism.

    soddenleaf says what about banning multi millionaires?
    What about getting $100 per tourist up front, plus an insurance policy against damage and possible costs they incur in this country. We don’t know actually how much profit we get from this people invasion. And then if there is profit, how much of it stays in NZ. Bet they set up here as foreigners, get cheap people from overseas, arrange to receive all their country’s people so they can speak their own language, so easy, and then pocket everything and send the profit to a tax haven with us getting diddleysquat and I don’t know what that is, but it looks like trouble!

      • greywarshark 13.1.1

        Bruce That’s very informative – I had heard that some Chinese were getting offered very cheap tours, but finding that they were subject to stand-over tactics by tour organisers.

        I wonder if countries are allowed to set up their own tourist offices in China.
        This would ensure that the idea of being shown the country to the Chines as guests being cared for by the host country might go down well. With more Chinese speakers being churned out of course to talk face to face with the people.

        • Bruce 13.1.1.1

          I don’t think so , but it’s easy to see the country from local perspective esp now with google maps, not sure about China but here we just pick a place thats looks interesting and try to find the bus, truck or whatever to get there. And if your lucky enough to get lost and end up in the hands of the locals to get back to civilisation the fun really begins. These days though, I stay around one area so have to wait till it looks like rain, head off into the hills, get caught in the rain find shelter, wait for some locals to take pity on me and take me home. I used to feel uncomfortable with the disparity in wealth and circumstance but have since learned that the hill people have no idea of how we live and are quite content in their lives and are happy to share, there are always ways to appropriately respond.

          • greywarshark 13.1.1.1.1

            Have you ever toured in the Shansi province north of Xian? I was fascinated by the story of the little woman missionary Gladys Aylward who managed to raise her own money to get herself to a mission in China in that province.

            She went by sea, then railway, then sea again, and I think finally by donkey
            to a lower mountain walled township. They seemed to be very able people, in a hard climate. The remote mountain villages had scattered gardens of millet as their main food I think. I have thought of going there but it is getting off the main tourist drag and of course I have to save up a fair bit.

            Have you been there? I think she was in Feng Yang. Or have you been to where Rewi Alley established a school over in the west?

            • Bruce 13.1.1.1.1.1

              No never into China, Mong la on the border in Shan State but it’s just a casino so no interest back to Kentung.
              It’s only the airfare that costs and with an eye on the specials you can get to Bangkok for under a thousand and then 30 or 40 a day is ample. 12 to 15 for nice room, I’m fussy and immune suppressed so choosy. Meals are dollar or two, buses are generally safe $40 gets 1000 ks . Just stay as long as possible to dilute the airfare cost .

        • Graeme 13.1.1.2

          It’s an international problem, not just Chinese. All group / package tourism markets have this aspect.

          Probably the most blatant is the cruise ship industry who are there to fleece their punters in every way they can and demand huge commissions from any outside operator they might throw a few crumbs to.

    • joe90 13.2

      Spare a thought for Mediterranean tourist spot locals. They’ve had decades worth of the same shit.

      • greywarshark 13.2.1

        Mmm. Venice has been cutting down hard on day trippers etc. I Think that NZ is fooled a bit – we are making money from dairying – but what is the net return when you deduct the lost or damaged resources. Tourism – what clever ways of siphoning off profits and minimising taxes and the crowds needing resources!

        Try to set up some hiousing project and a fair proportion of the group are from
        the USA. When can we have our own country as a resource for ourselves? Of course what Maori have been asking for years.

    • OnceWasTim 13.3

      We could set up a little enclave in Todd McClay’s Rotovegas and call it Benedorm.
      Just think of all the opportunities for development and growth going forward.
      It’d be a ‘win win’ situation for all. We could even schedule a RoNS extension from Paengaroa and capture the cruise ship market calling in at Tearwronga

    • DJ Ward 13.4

      The tourist spend was $11.8 billion.
      There were 3,733,707 visitors.

      So each visitor spends $3160.

