The funds that you nominate as being "available" are only there if you accept that
1. The taxpayer is required to contribute an initial $30 million. More will have to be provided later.
2. By law no foreign shipping line will be allowed to carry cargo from port to port in New Zealand, and thereby compete with the monopoly position of the subsidised company.
I'm sure that the Union is in favour of the scheme. To bad about the New Zealand taxpayer of course.
Or can you find some other way of reading the story you link to?
Alwynger you have just read one side of the story and pushed your anti everything that involves govt expenditure.
Exporters are struggling to get just in time container space for our mainly agricultural economy.
I know one of the top meat export managers they would like the govt to step in and provide a reliable shipping company to make sure their product makes it to market and on time.
Alwyn your another ideologue who thinks the market kows best.
To prove that you want our economy put in a straight jacket so business has both its hands tied behind their backs.
Alwyn if the straight jacket fits wear it.pragmatism comprimise reason does come into your thinking.The free market cargo cult.
Based on the article you linked to, the proposal has the support of the maritime union and the 'former head' of Pacifica shipping. I've seen comments on the government spending angle. In this case it would seem that $30m of government investment could lead to benefits to local shipping companies and their customers. I wonder if with projects such as this we should roll the capital cost into a levy on those companies that repays the investment over time.
Even for a dogmatic free-market acolyte such as you that’s a pathetically lazy comment. However, it seems one of the few left in your repertoire, as I have seen you grasping for it more regularly lately. Difficult times for free-market devotees.
A car cruising on a highway at 50 mph (80 km/h) may require only 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to overcome aerodynamic drag, but that same car at 100 mph (160 km/h) requires 80 hp (60 kW).[23] With a doubling of speed the drag (force) quadruples per the formula. Exerting 4 times the force over a fixed distance produces 4 times as much work. At twice the speed the work (resulting in displacement over a fixed distance) is done twice as fast. Since power is the rate of doing work, 4 times the work done in half the time requires 8 times the power.
The speed goes in as square, so increasing the speed from 80 to 100 is a 25% increase in speed, but over 50% in power. In an ideal scenario, with the higher speed the overall duration is lower, the increase is back to 25%. From my experience, the ideal scenario often doesn't come into play: When you reach a city / traffic light and the faster cars are often standing a couple of meters in front of you.
In the equation for air drag another important component apart from the speed is the front area, so a SUV requires more power / energy than a smaller car.
There's all the auxiliaries on the engine, rolling resistance of tyres and powertrain components, efficiency map of the engine etc etc.
In general, minimum fuel use per distance happens when the car is in its highest gear at an engine speed a bit above where it might start labouring if you put your foot down, which is generally in the 1500 to 2200 rpm range.
In older cars with higher drag and less gear spread, maximum fuel efficiency came around 60 to 80 km/hr. Newer cars with better aerodynamics and much wider gear spread could easily find their best economy point above 100km/hr.
From my personal experience I found the easiest way of reducing emissions was simply to buy a hybrid vehicle. I changed from a Honda Accord Euro, with reported emissions of 214 g/km of CO2 to a hybrid Camry which produces a reported figure of 107 g/km. I certainly found that my fuel consumption halved, from an urban figure of about 9.5 l/100k to about 4.8 l/100k. The gain is less on a long trip but is still significant if you have any hills at all.
The advantage of the hybrid is that the engine is almost always operating at its most efficient speed. If you need more power, for a hill say, you get it from the tiny electric motor/battery combination. I might like a fully electric vehicle but the hybrid gives a good part of the benefit at a fraction of the cost.
A lot of the fuel economy improvements come from using an Atkinson cycle engine. The longer power stroke compared to the shorter effective compression stroke extracts more of the energy of the burnt fuel, which means a petrol engine can get similar levels of thermal efficiency that a diesel does. With fewer of the exhaust nasties that diesels emit.
One downside of Atkinson cycles engines is their low-to-mid range torque isn't as good, but that's where the electric motor really shines.
Toyota, Honda and Hyundai use Atkinson cycle engines in their hybrids, Subaru didn't last time I looked. Dunno about other manufacturers.
edit: Always keeping the engine at an efficient speed is much more the outcome of using the continuously variable transmission, or more gears in a geared tranny. The electric side of things really doesn’t help with that, except maybe when moving off from a stop.
That would certainly explain a lot of the gain. The Honda would have preceded the Atkinson cycle. It was a great car but it was starting to get tatty. I ran it for nearly 190,000 km and it ran as if the motor was brand new. The inside was getting worn though.
On the other hand you seem to be saying that you really need to have the electric motor boost if you have an Atkinson cycle motor so I guess we can still give the credit to the hybrid car.
I think the Camry is a great vehicle, and it costs much less than a full electric vehicle. It uses less fuel than our Jazz does, and that is a very low amount already. We get about 5.5 l/100km from the Jazz around town and yet a biggish car like the Camry can undercut it.
edit. You get the benefit from the electric motor going up a hill. It gives the short term boost that you only need for a short distance and lets the petrol engine stick to providing the base load power.
I'm fairly sure a bunch of the latest non-hybrid engines also use the Atkinson cycle idea with their variable valve timing.
It's just taken a while to catch on, partly because the shorter effective compression stroke also effectively turns it into a smaller displacement engine. For a long time, manufacturers were mostly interested in maximising power output from a given engine size, so making a larger engine effectively act like a smaller one kinda went against that.
Lately manufacturers have learned enough that they can make Atkinson cycle engines that still put out numbers that would be adequate for a similar size conventional engine. Such as the 2.5 litre in the latest RAV4 plug-in hybrid putting out 132kw and 228 Nm. Not any kind of fire-breather to be sure, but entirely adequate even without electric assist.
Where the electric motor and battery in the hybrid really shine is in regenerative braking, just creeping along in heavy traffic or parking lots etc, and is better for shutting off the engine at traffic lights and other stops.
I'm certainly no expert, but various recent analyses suggest that even in a relatively modern car you're probably better off (for fuel economy and other reasons) at 75 – 90 km/h than at higher speeds, . But many people are time poor and/or would rather not spend any more time driving than they have to, while others like to demonstrate how fast their car is.
What's the Best Way to Cut Fuel Costs? Slow down. In our tests we’ve found that driving faster on the highway can really take a bite out of a car’s fuel efficiency.
How to save fuel – the ultimate guide
While the speed you drive at is arguably the most influential factor affecting fuel consumption, there are a number of other ways you can change your driving habits that will have a significant impact on the money you spend at the pump.
This optimum fuel economy speed will be different for every car, but when the RAC completed its Record Road Trip in the Audi A6 ultra, that particular car’s optimum fuel economy speed was 52mph [84 kph] in seventh gear on the flat.
Over the years the speed of 56mph [90 kph] has often been talked about as being the optimum speed. This was due to the old fuel consumption test being run at three speeds: urban, 56mph and 75mph – and 56mph was always, unsurprisingly, the most efficient of these. Typically, cars are most efficient at 45-50mph [72 – 81 kph].
Use Fuel-Efficient Driving Techniques
Your driving habits play a large role in your car's fuel efficiency, and one of the biggest factors is speed. For example, for every 8 km/h you drive above 80 km/h, it eats away at your fuel efficiency. Keeping your speed at 80 km/h or less can increase fuel efficiency by 7 to 14%.
You'd probably need to do the actual test on the actual car configured exactly the sameas you normally drive to get a definitive answer. It's well known some apparently minor things can make big differences. Such as if you choose the wankmobile 21" wheels on your new Tesla, you'll get about 7% less range than if you stuck with the poverty-spec 19".
For my Honda Fit hybrid, very gently accelerating on the flat it doesn't change up from 6th to top until it's doing damn near 100km/hr, and it's fairly quick to drop back to 6th when speed gets down near 90ish. From what I know of engine efficiency maps and the effect of gear ratios, I'm pretty confident it wouldn't be doing that if its economy peak weren't somewhere around that 100km/hr mark.
Being the engineer nerd that I am, I've even checked it doing one tank of petrol aiming for a cruising speed of 90 for my commute, and another cruising at 100. No significant difference in economy. But putting the tyre pressure up from 24psi to 32psi improved economy by about 8%.
To really make you roll your eyes, keeping the spare tyre mounted on the bonnet of my LandRover Defender improved fuel economy by about 6%. Yes, I've checked that too.
my ancient (1990) ford falcon hated 90k. it was always hunting between gears ,so was much more efficient at 100k. which makes sense when you realise it was built to cruise at that speed. this speed is one that is used worldwide to check fuel usage, so some expert from NZ saying, lets do 90k immediatley buggers up the gearing and economy of most cars.
" Such as if you choose the wankmobile 21" wheels on your new Tesla, you'll get about 7% less range than if you stuck with the poverty-spec 19"."
Are you sure about that? Most cars that offer different sized wheels for the same car do so in such a way that the circumference of the wheel is the same whatever size of wheel is chosen. They pick a tire width and a aspect ratio so that the circumference is the same for all models. That means they don't have to change the components of the odometer between the models.
