Open Mike 15/08/2018

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, August 15th, 2018 - 178 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

178 comments on “Open Mike 15/08/2018 ”

Comments are now closed

AsleepWhileWalking 1

15 August 2018 at 6:34 am

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/105933366/hundreds-of-rape-evidence-kits-never-get-tested–should-we-be-alarmed

Where to start?
- Patricia Bremner 1.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:28 am
  
  Part of the last Government’s silent cuts no doubt. The current Government will have to clean this cupboard as well!!!
- Sabine 1.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:22 am
  
  at the beginning.
  
  One at a time.
  Unless we want to do away the notion that this country actually gives a poop about rape, its victims and the damage it causes.
  
  Surely there is some property for some rich fuck that needs protecting. Policing is hard work, i hear.
Sanctuary 2

15 August 2018 at 6:35 am

LoL someone tell Fran O’Sullivan it isn’t the 1990s anymore… Jeez talk about rust never sleeping, have any of the old age duffers who seem the crew the Herald opinion pages these days had a new idea since 1984?

Talk about ageing neolib journalist waving a fist at the clouds!

First, privatisation was more or less a disaster in NZ. Secondly it is unpopular with voters thirdly it is wildly unpopular with Labour voters…
- dukeofurl 2.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:43 am
  
  Someone tell Fran its cheaper to use the income from the state assets to pay the interest.
  
  The other mistake she makes , which shows she has zero commercial nous, is that NSW can do deals because of the tax benefits, with the loss of tax revenue only affecting the Federal government revenue not the state government. In NZ we dont have a state government intermediary, any gains for business are losses from IRD.
  - Nic the NZer 2.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 8:16 am
    
    Why doesn’t she propose borrowing it from the RBNZ directly and paying any interest to them. RBNZ profits get rolled into the government accounts as profit.
    - dukeofurl 2.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:39 am
      
      Not going to be creating money.
      - Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 11:49 am
        
        Yes, because only the private banks are allowed to do that.
      - Nic the NZer 2.1.1.1.2
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:28 pm
        
        Well that can’t be the reason because the money gets created exactly the same even when the government borrows from the private sector.
        
        This happens during the spending of the money process which happens either way.
        
        Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.2.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:12 pm
        
        Well that can’t be the reason because the money gets created exactly the same even when the government borrows from the private sector.
        
        Actually, it’s not the same or shouldn’t be.
        
        If the government created the money they shouldn’t be paying interest on it whereas they will be if they borrow from the private sector.
        
        And that, of course, is why the private sector is always complaining about the government creating money. If the government did the private sector would lose a major part of its government guaranteed unearned income.
        
        Nic the NZer …
        
        15 August 2018 at 6:47 pm
        
        Right (well mostly) but obviously the question is why is she not proposing this? The implication is Fran doesn’t actually understand the stuff she is talking about.
        
        Mostly? Well obviously if the treasury borrows from the RBNZ they are still likely to pay some interest on that.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        15 August 2018 at 11:22 pm
        
        Right (well mostly) but obviously the question is why is she not proposing this?
        
        Because we’ve had it drummed into us over the last few decades that a government creating money is evil. Meanwhile the fact that the private banks create money all the time and push hyper-inflation in assets (asset bubbles) and the fact of governments creating money has brought about prosperity is carefully hidden.
        
        Who benefits from those actions?
- SaveNZ 2.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 12:17 pm
  
  +1 Sanctuary
Jenny 3

15 August 2018 at 6:40 am

A No-Fly Zone Is Needed Around Idlib to Prevent “Unprecedented” Massacre
Moazzam Begg – Democracy Now, APRIL 19, 2018

And one thing I have to say, that whether it’s the United States, whether it’s Russia, whether it’s the Gulf states, whether it’s Britain or France, all have taken part in what I call the aerial gang rape of Syria. Everybody has bombed the opposition. And it’s only now twice that the United States government has bombed Syrian military positions, and this latest one with the chemical facilities.

Now, I’m completely against Western intervention, because I’ve tasted firsthand what that can do and what it’s done. But if you look at the strikes, literally, I think it’s the first time in history that the Americans have bombed over 150 missiles, together with the United States and France, and killed nobody. Now that’s great, but perhaps they could extend this kind of deathless aerial bombing campaign to everybody else that they’ve been bombing, because, thus far, it’s only the side of the rebels that the Americans have hit.

“Aerial gang rape”, exactly describes what has been done to the people of Syria by all the intervening powers, including the US, they have all piled on against the rebels. Moazzam Begg who himself was a victim of the CIA program of ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ and who went to Syria to investigate the Assad’s regime role in working with the CIA to carry out torture of CIA captives, is an Authoritative commentator on both the Assad regime and the superpowers’ motives and actions in Syria.

If there is one thing all these arrayed powers can’t stand; And that is, a people seeking their own independence and freedom out from under an autocratic tyranny, especially if those people live in an oil rich area of the Middle East.

Witness how in the First Iraq war the US pulled back and let Saddam Hussein put down a popular revolt by the Iraqi people.

On February 15, 1991, as the Desert Storm air campaign blasted Iraqi defenses in Kuwait, Bush flew to Andover, Mass., for a rally at the Raytheon plant, which manufactured the Patriot Air Defense System.

In the middle of a rousing speech, he noted, almost as an aside, “There’s another way for the bloodshed to stop, and this is for the Iraqi military and the Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands and force Saddam Hussein, the dictator, to step aside.”

This was a notion trumpeted by other Administration officials as well, but what they and Bush had in mind was encouraging senior leaders of the Iraqi army or Baath Party to revolt.

“We didn’t expect a general public uprising,” says a former Bush aide. It was the Shi’ites in southern Iraq and the Kurds in the north–both of whom had long been subjugated by Saddam–who took Bush’s words to heart.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/07/timep.betray.tm/
- Ed 3.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:12 am
  
  Who wonders if we have one of those staged gas attacks any second now?
  Organised by the Jihadi headchopping gang known as the Whites Helmets to blame Syria for it.
  - Jenny 3.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 9:16 am
    
    Ed, You should really stop paying attention to Alex Jones.
    
    “ISIS Crisis Actors: White Helmets Aren’t White Hats”
    Infowars, Jul 26, 2018
    
    https://www.infowars.com/isis-crisis-actors-white-helmets-arent-white-hats/
    
    You would be better off listening to Amy Goodman
    
    https://www.democracynow.org/2016/10/13/the_white_helmets_as_syria_death
    - One Two 3.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 11:34 am
      
      Jenny, I didn’t read your thoughts on the Israeli ‘humanitarian rescue’ of the white helmets…
      
      Whose ‘assets’ were that group…at face value it raises many questions…
      
      Twice previously I raised it with you…
      - Jenny 3.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:55 pm
        
        One Two 3.1.1.1
        15 August 2018 at 11:34 am
        Jenny, I didn’t read your thoughts on the Israeli ‘humanitarian rescue’ of the white helmets…
        
        I recall making extensive comments on the white helmets being transitted through Israel on this site.
        
        Because many of my comments don’t get seen I have started keeping copies.
        
        For your benefit I will repost one made at the time in a reply to Bill.
        
        I think what you are missing here Bill, (either consciously or unconsciously) is all of this is going on behind a background of mass fascist style extermination being rained on the Syrian population by the Assad regime. Of which there is more than enough evidence of.
        
        As horrible as it is, the West’s preoccupation with gas weapons and their possession and use by the Assad regime, obscures the fact that most of the aerial genocide has been committed with high explosives dropped on civilian cities and towns.
        
        Zouhir Al Shimale, Middle East Eye – Thursday, 28 June 2018
        
        Tens of thousands flee as regime-allied airstrikes pound southern Syria
        The Japan Times – Friday, June 29, 2018
        
        At least 270,000 Syrians flee latest deadly regime offensive
        Kareem Khadder and Judith Vonberg, CNN – Monday, July 2, 2018
        
        The tens of thousands of civilians fleeing the Assad genocide piling up against the closed borders of Israel and Jordan represent a massive and building humanitarian crisis.
        
        In Jordan, in response to the emerging humanitarian disaster, ‘Open the borders’ has become a top trending hashtag on social media
        
        Jordanians urge government to take in Syrians fleeing Daraa
        Middle East Eye – Friday, 29 June, 2018
        
        No such public campaign has emerged in the racist Zionist state of Israel which has an understanding with the Assad regime, and a reputation for massacring civilians on its borders.
        
        More than 270,000 displaced by southern Syria fighting, UN says
        Times of Israel – Monday, 2 July, 2018
      - Jenny 3.1.1.1.2
        
        15 August 2018 at 3:36 pm
        
        One Two 3.1.1.1
        15 August 2018 at 11:34 am
        Jenny, I didn’t read your thoughts on the Israeli ‘humanitarian rescue’ of the white helmets…
        
        Whose ‘assets’ were that group…at face value it raises many questions…
        
        Twice previously I raised it with you…
        
        And though they didn’t appear, twice previously I have responded, which the admin knows.
        
        I have again just now tried to post my response to your queries but still keep getting blocked.
        
        I will again email them to the admin in the hope that they will be let through.
    - Ed 3.1.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:13 pm
      
      Never read or listened to Alex Jones.
      My sources are Cockburn, Fisk, Galloway, Bartlett and Beeley, as I’ve mentioned before.
      - Jenny 3.1.1.2.1
        
        16 August 2018 at 11:31 am
        
        Ed 3.1.1.2
        15 August 2018 at 8:13 pm
        Never read or listened to Alex Jones.
        My sources are Cockburn, Fisk, Galloway, Bartlett and Beeley, as I’ve mentioned before.
        