      So if they are charged $100, if >1 in 31.6 visiters decides not to come to NZ then we loose income.
      If you use tax gained from the activity at the immediate level you have GST but also Tax on wages, fuel, Buisiness profits, etc. Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up. It should be similar to the result. The % of the economy the government takes in taxes. Our Tax to GDP rate is 32%.

      So the government gets about. $1,011 a tourist.
      Tax vs Levi. If >1 in 10 tourists doesn’t come to NZ the Government gets less taxes.

      Other issue.
      How much does the tourist have to spend. If they only have $3160 then they including the Levi will still spend $3160. So it won’t be $3160, plus all of the $100.
      So the income figure, and tax figure would be affected by that change in figures.

      It could end up generating more revenue if numbers are less affected, and spend is less affected by an additional $100 levy.

      • greywarshark 13.4.1

        But nothing expands exponentially. The way we are is one of the pleasures of coming here. Are we too nice? We will gradually get sourer as numbers mount.
        And the hospitality industry is dependent on tourists, and they are poorly paid.
        Revenue isn’t everything, it can’t buy us pristine water for instance.

        And some visitors don’t spend a lot, are quite poor, these are woofers. And they often are very genuinely interested in the country and people and put a lot of effort into helping horticulture etc.

        • greywarshark 13.4.1.1

          Just taking averages is interesting but not really informative. Some nations spend more than others according to the stats.

          A lot of Australians come here for short holidays; some are Kiwis and stay with family. Not much to feed the hopeful tourist businesses. Then the very wealthy, do they go off to a remote hacienda and fish fine trout or something.
          Not much expenditure for the locals, except for the guide to the best spots.

      • OnceWasTim 13.4.2

        Plus @DJW, each tourist shits on average 1kg per day, and the average length of stay is between 19 and 22 days.
        So lets be fair and say the average excrement load per tourist is 20 kilograms.
        So lets multiply that by the record breaking 3.7 million tourists per year.
        That’s approximately 74,000,000 kilograms of shit per annum or 74,000 tonnes looking for prospects.
        Admittedly some of it will be high quality shit but a lot of it will be pretty average but it seems to me there must be a business opportunity for some entrepreneurial ‘type’ such as yourself.

        Money money money ……etc.

        Oh, and by the way “Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up.”
        I could probably arrange for a few Dalits to come and assist with the enterprise if you’d like – strictly below minimum wage of course and they’ll spend all they earn.

        • DJ Ward 13.4.2.1

          Well as a former minimum/low wage worker for a good part of my early life I had to make hard choices. I left a Job that over time was paying OK to study, living on the bones of my arse as it took to September to get a allowance approved. I moved city ariving with $5 to my name to start a new job that led to my position today. I abandoned that job to study a subject I needed to learn but new little about. I worked 8 to 12 hour night shifts and studied during the day. I moved city again and luckily got a job I wanted, again with nothing. My pay effectively doubled but your making a mistake if you think I don’t know how hard it is.

          Money, money, money!

          As a stay at home dad that chooses to work part time so I can have a quality life with my kids while they are young, I got my priorities and balance spot on.

          • OnceWasTim 13.4.2.1.1

            Yes I know @ DJ. Some of us have had similar experiences and so if everybody just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps like you and me, the world would be a much better place.
            It’s so good to be able to just sit back in the knowledge we’re both the self-made man

            • DJ Ward 13.4.2.1.1.1

              Yep. The Trump and Bush Senior hard worker driven types with the silver spoon are rare. The rest like Bush junior not so much.

              There is other rarities like Musc.

              The hard parts of life help show the value of the free things all around you.

              My brother who I had to take custody when I was 19 left school young to go on the independent youth benifit, on the day he qualified. Eventually he decided to do something with himself. He door knocked, offered his services for free to a business starting by sweeping the floor. Obviously that’s exploitation by the buisness but he learnt a skill that led to a job, a better job, his present job where he earns over 6 figures, flash vehicle, and boss to about 60 staff.