A Toyota Camry for example offers 18 or 19 inch wheels. The tires are 235/45R18 and 235/40R19. The circumference works out to be the same.
Unless the Tesla is a real oddball, which is quite possible of course when you look at Musk, that would imply that the only thing that would affect the mpg figure would be the rolling resistance of the tire.
I suspect that if the results are as you say something else has changed besides the wheel size. ie perhaps you only get the bigger wheels with a more powerful engine or something like that.
I'm as sure as I can be without actually doing the tests myself. And I'm not motivated to do that.
There's plenty of info just from googling Tesla range wheels. Some of it is the aero (or not) design of the wheels, but some of it is purely from the tyres.
I haven't watched it so I'm not sure exactly what it says. But I'd expect it to start out with talking about the aerodynamics, and how usually with a bigger wheels people will also go for wider stickier tyres, and how lower sidewalls will cause a bit more hysteresis losses as the sidewalls flex a bit more.
In your Camry example, with a 235/45R18 and 235/40R19, the actual tread width will probably be slightly wider on the 19, and the 19 is slightly more likely to have some sort of sidewall/curbing protection feature. Both those will have an aero effect, as well as increasing rolling hysteresis losses in the tyres as they flex. There won't be much difference, but there will be a difference and it's a real difference.
Personally, I'm not a fan of going below 110mm nominal sidewall height. To my taste, at 110mm sidewall, cornering sharpness is already more than anything ever needed for public road driving. Ride quality decreases and damage susceptibility from potholes etc goes up quite fast as the sidewall height decreases from 110mm. The more "performance oriented" tyre compounds also wear a lot faster and cost more when you need to replace them sooner.
"Assuming your "reduced to social factories" hypothesis is correct, what do you think might be the driving force for this supposed trend?"
I don't have a definitive answer, but some thoughts –
The commercialisation of education. I'm a supporter of NGO involvement in education delivery, so I'm not talking about that. Governments are putting increasing pressure on education institutions to cut costs, to deliver more for less. Quality education, that promotes critical and independent thinking, costs.
Culture wars. This is more difficult to articulate, but there is a move to drive culture change through schooling rather than through democratic processes. For example Critical Race Theory asks questions of institutions that should be on the table for discussion. But CRT has been well and truly corrupted by militant activists on campus, which is why parents (including many african americans) are pushing back against it.
Aligned to 2. above – a drive to undermine conventional concepts of rational thought and empirical science. Just look at the furore over the letter from a group of academics suggesting that indigenous knowledge "falls far short of what we can define as science". Rather than actually debate the claims, the response was exemplified by a statement from Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater, who said the letter had “caused considerable hurt and dismay among our staff, students and alumni”. It is not the job of an academic institution to protect it's students from hurt feelings. It is their job to educate their students. Tara McAllister (who is a Māori ecologist) described the academics letter as "anti-Indigenous ideas". IMHO this is an intellectually lazy critique, typical of what all too often passes for critique. A far more sensible and reasoned approach came from Kyle Gibson, who had the rigour to actually examine the academics motivations and claims. Gibson wrote “This debacle is alarming and I think we should all be concerned. These professors are taking a stand against racism; the backlash is as ironic as it is problematic.” and “Mātauranga Māori cannot be given parity with science, because it is not the same kind of thing as science. Mātauranga Māori should be given parity with other bodies of knowledge by being regarded with the same weight and respect afforded to all cultural knowledge. There is no respect in pretending that it is something that it can not be and should not try to be.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/125940471/science-cant-be-pkeh-or-mori-its-just-science. It’s not a matter of whether or not we agree with those thoughts. It’s a matter of seeing a single robust critique amongst a sea of claptrap.
I think you are misunderstanding physics: the square rule law of aerodynamics is cheated here.
Engine rev efficiency range just means that you select a gear to operate in the range and has nothing to do with the speed of the car.
Aerodynamics on cars don't suddenly switch themselves on and off unless you are an F1 car or supercar. The 100km/h sweet spot usually extends downwards and encapsulates 80km/h.
The bit you are missing is the range of efficiencies the engine operates at for a given power output.
A modern engine that has a peak power of around say 160hp at 40% thermal efficiency simply won't be able to produce say 10hp anywhere near 40% efficiency anywhere in its rev range. Possibly only around 20% thermal efficiency.
Nudge the demand up to around 20hp and it might have a rev range where a wider throttle gives it a thermal efficiency around 35%. Because it has less pumping losses dragging air past an almost closed throttle, and because when the spark happens there's more air in the cylinder compressed to higher density and temperature, resulting in better transfer of the fuel's heat energy. Basic thermodynamic cycle stuff.
So it can end up the engine is only burning a wee bit more fuel per unit time for a much higher power output and higher speed, resulting in reduced fuel use over distance.
Here's just the first random engine efficiency map I found. This one is a fairly conventional engine, from memory Atkinson cycle engines have somewhat more variation in efficiency because of the way the variable valve timing changes the effective compression ratio. But this one will do to illustrate the general idea.
A modern compact car needs of the order of 20hp to go 100 km/hr. On that engine map it can give 20hp quite efficiently at around 1500rpm. Drop the speed to 80km/hr, the power demand drops to about 10hp (power required goes by speed cubed to first approximation), and the efficiencies at which the engine delivers 10hp are much lower.
Without enforcing the lower speed limit (like significantly more regular speed camera sessions and finally increasing the speeding fines still on late 1990-levels), nobody is going to drive within the limits.
Here is some of the best analysis I have seen on the events in Afghanistan, and especially on the post take over tensions within the different fractions of the Taliban leadership…well worth your time if you have any interest or curiosity the future of Afghanistan and the region in general and or course the way in which the US conducted their occupation…fascinating stuff.
The interview is with Antonio Giustozzi. Senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and visiting professor at King’s College London. His books include "The Islamic State in Khorasan" and "The Taliban at War."
‘‘It is very unhelpful to have anyone pushing or spreading these views, let alone someone in leadership,’’ University of Otago Associate Prof James Ussher said…
The ‘‘unrepentantly provocative’’ councillor disclosed this month he wanted to buy the elements of an alternative remedy, including anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin.
Prof Ussher said the alternative treatments proposed were not supported by evidence.
‘‘There have been several trials that have investigated Ivermectin and they have failed to show a benefit.’’
Vandervis is pretty much a troll, constantly looking to get his self-satisfied mug-shot into the paper and keep his public profile high. I try to avoid playing into his game, last thing I remember reading was his suggestion of; giving children matches to play with, rather than bothering with the expense of maintaining playgrounds.
He actually won the mayoralty on FPP votes, but fortunately the Ōtepoti vote for councillors is conducted via STV! Which let the GP's Hawkins snatch the position with help from the (large) anyone-but-Vandervis vote.
If I was to be worried about local government in Otago, I would be more concerned about; Michael Laws, and his mates, over in the ORC. Just as despicable, but far more competent – for the interests they are paid to represent (allegedly).
When you've got Janet Wilson, Jane Clifton and Matthew Hooton all concern trolling over Judith's leadership in quick succession you just know something is up in the Kremlin.
Radio is a fascinating beast, particularly commercial talk radio. In the last year Newstalk ZB (with the likes of Hosking and HDPA) have really hurt National Radio, particularly in the Hosking slot. On one hand we have a highly popular government, on the other a morning radio host who is openly antagonistic to them lifting listener volumes. It does show the cult of personality is alive and well.
I listen in a fair amount, about 50/50 between RNZ and Hauraki, with a bit of Coast now and then. Agree that RNZ's hour long documentaries are quite hit and miss, as are the opinionators (Te Radar is always a hit). But their music programmes are reliably great, and they have good interviews with interesting people quite often. Mediawatch and "In the House" can be fun and informative too.
That clip reminded me of a critic's comment about the series 'Yes Minister' that went something like 'the program is documentary dressed up as satire'.
We need a smooth jazz/chill/lol Fi/trip hop station in this country. I cannot imagine anything worse than someone blathering on about stuff in the morning.
Don't get me started on Breakfast TV. I find both TV1's & TV3's offerings abysmal viewing. For different reasons. Are they typical of overseas BTV formats at all?
Maybe I've just become the classic grumpy old man, but the few times I force myself to watch a few minutes of either of these awful, boring shows, it's usually in the hope of catching a political interview on some hot topical issue.
And often as not, if I succeed, the interview turns out to be not worth watching.
Indeed Duke. Also "woke" which means many things to many people. And the tinhat paranoid reveals, "I used to be a Labour voter" vibe type commentator. Also a Slater reader?
In my experience, truly decent people are more likely to say that they "try to" be a decent person. Their decency is actually manifested by their uncertainty in this matter.
I don't remember who this was, but the other day on TS someone posited that JC is a placeholder. Makes sense to me. If true, replacing her would be a strategic move for the party and timed well.