        What’s the difference?
        
        These people’s views (and yours), are pretty much interchangeable, with that of Alex Jones and Ron Paul, and other far Right and fascist groups.
        
        I dare you to say they aren’t
- Cemetery Jones 3.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:33 am
  
  I’m fine with Sunni jihadists getting aerially gang-raped. And the rebels in Idlib are Sunni jihadists. That’s what we invented air combat wings for. Soon they’ll be dead, or forced to bend the knee in acceptance that Allah willed their crushing defeat at the hands of Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad, and Quassem Suleimani.
  
  “If there is one thing all these arrayed powers can’t stand; And that is, a people seeking their own independence and freedom out from under an autocratic tyranny, especially if those people live in an oil rich area of the Middle East.”
  
  Yeah, that describes the Kurdish perhaps – but these guys in Idlib were trying to annihilate them, not free them. A brigade or two of Syrian military may have genuinely been a ‘free’ and ‘Syrian’ army in the early days of the revolt. But Idlib today is full of foreign fanatics, not secular Syrians.
  - Jenny 3.2.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 11:41 am
    
    Cemetery Jones 3.2
    15 August 2018 at 9:33 am
    I’m fine with Sunni jihadists getting aerially gang-raped…..
    
    And are you are also fine with genocide and torture?
    - One Two 3.2.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 12:03 pm
      
      Your comments have defended into farce…
      
      Perhaps you could address the points CJ made…
      
      Your confusion must be expanding, what with the ‘humanitarian resue’ of the WH’s….by you know…actual practitioners of genocide….
      
      Eh, Jenny!
      - Jenny 3.2.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 1:19 pm
        
        I could make a comment on why CJ thinks that; “…Idlib today is full of foreign fanatics, not secular Syrians.” And it might have some bearing on the genocide being carried out by the regime and obviously supported by him.
        
        ‘Crisis Actor’ Isn’t a New Smear. The Idea Goes Back to the Civil War Era.
        Niraj Chokshi – New York Times, February 24, 2018
        
        In his 1963 “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” defending nonviolent civil disobedience, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the tactic as an effort to silence African-American voices.
        
        “If our white brothers dismiss as ‘rabble rousers’ and ‘outside agitators’ those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies — a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare,” Dr. King wrote.
        
        Label the opposition “terrorists” and “Jihadis”, and it seems that some Western Leftists will support genocide and torture and mass disappearances, and even cheer it on. In that they are not too dissimilar to the extreme Right.
        
        What we do know is that Idlib has been the place where thousands of Sunni refugees ethnically cleansed from regime areas have sought refuge. Just as CJ has said he wants to see these people, “getting aerially gang-raped”.
        
        He may get his gory wish.
    - Cemetery Jones 3.2.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 5:32 pm
      
      Unlike the Sunni jihadists (tourists or locals alike) I don’t really like those ideas. Neither did the Alawis, Yazidis or the Kurds – or the Christians of various local ethnicities. All of whom were fine under the old regime, but genocided by these Sunni extremists you seem to like so much.
      
      Not to worry, while the holy rollers are about to get BTFO hard, it seems that the Syrian, Russian, and Iranian command are trying to figure out how to do it with minimal civilian casualties, which is why the offensive on Idlib has yet to commence.
      
      https://maps.southfront.org/syrian-war-report-august-13-2018-tiger-forces-are-deploying-in-northern-latakia/
- mauī 3.3
  
  15 August 2018 at 10:31 am
  
  Of course what right minded “rebels” or “opposition” would make millions of their own citizens into refugees. Now it seems Syrians are returning to live under that “butcher” and dictator Assad. Makes no sense at all and shows up Begg.
  
  For some real coverage on Syria from 4:30 onwards,
  - Jenny 3.3.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 11:50 am
    
    Tea Party founder Ron Paul – the sanitised version of Alex Jones, but just as nutty and extreme.
    
    Really Maui?
    - Jenny 3.3.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 11:57 am
      
      Ron Paul Liberty Report – The Climate Change Hoax
    - One Two 3.3.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 12:19 pm
      
      TIME Magazine – 2006
      
      http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1571751,00.html
      
      The Bush Administration has been quietly nurturing individuals and parties opposed to the Syrian government in an effort to undermine the regime of President Bashar Assad. Parts of the scheme are outlined in a classified, two-page document that says that the U.S. already is “supporting regular meetings of internal and diaspora Syrian activists” in Europe
      
      The document bluntly expresses the hope that “these meetings will facilitate a more coherent strategy and plan of actions for all anti-Assad activists.”
      
      I’ve posted this to you previously…but it doesn’t fit your views on Syria…
      - Jenny 3.3.1.2.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 3:05 pm
        
        Hi One Two from the link you supplied:
        
        The document says that Syria’s legislative elections, scheduled for March 2007, “provide a potentially galvanizing issue for… critics of the Assad regime.” To capitalize on that opportunity, the document proposes a secret “election monitoring” scheme, in which “internet accessible materials will be available for printing and dissemination by activists inside the country [Syria] and neighboring countries.” The proposal also calls for surreptitiously giving money to at least one Syrian politician who, according to the document, intends to run in the election. The effort would also include “voter education campaigns” and public opinion polling, with the first poll “tentatively scheduled in early 2007.”
        
        Who-o-o-oh. Scary.
        
        Against this; is the record of the Assad regime being a foundation member of the US led ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ against Iraq. A war in which the Assad regime supplied the US with 19,000 Syrian soldiers.
        
        Also against the Regime Change conspiracy theory; is the fact that the Assad regime worked very closely with the CIA and let out their torture prisons to by used to torture CIA captives.
        
        Syrians explain how pro-Assad conspiracy theories are hurting them
        C.J. Werleman – TRT World, February 21, 2018
        
        …..pro-Assad/Russia loons and propagandists have been so effective in muddying the waters, casting aspersions on Assad’s victims, and deflecting criticism away from this century’s most brutal dictator that they undermine any coordinated and sustained international effort to protect the Syrian people from a genocide.
        
        So I asked a number of Syrians what damage these debunked conspiracy theories have imparted on the Syrian people and the pro-democracy revolution……
    - mauī 3.3.1.3
      
      15 August 2018 at 12:31 pm
      
      So you’d rather talk about climate change fair enough. That’s what some of the liberals do on here, switch topics and not address the point, and end up calling anyone with a differing point of view that they are alt-right.
      - Jenny 3.3.1.3.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:01 pm
        
        I put up the post on Ron Paul’s climate change denial piece to show how nutty the Tea Party founder is.
        
        But if you watch the whole video, near they end, you will see how Ron Paul ties up his climate change denial with his support for Basha Assad in one neat little package.
        
        P.S. It is well known that Ron Paul is close to the Alt-right.
        
        Personally I wouldn’t get my version of events in Syria from Ron Paul.
        
        You might as well get your views shaped by Alex Jones or RT.
        
        Top 10 Racist Ron Paul Friends, Supporters
        
        Ron Paul Neo-Conderate and slavery apologist;
        
        Jenny 3.3.1.3.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 7:35 pm
        
        ‘
        
        The alternate reality that enables genocide in Syria
        Sam Hamad – April 30, 2018
        
        Streicher’s greatest weapon, his writing, was his ultimate downfall. He recorded his own crimes. Today, in the age of the internet, culpability for what we write is if anything potentially stronger – every moment of sneering dehumanisation, justification, obfuscation and enablement is documented for all to see.
        
        All those who have played a part in enabling this genocide ought to take heed.
      - Ed 3.3.1.3.2
        
        15 August 2018 at 8:18 pm
        
        Jenny has already done this to me on this thread.
        
        Jenny 3.3.1.3.2.1
        
        16 August 2018 at 10:56 am
        
        Hi Ed, because for some reason the link to the above article didn’t load up.
        
        I will post it again as a naked link
        
        https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/essay-the-alternate-reality-that-enables-genocide-in-syria-17104
        
        I really think you ought to read it.
        
        And just in case you are tempted to ignore the lesson it contains, and refuse to enlighten yourself….
        
        I will also provide you a quote from the source material:
        
        Streicher was found guilty of ‘crimes against humanity’ and was swiftly hanged by his neck until he was dead. During the entire course of the Third Reich and WWII, Streicher did not pick up a gun or physically command a death squad against Jews or any other innocent. He didn’t ever personally send a single soul to the gas chambers.
        
        On the contrary, his weapon was the printing press and his ammunition was poisonous words. Streicher was the owner and editor of the notorious Nazi tabloid Der Sturmer, which pumped out a constant stream of the most base, vicious antisemitism, utilising what is today called ‘fake news’ to demonise Jews as rapists, killers and alien demons seeking by conspiracy to destroy Germany.
        
        Streicher’s crime was to craft, through this tabloid propaganda and racist fabrications, the environment that made the Holocaust possible – through the stroke of his poison pen, ordinary Jews were agents of evil and thus legitimate targets for a host of crimes, ranging from pogroms to industrial mass murder.
        
        What sealed his fate with the charge of ‘crime against humanity’ was that he continued saturating the media with these murderous lies after he became aware of the Holocaust.
        
        Relating to Syria, and the crimes against humanity occurring there – crimes that include not just the deliberate targeting of civilians by military aircraft, whether with conventional or chemical weapons, but also mass extermination camps, mass rape, torture and ethnic cleansing, one finds an entire army of Streichers.*
        
        *My emphasis J.
Ed 4

15 August 2018 at 6:48 am

45 children killed in a bus by an air strike in Yemen.
Not even mentioned in the news.