              • OnceWasTim

                Yea yea, understand mate. Fully! Fully!
                But you know what? as me dear ole mum said on her death bed just before she popped her clogs …. she said “son, I know its been a hard life with that useless git of a father of yours and all, and I couldn’t have done it without ya. I’m proud of ya son”

                And I said “yea mum, I know ya struggled but I didn’t get where I am today with all that bleeding heart liberal stuff”
                And I thought, if I an do it, ANYBODY can!

                And just before she departed this glorious world, she said “son, just remember, ya don’t owe noone nuttin”.
                I ‘ve remembered that to this very day. It’s what drives me in every thing I do

                • Tony Veitch [not etc.]

                  I just love it when sarcasm goes right over the recipient’s head!

                  Well done, OwT.

        • DJ Ward 13.4.2.2

          One way to look at it is they helped to capture 74,000 tonnes of carbon rich matter. Doing a good deed for climate change. Sequestered.

          All all up to our poo production strategy to save the world.

  13. JO 14

    And if anybody still thinks Orwell’s 1984 is fiction, that things are more extreme in the US and similar conditions can’t happen here… where have these dreamers been since 1984? Chris Hedges nails it.

    ‘Neoliberalism argues that the essence of freedom is free enterprise, while never addressing workers’ surrender of basic freedoms. Neoliberalism holds out the promise, which has not been true since before the Industrial Revolution, that workers can become self-employed if they are hardworking and innovative. We all have the ability to achieve economic independence or become industry leaders if we draw on our inner resources, according to the neoliberal mantra, one popularized by mass culture. […] This is a con.’

    https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-private-governments-that-subjugate-u-s-workers/

    • DJ Ward 14.1

      Well you can start your own Buisiness if you like can’t you. I’m self imployed. I was a worker on a wage. I was a worker on a salary. But I’ve always had the choice to be self employed, or start a Buisiness. Starting a Buisiness however takes commitment, hard work, and the willingness to risk ones own money and pay taxes on profits.

      What does the worker risk?
      Men get paid more for the risky jobs they do vs females low risk jobs, shows worker risk gets rewarded.

      People who start Buisiness.
      The very same people who create those modern day slavery workers jobs.
      Imagine what the workers would do if nobody created jobs.
      You are the master of your own destiny in a free society.
      Change job it it’s not making you happy.
      No guarantees, but with a good social system to help the unfortunate, or lazy.

      If you wish to start a Buisiness there is free classes, and grants. There’s nothing stopping you, other than your own glass ceiling.

      • greywarshark 14.1.1

        To a certain extent that’s right. But it takes a careful man or woman to keep a business going. Got to get paid and be carefully regular checking and working out payments with the strugglers and others. You actually have to have some spare money or assets to get started. Lots of businesses go down because they are under capitalised, and can’t get that extra loan to tide them over. You are in a business that needs your skills. So good luck with that.

        If you have a family your children might never see you and you slave away all hours, and have to live on tick while you work at getting the money in. And if the business doesn’t work out, it can sap all your energy. You have a change of lifestyle, have to give up your house and buy a caravan and start all over in another direction.

  14. Morrissey 15

    “Good on you for cutting him off, Wallace!”
    Wallace Chapman, Hero. Or is he?

    The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 15 January 2019
    Wallace Chapman, David Cormack, Janet Wilson, Caitlin Cherry

    First item for the day: a discussion about the wisdom or otherwise of police car chase policies. The “expert” for this topic was one John Lambert, an Australian road safety expert. However, this came to an abrupt end when Lambert claimed that Maori were more likely to break the law than Pakeha. This elicited gasps from David Cormack and host Wallace Chapman, who said: “We can’t accept that” and quickly got rid of him. He then condemned “that bizarre and woeful comment.”

    Five minutes later…..

    WALLACE CHAPMAN: A lot of responses about the gentleman from Australia. A lot of people hated the way I cut him off, but then a lot of people said “Good on you for cutting him off.”

    DAVID CORMACK: Good ON you for cutting him off, Wallace!