That was me. My theory is that Collins is doing the heavy lifting of being an attack dog, and the new face of national will look so much more moderate by comparison. That's why I'm picking a female (my guess is Nicola Willis) or, as a long shot, the re-branded Simon Bridges.
They are still interim options IMO. The Nat hierarchy has anointed Christopher Luxon as their great white hope for the future. There's a reason he left his top notch gig at Air NZ
They may well have, but I suspect that narrative is waning. Politically at least, Luxon is no John Key. Key had wide appeal across NZ society, he was unencumbered by any strong personal ideology, and so was able to be both the jester and the hatchet. He was also sharp as a tack. Luxon is bright but he has religious beliefs that (regrettably in my opinion) would make him problematic in the increasingly woke world we are living in.
Interesting. Do you think religious beliefs in general are problematic in NZ politics or specifically Luxon’s beliefs, whatever they are? And what on Earth is the “woke world” that we are living in? Is that the post-modern version of the Enlightenment?
"Do you think religious beliefs in general are problematic in NZ politics or specifically Luxon’s beliefs, whatever they are? "
Luxon is an evangelical Christian. His personal views are socially and morally conservative. I may be wrong, but it seems to me NZ has moved on from some elements of that worldview. He has made a good attempt at reconciling his private views with public office, but I'm not convinced that would wash in the heat of political battle if he was a party leader. (RNZ did a good piece in this recently).
"And what on Earth is the “woke world” that we are living in? Is that the post-modern version of the Enlightenment?"
On the contrary. The enlightenment welcomed diversity of opinion. It promoted liberty and reason, and challenged the traditional power structures of religion and monarchies. The world we live in today is increasingly illiberal, increasingly intolerant of ideas that the power elite find uncomfortable. It has manifested in, of all places, University campuses, but it goes well beyond those spaces. Certain issues seem to attract more venom than others…trans activists are amongst the worst. And this intolerance targets people from across the spectrum. Julie Bindel is a case in point. The situation has become so ludicrous that the UK is passing a law to 'compel' free speech at Universities.
Sorry, you’ve completely lost me. Is the “power elite” woke or does it actively but covertly advocate/promote wokeness among the great unwashed? The latter could make some sense if its intention is to promote infighting and some kind of civil or tribal war while the elite watches on safely from above and collects the money and gains more power and control. Is that it?
"Is the “power elite” woke or does it actively but covertly advocate/promote wokeness among the great unwashed?"
More of the latter. The 'great unwashed' are (usually) sincere, but are being manipulated by others. This is possible (IMHO) because more and more places of learning have been reduced to social factories that are more concerned with inculcating social theory than teaching critical thinking.
I don’t see the great unwashed as some kind of ‘noble savages’ and being morally more pure and sincere than their slightly more ‘elevated’ kin. It is all a social construct and each class makes its own rules for intra- and inter-class behaviour, as has been the case throughout human history. Secondary and Tertiary Education is a little more than diploma or degree factories and there are some amazing thinkers and creative young people coming through, but they have not broken down the Walls of Power yet. Most manipulation seems to happen through various forms of media, including social media, of course. Paradoxically, among the vast desert waste lands of mind numbing crap you’ll find oases of critical thinking with some real rare gems.
This is possible (IMHO) because more and more places of learning have been reduced to social factories that are more concerned with inculcating social theory than teaching critical thinking.
Assuming your "reduced to social factories" hypothesis is correct, what do you think might be the driving force for this supposed trend?
The University of Auckland just achieved its highest ever ranking on the THE global list. The ‘mire’ must be widespread then and humanity is going to Hell in a handcart, culturally, socially, intellectually, and humanly.
She made a massive blunder backing Muller, but she's smart enough and tough enough to recover from that. A big factor will be national's strategic approach to the next election. If they are serious about eating into labour's current lead, they need to present a younger and more dynamic group of principal spokespeople. Willis, Erica Stanford, Chris Penk, Simeon Brown need to feature more, alongside some of the more 'saleable' senior MP's. It;s a punt, but they can't possibly do any worse than the current leadership.
Re Janet Wilson, Clifton & Hooton all concern-trolling over Collins' leadership …
…
Luke Malpass gives Collins a surprisingly sympathetic [embedded video] interview (ignoring the headline-grabbing title) where she manages to not put her foot in it & sounds generally quite sensible & reasonable for most of it.
Had to smile when he asks her: " How are you feeling, as leader of the Opposition?"
And TV1 One News have just announced “coming up after the break …”
"Judith Collins has been thrown under the bus by her former Chief Press Secretary – we'll have details and her response after the break!"
… …
On now. They're calling it a "slanging match" – audio clips from both women – "prone to paranoid storms", not impressed with her remarks about Wiles as LOTO, says Janet W. "Unprofessional" says Judith C, to be criticising her former employer. "Especially for someone treated so generously." (?)
David Seymour said he was "taken aback" by Collins criticism of Wiles.
Chris Hipkins got a chance to have a swipe at her too.
Poor Collins. TVNZ is not her friend. Never gonna live this one down.
More companies continuing to work through Level 4 lockdown, indicates business has less tolerance for lockdown than last time.
Increased business intolerance to lockdown will see business lobby putting pressure to lift the lockdown whether the virus is contained or not.
The crunch time for a showdown with the anti-lockdown business lobby may be next Monday.
Will the latest outbreak be under control by then?
Ironically more businesses, (especially bigger busninesses with over 500 employees), working through the lockdown lessens the chance of controling the spread of the virus in the first place.
Can the business lobby have it both ways, working through lockdown, and then demanding the lockdown be lifted if the virus is still spreading uncontrolled through the community?
” The BFD explained how it came to host the now-infamous video of Wiles and her friend on the beach: “You may be wondering why it is The BFD that is making this [story] public. The simple reason is that we are not part of the Prime Minister’s Team of $55 million. This story was given to 1News”… which “spiked” the story five days later.
“The reason given was that it wasn’t a politician so there was no public interest in the story. Make no mistake, this story was suppressed by an editor at 1News.”
The news stories initially focused on Wiles for what was deemed hypocritical behaviour given she has repeatedly told the nation masks should be worn outside and that people should stay close to home during the lockdown. But the focus quickly switched to Judith Collins when she made the monumental blunder of calling Wiles “a big, fat hypocrite”.
The story instantly became one about Collins’ lack of judgment and her suitability to be National’s leader. Her defence that her accusation was simply a common expression and had no connection to Wiles’ weight didn’t wash.
Now, National looks as if it might be trying to turn the tables by exploiting the extensive suspicion that much of the media is in thrall to the government. It’s very hard to see a Facebook post by the party’s respected deputy leader, Dr Reti, asking for “thoughts” as anything other than an attempt to stir that particular pot, which is already on a rapid simmer.
National will be hoping that as more people come to believe the media is influenced by government money, the more easily they will be persuaded that its politicians are unfairly facing overwhelmingly hostile journalists.
A sure sign that the media itself is uncomfortably aware of the public’s perception of its Faustian bargain is the fact that the nation’s two biggest news sites have already felt obliged to deny they are operating under its influence.”
…
National will also be hoping that the Prime Minister will be obliged at some point to deny that her munificent handouts exert any influence on editorial coverage — which would flush the question right out into the open.
In fact, she has already done that twice in Parliament but the public unfortunately wouldn’t have any idea about that because — surprise! — it wasn’t reported in the mainstream media, despite the significance of the topic to a democracy.
And it wasn’t as if the exchange in July was low-key or colourless. In fact, it was one of the more memorable exchanges in the House.
Judith Collins asked the Prime Minister: “What does she say to people who are concerned that her $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund — which includes numerous criteria for media to adhere to — is influencing the editorial decisions of media outlets in New Zealand?”
Grant Robertson burst out laughing, while Ardern declaimed emphatically, “I would abso-loot-ely reject that!”. Then, grinning broadly and stifling a laugh, she added: “I would put the question to the media and ask whether they agree with that sentiment.”
It was an absurd response given the media is hardly going to be an impartial witness in its own case when it has been accused of having been effectively bought by $55 million of government money.
However, Ardern didn’t realise she was in trouble until David Seymour asked a more specific question: “What then would happen to a media outlet that received money under the fund and wanted to report a story deemed inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is one of the requirements to adhere to?”
Ardern’s smile vanished. She replied: “I absolutely reject the idea that there is political influence in broadcasting and media!”
She sat down quickly to Opposition cries of “Answer the question!” — which she manifestly hadn’t.
Yet, somehow, the Press Gallery didn’t see this dramatic exchange about a fundamental aspect of democracy as worth reporting — which again raises the question of media impartiality.”
…
“One thing seems certain as the issue of impartiality comes further into focus. If Collins or Seymour asks the Prime Minister again about the media fund influencing political coverage, the exchange will be much more likely to be reported.
I wrote a letter to the editor of a big newspaper recently. My opinion was 'suppressed.' I wrote another last week. My opinion wasn't suppressed. I mean one they didn't print and one they did.