45 people die due to a bridge collapse in Italy.
Headline news.

Our racist and imperialist corporate media sucks.
- dukeofurl 4.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:15 am
  
  But it has no ‘news value’ they say.
  
  What they mean is , ‘does it look like us ‘
  
  The news crews will be next looking for a grieving ‘Italian young mother of 3’, as thats the demographic the advertisers like.
  - Ed 4.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 8:03 am
    
    Less news value, according to RNZ, than the court case of a foreign cricketer in a drunken brawl.
    - dukeofurl 4.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 9:06 am
      
      Colonial cringe…. whats newsworthy in Britain must make it on the news here.
      
      Dont they realise we have computers and if we wanted to follow British news we would do so…at the horses mouth without waiting for them to replay it here
- te reo putake 4.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:06 am
  
  Do you not actually watch the news, Ed? The attack on the bus got wide coverage here in NZ and overseas.
  
  Use google. A search for ‘yemen bus attack’ brings up 36000 results in google’s news option, including the BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, and many, many other sources.
  
  If you narrow the search to ‘yemen bus attack nz’ you get a mere 21000 hits, including just about every news outlet in Aotearoa on the very first page.
  
  None so blind …
  - Ed 4.2.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 8:08 am
    
    There was very little coverage in New Zealand.
    - marty mars 4.2.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:21 am
      
      Not true – you just didn’t see it. Perhaps try other news sources than msm.
      - McFlock 4.2.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 1:25 pm
        
        maybe he should try including the msm rather than believing his own obscure sources are always correct when they claim “not covered by msm”
      - Ed 4.2.1.1.2
        
        15 August 2018 at 8:19 pm
        
        I do.
    - Sabine 4.2.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:25 am
      
      funny, i read about it in the news. For a few days actually.
      
      Maybe you should increase the number or news outlet you look at. You seem to have boxed yourself into a corner where it seems you don’t get the information you think you need.
    - James 4.2.1.3
      
      15 August 2018 at 9:03 am
      
      That’s because Eddie – you (according to your own post a while back) stopped reading / watching most of NZ’s MSM.
      
      Just because the 2 conspirator YouTube channels and a mad bugger in the UK you watch didn’t mention it – dosnt mean the rest of the world didn’t.
      
      that’s the problem when your head is buried in the sand so far. And yet you still ignore all the people that tell you you are wrong.
      
      Sad.
    - joe90 4.2.1.4
      
      15 August 2018 at 12:40 pm
      
      There was very little coverage in New Zealand.
      
      Why do you lie?
      
      https://screenshots.firefox.com/QDv5uaQooAIPObuo/www.google.com
  - Siobhan 4.2.2
    
    15 August 2018 at 12:11 pm
    
    I just Googled ‘My Big Toe’ and got 421,000,000 results.
    25,200,000 results in Google News, but i doubt any of those results do justice to my big toe.
    
    Really you would have to search within a news site to ascertain whether the coverage was ‘equal’ or well covered or did justice to the event ie..timing of piece after event, length of piece, context/message in headline and article, position in the News order/cycle of the day, longevity in the News cycle.
    - Ed 4.2.2.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 9:45 pm
      
      Thank you Siobhan.
      The story was covered minimally.
      Maybe it was buried in websites ; it was nowhere near the headlines.
  - Ed 4.2.3
    
    15 August 2018 at 9:48 pm
    
    Did you listen to Mediawatch this week?
    
    “Media in the middle of free speech frenzies; echoes of the past in fake news row; Stormy Daniels vs Yemen – no contest.”
    
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018657725/mediawatch-for-12-august-2018
- Herodotus 4.3
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:40 am
  
  Ed, the children killed in the bus was a leading news item over the last few days.
  https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/08/saudi-airstrike-hits-bus-of-children-killing-dozens.html
  - james 4.3.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 10:30 am
    
    Facts – Proving Ed wrong yet again.
    - Bewildered 4.3.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 4:23 pm
      
      Ed is more interested in the daily views of a mad uk cat fancier
      - Ed 4.3.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 9:53 pm
        
        Shooting the messenger is a favourite right wing attack.
        It saves having an actual argument.
  - Ed 4.3.2
    
    15 August 2018 at 9:49 pm
    
    Did you listen to Mediawatch this week?
    They agree with me.
  - Ed 4.3.3
    
    15 August 2018 at 9:51 pm
    
    Mediawatch would beg to differ with your opinion.
- Andre 4.4
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:56 am
  
  As others have pointed out, this incident has in fact been covered by mainstream media in New Zealand. Meanwhile, I’m aware of other incidents in the last few days of similar impact or worse elsewhere in the world that actually aren’t in the local media, that you aren’t highlighting either.
  
  Could it be, Ed, that your concern isn’t so much with the people affected by these incidents, but maybe, just maybe, more in finding an angle you can use to whine about the media?
  - Ed 4.4.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 9:48 pm
    
    Mediawatch looked at the minimal coverage of the Yemen war this week.
Ed 5

15 August 2018 at 6:57 am

Somerset retirement homes boss whinging facts they’re finding it hard to recruit nurses and cares on RNZ business and bleating that the government should let more foreign workers in.

The key question.
Why didn’t media puppet Gules Beckworth ask the obvious question?

“Why don’t you pay your workers more?”

RNZ has become a tool of neoliberalism.
- Patricia Bremner 5.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:33 am
  
  Ed, according to a family member, they under employ lots of staff on a casual basis, and pay the least amount possible. They want staff who do not know their rights.
  - Ed 5.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 8:02 am
    
    Yes, that sounds about for the age ‘care’ profiteers.
    Richie McCaw invests heavily in this industry, doesn’t he?
    What a guy.
    - marty mars 5.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:25 am
      
      wtf your smearing sneering of people you know little about shows you are acting out of touch and nasty. Not cool.
      - mauī 5.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 10:45 am
        
        Well it seems Ed is correct that he is an investor. The sneer seems a valid one to me.
        
        marty mars 5.1.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 10:51 am
        
        But why bring him into it – there is no good reason. There isn’t even a connection other than the tenuous investor one – how many investors? Prob ed and you too if you’re in kiwisaver. All it did was dilute eds argument – he just shot his own foot off but its okay he’ll take the other one off tomorrow and they keep growing back.
        
        solkta …
        
        15 August 2018 at 8:40 pm
        
        they keep growing back
        
        he’s a fucking lizard.
        
        Ed 5.1.1.1.1.2
        
        15 August 2018 at 9:22 pm
        
        Evidence.
        McCaw is a heavy investor in a crooked underpaying industry.
        
        “All Black captain Richie McCaw has been planning for retirement by investing in the aged-care industry. McCaw has a sizeable portfolio in the aged-care sector, and owns between 1 and 5 per cent in around 13 aged-care homes around New Zealand.”
        
        “Companies Office records show McCaw first invested in retirement homes in the mid-2000s, jointly with a company called Banco Trustees Limited. He took out a 1 per cent stake in Oakwoods Lifecare and Ashwood Park Lifecare in 2012, before taking a stake in Bainlea House retirement facility in Rangiora last year. McCaw’s manager, Dean Hegan, told the Herald on Sunday the player preferred not to speak about his personal investments.”
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11203208
        
        mauī …
        
        16 August 2018 at 8:07 am
        
        Thank you Ed, your points are always relevant. If only we had a great leader on the pitch who would call out these horrid corporates…
    - James 5.1.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 9:05 am
      
      What a guy indeed. Richie for PM !
      - Bewildered 5.1.1.2.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:29 pm
        
        Yep certainly done more for nz than Ed raging and raving on his keyboard, and not just services to rugby
        
        Ed 5.1.1.2.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 9:15 pm
        
        When I say something that enrages James and Belidered, I must be saying something correct.
        Happy to amend my statement if you can disprove my assertion about McCaws heavy investment in the retirement industry?
        Or is McCaw God and cannot be critiqued.
        Our irrational fawning of sports players is an embarrassment.
- Gabby 5.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 1:12 pm
  
  Sniggering Guyno asked the GoBus guy what their profits were last year. ‘Commercially sensitive’ spluttered GoBusGuy.
Sanctuary 6

15 August 2018 at 7:17 am

“…The key question.
Why didn’t media puppet Gules Beckworth ask the obvious question?

“Why don’t you pay your workers more..?”

Gullible Giles is a bit of a lightweight.
- Ed 6.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 7:20 am
  
  He is a careerist. He is ambitious for Giles Beckworth.
  So he won’t ask any difficult questions.
  He won’t bite the hand that feeds him.
  He is a corporate lackey.
  - Bewilderd 6.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 4:27 pm
    
    Get out of Wrong side of bed this morning Edward, breath deep and chill
Adrian Thornton 7

15 August 2018 at 8:01 am

Corbyn hatchet job rolls on and on and on….

Thankfully Corbyn is finally pushing back, and getting pissed off (in his mild way)…about time.
- Ed 7.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:04 am
  
  Netanyahu tweeting against Corbyn shows up how corrupt the 100 Labour MPs are.
  - indiana 7.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 4:38 pm
    
    After watching the video, If he was there for the conference – imbalanced as it was by the description of who the attendees were – he could have politely refused attending the reef laying ceremony. As much as he tries to sugar coat it by saying he is paying respect the Tunisia incident, he didn’t do anything to disassociate the Black September members from the reef laying event.
    - Ed 7.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 8:21 pm
      
      Attacked by Indiana and Netanyahu.
      Corbyn’s position gets stronger and stronger.
      - indiana 7.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 11:01 pm
        
        Define attacked. Are the people mocking him twitter also attacking him?
- marty mars 7.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:00 am
  
  His enemies have found a seam to dig or unpick depending upon your simile. I hope he weathers the course and keeps his powder dry for when it will be most useful.
Carolyn_Nth 8

15 August 2018 at 8:12 am

Some jaw-dropping neo-fashism from an Australian Senator. He invokes the “final solution” in a speech calling for European immigrants only, and especially NOT Muslims.