    “Good on you for cutting him off, Wallace.” So why, Wallace, did you let that scumbag Lee Child get away with the most disgusting bilge?
    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/wallace-chapmans-simpering-interview.html

    We note you said nothing to challenge Marilyn Garson….
    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/04/wallace-chapman-is-repeatedly-failing.html

    or these fools….
    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/sue-moroneys-dismal-delusional-anti.html

    But now you’ve grown a backbone. That’s encouraging.

    • fender 15.1

      You will never be 100% happy with any reporter, journalist or media commentator other than the handful of ones you idolize. I’m sure the file you have on Wallace is better ranked than the one on Mora, so be thankful there’s been a change on The Panel 🙂

      • Morrissey 15.1.1

        I “idolize” some reporters, do I?

        I expect them to do their job, which is to understand their subject to an expert level, report the facts, and to rigorously hold politicians and propagandists to account. Some reporters—Glenn Greenwald, Jon Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Robert Fisk, Jeremy Scahill—do exactly those things. Some, on the other hand—Jim Mora, Rachel Maddow, and as I showed in those three references, Wallace Chapman—fail to do those things.

        Yes, I’m thankful there’s been a change on The Panel. Today we saw a new Wallace Chapman. Time will tell whether he keeps challenging people like he did John Lambert this afternoon, or whether he will be as supine and indolent as he was when he let Lee Child vomit his disgusting views.

        WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha! I mean: “Painful and real disincentive against holding pistols again until they have healed, which could be a long time depending on their approach to nutrition and antisepsis.” [nervously] Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

        LEE CHILD: Ha ha ha ha! Well, that’s the thing with Reacher. He’s got a heart of gold, but he’s not a goody-goody. You know, he will get the job done in the most brutal way imaginable. Which I think also resonates with people.

        WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha ha!

        LEE CHILD: I mean, people are FED UP with all these rules—

        WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha!

        LEE CHILD: I mean, if you want to do something, just DO it.

        WALLACE CHAPMAN: [laughing timidly] Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. ….

        https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/wallace-chapmans-simpering-interview.html

      • Morrissey 15.1.2

        Having said all that, one has to admit that THIS is a great reporter….

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkkWx2d36Us

  15. A 16

    Gang members break into a property you own, say they own it (they don’t), and move in.

    Police are brought in and those squatting in the property are trespassed, but tough shit for you the property owner because nothing else happens and you run out of money paying for the mortgage, and legal bills.

    I’m all for tenant rights but the scale needs balance if only to stop incidents like this, rare though it is. WHY AREN’T THEY ARRESTED FOR TRESPASS AGAIN? Useless cops.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12188893

    This could happen to anyone of us and needs sorting asap.

    • greywarshark 16.1

      Did you notice that the gang used to own the property. They don’t now as they got bankrupted? Or had it taken off them when they got had on drug dealing.

      But they had built it themselves. If we had legalised marijuana back then they could have been encouraged to drop the meth and go legit on quality, tested grass.
      If only.

      • tc 16.1.1

        If Aunty had bollocks she’d be uncle. What you say about that eh ?

        If green was legal they’d still be pushing meth as it’s addictive, green has less repeat business. If if if if…..laws been broken, end of story.

        • greywarshark 16.1.1.1

          Yes I know, a little dream. My quote – ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would
          ride.’ If only, about the saddest most evocative words there are in the language.

  16. greywarshark 17

    Gathering support for new ideas, working teams for new projects?

    http://betterworktogether.co/

  17. Eco Maori 19

    After I read this story I new google shonky + tara Iti golf club and sure enough he is linked in this mess he goal was to serve his rich amercian m8 he would have bulldozed through all the laws we have to protect OUR indangered animals to get this golf club built and worse still the named the club after the Bird that they are causing the EXTINCTION of both links below. We have a obligation to protect these TARONGA birds of Aotearoa FROM the greedy wealthy men
    New Zealand’s rarest bird on the brink of extinction: ‘This is a crisis year’
    A disastrous breeding season has plunged one of the world’s rarest birds even deeper into crisis.
    The critically endangered fairy tern/tara iti, the country’s rarest native bird species with fewer than 40 individuals, has had only three chicks hatch this season.
    New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust convenor Heather Rogan says one chick has gone missing, which could make this the worst breeding season in at least 27 years.
    The Department of Conservation maintained on Monday that all three chicks were alive and well. If that’s the case and they all fledge, this would still be the worst season since 1996-7, the last time three chicks fledged.