Every day editors decide what stories they're going to run with, which they're going to feature, and so on. Choosing to feature a story or not as a matter of suppressing or not? Who decides what should be featured and why? Who decides what the public is likely to be interested in? Who decides if a story is a dead end? Who considers the 'why?' of running a story?
If an All Black had cycled 5km and sat at Judges Bay there was more likelihood of it being a typical shock! horror! exposé.
Cameron Slater was pissed off that 1News did not slaughter Wiles. He expected the story to be explode out of his strange mind as the media stop press scandal of the year.
The cries about the poor quality of our media, the lowest common denominator way they operate, sometimes ascend to caterwauling about our media being crap.
One agency didn't get in the gutter to play and some are upset. Nothing like blood on the floor, a feeding frenzy as sport.
The good thing about the Wiles situation is that Slater himself got attention. The questions about bankruptcy and suggestions about the use of pleas around ill-health and avoiding financial responsibility have come to mind again.
And that if the ordinary media operated at the level Slater has and does, and as he expected from 1News this time, he would have not been or heard from again, he would have been destroyed.
Slater’s really just a bit player in the overall scheme of things, in that article. The point being stressed by the grizzling Oppo Pollies & their supporters – and addressed by the writer of that Opinion Piece – is that there is a growing perception NZ mainstream media have been bought off by Ardern's government, & they are consequently not "asking them the hard questions", & holding them to account.
Further, that some reporters/opinion writers are unfairly ignoring opportunities to report the parties & leaders who ARE, or giving them a hard time instead of the government.
I might say, I'm one who thinks there's some truth in this. (Although Collins' claiming that they all give Ardern an easy time by simply asking "how she feels" at her near-daily standups is basically BS.)
Mr Slater is no bit player. He was a late night phone confidant of ex PM Key (as admitted in the NZ Parliament). Slater used to get first dibs on some OIA releases via the Prime Ministers Office. Slater and Collins were a tag team and seem still to be going on the recent Wiles stalk.
Oily Whale Oil was a significant part of the Key era “two track strategy” as exposed in Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics”–whereby the godkey was the publicly likeable guy, while all sorts of very nasty shit indeed was going down behind the scenes.
He's obviously looking to make a comeback, tag-teaming with Collins in it up to her neck. Pity he's been given so much oxygen already. The BFD seemed to be getting minimal attention & possibly was even in terminal decline – & I liked it that way.
All I meant was the complaining about msm media being bought by the govt & thus not prepared to properly hold the govt to account has been building for some time – without Cameron Slater featuring in the mix.
A few of them survive. And sometimes end up even more problematic than they were before. eg Joe Rogan.
I gotta say though, it's a truly bizarre political and marketing strategy to promote things that make one's audience more likely to get sick and maybe even die.
Conservative firebrand Bob Enyart, the pastor of the Denver Bible Church and indelible talk show host, has died from COVID-19, his radio co-host announced Monday on Facebook.
[…]
Enyart and his wife refused to get the vaccine due to abortion concerns, he said on his website.
In October, Enyart successfully sued the state over mask mandates and capacity limits in churches, a rare legal victory against broad public health mandates instituted during the pandemic.
Pushing the limits never bothered Enyart.
He once traveled to New Zealand for the sole purpose of being arrested with a “Clinton is a Rapist” banner, according to a 1999 Westword profile.
On his old TV show, Bob Enyart Live, the host would “gleefully read obituaries of AIDS sufferers while cranking ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen,” Westword reported.
I think you may have linked to the Google link of one of the ‘hits’ of your Google search. Instead, actually click on that link, i.e., direct away from the Google page/site, and then copy and paste that URL of and to the actual source of info. I noticed that the Guardian’s search function is driven by Google, which may have the same solution, but I cannot reproduce your issue using that function.
so AMPs are pages that website publishers choose that have a specific tech that makes them faster loading? I've linked lots of times to the Guardian and not had AMP in the URL, so I don't really get why it happens when it does. Seems random.
Not sure if this is your exact issue, but is related.
Google replaces all links in their search results with a link that first takes you back to google (so they can track and monetise your online behaviour) then redirects to the actual site you want.
Google is a despicable company in my view, and I use Firefox addons that bypass this behaviour – so the results are the actual site URLs, rather than google redirects. This also means you can copy / paste links from search results easily too. Some of the addons do not work on mobile versions of google.
Has Lynn now done some work in the back end of TS, as promised?
Just noticed I've been able to make several comments in rapid succession on me wee iPad2 without having the site hang & refuse to let me enter text after one or two postings, as had been happening for quite some time.
Don't seem to need to do constant iPad re-starts, as before. 😀 👍🏼
(Well … problem maybe not completely disappeared. Had to close out of TS & reopen the site to be able to enter text this 3rd time. But at least it didn't require an iPad restart, like before.)
A dispute over the sale of a family home in Lyall Bay, Wellington, has pitted a father against two of his children, who say the property was meant to be kept in the family.
Christine Cowan (Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu) buried the placentas of her children there and believed her parents agreed the house was to be hers and remain the family base.
A poll taken in the third week of the Delta outbreak has shown a nudge up in support for the Labour Party and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern…:
The UMR poll from August 31 to September 6 shows:
Labour up two points to 45 per cent
National back down to 26 per cent.
Act steady at 13 per cent
Green Party 6 per cent
NZ First 4.1 per cent (seriously ??)
(In early August, Labour was at 43 per cent in the same poll – it's lowest result since February last year, before Covid-19 arrived.)
Preferred PM:
Ardern back up 5 points to 55 per cent
Collins unchanged at 14 per cent
An Aucklander who fled the city’s level 4 lockdown to go to Whakatāne this week may face prosecution. Police have confirmed they located the Aucklander overnight on Monday and the person was taken into custody.
If it were a binary between that and level 4 (or 3), I would choose what Denmark's got.
But I'd be happier with something a bit more like a long-term level 2 with vaccine passports and masking in public places, potential superspreader events curtailed etc.
What the Mulloon Institute is doing in Oz. I wonder what effect they may have on fire prevention and fighting? Their determined approach to improving their ground conditions and management is registering increasing acceptance and change – but it has taken time; there have been deaths bit others carry on the baton.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. 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 economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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”. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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I just caught the tail end of this story and was left with the feeling 'Get on with it'.
Emissions are reduced, trucks are off the road and containers are moved through the provinces where they are needed.
Apart from Nick Legget and some other industry lobbyists, what is the delay?
From these uninformed eyes, ships running on batteries would be more viable and likely than electric trucks.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/451438/maritime-and-trade-operators-hope-for-another-coastal-shipping-vessel
How about you get together with like minded people and create a shipping company to focus on the domestic shipping routes?
Did you read the link?
There are funds available, my query was why the delay, what resistance is there?
The funds that you nominate as being "available" are only there if you accept that
1. The taxpayer is required to contribute an initial $30 million. More will have to be provided later.
2. By law no foreign shipping line will be allowed to carry cargo from port to port in New Zealand, and thereby compete with the monopoly position of the subsidised company.
I'm sure that the Union is in favour of the scheme. To bad about the New Zealand taxpayer of course.
Or can you find some other way of reading the story you link to?
I am down with 1 and 2.
A point 3 could be a saving on road maintenance, which I am down with too.
…and freeing up the roads for the rest of us!
Alwynger you have just read one side of the story and pushed your anti everything that involves govt expenditure.
Exporters are struggling to get just in time container space for our mainly agricultural economy.
I know one of the top meat export managers they would like the govt to step in and provide a reliable shipping company to make sure their product makes it to market and on time.
Alwyn your another ideologue who thinks the market kows best.
To prove that you want our economy put in a straight jacket so business has both its hands tied behind their backs.
Alwyn if the straight jacket fits wear it.pragmatism comprimise reason does come into your thinking.The free market cargo cult.
I'm not sure it's 'resistance' as in opposition to the plan. The initiative requires a law change, and that does take time.
I wasn't up to speed that a law change was needed.
As they have the numbers, I hope it isn't a lack of will.
Wouldn't stop lobbyists lobbying though.
Based on the article you linked to, the proposal has the support of the maritime union and the 'former head' of Pacifica shipping. I've seen comments on the government spending angle. In this case it would seem that $30m of government investment could lead to benefits to local shipping companies and their customers. I wonder if with projects such as this we should roll the capital cost into a levy on those companies that repays the investment over time.
Even for a dogmatic free-market acolyte such as you that’s a pathetically lazy comment. However, it seems one of the few left in your repertoire, as I have seen you grasping for it more regularly lately. Difficult times for free-market devotees.
Might have to get the scows back into business…
https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5461/scow
Nowadays we should be able to get those things foiling…
The easiest way to reduce NZ car and truck CO2 emissions is to drop the speed limit to 80km/h.
Side effects can include:
Reduced incidence and severity of traffic accidents and injuries and mortalities.
Increased freight demand for rail and costal shipping.
Increased use of public transport.