An Australian crossbench senator has invoked the term “the final solution” in an inflammatory speech calling for a plebiscite asking voters whether they want to end all immigration by Muslims and non-English speaking people “from the third world”.

Fraser Anning, formerly of the far-right Pauline Hanson One Nation party, and now a member of the Katter’s Australia party, used his maiden speech in the Senate to call for “a plebiscite to allow the Australian people to decide whether they want wholesale non-English speaking immigrants from the third world, and particularly whether they want any Muslims”.

He also invoked the white Australia policy, suggesting Australians may want “to return to the predominately European immigration policy of the pre-Whitlam consensus”.
…
“The final solution to the immigration problem, of course, is a popular vote.”
AsleepWhileWalking 9

15 August 2018 at 8:27 am

Submission deadline for TPPA / ISDS or whatever they call it now.

From https://mailchi.mp/3d55f13eca4f/stop-the-spread-of-isds-the-trade-for-all-agenda-and-a-hui-in-october?e=cd0f40e640

“Please make a submission to the select committee before Friday 17 August in support of an amendment to stop the spread of ISDS beyond the current 11 signatories. Already several countries have expressed interest in joining, so Parliament must prevent New Zealand from backsliding deeper into this discredited system by transforming the anti-ISDS policy of the present Government into a binding commitment under domestic law.

Tell the select committee: “I continue to oppose the TPPA, no matter what it is called, and I support an amendment to stop the spread of ISDS.”

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/52SCFD_SCF_BILL_78569/trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-cptpp-amendment-bill
marty mars 10

15 August 2018 at 8:29 am

Kia kaha teachers – good luck to all today, stay safe. BEEP BEEP beep beep beeeep!!!
- Carolyn_Nth 10.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:30 am
  
  Yep.
- Ed 10.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 8:32 am
  
  Beep! Beep!
marty mars 11

15 August 2018 at 8:35 am

This will be trouble I think – hot and bothered trouble.

“Several more warm years could be on the way, if a new statistical temperature forecasting system turns out to be accurate.

The system predictsi it’ll be unusually warm from this year until 2022, even without including the impact of climate change.”

https://i.stuff.co.nz/science/106247117/get-ready-nz-for-a-yearslong-warm-spell
dV 12

15 August 2018 at 8:36 am

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/106213327/woman-fired-after-speaking-out-about-rough-sleeper-assault-at-work

This woman was badly injured in a pharmacy she worked at by a rough sleeper.

She talked to the press about her ordeal.

Then she was FIRED because she was bringing the company into disrepute!!!

When contacted by phone, Tominari the owner hung up. He and Lo later responded to an email request for comment with the threat of legal action.

“If you mention any of our details on your news outlet, we will be taking legal action against you and Nikki Denley. (The person attacked)

Who brought their company into disrepute by NOT supporting their worker.

I wonder if they should be prosecuted for not providing a safe place to work!!
- dukeofurl 12.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:01 am
  
  What low life, not supporting an employee.
  I see they thought they could heavy the local newspaper too.
  Thats not going to work.
- marty mars 12.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:04 am
  
  Yeah I saw that – hopefully the law and the natural justice, of choosing to give business or not to those shops, will prevail.
- Jimmy 12.3
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:46 am
  
  I hope she ends up getting a good payout from the Pharmacy for wrongful dismissal as she wouldn’t want to work for them again. The pharmacy will hopefully get a public back lash as well for the way they treated her. Just wrong.
  - dukeofurl 12.3.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 11:20 am
    
    Older customers are staples of any pharmacys prescription business.
    Just set up a car outside with a few signs in the windows and presto an instant settlement of her medical costs and personal grievance.
  - greywarshark 12.3.2
    
    15 August 2018 at 1:32 pm
    
    From the link:
    The Christchurch woman received a broken finger, post-traumatic stress disorder and later suffered a heart attack. She was dismissed from her job at ….o Pharmacy on Colombo St after she shared her story with Stuff.
    
    Nikki Denley, who was the retail manager at the store, was working one June day when a large man entered the store a couple hours before closing time.
Tricledrown 13

15 August 2018 at 8:50 am

Round up maker wheels out same old false science to protect its poison.
While internal memos admitting rounddup causes cancer and corruption of govt officials tabled at trials.
Deflecting and Bullying is how they deal with the real science
- greywarshark 13.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 1:33 pm
  
  I thought it sold to Bayer?
Kevin 14

15 August 2018 at 8:58 am

Now that the hysteria has died down a bit. A more balanced take on the Jeremy Corbyn ‘antisemitism’ furore…

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/14/corbyn-wreath-terror-victims-memorial-israel-palestinian
- marty mars 14.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:09 am
  
  Strong article showing the blatant hypocrisy of the atacks on Jeremy.
- Bearded Git 14.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 10:07 am
  
  The Corbyn interview video above says it all-well worth watching.
Gosman 15

15 August 2018 at 9:21 am

Apparently Socialism isn’t about improving the material well being of the poor but their ‘dignity’. Good to know that. I wonder if improved dignity helps with coping with hyperinflation….

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13999
- KJT 15.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 2:41 pm
  
  Paula Bennett giving the poor, the “dignity” of benefit sanctions to force them into McJobs, working better. Eh?
Muttonbird 16

15 August 2018 at 9:35 am

The trout is now going after Tova O’Brien. What happened to all this bluster from the Nats about the sanctity of the media and how they must not be politically pressured?

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/08/a-pathetic-attack-judith-collins-wants-to-know-who-leaked-simon-bridges-expenses.html

The hypocrisy is strong in the trout.
- Puckish Rogue 16.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 9:54 am
  
  Well she (of course) has a point:
  
  “You guys are great – you come along and ask us who did it when you know who did it,” Ms Collins said when Garner asked if she knew who had leaked the information.
  
  “I don’t know who did it,” Garner said, to which Ms Collins replied, “Tova does”.
  
  Garner later asked O’Brien if she knows who leaked the information to her, to which she said “no comment”.
  
  The media are very important for democracy but they also need to be held to account like anyone else
  - arkie 16.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 10:00 am
    
    The media weren’t given the information by no-one, and they have a right to keep their sources secret. If they have been given information why would they not publish it? The question is who gave it to them, and trying to turn it on the journo’s isn’t a great look ‘for democracy’.
    - Puckish Rogue 16.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 10:10 am
      
      The media have a lot of power so they also need their own checks and balances
      - McFlock 16.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 1:34 pm
        
        Which they have.
        
        Collins almost persuaded me it probably wasn’t her – although she’s ballsy enough to put O’Brien on the spot – and to then make a complaint if it results in her being outed as the source, lol
        
        Puckish Rogue 16.1.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:02 pm
        
        I still go with human error in this case
        
        McFlock …
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:30 pm
        
        if everyone in caucus got everyone’s info, how does only Bridges’ stuff accidentally end up with a reporter?
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 3:15 pm
        
        Thats why I like investigations, we’ll know what happened then
        
        McFlock …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:06 pm
        
        And they buy time to forget the more optious likelihoods
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:07 pm
        
        Well more like it’ll (hopefully) stop rumours spreading about what may, or may not, have happened 🙂
        
        McFlock …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:24 pm
        
        That’ll only happen if someone gets pinged red-handed.
        
        I’d like to think whomever it was will have learned from previous instances (just out of general principle), but, well…
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:27 pm
        
        Thats why I don’t think Jude, who is by all accounts a pretty good lawyer, was involved…or at least it won’t be able to be proven
        
        McFlock …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:33 pm
        
        never underestimate the power of hubris to be one’s downfall
  - Sabine 16.1.2
    
    15 August 2018 at 10:03 am
    
    so someone in the National Party has a hard time keeping their mouth shut, and don’t like to fall in line behind a expensive and incompetent leader and it is the media that needs to be held to account.
    
    bless your cotton socks.
    - Puckish Rogue 16.1.2.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 10:09 am
      
      Could just as easily be human error as well but you don’t think the media needs to have the spotlight on them every now and then?
      - Sabine 16.1.2.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 10:32 am
        
        of course it is human error. Someone in the National Party erred err went to a journalist and said :oh lookit here, the incompetent, boring as, good for nothing Leader of the No Mates Party has traveled the country for three month, costing over 1000$ a day, racking up 100.000 $ for his three month tax paid vacation while achieving fuck all.
        
        I can see why you would want to blame the media for reporting this.
        
        Puckish Rogue 16.1.2.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 11:32 am
        
        Ackshully I want a through investigation done so if someone did leak it they can be punished appropriately
        
        Sabine …
        
        15 August 2018 at 11:34 am
        
        yep, lets waste some more taxpayer money because the Party with no Mates can’t keep its own people to behave.
        