    The luxury Tara Iti Golf Club has been built nearby and exclusive housing developments are planned in the old Mangawhai Forest, bought by Te Uri o Hau in its Treaty settlement. As part of the developments, a public reserve is to be created.
    “It just seems one thing after the other has been piling pressure on,” says Rogan.

    It appears, however, that DOC has dropped the ball. A 10-year fairy tern recovery plan was produced in 2005 but the recovery group was disbanded before the term was finished.
    “If all the things that were in there had been followed, we might be a bit better off,” says Rogan.
    (Iftikar didn’t know why the group was disbanded.)
    SLOW PROGRESS
    Progress also seems slow. DOC called a meeting of interested groups in March last year to discuss some of the strategies and priorities for saving the fairy tern. A recovery group was one of the top priorities, yet it’s still not established.
    Looking back five years, the Fairy Tern Trust, set up in ka kite ano links below. P.S I can see the money mens spin doctors are using the media one story I found stated the Tara iti had a good season what lies the alt right throw at us.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/109953299/new-zealands-rarest-bird-on-the-brink-of-extinction-this-is-a-crisis-year

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105059172/sir-john-key-lobbied-government-for-overseas-buyers-ban-exemption

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fZwprjBkw

  18. Eco Maori 20

    The moon
    Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon
    A small cotton shoot is growing onboard Chang’e 4 lunar lander, scientists confirm
    A small green shoot is growing on the moon after a cotton seed germinated onboard a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said.
    The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister after the Chang’e 4 lander touched down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University.
    “This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface,” said Xie Gengxin, who led the design of the experiment, on Tuesday.
    Plants have been grown previously on the International Space Station, but this is the first time a seed has sprouted on the moon. The ability to grow plants in space is seen as crucial for long-term space missions and establishing human outposts elsewhere in the solar system, such as Mars.
    Harvesting food in space, ideally using locally extracted water, would mean astronauts could survive for far longer without returning to Earth for supplies.
    The Chang’e 4 probe – named after the Chinese moon goddess – made the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the moon on 3 January,

    Chang’e 4 is also equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the moon’s surface.

    Sign up for Lab Notes – the Guardian’s weekly science update
    Read more

    The lander released a rover, nicknamed Yutu 2 (Jade Rabbit), that will perform experiments in the Von Kármán crater.
    The agency said four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of Chang’e 5 by the end of the year, which will be the first probe to return samples of the moon to Earth since the 1970s. ka kite ano links below

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/15/china-germinates-first-seed-on-moon-cotton-shoot-change-4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COyECWFkeas

  19. Eco Maori 21

    One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
    Health
    One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change

    Search »
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    One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change

    US carbon emissions on the rise again 06:24
    (CNN)There may actually be a way to keep the worst of climate change at bay, but it’s going to take a herculean effort, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
    Climate change is well underway already, the time to act and limit its human causes is now, many studies have shown. This latest report maps out what it may take to get there.

    Antarctica ice melt has accelerated by 280% in the last 4 decades
    It posits that if the world was to phase out its “carbon-intensive infrastructure” at the end of its design lifetime starting from the end of 2018, there’s a 64% chance that the planet’s peak temperature can remain below the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Above that, scientists predict the planet will see even more extreme weather events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, massive animal die offs and food shortages for millions. The planet is already two-thirds of the way there, with global temperatures having warmed about 1 degree Celsius.

    To keep the global median temperature within this optimal 1.5 degree-Celsius limit, according to this study, change would have to happen across all sectors, not just in the energy sector. Power plants would need to be replaced, but so would gas and diesel-fueled cars, aircraft, ships and and industrial plants. Even cows would have to go — essentially, anything that contributes to global warming.
    Under this scenario, infrastructure such as power plants wouldn’t have to be scrapped and replaced with a non-carbon emitting technology — at least, not immediately. The researchers are talking about a “design lifetime.” In the case of power plants, the average lifetime based on historic data, is about 40 years. The average lifetime of a car on the road now is more than 11 years, according to Consumer Reports, but could last for about 200,000 miles, or 15 years, US estimates show. Once they wear out, stop working or die, they’d be replaced with technology or products that do not contribute to climate change Ka kite ano link below

    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/15/health/climate-change-phase-out-infrastructure-study/index.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M

  20. Eco Maori 22

    The sandflys must be in the kaka every time Eco Maori goes outside they play with there sirens ana to kai ka kite ano

  21. Eco Maori 23

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_nvWreIhg

  22. Eco maori 24

    I see the alt right reporters are using cunning sly tact ticks to scare people off the ideas that a fare tax system in Needed .I SAY that it’s is need a tax on people who can afford it .The way s honky has setup the tax system a the minute the people who are broke are paying a higher tax % than a person making millions in proffets in the share market and that ain’t correct. The the more money the government gives the wealthy they take that money out of the system under there mattresses. The more money the government’s give the poor the money keeps flowing through the systems and is good for a capitalist based system. The wealthy people let there greed replace any logically humane way of thinking with bigotry. Ka kite ano. P.S we need to make this country fare that will fix some of the problems we have now links below
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/366876/two-options-proposed-for-taxing-capital-gain
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/359921/cap-gains-would-cut-house-prices-increase-ownership-study

  23. Eco maori 25

    Goods need to be made to last a life time not 2 to 5 years
    frustrating: you buy a new appliance then just after the warranty runs out, it gives up the ghost.

    You can’t repair it and can’t find anyone else to at a decent price, so it joins the global mountain of junk.

    You’re forced to buy a replacement, which fuels climate change from the greenhouse gases released in the manufacturing process.

    No captionPhoto: 123RF
    But help is at hand, because people in Europe and parts of the USA will soon get a right to repair – of sorts.

    Libby Peake is senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, a UK charity and environmental think tank, she tells Summer Times it’s a problem all over the world.

    “The right to repair movement really stems from consumer frustrations with products that break long before they should and can’t be repaired because it’s either too expensive, or it’s too much of a hassle. Increasingly, it’s because products aren’t designed to be repaired,”
    She says consumer goods such as washing machines are often designed with sealed drums that prevent consumers and repairers from accessing parts that would be easily and cheaply replaced, such as ball bearings. Faced with the choice of an expensive repair, consumers often choose to simply buy a new machine – “and it’s no wonder”, she says.

    The movement started in the United States, where lawmakers in Massachusetts passed legislation that forced car manufacturers to provide information to consumers which would allow them to make repairs to vehicles themselves.

    Increasingly, it’s moved into consumer electronics. Eighteen states across the US have now passed legislation for the right to repair and now the European Union is gearing up to do the same. Already, the EU is looking at improving product standards for things such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions.

    No captionLibby Peake. Photo: Supplied
    Ms Peake says the movement would be hugely beneficial to the environment.

    “There are massively environmental consequences to the growing mountain of electronic waste that’s being created. It’s the fastest growing waste stream – not just the products, but the manufacturing itself which includes mining, water, and electricity use. It’s an energy intensive process.”

    Previously the EU had focused on the eco-design directive which dictates standards on energy use, for instance LED lightbulbs and electricity or water use. Now it’s moving onto resource efficiency, product lifetime and the ease of repair.

    Peake says several manufacturers have protested the proposed changes and argue only professional repairs should be conducted on their products. But the legislation has support from higher-end manufacturers who believe that if everyone were forced to meet minimum standards, it would make the industry more competitive and drive the least efficient products off the market.

    Planned product obsolescence used to make sense for manufacturers to force new purchases of defunct electronics, but consumers are increasingly in favour of long-lasting products and Speake says their frustrations will begin to hit manufacturer bottom lines as consumers seek out more robust products. Ka kite ano

    Peake says, now that jumps in technological advances have decreased, manufacturers could design things like phones and televisions with disassembly in mind, so the parts can be re-used or recycled. In terms of the losses they would incur by selling more robust phones for example, she says manufacturers may need to pivot to charging for things like software upgrades or repair services.

    “People are increasingly sick of ‘take, make, dispose’ economy we’ve got. They want something that’s much more circular and doesn’t damage the planet so much – and ultimately – doesn’t damage their wallets.

  24. Eco maori 26

    Here is a link to vote for Steven Adams to become the first Kiwi to get into the NBA AllStars Kia kaha kite ano he need Aotearoa tau toko. Link below.

    https://vote.nba.com/#/confirm

  25. Eco Maori 27

    Kia ora Newshub
    History is in the making in Britain
    Cryto currency is getting hacked Alot costing them billions they must have some power full computers to achieve that.
    A fire at sea in Australia one has to be careful as on Tangaroa a fire at sea is a nightmare never seen one tho.
    It must be a bad feeling knowing that you have a short time to live I could not fathom it.
    Falling in love can turn Papatuanukue upside down.
    A ride a horse in fast food outlet in Australia that’s a cool photo there are no shops were I rode my horses.
    Tom its good to see one of the Football Ferns best players come back to play for them under a new coach. Ka kite ano

  26. Eco Maori 28

    Time to listen to the people who’s only interest is saving OUR Papatuanuku and not the amount of interest there share’s are making while they are poisioning our Earth
    WE HAVE TO MAKE THE COMPANYS AND CONSUMERS PAY MORE so there is a good price payed for plastic waste reclycling that will provide jobs and $$ for poor people .
    1 billion is a drop in the bucket . NZ need to invest that amount alone let alone the hole planet investing 1 billion and trying to grab positive head lines in the media
    Industry alliance sets out $1bn to tackle oceans’ plastic waste
    Greenpeace sceptical about corporate polluters as alliance launched to reduce waste
    Forbes, global plastics project leader at Greenpeace, said: “This is a desperate attempt from corporate polluters to maintain the status quo on plastics. In 2018 people all over the world spoke up and rejected the single-use plastics that companies like Procter & Gamble churn out on a daily basis, urging the industry to invest in refill and reuse systems and innovation. Instead of answering that call, P&G preferred to double down on a failed approach with fossil fuel giants Exxon, Dow and Total [which] fuel destructive climate change.”
    He added: “Make no mistake, plastics are a lifeline for the dying fossil fuel industry, and this announcement goes to show how far companies will go to preserve it.”
    Rob Kaplan, chief executive of Circulate Capital, which invests in recycling and other projects to reduce plastic waste, said businesses would provide the answer to plastic waste, but it would take many billions in investment. “There is no silver bullet to the plastic problem. Different parties are trying to push their own agenda, but there does not seem to be an alternative at present,” Ka kite ano links below

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/16/industry-alliance-sets-out-1bn-to-tackle-oceans-plastic-waste

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT4Qbp89nIQ

  27. Eco Maori 29

    I hope this Goverment is going to back renewable Energy as fast as the Papatuanuku needs to . So we can guarantee a bright clean happy future for ALL Eco Maoris Wero to this Goverment.
    Low-carbon electricity from wind and solar farms will be cheaper than gas and effectively subsidy-free by 2020, says the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
    In a new report, the government’s official climate change advisor says that low-carbon supplies will be the most cost-effective way to fill the looming generation gap in the 2020s, as the UK’s ageing coal and nuclear plants retire. A more flexible grid will be a crucial complement to this shift.
    However, the CCC also rows back from the stretching 2030 power decarbonisation target it once advocated, citing delays to the deployment of nuclear and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The report is a prelude to the CCC’s fifth carbon budget advice. On 26 November this advice will recommend a UK emissions cap for the five years from 2028 to 2032. S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
    Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
    “When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
    Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
    “Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming Ka kite ano links below P.S I say The NZ Goverment should be investing in solar and wind on the industrial and roof top solar make the power companys pay a net metering price that is the same as they charge us for the power.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2019/01/13/solar-storage-half-the-cost-of-gas-peaker-plants-8minuteenergy/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZhhlqVOd6g

  28. Eco Maori 30

    The sandflys have found away to block my post fools on my computer this is my HUAWEI phone Ka kite ano

    • Eco Maori 30.1

      A post from my phone gets them to stop there bullstuff you see people I post a post putting down the alt right and there sirens went off = alt right climate change denieing red necks the sandflys are ka kite ano

  29. Eco Maori 31

    S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.
    Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
    Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
    “When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
    Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
    “Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming

    • Eco Maori 31.1

      I deleted this post above because my first one went up 15 minutes later its part of my first one ka kite ano

  30. Eco Maori 32

    Ikea Investment in New Plastic Recycling Technology at Port of Amsterdam
    Plastic Recycling Amsterdam, a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
    Plastic Recycling Amsterdam (PRA), a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
    The organisation explained that the new facility, which can be expanded on a modular basis, will initially process 17,000 tonnes of plastics annually and prepare them to be reused.
    The development is part of its move expand its circular plastics hub. Once operational it will first wash incoming plastic waste, shred it and then route through a magnetic bath. Using Magnetic Density Separation (MDS) technology, the plastics can be separated with a purity of 99% because different plastics have different weights.
    The technology was originally developed at Delft University of Technology. The sorted plastics can then be processed into high-quality new packaging materials.
    According to PRA the technology also represents a breakthrough in sustainable plastics recycling. Compared with traditional plastics, 90% of CO2 and 75% of costs in the supply chain are saved by using this circular process.
    “With its existing large-scale collection of plastics and the growth of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in the years ahead, the Port of Amsterdam is the ideal location for
    establishing PRA,” commented Jaap Vandehoek, CEO of Umincorp.
    Last week, Ingka, Ikea’s parent company, announced last week that it will invest in Umincorp.
    “We are determined to make the difference in plastics recycling with our unique MDS technology and the recent investment by Ingka Group,” said Vandehoek
    Roon van Maanen, Director Circular & Renewable Industry at Port of Amsterdam added: “PRA transforms recyclable plastics into raw materials for new plastics, while non-recyclable plastics are converted into transport fuel by Integrated Green Energy Solutions Amsterdam, which is also established in our Port. Ka kite ano limks below

    https://waste-management-world.com/a/ikea-investment-in-new-plastic-recycling-technology-at-port-of-amsterdam

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFZS3Vh4lfI

  31. Eco Maori 34

    There you go whano I went to the courthouse to sort my false fines I get a paper take it to the bank expecting it to be filed. Because ECO MAORI trust no system I check it out today and what do you know the sandflys have been in the bank after me and flashed there shiny badge and bin the papers I filed to pay there false fine I will load the payment by Internet banking. The only system these redneck sandflys want to share with Maori is there jail system everything else they keep the best for them selves and let Maori have what falls of the side of their overflowing plates and encourage US to fight over it Ka kite ano

  32. Eco Maori 35

    Kia ora Newshub like the professor said the information is on the Internet.
    Australia is behaving badly the way they are treating the People who imagrated their and locking them on Manu Island treating them worsted animals.
    Its up to the Auckland Council to make sure that there suburbs are clean and healthy without rubbish making the place smell. Was that a advert advertiseing that ladys miss fortunes WTF that’s not on hope that PBS gets sued but one has to have heaps of money to get justice in NZ. Newshub we need to move away from plastic waste wrapping product ASAP.
    That’s cool that the kuia got some of her belongings back Ana to kai the offenders got name and shame on the net.
    That a natural phenomenon A ice disk in Main America
    I seen the story of that boy down a borehole hope they find him safely and unhurt. Even though China.s plants ended up freezing on the far side of the Marama it still gives a sign that plants can grow on the moon. Ka kite ano

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  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    7 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s brave climate change promise
    The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles  and that ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
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    4 days ago
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