I thought most cars performed at higher efficiency at 100km/h or more, rather than 80km/h. Is this not true?
From a physics perspective the energy required at 100 km/h is significantly higher than 80 km/h Wikipedia – Air drag – Power example:
The speed goes in as square, so increasing the speed from 80 to 100 is a 25% increase in speed, but over 50% in power. In an ideal scenario, with the higher speed the overall duration is lower, the increase is back to 25%. From my experience, the ideal scenario often doesn't come into play: When you reach a city / traffic light and the faster cars are often standing a couple of meters in front of you.
In the equation for air drag another important component apart from the speed is the front area, so a SUV requires more power / energy than a smaller car.
There's a lot more to it than just air drag.
There's all the auxiliaries on the engine, rolling resistance of tyres and powertrain components, efficiency map of the engine etc etc.
In general, minimum fuel use per distance happens when the car is in its highest gear at an engine speed a bit above where it might start labouring if you put your foot down, which is generally in the 1500 to 2200 rpm range.
In older cars with higher drag and less gear spread, maximum fuel efficiency came around 60 to 80 km/hr. Newer cars with better aerodynamics and much wider gear spread could easily find their best economy point above 100km/hr.
From my personal experience I found the easiest way of reducing emissions was simply to buy a hybrid vehicle. I changed from a Honda Accord Euro, with reported emissions of 214 g/km of CO2 to a hybrid Camry which produces a reported figure of 107 g/km. I certainly found that my fuel consumption halved, from an urban figure of about 9.5 l/100k to about 4.8 l/100k. The gain is less on a long trip but is still significant if you have any hills at all.
The advantage of the hybrid is that the engine is almost always operating at its most efficient speed. If you need more power, for a hill say, you get it from the tiny electric motor/battery combination. I might like a fully electric vehicle but the hybrid gives a good part of the benefit at a fraction of the cost.
A lot of the fuel economy improvements come from using an Atkinson cycle engine. The longer power stroke compared to the shorter effective compression stroke extracts more of the energy of the burnt fuel, which means a petrol engine can get similar levels of thermal efficiency that a diesel does. With fewer of the exhaust nasties that diesels emit.
One downside of Atkinson cycles engines is their low-to-mid range torque isn't as good, but that's where the electric motor really shines.
Toyota, Honda and Hyundai use Atkinson cycle engines in their hybrids, Subaru didn't last time I looked. Dunno about other manufacturers.
edit: Always keeping the engine at an efficient speed is much more the outcome of using the continuously variable transmission, or more gears in a geared tranny. The electric side of things really doesn’t help with that, except maybe when moving off from a stop.
That would certainly explain a lot of the gain. The Honda would have preceded the Atkinson cycle. It was a great car but it was starting to get tatty. I ran it for nearly 190,000 km and it ran as if the motor was brand new. The inside was getting worn though.
On the other hand you seem to be saying that you really need to have the electric motor boost if you have an Atkinson cycle motor so I guess we can still give the credit to the hybrid car.
I think the Camry is a great vehicle, and it costs much less than a full electric vehicle. It uses less fuel than our Jazz does, and that is a very low amount already. We get about 5.5 l/100km from the Jazz around town and yet a biggish car like the Camry can undercut it.
edit. You get the benefit from the electric motor going up a hill. It gives the short term boost that you only need for a short distance and lets the petrol engine stick to providing the base load power.
I'm fairly sure a bunch of the latest non-hybrid engines also use the Atkinson cycle idea with their variable valve timing.
It's just taken a while to catch on, partly because the shorter effective compression stroke also effectively turns it into a smaller displacement engine. For a long time, manufacturers were mostly interested in maximising power output from a given engine size, so making a larger engine effectively act like a smaller one kinda went against that.
Lately manufacturers have learned enough that they can make Atkinson cycle engines that still put out numbers that would be adequate for a similar size conventional engine. Such as the 2.5 litre in the latest RAV4 plug-in hybrid putting out 132kw and 228 Nm. Not any kind of fire-breather to be sure, but entirely adequate even without electric assist.
Where the electric motor and battery in the hybrid really shine is in regenerative braking, just creeping along in heavy traffic or parking lots etc, and is better for shutting off the engine at traffic lights and other stops.
I'm certainly no expert, but various recent analyses suggest that even in a relatively modern car you're probably better off (for fuel economy and other reasons) at 75 – 90 km/h than at higher speeds, . But many people are time poor and/or would rather not spend any more time driving than they have to, while others like to demonstrate how fast their car is.
You'd probably need to do the actual test on the actual car configured exactly the sameas you normally drive to get a definitive answer. It's well known some apparently minor things can make big differences. Such as if you choose the wankmobile 21" wheels on your new Tesla, you'll get about 7% less range than if you stuck with the poverty-spec 19".
For my Honda Fit hybrid, very gently accelerating on the flat it doesn't change up from 6th to top until it's doing damn near 100km/hr, and it's fairly quick to drop back to 6th when speed gets down near 90ish. From what I know of engine efficiency maps and the effect of gear ratios, I'm pretty confident it wouldn't be doing that if its economy peak weren't somewhere around that 100km/hr mark.
Being the engineer nerd that I am, I've even checked it doing one tank of petrol aiming for a cruising speed of 90 for my commute, and another cruising at 100. No significant difference in economy. But putting the tyre pressure up from 24psi to 32psi improved economy by about 8%.
To really make you roll your eyes, keeping the spare tyre mounted on the bonnet of my LandRover Defender improved fuel economy by about 6%. Yes, I've checked that too.
my ancient (1990) ford falcon hated 90k. it was always hunting between gears ,so was much more efficient at 100k. which makes sense when you realise it was built to cruise at that speed. this speed is one that is used worldwide to check fuel usage, so some expert from NZ saying, lets do 90k immediatley buggers up the gearing and economy of most cars.
" Such as if you choose the wankmobile 21" wheels on your new Tesla, you'll get about 7% less range than if you stuck with the poverty-spec 19"."
Are you sure about that? Most cars that offer different sized wheels for the same car do so in such a way that the circumference of the wheel is the same whatever size of wheel is chosen. They pick a tire width and a aspect ratio so that the circumference is the same for all models. That means they don't have to change the components of the odometer between the models.
A Toyota Camry for example offers 18 or 19 inch wheels. The tires are 235/45R18 and 235/40R19. The circumference works out to be the same.
Unless the Tesla is a real oddball, which is quite possible of course when you look at Musk, that would imply that the only thing that would affect the mpg figure would be the rolling resistance of the tire.
I suspect that if the results are as you say something else has changed besides the wheel size. ie perhaps you only get the bigger wheels with a more powerful engine or something like that.
I'm as sure as I can be without actually doing the tests myself. And I'm not motivated to do that.
There's plenty of info just from googling Tesla range wheels. Some of it is the aero (or not) design of the wheels, but some of it is purely from the tyres.
Here's one piece with the official EPA ratings.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a29741451/tesla-model-3-performance-range-20-inch-wheels/
Or if a video explainer is more your thing:
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130265_here-s-how-tire-and-wheel-choice-affects-electric-vehicle-range
I haven't watched it so I'm not sure exactly what it says. But I'd expect it to start out with talking about the aerodynamics, and how usually with a bigger wheels people will also go for wider stickier tyres, and how lower sidewalls will cause a bit more hysteresis losses as the sidewalls flex a bit more.
In your Camry example, with a 235/45R18 and 235/40R19, the actual tread width will probably be slightly wider on the 19, and the 19 is slightly more likely to have some sort of sidewall/curbing protection feature. Both those will have an aero effect, as well as increasing rolling hysteresis losses in the tyres as they flex. There won't be much difference, but there will be a difference and it's a real difference.
Personally, I'm not a fan of going below 110mm nominal sidewall height. To my taste, at 110mm sidewall, cornering sharpness is already more than anything ever needed for public road driving. Ride quality decreases and damage susceptibility from potholes etc goes up quite fast as the sidewall height decreases from 110mm. The more "performance oriented" tyre compounds also wear a lot faster and cost more when you need to replace them sooner.
"Assuming your "reduced to social factories" hypothesis is correct, what do you think might be the driving force for this supposed trend?"
I don't have a definitive answer, but some thoughts –
Agree with your first point – university funding based on course/degree completions lowers academic standards and inflates grades year-on-year.
Some countries have a better handle on it than others, and reap the long-term benefits of education that is free for students.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_education
I think you are misunderstanding physics: the square rule law of aerodynamics is cheated here.
Engine rev efficiency range just means that you select a gear to operate in the range and has nothing to do with the speed of the car.
Aerodynamics on cars don't suddenly switch themselves on and off unless you are an F1 car or supercar. The 100km/h sweet spot usually extends downwards and encapsulates 80km/h.
The bit you are missing is the range of efficiencies the engine operates at for a given power output.
A modern engine that has a peak power of around say 160hp at 40% thermal efficiency simply won't be able to produce say 10hp anywhere near 40% efficiency anywhere in its rev range. Possibly only around 20% thermal efficiency.
Nudge the demand up to around 20hp and it might have a rev range where a wider throttle gives it a thermal efficiency around 35%. Because it has less pumping losses dragging air past an almost closed throttle, and because when the spark happens there's more air in the cylinder compressed to higher density and temperature, resulting in better transfer of the fuel's heat energy. Basic thermodynamic cycle stuff.
So it can end up the engine is only burning a wee bit more fuel per unit time for a much higher power output and higher speed, resulting in reduced fuel use over distance.
Here's just the first random engine efficiency map I found. This one is a fairly conventional engine, from memory Atkinson cycle engines have somewhat more variation in efficiency because of the way the variable valve timing changes the effective compression ratio. But this one will do to illustrate the general idea.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/fuel-economy-and-engine-rpm.301209/page-2
A modern compact car needs of the order of 20hp to go 100 km/hr. On that engine map it can give 20hp quite efficiently at around 1500rpm. Drop the speed to 80km/hr, the power demand drops to about 10hp (power required goes by speed cubed to first approximation), and the efficiencies at which the engine delivers 10hp are much lower.
Loss of life on our roads much lower and wear and tear on roads and vehicles much lower.
Trucks only going 10 km/hr lower.
Without enforcing the lower speed limit (like significantly more regular speed camera sessions and finally increasing the speeding fines still on late 1990-levels), nobody is going to drive within the limits.
Here is some of the best analysis I have seen on the events in Afghanistan, and especially on the post take over tensions within the different fractions of the Taliban leadership…well worth your time if you have any interest or curiosity the future of Afghanistan and the region in general and or course the way in which the US conducted their occupation…fascinating stuff.
The interview is with Antonio Giustozzi. Senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and visiting professor at King’s College London. His books include "The Islamic State in Khorasan" and "The Taliban at War."
fascinating stuff."
…
I'll have a gander …
In Dunedin we have Vandervis promoting conspiracy theories and ivermectin.
He may have had a chance of becoming mayor thats gone what an idiot.
Sounds like he's done everyone a favour admitting his deliberately provocative ways.
A career in TalkBack radio/ MSM appears more suitable.
Here's the link for Tricledrown:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/%E2%80%98provocative%E2%80%99-covid-posts-%E2%80%98unhelpful%E2%80%99
Vandervis is pretty much a troll, constantly looking to get his self-satisfied mug-shot into the paper and keep his public profile high. I try to avoid playing into his game, last thing I remember reading was his suggestion of; giving children matches to play with, rather than bothering with the expense of maintaining playgrounds.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/vision-play-not-matched
He actually won the mayoralty on FPP votes, but fortunately the Ōtepoti vote for councillors is conducted via STV! Which let the GP's Hawkins snatch the position with help from the (large) anyone-but-Vandervis vote.
If I was to be worried about local government in Otago, I would be more concerned about; Michael Laws, and his mates, over in the ORC. Just as despicable, but far more competent – for the interests they are paid to represent (allegedly).
When you've got Janet Wilson, Jane Clifton and Matthew Hooton all concern trolling over Judith's leadership in quick succession you just know something is up in the Kremlin.
You can add HDPA to that.
Soft profile of HDPA. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/newstalk-zbs-heather-du-plessis-allan-on-her-childhood-and-what-you-dont-know-about-her/NYVAWTLEIWMFIYVRXWBHLKYNXE/
I had a glance. I must say her reading matter is rather 'eclectic'. Douglas Murray, Rian Malan and Simon Winchester!
I liked the part where she thinks she is a 'decent' person.
Radio is a fascinating beast, particularly commercial talk radio. In the last year Newstalk ZB (with the likes of Hosking and HDPA) have really hurt National Radio, particularly in the Hosking slot. On one hand we have a highly popular government, on the other a morning radio host who is openly antagonistic to them lifting listener volumes. It does show the cult of personality is alive and well.
RNZ is too Woke, repetitive and dry for my taste. About an hour of Morning Report very occasionally is my limit.
That said I find the ads & Hosking on NewstalkZb equally strident & unpleasant. I rarely listen to him.
"RNZ is too Woke, repetitive and dry for my taste."
I rarely listen in, but on the basis of the times I have, I agree with you.
"That said I find the ads & Hosking on NewstalkZb equally strident & unpleasant. "
It's sometimes background noise in my household. But that's about all.
I listen in a fair amount, about 50/50 between RNZ and Hauraki, with a bit of Coast now and then. Agree that RNZ's hour long documentaries are quite hit and miss, as are the opinionators (Te Radar is always a hit). But their music programmes are reliably great, and they have good interviews with interesting people quite often. Mediawatch and "In the House" can be fun and informative too.
That clip reminded me of a critic's comment about the series 'Yes Minister' that went something like 'the program is documentary dressed up as satire'.
We need a smooth jazz/chill/lol Fi/trip hop station in this country. I cannot imagine anything worse than someone blathering on about stuff in the morning.
Don't get me started on Breakfast TV. I find both TV1's & TV3's offerings abysmal viewing. For different reasons. Are they typical of overseas BTV formats at all?
Maybe I've just become the classic grumpy old man, but the few times I force myself to watch a few minutes of either of these awful, boring shows, it's usually in the hope of catching a political interview on some hot topical issue.
And often as not, if I succeed, the interview turns out to be not worth watching.
The irony of this comment….
Indeed Duke. Also "woke" which means many things to many people. And the tinhat paranoid reveals, "I used to be a Labour voter" vibe type commentator. Also a Slater reader?
In my experience, truly decent people are more likely to say that they "try to" be a decent person. Their decency is actually manifested by their uncertainty in this matter.
Note it's not paywalled and in the entertainment section so everyone can get a few laughs from it.
I'll believe it when I see it. How many times has JC been about to be rolled?
It's too soon…but it will happen by this time next year.
I don't remember who this was, but the other day on TS someone posited that JC is a placeholder. Makes sense to me. If true, replacing her would be a strategic move for the party and timed well.
not to deny there are factions in National.
That was me. My theory is that Collins is doing the heavy lifting of being an attack dog, and the new face of national will look so much more moderate by comparison. That's why I'm picking a female (my guess is Nicola Willis) or, as a long shot, the re-branded Simon Bridges.
They are still interim options IMO. The Nat hierarchy has anointed Christopher Luxon as their great white hope for the future. There's a reason he left his top notch gig at Air NZ
They may well have, but I suspect that narrative is waning. Politically at least, Luxon is no John Key. Key had wide appeal across NZ society, he was unencumbered by any strong personal ideology, and so was able to be both the jester and the hatchet. He was also sharp as a tack. Luxon is bright but he has religious beliefs that (regrettably in my opinion) would make him problematic in the increasingly woke world we are living in.
Interesting. Do you think religious beliefs in general are problematic in NZ politics or specifically Luxon’s beliefs, whatever they are? And what on Earth is the “woke world” that we are living in? Is that the post-modern version of the Enlightenment?
"Do you think religious beliefs in general are problematic in NZ politics or specifically Luxon’s beliefs, whatever they are? "
Luxon is an evangelical Christian. His personal views are socially and morally conservative. I may be wrong, but it seems to me NZ has moved on from some elements of that worldview. He has made a good attempt at reconciling his private views with public office, but I'm not convinced that would wash in the heat of political battle if he was a party leader. (RNZ did a good piece in this recently).
"And what on Earth is the “woke world” that we are living in? Is that the post-modern version of the Enlightenment?"
On the contrary. The enlightenment welcomed diversity of opinion. It promoted liberty and reason, and challenged the traditional power structures of religion and monarchies. The world we live in today is increasingly illiberal, increasingly intolerant of ideas that the power elite find uncomfortable. It has manifested in, of all places, University campuses, but it goes well beyond those spaces. Certain issues seem to attract more venom than others…trans activists are amongst the worst. And this intolerance targets people from across the spectrum. Julie Bindel is a case in point. The situation has become so ludicrous that the UK is passing a law to 'compel' free speech at Universities.
Sorry, you’ve completely lost me. Is the “power elite” woke or does it actively but covertly advocate/promote wokeness among the great unwashed? The latter could make some sense if its intention is to promote infighting and some kind of civil or tribal war while the elite watches on safely from above and collects the money and gains more power and control. Is that it?
I love that the 'power elite' is somehow academics rather than big money and the suits who do their bidding. They must be laughing.
No good has ever come from academia. We all know that. I mean, what have the mad scientists ever done for us?
"Is the “power elite” woke or does it actively but covertly advocate/promote wokeness among the great unwashed?"
More of the latter. The 'great unwashed' are (usually) sincere, but are being manipulated by others. This is possible (IMHO) because more and more places of learning have been reduced to social factories that are more concerned with inculcating social theory than teaching critical thinking.
I don’t see the great unwashed as some kind of ‘noble savages’ and being morally more pure and sincere than their slightly more ‘elevated’ kin. It is all a social construct and each class makes its own rules for intra- and inter-class behaviour, as has been the case throughout human history. Secondary and Tertiary Education is a little more than diploma or degree factories and there are some amazing thinkers and creative young people coming through, but they have not broken down the Walls of Power yet. Most manipulation seems to happen through various forms of media, including social media, of course. Paradoxically, among the vast desert waste lands of mind numbing crap you’ll find oases of critical thinking with some real rare gems.
Assuming your "reduced to social factories" hypothesis is correct, what do you think might be the driving force for this supposed trend?
"Paradoxically, among the vast desert waste lands of mind numbing crap you’ll find oases of critical thinking with some real rare gems."
I agree. My concern is that they will be 'drowned' in the mire of what universities and colleges are becoming.
The University of Auckland just achieved its highest ever ranking on the THE global list. The ‘mire’ must be widespread then and humanity is going to Hell in a handcart, culturally, socially, intellectually, and humanly.
"The University of Auckland just achieved its highest ever ranking on the THE global list. "
I could ask whether that's an indictment of the rest
The rhetorical answer to your rhetorical question was in my comment to which you replied.
Yes, Nicola getting in strategic positions in the photos.
She made a massive blunder backing Muller, but she's smart enough and tough enough to recover from that. A big factor will be national's strategic approach to the next election. If they are serious about eating into labour's current lead, they need to present a younger and more dynamic group of principal spokespeople. Willis, Erica Stanford, Chris Penk, Simeon Brown need to feature more, alongside some of the more 'saleable' senior MP's. It;s a punt, but they can't possibly do any worse than the current leadership.
Chris Penk & Simeon Brown, punts?
Oh!
Punts!
.
It's one of my shorthands for "it would be taking a risk".
A place holder – literally "lieu tenant" – the most expendable junior officer in any battle.
Or perhaps an 'emotional junior staffer'? Oh no that couldn't be correct.
Like a stopped clock…eventually it will be right.
Yes, like the bullying manager who always keeps their job. But politics is a little different…
You can't get away from the fact Collins is a psychopath, and that this was always going to be her undoing.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/126383353/judith-collins-hits-back-at-former-staffer-janet-wilson-over-claims-of-a-culture-of-fear-and-paranoid-storms
Re Janet Wilson, Clifton & Hooton all concern-trolling over Collins' leadership …
…
Luke Malpass gives Collins a surprisingly sympathetic [embedded video] interview (ignoring the headline-grabbing title) where she manages to not put her foot in it & sounds generally quite sensible & reasonable for most of it.
Had to smile when he asks her: " How are you feeling, as leader of the Opposition?"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/126383353/judith-collins-hits-back-at-former-staffer-janet-wilson-over-claims-of-a-culture-of-fear-and-paranoid-storms
Luke Malpass showed his hand when he said the extra vaccines had "fallen of a truck"
A nasty nat. I think of him as Luke Malignant.
Ryan Bridge gave her a bit more of a grilling (especially over the Wiles hit job) on the AM show (video included):
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/judith-collins-former-chief-press-secretary-attacks-opposition-leader-moribund-on-the-brink-of-oblivion-national-party.html
And TV1 One News have just announced “coming up after the break …”
"Judith Collins has been thrown under the bus by her former Chief Press Secretary – we'll have details and her response after the break!"
… …
On now. They're calling it a "slanging match" – audio clips from both women – "prone to paranoid storms", not impressed with her remarks about Wiles as LOTO, says Janet W. "Unprofessional" says Judith C, to be criticising her former employer. "Especially for someone treated so generously." (?)
David Seymour said he was "taken aback" by Collins criticism of Wiles.
Chris Hipkins got a chance to have a swipe at her too.
Poor Collins. TVNZ is not her friend. Never gonna live this one down.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300407943/covid19-nz-new-poll-has-national-at-just-21-per-cent-act-not-far-behind-at-15-per-cent
Maybe the coup will happen when they reach the teens.
Don't worry about the numbers, look at who released them – Curia via the Taxpayer's Onion! The white-anting of Collins isn't even subtle.
😬
How long can they wait to roll her in the Caucus Room?
Sacked via Zoom! Cool!
More companies continuing to work through Level 4 lockdown, indicates business has less tolerance for lockdown than last time.
Increased business intolerance to lockdown will see business lobby putting pressure to lift the lockdown whether the virus is contained or not.
The crunch time for a showdown with the anti-lockdown business lobby may be next Monday.
Will the latest outbreak be under control by then?
Ironically more businesses, (especially bigger busninesses with over 500 employees), working through the lockdown lessens the chance of controling the spread of the virus in the first place.
Can the business lobby have it both ways, working through lockdown, and then demanding the lockdown be lifted if the virus is still spreading uncontrolled through the community?
Getting a “Page not found” result for this press release in the Feed part of TS
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/aotearoa-new-zealand-provides-further-humanitarian-support-afghanistan
it's there now.
There were a bunch of broken links the other day when I was researching for the BDMRR post, maybe the government is making changes to their websites?
” The BFD explained how it came to host the now-infamous video of Wiles and her friend on the beach: “You may be wondering why it is The BFD that is making this [story] public. The simple reason is that we are not part of the Prime Minister’s Team of $55 million. This story was given to 1News”… which “spiked” the story five days later.
“The reason given was that it wasn’t a politician so there was no public interest in the story. Make no mistake, this story was suppressed by an editor at 1News.”
The news stories initially focused on Wiles for what was deemed hypocritical behaviour given she has repeatedly told the nation masks should be worn outside and that people should stay close to home during the lockdown. But the focus quickly switched to Judith Collins when she made the monumental blunder of calling Wiles “a big, fat hypocrite”.
The story instantly became one about Collins’ lack of judgment and her suitability to be National’s leader. Her defence that her accusation was simply a common expression and had no connection to Wiles’ weight didn’t wash.
Now, National looks as if it might be trying to turn the tables by exploiting the extensive suspicion that much of the media is in thrall to the government. It’s very hard to see a Facebook post by the party’s respected deputy leader, Dr Reti, asking for “thoughts” as anything other than an attempt to stir that particular pot, which is already on a rapid simmer.
National will be hoping that as more people come to believe the media is influenced by government money, the more easily they will be persuaded that its politicians are unfairly facing overwhelmingly hostile journalists.
A sure sign that the media itself is uncomfortably aware of the public’s perception of its Faustian bargain is the fact that the nation’s two biggest news sites have already felt obliged to deny they are operating under its influence.”
…
National will also be hoping that the Prime Minister will be obliged at some point to deny that her munificent handouts exert any influence on editorial coverage — which would flush the question right out into the open.
In fact, she has already done that twice in Parliament but the public unfortunately wouldn’t have any idea about that because — surprise! — it wasn’t reported in the mainstream media, despite the significance of the topic to a democracy.
And it wasn’t as if the exchange in July was low-key or colourless. In fact, it was one of the more memorable exchanges in the House.
Judith Collins asked the Prime Minister: “What does she say to people who are concerned that her $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund — which includes numerous criteria for media to adhere to — is influencing the editorial decisions of media outlets in New Zealand?”
Grant Robertson burst out laughing, while Ardern declaimed emphatically, “I would abso-loot-ely reject that!”. Then, grinning broadly and stifling a laugh, she added: “I would put the question to the media and ask whether they agree with that sentiment.”
It was an absurd response given the media is hardly going to be an impartial witness in its own case when it has been accused of having been effectively bought by $55 million of government money.
However, Ardern didn’t realise she was in trouble until David Seymour asked a more specific question: “What then would happen to a media outlet that received money under the fund and wanted to report a story deemed inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is one of the requirements to adhere to?”
Ardern’s smile vanished. She replied: “I absolutely reject the idea that there is political influence in broadcasting and media!”
She sat down quickly to Opposition cries of “Answer the question!” — which she manifestly hadn’t.
Yet, somehow, the Press Gallery didn’t see this dramatic exchange about a fundamental aspect of democracy as worth reporting — which again raises the question of media impartiality.”
…
“One thing seems certain as the issue of impartiality comes further into focus. If Collins or Seymour asks the Prime Minister again about the media fund influencing political coverage, the exchange will be much more likely to be reported.
While the outrage directed at Dr Wiles has already faded, the ripples from TVNZ failing to cover her chatting unmasked on the beach and paddling in the shallows are spreading a long way beyond Judges Bay.”
…
https://democracyproject.nz/2021/09/14/graham-adams-the-double-edged-sword-of-the-55m-government-journalism-fund-cuts-deep/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=graham-adams-the-double-edged-sword-of-the-55m-government-journalism-fund-cuts-deep
…
Makes good points.
'This story was 'suppressed' by an editor"?
I wrote a letter to the editor of a big newspaper recently. My opinion was 'suppressed.' I wrote another last week. My opinion wasn't suppressed. I mean one they didn't print and one they did.
Every day editors decide what stories they're going to run with, which they're going to feature, and so on. Choosing to feature a story or not as a matter of suppressing or not? Who decides what should be featured and why? Who decides what the public is likely to be interested in? Who decides if a story is a dead end? Who considers the 'why?' of running a story?
If an All Black had cycled 5km and sat at Judges Bay there was more likelihood of it being a typical shock! horror! exposé.
Cameron Slater was pissed off that 1News did not slaughter Wiles. He expected the story to be explode out of his strange mind as the media stop press scandal of the year.
The cries about the poor quality of our media, the lowest common denominator way they operate, sometimes ascend to caterwauling about our media being crap.
One agency didn't get in the gutter to play and some are upset. Nothing like blood on the floor, a feeding frenzy as sport.
The good thing about the Wiles situation is that Slater himself got attention. The questions about bankruptcy and suggestions about the use of pleas around ill-health and avoiding financial responsibility have come to mind again.
And that if the ordinary media operated at the level Slater has and does, and as he expected from 1News this time, he would have not been or heard from again, he would have been destroyed.
Slater’s really just a bit player in the overall scheme of things, in that article. The point being stressed by the grizzling Oppo Pollies & their supporters – and addressed by the writer of that Opinion Piece – is that there is a growing perception NZ mainstream media have been bought off by Ardern's government, & they are consequently not "asking them the hard questions", & holding them to account.
Further, that some reporters/opinion writers are unfairly ignoring opportunities to report the parties & leaders who ARE, or giving them a hard time instead of the government.
I might say, I'm one who thinks there's some truth in this. (Although Collins' claiming that they all give Ardern an easy time by simply asking "how she feels" at her near-daily standups is basically BS.)
Mr Slater is no bit player. He was a late night phone confidant of ex PM Key (as admitted in the NZ Parliament). Slater used to get first dibs on some OIA releases via the Prime Ministers Office. Slater and Collins were a tag team and seem still to be going on the recent Wiles stalk.
Oily Whale Oil was a significant part of the Key era “two track strategy” as exposed in Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics”–whereby the godkey was the publicly likeable guy, while all sorts of very nasty shit indeed was going down behind the scenes.
Yes I know the sleazer's background, TM.
He's obviously looking to make a comeback, tag-teaming with Collins in it up to her neck. Pity he's been given so much oxygen already. The BFD seemed to be getting minimal attention & possibly was even in terminal decline – & I liked it that way.
All I meant was the complaining about msm media being bought by the govt & thus not prepared to properly hold the govt to account has been building for some time – without Cameron Slater featuring in the mix.
Another right wing radio talk back host dies from Covid after espousing antvax conspiracy theories.In Colorado.
There won't be any left soon .
Tucker Carlson admits he lies a lot to make sure his twisted view of the world is promoted.Has refused to say he is vaccinated which means he is.
There won't be any left soon .
A few of them survive. And sometimes end up even more problematic than they were before. eg Joe Rogan.
I gotta say though, it's a truly bizarre political and marketing strategy to promote things that make one's audience more likely to get sick and maybe even die.
5 US shock jock right wing nutjob antivaxxers dying is hopefully giving a wake up call to devoted listners.
But did they REALLY die???
Wide-eyed credulity
Good riddance to vile trash.
Conservative firebrand Bob Enyart, the pastor of the Denver Bible Church and indelible talk show host, has died from COVID-19, his radio co-host announced Monday on Facebook.
[…]
Enyart and his wife refused to get the vaccine due to abortion concerns, he said on his website.
In October, Enyart successfully sued the state over mask mandates and capacity limits in churches, a rare legal victory against broad public health mandates instituted during the pandemic.
Pushing the limits never bothered Enyart.
He once traveled to New Zealand for the sole purpose of being arrested with a “Clinton is a Rapist” banner, according to a 1999 Westword profile.
On his old TV show, Bob Enyart Live, the host would “gleefully read obituaries of AIDS sufferers while cranking ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen,” Westword reported.
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/13/bob-enyart-dies-covid-19/
Why not …
Anyone know why sometimes urls open via google?
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/14/mark-milley-donald-trump-bob-woodward-nuclear-war-
Where was the link from?
Google and then a Guardian search.
I think you may have linked to the Google link of one of the ‘hits’ of your Google search. Instead, actually click on that link, i.e., direct away from the Google page/site, and then copy and paste that URL of and to the actual source of info. I noticed that the Guardian’s search function is driven by Google, which may have the same solution, but I cannot reproduce your issue using that function.
Screenshots pulled from my phone's history…
google search results for guardian woodward,
I click on the second hit and this page opens. Note URL.
the full URL is the one above ie https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/14/mark-milley-donald-trump-bob-woodward-nuclear-war-
and all that is specific to my phone. Doesn't happen on my laptop.
Here ya go
https://9to5google.com/2018/01/08/amp-google-url-address-fix/
Better that you read this than me trying to explain it.
so AMPs are pages that website publishers choose that have a specific tech that makes them faster loading? I've linked lots of times to the Guardian and not had AMP in the URL, so I don't really get why it happens when it does. Seems random.
I was on my phone.
Not sure if this is your exact issue, but is related.
Google replaces all links in their search results with a link that first takes you back to google (so they can track and monetise your online behaviour) then redirects to the actual site you want.
Google is a despicable company in my view, and I use Firefox addons that bypass this behaviour – so the results are the actual site URLs, rather than google redirects. This also means you can copy / paste links from search results easily too. Some of the addons do not work on mobile versions of google.
e.g. https://pluginsaddonsextensions.com/mozilla-firefox/google-search-link-fix-mozilla-addon
Has Lynn now done some work in the back end of TS, as promised?
Just noticed I've been able to make several comments in rapid succession on me wee iPad2 without having the site hang & refuse to let me enter text after one or two postings, as had been happening for quite some time.
Don't seem to need to do constant iPad re-starts, as before. 😀 👍🏼
Yes. Definitely a big improvement. Problem has disappeared.
Thanks Lynn.
(Well … problem maybe not completely disappeared. Had to close out of TS & reopen the site to be able to enter text this 3rd time. But at least it didn't require an iPad restart, like before.)
Great to hear. Will try it out myself later (on my work computer now)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/126343881/children-claim-spiritual-link-to-family-home-their-father-sold-to-developer
Seems to be a clash of Pākehā property law vs tikanga Māori & tapu Māori. Wonder how this will eventually be resolved?
Claire Trevett. Latest UMR poll results:
A poll taken in the third week of the Delta outbreak has shown a nudge up in support for the Labour Party and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern…:
The UMR poll from August 31 to September 6 shows:
Labour up two points to 45 per cent
National back down to 26 per cent.
Act steady at 13 per cent
Green Party 6 per cent
NZ First 4.1 per cent (seriously ??)
(In early August, Labour was at 43 per cent in the same poll – it's lowest result since February last year, before Covid-19 arrived.)
Preferred PM:
Ardern back up 5 points to 55 per cent
Collins unchanged at 14 per cent
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-new-poll-reveals-initial-impact-of-outbreak-on-political-parties-fortunes/FHKS4QMZLI2EFLRKDQK3C7J6X4/
Polling completed before Collins latest foot-in-mouth episode.
Another Auckland lockdown escaper caught ! 😡
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/126387316/covid19-aucklander-who-fled-level-4-lockdown-to-whakatne-may-face-prosecution
Better polling news for the government than I was expecting.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300407943/covid19-nz-first-lockdown-poll-shows-steady-lead-for-labour-but-voters-are-worried-about-the-future
So now Denmark is the paragon of COVID response. Being held up as the latest model Aotearoa can aspire to.
Pretty much everything is open. Life as normal.
Woud we be comfortable/happy to be able to eat and drink pre COVID style, with 500 cases and a handful of deaths every week?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/126367729/covid19-something-is-working-in-the-state-of-denmark
I think we will. Once the willing are vaccinated, the tolerance for lockdowns will be gone , might pay to ramp up our ICU capacity .
part of living is dying,
I’m still in the denial stage!
If it were a binary between that and level 4 (or 3), I would choose what Denmark's got.
But I'd be happier with something a bit more like a long-term level 2 with vaccine passports and masking in public places, potential superspreader events curtailed etc.
For how long , ?
This is here to stay(which to my shame is the opposite of what I said when it first popped up)
I can live without concerts and big sporting fixtures but many cant and will tip out any government that try's to shit them down for years.
Labour ain't perfect but fuck having those other2 running parties show .
Oh all right. I'll settle for just vaccination passports within NZ.
The plague had repeated but scattered events for another 8 or so years. Do we really thing life will return to normal relatively soon.
I'm happy to have the occasional lockdown when needed for a while yet.
What the Mulloon Institute is doing in Oz. I wonder what effect they may have on fire prevention and fighting? Their determined approach to improving their ground conditions and management is registering increasing acceptance and change – but it has taken time; there have been deaths bit others carry on the baton.
https://themullooninstitute.org/blog/2021/9/9/spring-message-from-our-chairman