        Vote National, cause someone has to waste Taxpayers Dollars.
        
        bwaghorn …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:09 pm
        
        We’re you concerned about leeks when Winstons over payments were leaked.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:22 pm
        
        I want that thoroughly investigated as well
        
        Sabine …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:29 pm
        
        bwahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahah
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:30 pm
        
        Why is that funny to you? I’ve been pretty up front about my belief that things should be investigated and the appropriate punishments meted out, to anyone
        
        Bewildered []
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:36 pm
        
        Don’t worry about old Sabine it’s her stock response, she seem to think it is funny or a withering insult, yes dear is her other one , Just hold on a little longer the latter won’t be far away, she really is a bore and yawn, with a few anger issues
        
        bwaghorn …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:31 pm
        
        Fortunately Winstons lawyers are searching the dark heart of national as we speak then a?
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:33 pm
        
        How exactly is that going, its been a bit quiet don’t you think
        
        Robert Guyton …
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:43 pm
        
        National has a heart ?
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:13 pm
        
        Don’t know about National but St Jude the Lovely has a massive heart, a heart so full it overflows with all the love and joy anyone could ever want and all you have to do to recieve this love is accept her as your saviour and then you too can walk in the light and love of J.C and all your sins (and there are many Robert) will be washed away and you”l be reborn a better person, a more intelligent person…a National voter
        
        Praise the Jude, praise her!
  - Gabby 16.1.3
    
    15 August 2018 at 1:18 pm
    
    How does Big Judee know Tova does puckers?
    - Puckish Rogue 16.1.3.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 1:32 pm
      
      Well Tova broke the story so presumably she knows who passed on the information.
      - McFlock 16.1.3.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 1:37 pm
        
        unless it came in an envelope, maybe.
        
        Really, all a reporter needs to know is “does the source have a good record” and “does the information check out”. The leaker could have a consistent handle rather than be exchanging spreadsheets over lunch.
        
        Puckish Rogue 16.1.3.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:02 pm
        
        Well that is a possibility, best be checking any and all CCTVs then 🙂
        
        Robert Guyton …
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:17 pm
        
        Yes. Jude has a very distinctive gait.
        
        OnceWasTim …
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:43 pm
        
        And makeup that even the worst facial recognition teknoljy couldn’t wink the hood off going forward.
        Now, as for Pulla Bent, that’s a different story. There’s a total re-imaging and re-imagining. I’m wondering whether the gNatz are thinking of an automaton swapout going forward. Soimon out Pulla in. The logic circuits aren’t that different. Swap a NAND for a NOR and Bob’s your auntie
        
        McFlock …
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:32 pm
        
        could nat paranoia be why all the post boxes are being taken away? lol
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        15 August 2018 at 3:14 pm
        
        Its not paranoia if they really are out to get you…
- marty mars 16.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 10:11 am
  
  Lol she doth protest too loudly (d) methinks next she’ll be wailing, gnashing her teeth and pulling wildly at her hair. Oscar contender for sure.
- bwaghorn 16.3
  
  15 August 2018 at 12:06 pm
  
  Garner is as thick as two short planks some days . collins played him like a fiddle this morning letting the eye brows spread suspicion in every direction .
marty mars 17

15 August 2018 at 9:35 am

Who’s singing this song in the gnats today?

‘Friends all tried to warn me
But I held my head up high
All the time they warned me
But I only passed them by
They all tried to tell me
But I guess I didn’t care
I turned my back and
Left them standing there
All the burning bridges that have fallen after me
All the lonely feelings and the burning memories
Everyone I left behind each time I closed the door
Burning bridges lost forevermore..’
Bill 18

15 August 2018 at 9:43 am

So, on the one hand we have researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research producing a model (paper here) that seems very good at predicting the occurrence of natural cycles that boost or dampen the general upward trend of global temperature.

As the principal researcher puts it (from The Guardian)-

“Natural variability is a wriggle around the freight train that is global warming,” he says. “On a human scale, it is what we feel. What we don’t always feel is global warming. As a scientist, this is frightening because we don’t consider it enough. All we can do it give people information and let them make up their own mind.”

[…] Sévellec says the statistical upward nudge from natural variation this year is twice as great of that of long-term global warming. Next year, it is likely to be three times higher.

There is no “other hand”…

This is the deal we’ve dealt ourselves.

Meanwhile, NOAA is throwing around a 70% chance of El Nino* conditions becoming dominant within the coming months

*La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO
- Exkiwiforces 18.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 5:15 pm
  
  Did have a look at this article from the ABC News website which I posted late last night?
  
  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/southern-annular-mode-and-how-it-affects-our-weather/10106134
Bearded Git 19

15 August 2018 at 10:15 am

This is why the Conservatives are scared witless of an election any time soon in the UK-spontaneous Oh Jeremy Corbyn chant a few days ago.

https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2018/08/14/the-mainstream-media-would-probably-rather-you-didnt-see-this-clip-of-thousands-chanting-for-jeremy-corbyn/

Bojo and Brexit may conspire to see Corbyn as PM before the end of the year hopefully.
- KJT 19.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 2:44 pm
  
  Sounds like the “left” wing establishment in the UK are even more terrified.
  
  End of the cosy tweedledum tweedledee of right wing and less right wing which ensures nothing really changes. And the roll back of a functional society continues.
Ad 20

15 August 2018 at 10:46 am

President Trump is dumber than a sack of hammers.

Now that he has put steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey and as a result tanked their currency, he has also stopped the transfer of 100 F-35 fighter jets.

Now sure I have no time for Turkey’s autocratic and militant Erdogan, but surely even Trump would understand these actions are going to put Turkey straight into the arms of Iran and Russia?

I cannot believe that even Trump would willingly seek to get a NATO member to leave and join the opposition.

Turkey jailed the American pastor, Andrew Brunson, almost two years ago in a widespread crackdown that followed a military coup attempt. Ankara maintains that Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, had ties to the plotters.

Cue catastrophic overreaction.

Trump is just flat stupid.
- Sabine 20.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 11:11 am
  
  What about Trump would make you believe that he would
  
  not get a Nato member to leave and Join Russia?
  not do something that would benefit Russia?
  not fuck up every system, process, and alliance in place to day to replace it with something bigly bigly and tremendously beautiful?
  
  what precisely do you think they discussed in Helsinki? Borscht and Russian Tea? Tolstoy? The availability of pretty young girls to old creepy farts like they are?
  
  oh dear!
  - Ad 20.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 11:54 am
    
    Russia, Iran, and Turkey have a close and growing diplomatic relationship.
    
    https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2018/04/09/turkey-russia-iran-determined-to-retain-alliance-at-all-costs
    - Sabine 20.1.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 11:57 am
      
      yes.
      
      And i did not say anything contrary to it. So what was your point again?
      - Ad 20.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:21 pm
        
        Your comment was a series of purely rhetorical questions with no apparent content.
        
        So it was simply best to add an actual fact in there.
        
        Sabine 20.1.1.1.1.1
        
        15 August 2018 at 12:36 pm
        
        no my comment was a series of options to your comment.
        
        Options.
        
        and you know as little about actual facts then anyone else considering that Trump can’t speak the truth, but will only speak what he considers the truth of the day.
        You can’t offer facts in regards to the meeting in Helsinki unless you were one of the translators.
        You can’t offer facts in regards to what Trump is doing re Turkey, he might as well only be in this pissing match for shits n giggles.
        
        So again, i gave you some options as to why Trump is doing what Trump does.
        
        AS for your facts – Russia, Turkey, Iran, you forgot the elephant in the room, China. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/08/13/trump-risks-creating-unholy-axis-sanctioned-turkey-iran-china/
        
        Dennis Frank …
        
        15 August 2018 at 2:54 pm
        
        Trump “will only speak what he considers the truth of the day.” Technical correction required here: moment. Big difference tween day & moment.
        
        Sabine …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:26 pm
        
        🙂
        
        Ad …
        
        15 August 2018 at 3:10 pm
        
        The facts provided in my link covered an actual meeting that occurred recently, about an actual alliance, with three real leaders from named countries.
        
        The US has put steel and aluminium sanctions on Turkey.
        The US has stopped the transfer of the F-35s to Turkey.
        The US is stepping up diplomatic pressure on Turkey.
        The US has caused the tanking oft he Turkish currency.
        
        Those are actual facts.
        
        Whatever your “options” are meant to be , they don’t help any meaningful conversation.
        
        There is simply no evidence that China is intervening in Turkey.
        
        Sabine …
        
        15 August 2018 at 4:34 pm
        
        Iran, China is very interested in Iran.
        
        https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/12/01/asia-pacific/chinas-investments-iran-surge-coming-western-nations-flounder/
        
        https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2146768/china-tipped-profit-after-donald-trump-quits-iran
        
        https://thediplomat.com/2017/02/us-sanctions-on-iran-good-or-bad-news-for-china/
        
        https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/08/china-a-major-iran-oil-importer-would-resist-any-us-sanctions.html
        
        http://www.iran-daily.com/News/209117.html
        
        https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/world/middleeast/iran-china-business-ties.html
        
        and you still have not provided one fact as to why D. Trump would not want to see Turkey leave Nato.
        You have not provided one fact as to why Trump would not want an alignment of Russia, Turkey, Syria, etc and if only to fuck over the European Union.
        Heck he would like to align the US with Russia or at least pretend he would like it.
        
        You also believe that Trump does the shit he does because he is stupid. I would not do that. I consider Trump to be a hostage taker. He is in it for his own reasons, and he will use the office to hold other nations hostage until they give him in full what he wants for himself and his family. He could absolutly not give one poo about the shit hole US of A. Point being the company he keeps.
        That priest is just another grifter point towards the evangelic crowd. After all he needs people to vote for him again.
        
        Your facts and your imagination are lacking.
- Andre 20.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 11:14 am
  
  Or maybe you don’t understand the 53-dimensional chess he’s playing.
  
  Or maybe he really is in Pootee’s pocket.
  
  But yeah, Occam’s Razor strongly suggests the sack of hammers thing.
  - One Two 20.2.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 11:54 am
    
    OR doesn’t apply…
    
    The 53D chess game, is represented by variables which can’t be known…
    
    Trump is part of that chess game…by you…
    
    But sure…reckon he’s stupid…makes you feel smarter perhaps…
    - Andre 20.2.1.1
      
      15 August 2018 at 11:59 am
      
      “Hidden meaning exists as total acceptance of reality”
    - joe90 20.2.1.2
      
      15 August 2018 at 12:44 pm
      
      “Perceptual reality embraces an expression of mysteries”
- dukeofurl 20.3
  
  15 August 2018 at 11:17 am
  
  Arms of Iran and Russia ?
  First a Sunni and Turkish country isnt going to get close to a Shiite and persian country. The enmity goes back centuries. They are just as likey to get closer to Christian Greece…which is never.
  Russia is small cheese economically compared to ‘the west’ so maybe Putin will get some kudos but not much bigger than that. Putins whip hand is he can next support the Kurds after having saved Assads sorry ass, that would really scare Turkey.
  - Ad 20.3.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 12:25 pm
    
    Iran, Russia, and Turkey have been negotiating the rebuild and carve-up of Syria for a while. They did a three-day conference on it in April this year.
    
    So apart from oil, armaments, and rejection of US middle east influence, they have plenty of common ground to work on.
- KJT 20.4
  
  15 August 2018 at 2:46 pm
  
  If the USA had any principles left, they would not be supporting Erdogan, at all.
  
  Then they would have to withdraw support for Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and the many other repressive regimes, they have had a hand in installing.
veutoviper 21

15 August 2018 at 12:28 pm

Yesterday, Tues 14 August, the PM faced three questions rather than the normal one only usually from Simon Bridges, the Leader of the Opposition, namely:

Q1 Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?

Q7 Hon PAULA BENNETT to the Prime Minister: Does her Government expect high standards from all Government departments and Ministers?

Q8 DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Is she aware of any Ministers in her Cabinet that support reducing the number of members of Parliament and removing the Māori seats; if so, who are those Ministers?

Today, Wednesday, 15 August, she again faces the same two questions from Bridges and Bennett – this time at Q2 and Q8 respectively.

IMO Bridges’ performance yesterday was pretty lacklustre as usual, and again his supplementary questions focused on the rights (or not) of union people to go into businesses to see union members as his questions last week did in relation to changes to employment law currently before the House. However, he did in fact actually manage one ad lib question as a result of a question raised by Winston Peters re police officers in hot pursuit of murderers:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=202100 (7 mins)

Bennett’s supplementary questions yesterday focused on the inquiry into the appointment of the Deputy Commisioner of Police. Much as I am no fan of Bennett, her performance was professional and measured, with well thought out questions – eg on the TORs for the inquiry, whether the PM had confidence in Haumaha, and if she would not or could not express confidence in him, whether he should be stood down temporarily while the inquiry was carried out. There was no extravagant faces or waving hands etc. Bridges watched from alongside Bennett.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=202108

But then less than half an hour later, Bennett put on the performance of her life as second speaker in the debate on the Appropriations (2018/19) Estimates Bill!

As I reported in this comment at 4.1.1.1.2.3 on OM yesterday, it was an absolute hoot – and I could not decide whether it was aimed at “I want to be Leader of the Opposition” or whether she is hoping for an Oscar!

The posing and confidence is OTT. LOL. Smacking the hands, hammering, counting off on her fingers, hands on hips – shes did it all. It smacks of some form of recent (theatrical) training. Its worth watching with or without sound! In fact without sound is best. ROFL.

I intended putting up the link last night but was otherwise occupied but marty mars’ comment at 16.2 above reminded me. Sorry marty mars, Collins would be hard pressed to beat this performance by Bennett. Well worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.

https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=202114

Quite looking forward to seeing how she (and Bridges) perform again today.
- Janice 21.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 4:04 pm
  
  Thanks for that tip to watch with no sound, best laugh I have had for a while. I wonder how much training and learning she had to go through for that. Pity her party’s benches were so empty when she put on such an audition for leader. She seemed to have two lots of notes, one for speech and one for gestures, because she appeared to have lost her place at one point and kept thumping her fist into her hand while she frantically turned over pages.
  - veutoviper 21.1.1
    
    16 August 2018 at 5:49 pm
    
    I am pleased you enjoyed it too. LOL. And welcome as I don’t recall seeing you comment here before,
Pat 22

15 August 2018 at 12:38 pm

“Because Don Brash is not an abstraction. He is, to the consternation of many, very real. At least one of your grandparents probably voted for him to be the Prime Minister of our country. (Ed’s note: Grandparents? It was only 2005! And National got 39.1%, only a feather’s width behind Labour on 41.1%, so it may have been several family members)”

https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/is-don-brash-really-different-from-those-canadians

Ouch!
- veutoviper 22.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 1:09 pm
  
  Oh but look who it is – Liam Hehir, former Nat Party activist and now reporter for the Manawatu Stranded. LOL.
  
  He was on the Q & A Panel a week or so ago with John Tamihere and Dr Jennifer Curtin when I took a rare decision to watch Q & A, but was pretty forgettable.
  
  Hehir’s references to Mickysavage’s posts here on Molyneux and Southern may be of interest to some here.
  
  Which reminds me – did anyone see this where these two con artists are now asking the ticket holders to their non-event to not seek refunds and donate the money to S&M, as their favourite charity.
  
  https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/364039/stefan-molyneux-calls-for-donations-after-financial-blow-from-new-zealand-trip
  
  Also – http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/stefan-molyneux-lauren-southern-ask-kiwis-to-donate-money-after-cancelled-event/
  
  By the way, Russell Brown has had a post up at Public Address for about a week which provides a bit more information about the cancellation by the Powerstation of its use as a venue for the two Canadians and about various members of their entourage for anyone interested. These aspects are covered in the post itself and a couple of comments in the first one – two pages of the comments.
  https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/on-joining-the-international-troll-circuit/
  - Pat 22.1.1
    
    15 August 2018 at 1:39 pm
    
    well as you have noted the mention of MS in the article I have to assume you have read it so you will understand my confusion when you continue on in some detail about venues and donations when they are not the substance of the article nor address that substance….guess it may have been a bit much to expect
Fireblade 23

15 August 2018 at 1:45 pm

What a shocker. Calling a woman a crazed crying lowlife dog on twitter is a new low for the orange orangutan.

Donald J. Trump
@ realDonaldTrump 14h
When you give a crazed, crying lowlife a break, and give her a job at the White House, I guess it just didn’t work out. Good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!
- Sabine 23.1
  
  15 August 2018 at 4:21 pm
  
  why would anyone be shocked?
  
  Was that not the reason all those people with economic anxiety voted for him?
- Andre 23.2
  
  15 August 2018 at 4:56 pm
  
  It’s just part of the show.
  
  “Though the explosive fight between these two heels may have a nugget of genuine, reciprocal anger and betrayal in the center, the cautious money is that it is almost entirely boob-bait for the easily gulled Trumpentariat, mere mummery and distraction from the widening gyre of legal, political, and economic trouble looming for the star of our national reality TV show.
  
  This week’s episode consists of the usual kayfabe, with secret recordings, presidential shitter-tweeted rage, and the apparatus of the president’s media sycophants turning their fire on another of Donald’s once-beloved now-reviled ex-besties.”
  
  https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-is-in-such-deep-sht-omarosa-is-almost-a-relief?ref=home
greywarshark 24

15 August 2018 at 1:56 pm

The Lord giveth and the Lord chooses to take away.
Waikato University started Maori tikanga as a separate study but now wants to merge it. More efficient no doubt. Better productivity. Students say it is unique.

2/12/2014 Actors pakeha ex PM Nat Jim Bolger and pakeha Prof [Neil] Quigley who has worldwide credentials so must be good, “to formulate and implement meaningful strategies to lift organisational performance.”” Where do old National Party politicians go to die? In elephants graveyeards? Is that what our universities are becoming,
where humans take second place to Science. Maori to go Humanities to go. People are so boring and unprofitable unless they are on sweatshop handouts.

University of Waikato Chancellor Rt Hon Jim Bolger says Professor Quigley has a real passion and enthusiasm for his work. “He’s held many senior roles at Victoria University and comes to us with an impressive track-record of academic and strategic leadership, and ability to formulate and implement meaningful strategies to lift organisational performance.”

Mr Bolger says Professor Quigley is well-placed to continue to build on the University of Waikato’s strong foundations. “We intend our next 50 years to cement the University of Waikato as a force in the region, the tertiary sector and the nation. Professor Quigley understands all the challenges facing the higher education sector and he will be a vital part of our future.”…

He holds several board and expert advisory group memberships; in particular he is a Director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and also a Director of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority….

“I see even more potential for the University to develop its distinctive combination of partnership with iwi, commitment to an outstanding student experience, and excellence in teaching and research.”
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/media/2014/new-vice-chancellor-to-take-the-reins-at-university-of-waikato

te ao Maori
Waikato University staff, students protest plan to scrap Māori faculty
From Morning Report, 8:43 am today
Listen duration 3′ :21″
Students and staff at the University of Waikato are calling a proposal to scrap the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies a “white-streaming” of Māori issues. More than 80 people gathered in a peaceful protest yesterday over a re-structure which will see the faculty lose its status and fall under the Arts and Social Sciences division.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018658160/waikato-university-staff-students-protest-plan-to-scrap-maori-faculty
cleangreen 25

15 August 2018 at 4:08 pm

Using just a blood test to find evidence of chemical exposure is a false test and the chemicals can leave the blood within a little as 10 days to two weeks so no trace is then found as it has been stored in our (fat) ‘adipose’ tissues.

The adipose chemical analysis is the gold standard for ‘toxic tort’ chemical litigation; – and a blood test will fail to find the toxins the patient was exposed to.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018658159/toxic-foam-officials-back-down-allow-blood-testing

Radio New Zealand
RNZ

HEALTH 8:20 am today
Toxic foam: Officials back down, allow blood testing
From Morning Report, 8:20 am today
Share this
“Community pressure has pushed officials into a backdown on blood testing for people caught up in the firefighting foam contamination in Manawatu. Not only will locals get easier access to testing for the chemicals PFOS and PFOA but now their blood will be stored if they give the OK, to enable long-term research.”

This is a false test that will show little toxins in any blood test.

I was poisoned also in Canada and to prove the same chemicals were in my body they first did a blood test which showed no poisoning of the same chemical in my blood.

Then two toxoclogists recommended to my Doctor to get “a tisue sample test for this chemical and they took a small square piece of my adipose fat tissue around my thigh and the chemicl that I was poiisoned with was found to be stored in my fat tissues and not in my blood as most chemicals leave the blood within 14 days to six weeks the toxicologists said so this ‘blood test’ will be a meaningless waste of time and hope.

I recomend that these folks all ask for a ‘adipose tissue’ (fat) chemical analysis done at “Accucem Laboratory in Texas the same laboratory that proved my chemical poisoning had occurred.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-004-2558-5

Abstract
“Test systems to screen for estrogenicity and appropriate biomarkers of human exposure are required for epidemiological studies of endocrine disruption. We addressed these issues by developing and standardising a method to assess the total estrogenic xenobiotic burden in human adipose tissue. In this study, which is the continuation of a previous work, we have improved the protocol for extensive fractionation of a higher number of tissue samples in order to investigate bioaccumulated xenoestrogens that are candidates for estrogenicity and to assess their combined estrogenic effect. This was achieved by extensive HPLC separation of xenoestrogens from endogenous hormones followed by testing of individual fractions in the E-Screen test for estrogenicity. Organochlorine pesticides, PCBs and halogenated bisphenols and alkylphenols were collected in the most lipophilic fractions, followed by progestins, androgens and estradiol esters, and then by steroidal estrogens; phyto- and myco-estrogens were collected around the end of the run. These results were confirmed by exhaustive chemical analysis. In 458 human adipose tissue samples, the total effective xenoestrogen burden was positive in 75% of samples in the pooled fraction that contained organohalogenated xenoestrogens (mean 515.3 pM Eeq/g lipid; range 0–14.5 nM) and in 82% of samples in the pooled fraction where natural estrogens eluted (mean 696.6 pM Eeq/g lipid; range 0–12.9 nM). Organochlorine pesticides emerged as candidate chemicals for the estrogenicity of the first pooled fraction, because DDT and derivatives were present in 98.3% of the samples. However, no correlation was found between the concentration of any single chemical and the estrogenicity determined in the bioassay. There may be several reasons for this lack of concordance: (i) the estrogenic effects depicted in the E-Screen bioassay are a consequence of the combined effect of several organohalogens or (ii) the proliferative effect is due to other chemicals not measured. Because additive, synergistic or antagonistic mechanisms may account for the final effect observed in the pooled fractions, the approach proposed in this work is more appropriate for exposure assessment in epidemiological studies than the determination of individual chemicals in human samples.”
eco maori 26

16 August 2018 at 8:30 am

Good morning Newshub The professor John is correct we need to slow down OUR alcohol consumption down teach te mokopuna’s that its ok to have a couple of drinks and that its stupid to have 12 drinks this will save a lot of lives and mone .
Many thank’s to the Government for passing a law making it so only Kiwi’s can buy houses or property the stats are not showing the true foreign amout of foreign buy’s%
also tangata whenua would be exclude from buying house’s in 20 years if there were no changes . This law change is part on national security Big mone could shut most Kiwi’s out of the market they pay more for the property than Kiwi farmers can earn from the property to service a mortgage viably even with capital gain’s include in the math Many Thanks to OUR government .
I’m staying out of the teacher’s debate .
Getting ride of single use plastic bag’s is just the start of OUR movement to a environmentally sustainable Aotearoa and Papatuanuku we have to change OUR whole way of thinking and life . Ka kite ano .
eco maori 27

16 August 2018 at 9:50 am

This is amazes me we have all the evangelicals that hold onto there bible’s and they back a society systems that doesn’t care for all the people in there society .
The wealthy have impunity they can basically do what ever break laws and use the mountains of money to get off crimes and bend the laws of the land to give them more money .Im sure that there Bibles have scripts that say that that behavior is a sin in the bibles values .They think its ok to have people dying on the streets or being killed by armies around the world . Eco Maori tau toko
Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator tiped Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, has unveiled new plans for legislation aimed at reining in big corporations, redistributing wealth, and giving workers and local communities a bigger say. The link is below

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/15/elizabeth-warren-accountable-capitalism-act-richest-companies Ka kite ano
eco maori 28

16 August 2018 at 12:50 pm

I dissagree with this person’s distraction on the real issue’s of human obesity he is most likely payed from someone who is part of the sugar industry for his distorted reality. So be it that’s the way of Papatuanuku at the minute .
The Big Picture is that sugar is the main cause of OUR obesity problems full stop .
Look at all the negative storys on salt about it beening bad for heart problem’s.
The thing about the salt industry is 2 to 3 company’s can not take control of salt why because we can just get seawater evaporate the water and walar we have salt and because of this fact we get to hear all the true facts about salt .
With the sugar industry 2 to 3 players control the product and control the fact’s and story’s that get published about sugar its a bad product that should be taxed out of reach of the common poor tangata of Papatuanuku link below ka kite ano
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/15/age-of-obesity-shaming-overweight-people

We’re in a new age of obesity. How did it happen? You’d be surprised
George Monbiot
George Monbiot P.S Its about how easy it is to consume 2200 calories now with all the sugar in our food and drinks compared to yesteryear’s
eco maori 29

16 August 2018 at 5:06 pm

Look’s like the Judges hand out warrants to the{ undercover sandfly YEA RIGHT ] at there wim I just sent a email to the ceo of the Rotorua hosptial and got 1 phone call and nothing I will forward my complaint to the Health & Disability Commissioner and Eco Maori will see how second class people are treated in New Zealand this will all go towards my Waitangi Tribunal court case thank you sandflys for more evidance muppets
Ka kite ano P.S mean while my moko is still in pain I just want the Rotorua Hosptial to do there Job and scan her kidneys
eco maori 30

16 August 2018 at 5:35 pm

A link to back up my claims of warrents being handed out to cover there m8 ass the 00.1 % and the sandflys link below Ka kite ano

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106019115/jonathan-milne-why-this-gagging-order-is-a-bridge-too-far Ana to kai
eco maori 31

16 August 2018 at 5:51 pm

More links about the 00.1 % making the laws to protect them first and for most’s
Link Below Ka kite ano

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105975362/law-society-superinjunction-overturned-allowing-disclosure-of-sexual-harassment-case ana to kai
eco maori 32

16 August 2018 at 6:41 pm

Good evening Newshub I agree that the government and Opposition party should work together to fix our construction industry .
Wow some people have know morels or respect of our old people the assault of people in rest homes is shocking .
Lets hope we don’t get a bad fire season like what our Australian cousin are fighting at the minute hope no people are lost .
That was a good out come for the Whale in Chilly it got cut free of the ropes that were tangled in free willy from Chilly was it there Navy diver’s that did that great job ka pai.
Eco say’s that all the Navy’s and armed forces around Papatuanuku should be turned into conservationist and humanitarian work.
Ka kite ano P.S I try to keep my difficulties with the undercover sandfly’s tone down but this has been brewing all day
eco maori 33

16 August 2018 at 7:23 pm

The Crowd Goes Wild James & Makere That’s awesome that Steven Adam’s has a charity that looks after alot of mokopuna’s sports future aspirations Ka pai.
That’s cool wahine Rugby the fastest growing sport on Papatuanuku
Wairangi that was cool you and Steven playing basketball with the mokopuna’s
sports is good for there wairua .
P.S I thought Mark & Mull’s were going to start wrestling lol

Comments are now closed

Articles RSS

Comments
Opinions

Your mandate is imaginary
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
2 hours ago

14,000 unemployed under National
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 hours ago

Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
4 hours ago

Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 hours ago

Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 hours ago

Winding back the hands of history’s clock
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 hours ago

Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
6 hours ago

Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
8 hours ago

Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
9 hours ago

New HOP readers for future payment options
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
10 hours ago

2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
22 hours ago

At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Skeptical Science
1 day ago

Road photos
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
1 day ago

Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 day ago

NZDF is still hostile to oversight
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 day ago

Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Bowalley Road
1 day ago

Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
Bowalley Road
1 day ago

A clear warning
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 day ago

Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
1 day ago

Listening To The Traffic.
It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Bowalley Road
1 day ago

Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Bowalley Road
1 day ago

Ending The Quest.
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Bowalley Road
1 day ago

Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
1 day ago

Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
1 day ago

Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Skeptical Science
1 day ago

Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
1 day ago

Webworm LA Pop-Up
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
2 days ago

“Feel good” school is out
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
2 days ago

6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
2 days ago

Bread, and how it gets buttered
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
2 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
2 days ago

Justice for Gaza?
The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 days ago

If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
2 days ago

Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
2 days ago

Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
2 days ago

Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
2 days ago

Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
2 days ago

Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
3 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Skeptical Science
3 days ago

Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
3 days ago

Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Winston remembers Gettysburg.
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
3 days ago

25
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
4 days ago

Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Policing protests.
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
4 days ago

Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
4 days ago

Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

More tax for less
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Real News vs Fake News.
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Another way to roll
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
4 days ago

Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

Cutting the Public Service
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
5 days ago

Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

This is how I roll over
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

One Night Only!
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
6 days ago

What did Melissa Lee do?
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
6 days ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
Bowalley Road
6 days ago

“That's how I roll”
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
6 days ago

“Comity” versus the rule of law
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
7 days ago

Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Skeptical Science
7 days ago

At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
1 week ago

These people are not our friends
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
1 week ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
3 hours ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
5 hours ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
6 hours ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
6 hours ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
1 day ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
5 days ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freeze
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuse
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful law
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 hours ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Mining resurgence a welcome sign
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
10 hours ago

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Government to boost public EV charging network
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Independent review into disability support services
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Speech – Eid al-Fitr
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Government saves access to medicines
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Diplomacy needed more than ever
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

PM announces changes to portfolios
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New catch limits for unique fishery areas
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Overseas decommissioning models considered
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Trade relationship with China remains strong
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Free school lunches scheme to get temporary funding until review is complete
Funding for the scheme is set to continue for the "immediate few years" while officials work out what the alternative programme will look like. ...
Radio NZ – political
47 mins ago

Taxpayers’ Union Slams Secret List Of Judges’ Perks
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Scoop politics
52 mins ago

Winston Peters expected to give update on AUKUS talks in speech
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 hour ago

Why did the Voice referendum fail? We crunched the data and found 6 reasons
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 hour ago

Court hears appeal of Waitangi Tribunal summons decision
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
2 hours ago

Former MPs Louisa Wall, Simon O'Connor claim to be targets of China-backed cyber attack
The spy agencies are being questioned after two former MPs claim they were never informed they were victims of a China-backed cyber-attack. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Kāinga Ora home vacancies 'trending downwards' after minister's letter
The agency recently changed the way it counts vacancies so it is more accurate. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Albanese government flags measures to tackle online misogyny in the battle against violence towards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

Average Hourly Earnings Up 5.2 Percent Annually – Stats NZ
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Job scams are on the rise. What are they, and how can you protect yourself?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

Two Decades Of Youth Employment And Education – Stats NZ
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

May Day: The Biggest Threat To NZ Workers In 2024 Is Our Government
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Unemployment Rate At 4.3 Percent – Stats NZ
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

David Seymour wants to stop 'lazily' categorising by race
The ACT leader rails against "lazily looking at everyone through the lens of race" in latest episode of RNZ's new in depth interview show. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 hours ago

Private Info Of New Zealanders Will Be Breached By Latest Government Cuts
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Curious Kids: how do sugar rushes work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

Our research shows a strong link between unemployment and domestic violence: what does this mean for...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

From Gallipoli to Gaza: remembering the Anzacs not as a ‘coming of age’ tale but as a lesson for...
ANALYSIS: By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
4 hours ago

‘A major shakeup’: the Optus outage has been investigated. What’s going to change now?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

‘There is some properly foul content in this book’: What a bookseller reads
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland. Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floor A mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
4 hours ago

Unemployment Data Shows Need For Govt To Act Now
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
Scoop politics
4 hours ago

Polls are nothing if not a bit of political theatre
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
4 hours ago

Ngāti Kahungunu becomes NZ’s first iwi to call for a Gaza ceasefire
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
5 hours ago

PNG businesses want grants, not loans over Black Wednesday riots
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
5 hours ago

Pay bump for politicians: What you need to know
Explainer - MPs are about to get a pay bump, but is it fair and how does it compare to other countries? ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

School lunches funding likely to be time-limited
It's an approach to funding the government has spent months criticising Labour over - calling them "fiscal cliffs" . ...
Radio NZ – political
6 hours ago

Cum chairs, stolen pay and shitting bans: Workers share their horror stories with us
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
6 hours ago

Landlord Government Once Again Pushes Renters Into The Cold
The Coalition is trying to axe yet another opportunity to improve rentals by dropping the Residential Property Managers Bill. ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

Ready, set, go in Solomons PM race – Jeremiah Manele vs Matthew Wale
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
7 hours ago

Unemployment rate rises to 4.3%
Fewer jobs are created and immigration is increasing the size of the workforce, Stats NZ says. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

The art of the three-day birthday
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
The SpinoffBy Lucinda Bennett
8 hours ago

If the industry is to survive, journalists need to convince the public of their worth
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The SpinoffBy Gavin Ellis
8 hours ago

Government Risks Wellbeing Of Māori With Proposed Cuts To Te Puni Kōkiri
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Scoop politics
8 hours ago

What just happened to Bonza? Why new budget airlines always struggle in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Free trade deal with the European Union comes into force
The European Union ambassador says the FTA will have immediate wins for kiwifruit, apple, and onion growers. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Violence against women is both a legal and cultural problem. What can we do to address it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

GP clinics are going to pay more payroll tax, which could reduce bulk billing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

‘Make me a sandwich’: our survey’s disturbing picture of how some boys treat their teachers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Australians lose $5,200 a minute to scammers. There’s a simple thing the government could do to re...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Psychological drama, wilderness reality and everyone’s favourite dog: the best of streaming this M...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be heading home after 'long and arduous journey'
After 184 years, Te Tiriti o Waitangi may be on its way home. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is about to peak and could be the best this century – here’s how ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020. Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Wondering what Australia might look like in a hotter world? Take a glimpse into the distant past
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Foreign minister speech tipped to shed light on Aukus involvement
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
10 hours ago

Will New Zealand’s school phone ban work? Let’s see what it does for students’ curiosity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

School's struggle with asbestos removal: 'It's destroyed me'
An Auckland school's efforts to get rid of asbestos has been so tough its principal thought of quitting the job. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

Hospital hiring has to go through head office in 'short term' budget move
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

Urgent democratic need to save NZ’s journalism ecosystem
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
11 hours ago

Unions Celebrate May Day During Tough Time For Working People
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

'Never a right time' – MPs respond to pay rise news
The pay rises are not particularly great timing when the public is doing it tough, ACT Party leader David Seymour says. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

The highs and lows of James Shaw’s 10 years in parliament
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
13 hours ago

Efeso Collins deserved better than what parliament offered yesterday
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
13 hours ago

What you need to know about the world’s biggest election, happening right now
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake. The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
13 hours ago

When the doghouse is an upgrade, ECE is in trouble
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
NewsroomBy Susan Bates
13 hours ago

Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 May
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
13 hours ago

Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fall
Opinion: Community organisation board members need to step up their strategic thinking The post Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fall appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Jo Cribb
13 hours ago

We have an emergency emergency
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
NewsroomBy Tom Kitchin
13 hours ago

A body in Devonport
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
NewsroomBy Scott Bainbridge
13 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
13 hours ago

Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationship
Brussels’ man in Wellington on our newly active trade deal and the shared values underpinning ties The post Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationship appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
13 hours ago

If not journalists, then who?
Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
NewsroomBy Gavin Ellis
13 hours ago

Preterm babies deserve better care
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
NewsroomBy Professor Katie Groom
13 hours ago

Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
13 hours ago

Boy in the Water: Mum speaks publicly for first time
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
NewsroomBy Bonnie Sumner
13 hours ago

Pacific alliance condemns France over bid to ‘derail’ Kanaky decolonisation
Asia Pacific Report A Pacific civil society alliance has condemned French neocolonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, saying Paris is set on “maintaining the status quo” and denying the indigenous Kanak people their inalienable right to self-determination. The Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance, representing some 15 groups, said in ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
16 hours ago

New Koi Tū future report calls for overhaul of outdated NZ mediascape to restore trust
Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
17 hours ago

Chalmers outlines a more ‘risk-based’ foreign investment policy and guardrails around Future Mad...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

National first introduced piece of Oranga Tamariki Act legislation it now seeks to repeal – Wi...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
Radio NZ – political
21 hours ago

New Papers On Government Consumption Multipliers, Automatic Stabilisers And Economic Shocks
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Scoop politics
22 hours ago

Pacific state of Hawai’i first in US to pass dual Gaza ceasefire resolutions
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
23 hours ago

Australia just made a billion-dollar bet on building the world’s first ‘useful’ quantum comput...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
24 hours ago

What are heart rate zones, and how can you incorporate them into your exercise routine?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
24 hours ago

Ministry of Māori Development proposes to cut 38 positions
A recruitment pause put in place last year had reduced the scale of job losses necessary, says the secretary for Māori development. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

'A man of the people': MPs pay tribute to Fa'anānā Efeso Collins
The MPs reflected on the impact Fa'anānā had in Parliament, in his communities, and their long friendships with him. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

School phone ban for 16-year-olds 'very backward' – principal
Two secondary school principals are not convinced a phone ban is warranted and say it will be difficult to enforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Open Mike 15/08/2018

Related Posts

178 comments on “Open Mike 15/08/2018 ”

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Open Mike 15/08/2018

Share this:

Related Posts

178 comments on “Open Mike 15/08/2018 ”

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts