This government reminds me of the family of Chris and Crew Kahui in that if you just erect a wall of silence and stick to it, you can get away with anything.
Given the premature birth and high probability of death in the early days, close watch was kept on the mother as this situation and probable outcome can be a precursor to disassociation and non-bonding. As the twins progressed it was noted that the bonding between mother and children was not as positive as would be optimal. It was recorded that further follow up from mental services for post-natal support was recommended.
This recommendation, according to a friend who worked at MMH was never implemented, and was never mentioned at all after the death of the twins.
I have no idea about the nature of what occurred at that home – or who was culpable. The images of the room were striking in that it was a typical nursery, well organised and well-kept – exactly what you would expect for loved new additions to a family.
However, the failure of the health department to provide essential services, should make everyone aware that we must continue to lobby and advocate for an improvement in this area.
True, Molly. I also don’t know what happened in that case. What I should have said is that NAct remind me of the old patriarchal bible-bashing family, within which all sorts of abuse was hidden. I had an aunty who was the product of her father raping her sister at a young age. No one outside the family knew. That’s the sort of family I think of when Tories start wanking on about belonging to a family. It’s sick shit whether it’s pedophilia or whether it’s helping with the commission of a few war crimes.
Well, if troll like shills such as Te Reo Putake can gravitate up there is something seriously wrong in the loosely organised group of the Standard writers. God forbid if he ever becomes a moderator too. Every other writer that gravitated here over the years I could see a reason for even if I did not agree with the things he said but for me the Standard just lowered it’s Standard shockingly with that one. IMHO.
I’ve run across TRP a couple of times in person, and many times via the net. What he says is what his own opinions are.
He reflects quite a large portion of the activist left, in the same way that I do as well. We’re far less interested in ideological purity than the need of the left need to win elections. You can’t do much to improve the country or that of less affluent voters from opposition benches.
It takes time before people become learn to be good moderators, and they tend to be irritatingly constrained by our policies. The reason for that is quite clear when you look at the disaster that Bomber has made with his Goebbels style policy at The Daily Blog.
I’d also ask what that has to do with *this* post so I am moving this to Open Mike.
“..He reflects quite a large portion of the activist left, in the same way that I do as well…”
you identify as rightwing/incrementalist-labour..do you not..?
..didn’t we have nine years of that with clark..?
..and what did that get us..?
..poverty/inequality rife…environment further degraded..etc. etc…i don’t need to list it all..
..do you not see that more has to be done on these issues than was done before..?
..that the imperatives are getting louder (esp. on climate-change..) by the day..?
..so how can yet another ‘nothing for the poor/steady as she goes’ labour govt make the difference/changes needed..? (c.f. labour ’14 election-policies..)
..how is that (esp. for those hurting the most..the poorest and the environment) that much better than these tory pricks..?
..only ‘incrementally’ really…eh..?
..and with each passing day we fall further behind the rest of the world..
..in the last 24 hrs..cameron/milliband/clegg have signed a joint-pledge that no matter who wins their upcoming election..
..they will go gangbusters on fighting climate-change..
..here..we have the bloody green party giving nods/winks to the dairy-polluters..
..and an/that promising to be even more incremental than was that radical cunnliffe..(!)..labour party..
..in their policy prescriptions..
..how the hell is that going to help anyone/in any way..?
Not the least bit true, Paul. The left political party I was a member of during the Lange/Douglas years had a complicated relationship with the LP, recognising the need to get rid of the divisive and financially incompetent Muldoon Government, but being blind sided by the radical rightward turn Douglas engineered.
Blair was and is awful and it was only the unfortunate death of John Smith* that allowed him his shot. The Blairite ‘third way’ is a load of tosh and it’s great that the influence of those who promote it with the NZLP is finally waning.
I admit liking Clinton, his saxophone playing is pretty good. The politics not so much.
You know … I caught a bus yesterday, from Wellington to Te Puke, and I’ve been circulating around the environs.
Today’s little outing – Papamoa, Tauranga et al.
I know this must be many people’s idea of Nirvana (I mean where the Joyce moto’way begins and ends), but a can’t think of a better description of the area than the Benidorm of the South Pacific.
There’s even ripened old leather faced English expats trundling along in moto-assisted 3 wheelers with their pot-bellied long-suffering husbands in tow. Even the Polis force has their share. (No amount of bllody avocado or kiwfruit-infused moiseuriser is going to see them back to what they think is their former ‘beauty’.
NONE.
(I’m sure they all had their superannuation transfers sorted out before the deadlines expired).
CHRIST! UGLINESS all around – and I dont just mean ‘the examples for a case study in NZ obeisity one could pluck at every coner. You just have to look at the car parked next to you sags to its extemity as two occupants “seat” themselves before exiting the same car park.
IT’s not just that aesthetic FUGLINESS of appearance – it’s the FUGLINESS of consumerism and expansionism at work.
But I cannot comment further – because that would be expressing my prejudices based on looks – and as we know, that’s not a go! And describing the ‘feel’is a hard task.
I’ll head back to Te Puke and parts more remote – hoping that Benidorm goes bust and expansion stays put.
Actually, the best thing around here is that there is a functioning railway line where trains go by reasonably regularly. I bet some in Gizzy’s are envious. The ground shakes – but then it has reason to do so – not like the thundering FUGLINESS ground shaking greed laden human specimens I sampled when waliking down one of those Papamoa “boulevards” that shook. (admitedly it was built on sand)
Give Te Reo Putake a chance as an author. I think his first post was a worthwhile effort and provoked some good discussions.
Authoring is a very different skill to blog commenting. TRP is well known as a petty attack activist in commenting but that won’t necessarily be reflected in posting where you put yourself and your ideas out for much greater scrutiny so generally take a more reasoned and responsible approach.
Thank you, Pete. Admittedly Muldoon’s “I love you, Mr Lange” instantly popped into my head when I read your comment, but the essence of what you say is correct. I think it’s inevitable that being, ahem, authorised will change how I comment on OM and other posts and I’ll probably be a little less bombastic as a result. Probably.
Just for the record, and in case my regular sparring partners are worried, I’m not big on banning and you’re not likely to see me even attempting any kind of moderation at least until the training wheels come off. Having said that, the crap Stephanie Rodgers has put up with in recent days comes pretty close to what I would consider ban worthy.
There are many Labour people who would agree with TRP. They are classified by most as being on the left. It is therefore important to debate their positions. We do not do this by calling them troll like shills.
It’s not just the fact of these Lefties wanting to send troops to Iraq. It’s also their complete lack of any concept of what the troops are getting into (IMO it is degenerating into a sectarian civil war against the Baghdad regime), and the lack of any realistic accompanying political plan to let the Kiwis make an effective difference in the long run.
These are actually two dimensional unthinking characteristics that we often associate with right wingers.
I ask – the US and UK have bitter long experience fighting in Iraq and poured 12 years and billions into training the Iraqi Army – and the Iraqi Army ran from a lightly armed militia. What makes these ‘Lefties’ think the NZ Army (which apart from the SAS has next to no combat experience in Iraq) is going to do any better as trainers in 2 years?
And then its the sound of fucking crickets chirping.
At one point in the last week or to I recall key saying that the trainers will be safe because there are sending security forces with them ,I took that to mean the SAS would be going with them . But as our media are useless none seem to digging very deep so I could be wrong.
The SAS don’t usually get sent to do sentry duty. Any environment where you need the SAS to play a role as guards is ipso facto a very dangerous environment.
Interesting article. It’s impossible that he would ever win the Democratic primary, but there is growing anger over income inequality and feelings that the system is rigged. At the very least, him running in the Democratic Party primary would force Hillary Clinton leftwards. She has already been attempting to use more left wing rhetoric (i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUoCiWsTfI), but it’s obviously just rhetoric. But it’s proof she is scared of someone coming from her left in the primaries. If Bernie runs in the primaries, he will force up those issues that the neoliberal Democrats don’t want to talk about.
And lets remember that Hilary Clinton hasn’t ever been elected to sweet FA to represent voting constituents previously. Like Bill, she represents the interests of the 0.1%.
Speaking of slick Willy Clinton, I heard a tale the other week of what a hound dog he is. An American friend of mine won a state title (Arkansas) of Miss America. She was attending a function as part of her role, where she met the then Governor Bill Clinton. Cutting a long story short, later that evening Billy offers to drop her off at her hotel after her minder had taken ill and left early. Off they went in the charming Governor’s limo, on arrival at her hotel Bill insists on seeing her to her room and practically invites himself in for a coffee. Being a young and innocent girl from Hicksville she thinks it’s the least she can do. She puts the jug and excuses herself to go to the bathroom, when she comes out horror or horrors there is Slick Willy laying buck naked on her bed. In stunned disbelief she says Mr Governor I’m going to turn around and go back into the bathroom and when I come back out you better be gone, which he was. They met on numerous other occasions and never a word said.
Hooton my old China where have ya been, I had directed some questions about SkyCity to you over the last few days.
How is the mandarin lessons going?
You can tell your iwi group they were a bit stiff not getting the tender reopened for their proposed Waterfront convention centre. I must say you gave it a very good crack. Anyway on the bright side you’re probably done enough to get the nod as the new ACT party President when that comes up.
“And lets remember that Hilary Clinton hasn’t ever been elected to sweet FA to represent voting constituents previously”.
Really? I thought that, in the universe I inhabit, she was elected by the people of New York State to the United States Senate in 2000 and re-elected in 2006.
New York may not be the largest state anymore but it still has a population of nearly 20 million people.
It also seems a bit extreme to describe the job as being “sweet FA”
Still perhaps you inhabit a parallel universe where these elections never took place.
ps. Bugger. While I was composing this Hooton responded with the same information.
Sanders may have been a socialist back in the 80s when he was Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, but he’s more of a hawkish liberal Democrat these days. While he remains admirably progressive on most domestic social issues, he’s unfortunately backed all of Obama’s nasty little wars in the Middle East, never opposes increased Defence spending, always has an eye on lucrative US military contracts and the jobs they bring to Vermont.
He’s also a chum of AIPAC and Israeli Governments of all stripes, never questions the unconditional financial and diplomatic support the US gives to Israel’s occupation and ethnic-cleansing and can usually be relied upon to support the never-ending pro-Israeli resolutions in the Senate.
Yeah but unfortunately that’s about as good as we can get in the US of A nowadays. He does speak strongly against the 1% and the 0.1%. But he has to get his campaign funds from somewhere…
Canterbury growers have struck another roadblock for growing hemp seed as authorities remain uneasy about its closeness to its drug cousin.
Health ministers from New Zealand and Australia met in Auckland last month to consider a recommendation from Food Standards Australia New Zealand that governments change the food law to enable hemp seed to be grown for human consumption.
Grower hopes hemp growing would be made more freely available to them were dashed when this was rejected because of transport concerns.
Hemp has very very low THC – you’d hijack a seed truck of hemp ummm to grow more hemp not to get high.
and one the best reasons for allowing hemp is that you cannot grow the cousins together – your dope gets wasted.
Hemp is really a wonder plant and would provide many opportunities as it did in the past.
Hemp (from Old English hænep) is a commonly used term for high-growing varieties of the Cannabis plant and its products, which include fiber, oil, and seed. Hemp is refined into products such as hemp seed foods, hemp oil, wax, resin, rope, cloth, pulp, paper, and fuel.
Marty, I just had a conversation two days ago with someone who was part of the Hemp Association of NZ for many years. He said that they sometimes travelled with Nandor Tanczos to maraes trying to inform and persuade the elders to consider this as a sustainable crop.
He was saying that they were really disappointed with the Nandor’s advocacy for legalisation of marijuana because after seeing the reaction on the maraes – they considered it a step too far too soon.
There is a recent documentary that can be purchased on the historical use, the benefits and sustainability of hemp crops.
The trailer is worth looking at if anyone is interested.
A more tikanga centric cash crop for Māori is harakeke, not hemp. Harakeke has equally admirable qualities and benefits. Its relatively easy to grow and has a multitude of good uses.
A big plus is that it will never be mistaken for cannabis proper and smoked. Should the ridiculous happen, it has a laxative effect.
Yes, have been wondering about cropping harakeke for some time. The last old style mill was down Southland I think and still operating until recently-ish. Some parts of our land grow harakeke like, well, they have been growing here for millions of years…
We have a bunch of them in a garden and they punch out screeds of seeds easily and consistently, and that’s just one of their uses.
Yes, I believe that Riverton may still have a working harakeke mill. It is as versatile as hemp. There was work done some time ago on developing a commercial fabric industry using harakeke.
From my understanding a variety of harakeke has been patented as the most ideal variety for creating cloth.
I am rather excited about the prospect of making paper from harakeke for an art project I am involved with. Should be fun although I am a wee bit concerned about the caustic soda thing. I can be a wee bit clumsy.
If I start typing nice things, you will know that I’ve burnt my hands off and now have a ghost writer
Hemp, has a multitude of uses: construction, materials, regeneration of land, food – including providing essential Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils in a way readily assimilated by the body. It is also fast growing, cropping in just over 3 months, and requiring no external fertilisers or pesticides – entirely in keeping with kaitiakitanga principles.
I’m not a cannabis user – though I agree with philure’s comments regarding decriminalisation – but when I looked into hemp, as an easy to grow, harvest and utilise, this crop has a lot going for it.
Regarding the maraes, the impression I got from the person I was talking to was that they could not separate in their heads the difference between industrial hemp and cannabis, and that was why they had no traction. There also may have been the possibility that because of that general association, the marae would be loathe to get the label of supporting pot use. Which is understandable.
So, that opportunity was not taken by those Maori who were offered it, and begins to get picked up by others interested in sustainable farming, and customers interested in great organic products.
Firstly, Harakeke would be considered more in keeping with a sustainable ethic for Maori than hemp. Indigenous people using an indigenous plant. Hemp is an imported species.
Secondly, Maori and Marae have a fairly sophisticated understanding on the use, growing and dealing in cannabis. It’s more common in some communities than wine. Who do you think grow most of the supply in New Zealand?
I think Marae are being quite sensible because they obviously know how mischevious their rangatahi can be.
I have little knowledge of marae based protocol so I accept your assertion.
But you still make the assumption that industrial hemp and cannabis are the same in terms of drug use. They are not.
Hemp also provides great food supplements and benefits, which is an easier market to approach rather than high end materials. (As well as building materials. I know MIT in Auckland many years ago was investigated harakeke as a component of earth building, but I never heard how that worked out, and never heard about it again.)
If the plant was not connected with cannabis in any way, and was shown to be regenerative of land, able to be cropped three or four times a year, requiring little or no chemical applications, and able to be used for foodstuffs, materials, building materials etc – wouldn’t you at least be open to finding out more?
I know the difference between industrial hemp and cannabis. I have even visited the hemp store in Auckland.
Māori have used harakeke mai rānō. For centuries we have used harakeke to bind, to build, to catch, to clothe, and to heal.
I would rather advocate the industrial use of harakeke than hemp. In fact, I would go so far as to say to Marae – “forget hemp, grow harakeke instead.”
By growing harakeke, the security issues would be non existent: no high fences; or regular drug testing on plant or people required; no need to grow in remote areas away from population centres. With harakeke, the compliance regime would be way less involved, intensive, or expensive. Most importantly, our people will be able to work all facets of the industry and not be banned because of criminal or drug convictions.
I’m not an advocate for one crop being “better than” another. Just that hemp is another choice that could deliver.
” In fact, I would go so far as to say to Marae – “forget hemp, grow harakeke instead.””.
Despite understanding the valid reasons for your aversion – if a marae did choose to try hemp – why would you persuade them otherwise?
That seems disrespectful to me, and negates any benefits that occur, especially those that come from the attempt even if successful outcomes are not achieved. I’m assuming a decision has been made after discussions and there are enthusiastic people who are prepared to commit time and effort into making it work. Why would you say to them – that their choices and enthusiasms are not valued?
(If any progression on the decriminalisation of marijuana is achieved, then some of your concerns would be addressed.)
That said, would like to see the maraes thrive in any sustainable way, and if that comes via harakeke – all well and good.
“Despite understanding the valid reasons for your aversion – if a marae did choose to try hemp – why would you persuade them otherwise?
What’s so disrespectful about reminding Marae of the values we espouse as Māori? Indigenous peoples and their environments are not separate entities.
What is more disrespectful is to pursue a sustainability model that neglects to sustain the people who whakapapa to the whenua. Marae are meant to be the bastions of Te Ao Māori, not a gateway to its assimilation.
All things being equal, if Māori had to choose between harakeke and hemp. I am fairly sure most would choose harakeke.
“What’s so disrespectful about reminding Marae of the values we espouse as Māori? Indigenous peoples and their environments are not separate entities. “
I don’t believe it is disrespectful to be part of a community discussion and put your point forward – I do think it is disrespectful to criticise afterwards a consensus decision.
“All things being equal, if Māori had to choose between harakeke and hemp. I am fairly sure most would choose harakeke.”
I am suburban Māori, and this kind of blanket dismissal of the values and interests that my life have provided to me so far, is the reason that I have found no comfortable place to be in Te Ao Māori.
Which I am trying to belatedly remedy.
But the disconnect between the kaitiakitanga of Te Ao Māori, and the groundswell movement for sustainability is one that I find difficult to comprehend. The worldview of Māori, is as you have stated, one of balance and harmony. The sustainability movement is similar. My exposure and experience to date has been with the sustainability movement, perhaps this will change as I progress in learning more about Te Ao Māori.
I appreciate the time you have taken for this conversation.
“Growing hemp and marijuana together isn’t an option. By doing that you get cross pollination which leaves both plants infertile. When they cross pollinate you loose the buds of the flowers and the seeds.”
I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that. Over successive generations you would get lessening of the value of the THC crop, but at first there would be a decrease in THC in the MJ plant and and increase in the Hemp. It’s unclear to what extent that would still be enough THC in the plants to give a high. It might not be enough for big growers to bother, but it probably does present some problems for lawmakers in that the plants both now contain enough THC to be an illegal drug.
I haven’t heard the argument against from the authorities point of view, but I’m guessing that ‘growers won’t bother’ isn’t sufficient for them.
I read an article some time back that asserted that one of the major backers of making hemp illegal was the cotton growers. Apparently hemp cloth can be finer and stronger than cotton while also being cheaper because it’s so easy to grow and grows so fast.
And Dow etc as cotton requires lots of pesticides so good for them whereas hemp very little if any so cue reefer madness etc after WW2 as hemp was in large scale production for rope, fabric etc and needed to be discredited.
It also has a fine paper market that last time I looked couldn’t get enough as demand exceeded supply.
Can’t remember the documentary, but oil and chemical companies did have a major role to play in the “reefer madness” propanganda after the war, along with the cotton growers.
As an experiement for the last couple of years have been growing chia seeds in the garden. I have harvested the seeds (which cost a fair bit in the supermarket) but also grow them as pollinators as they provide for the bees. They grow fast, survive without very much water, and have a very strong stalk. The seeds have a very good Omega 3 and Omega 6 content.
Because of this thread I’ve just googled the plant, and found out it is part of the same family.
Scene- A well appointed lounge in the penthouse office of an undisclosed metropolitan eyesore. A gentle levity fills the air as glasses clink and cheques cashed are fondly remembered. There is an urgent knocking at the door.
X- Who is it?
JK- It’s me, John
X- ( under the breath -okay ) Come in John.
JK- Hi guys, really sorry to interrupt you all, but I think we have a bit of a problem!
X- What happened this time? Drop your handicap ? (guffaws and back-slaps ensue)
JK- No, Really, we have a big problem.
X- Ok John, just move those files and sit down
NOT THOSE ! that’s [redacted]’s pile
JK- Oh, I didn’t see it
X- Well, that’s what you pay us for. So tell us, What’s the matter buddy?
JK- I was just updating my facebook page, letting all my fans know how super awesome my summer hol’s were, when I saw a post about people asking to be unfriended if any of their friends think Zero Hour contracts are a fair and reasonable idea.
X- So… ?? … look, we’ll fake you up some new friends.
JK- No, no, it’s not that, no, well Yes! thanks!! That would be great!!
Maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying, Zero Hour contracts!!!
X- Yeah ! Aren’t they just the answer to every bosses’ prayers?
JK- No you fools! They are a huge problem.
X- How so?
JK- We state repeatedly how we use the Household Labour Force Survey to gauge the levels of employment in New Zealand. Right?
X- yes.., with you so far….
JK- That survey uses a benchmark of one hour of paid work a week for a job to qualify as employment. Right?
X- Yes it does and it is a beautiful thing. (high fives for all) The journos lap it up.
JK- That’s the problem… How are we going to sell the employment figures when thousands of jobs are shifting to Zero Hour contracts?
X- Oh! fuck
JK- yeah. exactly.
X- It will be fine John. You’ve got the new war, the flag, the cricket world cup is good for a few more weeks. There is that whole Centenary thing coming up. Wall to wall photo ops -no one will even notice.
JK- Ok guys, if you say so. Bit of a relief to be honest. Now have you had any ideas about fixing this mess with Sky City ?
Stuff prints propaganda from Reuters: No alternative to bulk data collection
These are utter lies. Firstly, the NSA (and therefore the NZ services) are collecting and have access to all content passing on the internet, in addition to the very critical and important associated metadata. The metadata is crucial for searching and indexing the sea of content they are collecting on everyone.
Secondly, Bill Binney has explained in detail how peoples privacy can be completely protected by automatically encrypting everyone’s identities during the collection process, and only decrypting the identities of those people who are suspects, via court warrant. That is the system he designed, and the protections that the NSA stripped out of his programme.
I’m not a gambler but I thought it would be topical to have a punt on how much Joyce is going to give to Sky City today.
They were never going to put in $140m. My guess is they threw out a number and waited for the focus group results to come in before making an announcement for much lesser figure.
$140m is a number picked so that it looks like the govt. is on our side when they manage to negotiate it down to what will now be spun as a “better deal”. Hey, they are working for New Zealand, right?
As we have seen, the public reaction has been severe, and even National’s perennial and faithful lapdogs have growled (a little bit), so my punt is on 1/3 of the original figure announced, rounded down to:
Morrissey recently made mention of those honourable politicians in the west (often, it has to be said, of the independent Left) who speak truth to power.
Here’s a brilliant (and highly amusing) example from a couple of years ago. Clare Daly, Left-wing MP for Dublin North, takes on the Irish PM and Irish MSM for their horrendous brown-nosing of Obama during his visit there…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF5PChW5WDY
A few excerpts…
“The almost unprecedented slobbering over (Obama and wife Michelle) that the nation has been exposed to over the last number of days. And it’s really hard to know which is worse – whether it’s the outpourings of the Obamas themselves or the sycophantic fawning over them by sections of the media and the political establishment”
…….And, of course, the biggest irony of all – the professtations of Obama himself in is speech to children in Northern Ireland about peace…Now I ask you, is this person going for the hypocrite of the century award ? … By any serious examination this man is a War Criminal….
(to the Taoiseach) But is it not a reality that you have showcased us as a nation of pimps, prostituting ourselves in return for a pat on the head. To be honest with ya, we were really speculating this morning whether you were going to deck the Cabinet out in leprechaun hats decorated with a bit of stars and stripes to really mark our abject humiliation here.”
The organisation which runs Mt Hobson, Villa Education Trust, is also facing fresh controversy over another of its schools, West Auckland Middle School.
Regan Bennett’s family say the 14-year-old suffers from epilepsy and has been assessed as requiring Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding for his education.
The government funding is hard to get and is available only for the highest needs students. The ministry paid more than $4000 to the school for extra help for Regan.
But in the first term Regan received a maximum of 30 hours’ teacher aide support and no one-on-one teacher time as stipulated by the ministry, his family said.
A large amount of that teacher aide time was used during school swimming lessons.
The school said it had discussed the teacher aide resourcing with Regan’s mother who was in full agreement. The school believed it would be “educationally detrimental” to have a teacher aide in the traditional morning classes as it would act as a barrier between the student and the teacher.
ACT MP David Seymour, under-secretary to Education Minister Hekia Parata, said the issues surrounding Haggett were not an indictment on the partnership school policy.
Compared with village idiot Cameron Slater, I guess David Farrar might look almost infellectual. But here’s an interesting piece, actually published nearly three years ago, about how prejudice is a core part of Farrar’s view of the world. His ‘explanation’ of the economic meltdown in Greece is that Greeks have a “CBF attitude” to life.
The poet and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti used the phrase “Totalitarian Democracy” in a poem that ends with the lines, “The last lament for lost democracy,/ The total triumph of/ totalitarian plutocracy.”
In the 1960s, Herbert Marcuse argued that the “free election of masters does not abolish the masters or the slaves,” and that even liberty itself “could be made into a powerful instrument of domination.” The term he coined to describe the phenomenon was “repressive tolerance.”
Describes precisely where our democracy is today – owned by the 1%.
The Times said it received an advance copy of an upcoming report by Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab that details how banks in Russia, Japan, the United States, and other countries fell victim to malware starting in late 2013 that allowed the hackers to watch video feeds, view daily operations, and impersonate bank officials.
The malware apparently allowed the hackers to transfer money from the banks to fake accounts. According to the Times, Kaspersky Lab said the total theft could be more than $300 million, although the cybersecurity firm has not nailed down an exact figure. Each transaction was limited to $10 million and some banks were hit more than once, according to the publication.
And as the NSA has been systematically weakening internet, network and computer systems security for their own intrusion purposes, they have been making the whole environment more vulnerable to hackers than ever before.
Good to see that Porirua City Council Mayor Nick Leggett came out on 10 February 2015, against the Hutt and Wairarapa being ‘bullied’ into the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’ proposed amalgamation.
Of course, this should help effectively sink the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity Titanic’, because, as I understand it, for the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal to go ahead, there must be ‘demonstrable community support’ across each one of the ‘Territorial Authorities’ (TAs).
If there is ‘demonstrable’ community OPPOSITION from 5 out of 9 of the TAs
– Hutt CC, Upper Hutt CC, South Wairarapa DC, Carterton DC and Masterton DC (for starters) – then – in my considered opinion, the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’ will be stuffed.
Good job.
Who on earth would want an effective corporate takeover – as we have experienced under the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%), happen anywhere else in NZ?
‘Economies of scale’ and greater (business) opportunities for investors, BIG business, property developers, speculators and financial interests?
A bigger ‘public trough’ for fewer but bigger ‘private snouts’?
BEWARE folks from the Wellington region!
The public focus is on ‘governance’ – but behind the scenes ( as in Auckland) the corporate focus is on ‘infrastructure’.
The mechanism is through CCOs – which are hardly being mentioned by either the Local Government Commission (LGC) or those people or organisations which purportedly want ‘Better’.
John Key and Steven Joyce have stood up to Sky City and made them keep the written contract to build the convention centre. I was correct as always and not a single cent of taxpayer money will be spent on the Auckland convention centre. This is huge win for the Government and people of New Zealand. Glad you can all celebrate.
On the contrary, this episode has made the Govt look weak and indecisive. It should not have dragged on for this long. How hard was it for National simply to say No!
not so much that as key pushing for that massive handout..
..i wonder if sy-citys’ value will slump by the $77 million it jumped when ‘the market’/shareholders thought they were going to be pocketing that serious wedge of money..
..(i mean..john key promised them..it’s not fair..!..)
No that’s a lose by Key & Joyce and simply not good enough, in Key’s own words Aucklanders do not want a cheap eye sore. The country agrees with him we want SkyCity to spend an extra 130 million dollars so we get an international quality convention centre, not some ugly eyesore that blights the Auckland sky line. Mike Hosking is all for the extra spend also.
Troubled child you are Fizzy, as always ! Key, Joyce, SkyCity sing in unison from one of several, long prepared song sheets. This one marked “Contingency Plan In Case We Get Busted”.
But good news. The ultimate heist has failed…….not to say the concept wasn’t a heist from the start…….not to say our prime minister hasn’t in the round-up handed fat extra money to SkyCity.
There’s gonna be an ugly concrete cube in the CBD which forever’ll be known as “Key’sEyeSore”. That’ll go down great in international convention centre marketing now won’t it ? Waipuna Lodge must be heartened !
I guess it will be a team effort to turn what is a big hit on key into key being such a competent poly he’s saved nz 130 mil, so its better to have it being front footed buy there mates in the TPU so they can control the story
“The Crown has also indicated today that it may be prepared to accept slightly smaller NZICC if that is required to meet the agreed total construction cost,” Mr Joyce said.
But no reduction in the number of pokies they will be allowed, presumably. So the citizens of NZ still lose and the house wins.
Commonly known as ‘PRODUCT SIZE REDUCTION’ or in corporate jargon its called sweating the asset.
OK so how many pokie machines and gambling tables did lead snake oil salesman Stephen Joyce negotiate will be taken off the deal. Let’s hear the idiot media ask that question of him.
Excellent result for the Government over Sky City. No matter how much the Left try to spin this it will be seen as a victory for John Key. Read it in the history books.
When asked what about the eyesore on Auckland’s sky line Key will mutter something
that makes no sense
. When the media ask Morrison the silver tongued Aussie SkyCity boss, he will be struggling to contain himself from crying with laughter and reply;
“It’s not like a convention centre the size of a shoe box is going to be a blight on anyone’s sky line, say for Mr & Mrs Sewer Rat….God I love doing business with you Kiwi’s.”
You are seriously claiming that Auckland and the people of New Zealand do not want 800 jobs and a $49,000,000 economic boost. That’s some powerful stuff you’re smoking.
No reputable international organisation would want to hold a conference at a bloody casino, what send their delegates off to a gambling den only to come back
a gambling addict. New Zealand will become a laughing stock. The only conference will be the National Party ones.
Exactly, this is just a big party centre for NACTUM piss ups. Not a nice venue for the people of Auckland to enjoy, like a library or a pool.
Key was played for a fool again, just like the Hobbit deal with WB. The taxpaying public did not vote for this shit while we have a housing crisis, rampant inequality, and Christchurch in ruins.
And now the public will shell out to fund a new HQ for TVNZ. The Keymaster has shafted us again.
That would be, maybe, 200 jobs, an ongoing loss to the country as the government guarantees SkyCity’s profits and ever more social damage due to gambling addiction. Yeah, I’m sure that NZers don’t want it.
These lefties are just bitter that Key was able to keep his promise that no tax payers money would be used.
People on welfare don’t care about more jobs.
Missed most of this discussion but it occurred to me that the jubilation around the country can now be interpreted that we now support the Convention Centre and its pokies.
We won but we still lose and Key can claim that he listens to the people. Huh!
Yes, but I find it quite odd and am uncomfortable with a national convention centre being so closely associated with the unsavoury business of gambling.
I assume a lot of the business this Sky City convention centre will be in hosting foreign delegates and here we are shoving floors and floors of gambling at them as their first experience of the country.
I was roundly abused for pointing out that John Key never insisted we pay a cent. Hysterical over reaction from the poster as usual. The sky is falling said Chicken Little.
Next time you leave the rock you live under remember to put on a sun hat on, you’re really fried that pea brain of yours today. I refreshed my memory by reading that link.
All I could make of your ramblings was you swinging your undies in the air cheerleadering for Key, oh and reinventing yourself as a litigation lawyer.
Tough times being in coalition with the Brit RW during times of depression. (A Guardian piece about past politics.)
[Ramsay] MacDonald, still reviled in some leftwing circles as a class traitor, was abandoned by most of his Labour colleagues and by the Liberals, when as Labour prime minister in 1931 he accepted George V’s invitation to head a coalition government with the Tories during the economic slump.
Home Office files [released today at the National Archives at Kew] show that in office he became powerless even to insist on the just treatment of the communist leaders of the hunger marches – though some of them had been close colleagues in the founding years of the Labour party….
…Home Office files… show that MacDonald was “broken-hearted” over his failure to secure the release of the veteran trade union agitator Tom Mann, a leader of the 1889 “great dock strike” and a founder of the Transport and General Workers’ Union.
The first marches took place in 1927, and Churchill, then chancellor, told the home secretary he was concerned that those taking part were getting into “a very distressed condition” and thought their arrival in London, “footsore and hungry,” would create a difficult situation. He wanted them intercepted while some distance from London, “treated decently and tactfully, but turned back somehow or other”.
The Home Office was apparently not very interested, regarding them more as figures of farce than dangerous revolutionaries. MI5 reports said the Lancashire group had proved the most difficult: they had demanded hotpot when they reached Manchester and had to be dispersed with a hose.
…But as unemployment mounted and the marches became a regular feature in British life, attitudes hardened. In the winter of 1932 the biggest of the hunger marches ended in a 200,000-strong demonstration in Trafalgar Square and brutal clashes with the police, and the leaders of the NUWM were arrested, including Tom Mann, 76. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/oct/20/past.politics
Could NZ summon a proportionate number of protesters? And how would we be treated by the majesty of government. Tasered? Shot at? If UNACTS took off their masks the Dorian Gray personas would be nasty.
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Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development A $261,000 loan from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has helped a family-run business in Manawatū to scale up manufacturing capacity, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced at its opening today. Ashhurst-based skin-care business The Herb Farm is on track to ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Regional Freight Hub near Palmerston North has taken a step forward with the completion of the master plan, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said. Shane Jones unveiled the high-level design of the new Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) backed rail-road hub ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of DefenceTērā te haeata takiri ana mai i runga o Pukaha!Ara tai uru, whai uru, whai uru!Ara whai ato, whai ato, whai ato!Ara rā tini, ara rā tini, ara ri!The rays of the morning sun strike a new dawn upon Pukaha ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $772,000 in opportunities for growth in Manawatū-Whanganui, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.NZ Bio-Forestry Limited will receive a $380,000 boost for game-changing research which could unlock significant growth in the wood processing sector, ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today the appointment of diplomat Sarah Lee as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to South Africa. She will be the first female Head of Mission to represent New Zealand in Africa. “New Zealand’s relationship with South ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones wants to create a log barging facility at Hicks Bay and turn the area into a Special Economic Zone. The move would be part of protecting New Zealand's forests from being depleted by India and China, he said. It follows his announcement last week to strengthen ...
New Zealand First supports the changes recommended by the Winter Grazing Taskforce to improve animal welfare outcomes through the winter months, and the establishment of a pan-sector action group to implement them. New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Patterson says the report highlights areas of concern about the animal ...
Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, formerly from the Labour and National parties respectively, have joined forces in support of New Zealand First’s plan to relocate Auckland's port to Whangārei. While Ms Clark and Sir John spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Japan for the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the G20 grouping of countries as one of nine "invited" countries. He has used the opportunity to cast a spotlight on the plight of Pacific countries, calling out countries which still offered subsidies or Government assistance to ...
Auckland’s growing screen sector is the catalyst for a new partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and Auckland’s economic development agency Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED). The launch today at FilmFX in Henderson, is to celebrate the partnership which looks to capitalise on the social and economic development opportunities ...
A minute’s silence will be observed at 2.11pm on Monday 16 December in honour of the victims of the Whakaari White Island eruption, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed. “Wherever you are in New Zealand, or around the world, this is a moment we can stand alongside those who have ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$1 million of funding towards the joint United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Pacific Regional Action Plan for Measles. “Prevention through vaccination is the most effective way of avoiding illness and a costly health emergency. ...
New Zealand is today remembering one of our true sporting heroes, triple Olympic gold medal winner Sir Peter Snell. “He was a legend, here and around the world,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “Our thoughts are with Sir Peter’s wife Miki and their family.” “Sir Peter is recognised as New ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory. “New Zealand and the United Kingdom are close friends and despite our distance we are strongly connected by our history and people,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Prime ...
The Government has released its long term vision for a sustainable 21st Century rail network that gets our cities moving, connects our regions and gets more freight off the roads. Deputy Prime Minister and State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters said the Government is committed to rebuilding New Zealand’s ...
I want to start by acknowledging the families who have experienced such grief and such loss since the extraordinary tragedy on Monday. Today was all about reuniting them with their loved ones. We've just come from the airport where many of them were gathered and in amongst what you can ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further support for Samoa’s longer term needs as it continues to respond to a devastating measles epidemic. “Samoa’s health system has experienced massive strain in the wake of the measles epidemic. The volume of patients needing care during this outbreak, and the number of ...
Discounted electric bikes will be offered up to public sector staff across the country as part of the Government’s work to reduce transport emissions and support healthier transport options. Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter officially launched the new initiative at Wellington Hospital today. “The Government has negotiated bulk-purchase ...
The Australian and New Zealand Governments today launch an historic joint bid to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Australian Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck and New Zealand Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson will announce the bold campaign, ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has approved a $15 million loan to help re-establish a gold mining operation at Blackwater Gold Mine, near Reefton, Rural Communities Minister and local MP Damien O’Connor announced at an event on the West Coast today. “This is great news for the Coast that could ...
Papakāinga model inspires whānau well-being A housing project by Kohupātiki whānau in Hastings is an outstanding example of a Māori-led housing initiative that can reduce financial pressure and reconnect whānau to their whakapapa says the Minister for Māori Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Minister Mahuta officially opened the Aroha Te Rangi ...
Restoration efforts for a significant wetland in the Hawke’s Bay are getting more support announced Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage. “Wetlands are vital to healthy landscapes and ecosystems. They function as nature’s ‘kidneys’, filtering and protecting water quality, acting as nature’s sponges after rain and are home to ...
Nelson has today seen the launch of Housing First Nelson Tasman. Today’s launch marks the expansion of the Government’s homelessness programme, Housing First, to the top of the South Island. “Housing First is a proven programme that puts people who are experiencing homelessness and multiple, high and complex needs into ...
New Government funding announced today will help communities make a difference in tackling environmental issues Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage announced in Hawkes Bay today. The Ministry for the Environment’s Community Environment Fund is dedicating $243,101 to growing the capacity and capability of the Environment Hubs Aotearoa’s (EHA) ...
The days of vulnerable consumers falling victim to loan sharks, truck shops and other predatory lenders are numbered, following the Credit Contracts Legislation Amendment Bill passing its third reading tonight. “Too many Kiwis are being given loans that are unaffordable and unsuitable, trapping them in debt and leaving their families ...
A Bill that prevents terrorism and supports the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas has passed its third reading, Justice Minister Andrew Little says. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill is a carefully targeted response to manage the risk posed by a small number of New Zealanders who have ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio will travel to Samoa on Friday, where New Zealand medical teams are helping Samoa respond to an outbreak of measles. “New Zealand has been working closely with the Government of Samoa and offering our assistance from the ...
The Government has changed the law to improve student safety and welfare in university halls of residence and other student accommodation. The Education (Pastoral Care) Amendment Bill passed its third reading this afternoon and details of an interim Code of Practice setting out the Government’s expectations of tertiary providers have also been released. ...
A new tool to help councils fund and finance infrastructure could mean some housing developments happen a decade earlier than currently planned, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. “This new tool, developed by the Government in partnership with industry and high-growth councils, will allow councils to access private debt ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed the release of a bold new vision for the country’s vital food and fibre sector. “I’m delighted that New Zealand’s major farmer and grower organisations are today supporting the Primary Sector Council’s vision – Fit for a Better World,” he said. “The international consumers ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has congratulated the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government for completing a well-conducted referendum on the future political status of Bougainville. “New Zealand supported the referendum process by providing technical advice through the New Zealand Electoral Commission and leading a Regional Police ...
In light of Cabinet’s position that freight operations on prime land in downtown Auckland are no longer viable, the Government will now embark on a short work programme to enable decision-making in the first half of next year, Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones is today releasing the ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter has received the report back from a surgical mesh restorative justice process undertaken by Victoria University. The process heard stories, either in person or online submission, from more than 600 people affected by surgical mesh. “The report made for heart-breaking and confronting reading,” says ...
The Water Services Regulator Bill – Taumata Arowai , introduced to Parliament today, is a milestone for drinking water safety in New Zealand and will help improve environmental outcomes for urban waterways, rivers and lakes. “This is a breakthrough for New Zealanders in terms of providing safe drinking water throughout ...
Kia ora koutouE ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā matā wakaTēnā koutou katoaHaere ngā, moe maiKoutou ma ngā Rangatira Ko Anaru ahauKo au te Minita mo ngā TureHe Honore tino nui kei roto I ahau No reira tena koutou katoa Today, we are releasing two reports that are the ...
The Government is looking to turn around the long-term challenges of criminal justice by taking a new approach to break the cycle of offending to ensure there are fewer victims of crime. Justice Minister Andrew Little released two reports today, Turuki! Turuki! from Te Uepū Hāpai I te Ora, and ...
New Zealand firms expanding beyond the start-up phase are set for more support after today’s passage of the Venture Capital Fund Bill, Associate Finance Minister David Parker said. The Bill, which establishes a $300 million Venture Capital Fund, puts in place a key initiative of the Wellbeing Budget’s economic package. ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira mā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Señora Presidenta, Excellencies, Delegates. International action A common thread that runs through the Paris Agreement is the commitment we have made to each other to do what we can to ...
The Government is lifting capital investment to the highest level in more than 20 years as it takes the next step to future-proof New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced $12 billion of new investment, with $8 billion for specific capital projects and $4 billion to be added to ...
The Government is forecast to run $12 billion worth of surpluses across the four years to 2023/24 as the economy continues to grow. The surpluses will help fund day-to-day capital requirements each year. These include fixing leaky hospitals, building new classrooms to cover population growth and take pressure off class ...
Budget 2020 will continue the Coalition Government’s focus on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand while also investing to future-proof the economy. When the Government took office in 2017 it was left with crumbling infrastructure, severe underinvestment in public services, degraded rivers and lakes, a housing crisis and rising ...
The Minister responsible for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (te Takutai Moana Act 2011), Andrew Little has welcomed the launch of an online geospatial tool that provides data-rich, dynamic coastline maps that will significantly boost research and evidence-gathering under the Act. Te Kete Kōrero a Te ...
The Chief Victims Advisor to Government Dr Kim McGregor, QSO, has been reappointed in her role for a further two years. Dr McGregor has held the role since it was established in November 2015. She provides independent advice to government on how to improve the criminal justice system for victims. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare have today announced the deployment of a network of DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) buoys. “New Zealand and the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. It is vital we have adequate warning systems in place,” ...
DART Buoys Announcement Aotea Wharf, 9.30am 11 December 2019 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements to Minister for Civil Defence Hon Peeni Henare also here today. White Island It is with regret that this event shadows the tragic natural disaster two days ago. The volcanic eruptions on White Island have claimed 5 lives, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Racing Industry Bill in parliament today. This is the second of two Bills that have been introduced this year to revitalise New Zealand’s racing industry. “Our domestic racing industry has been in serious decline. The Government is committed to ...
Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni, is pleased to announce that $291,321 is to be awarded to national and local community initiatives to maintain and promote the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). “New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where Sign Language is an ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has announced today the Coalition Government’s initial response to work completed by the independent statutory body, the Veterans’ Advisory Board. “When Professor Ron Paterson completed his review of the Veterans’ Support Act in 2018, he made a number of recommendations, including one which I referred ...
The Government will fund the bulk of the cost of a rural water supply for the Ohakea community affected by PFAS contamination, Environment Minister David Parker announced today at a meeting of local residents. This new water scheme will provide a reliable and clean source of drinking water to the ...
Sir Peter Snell has died, aged 80, at his home in Dallas, Texas. James McOnie remembers arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever athlete.Sir Peter Snell was so great that small towns still engage in custody battles over the legendary runner.His birthplace Opunake (where he spent his first 11 years) claims him, ...
Māori Injustice Issues Will Have More Visibility Thanks to New Panel Advising Ombudsman A prominent Māori leader, Lady Tureiti Moxon believes Māori injustice issues will be seen much more now thanks to Pūhara Mana Tangata, a first-time Māori panel appointed ...
“It was right there in the waiting room that Jack first told me he was finding it hard to separate his fingers”: a parent’s nightmare, by Dunedin writer Emma Neale. ...
We started picking a top 10 ourselves and puttered out at about #3, sick of the sound of our own voice. Bugger it, we thought, and sent for assistance. It’s been like Christmas ever since, an inbox flowing over with gorgeous, sincere little gifts. Here’s the nonfiction selection, in no ...
The leadership shown by tangata whenua at every national disaster and tragedy should be recognised and honoured by all of us, writes Catherine Delahunty.I do appreciate having a prime minister who is capable of expressing decent, human emotions when tragedies descend on us. It’s a sadly low bar that she ...
From the pockmarked rugby paddock of Apiti, to the smooth, iridescent-blue turf of Albany, Black Sticks defender Steph Dickins' hockey journey has come a long way. ...
If you want to shock and amaze your friends and family this Christmas, look no further than the deep recesses of $1 reserve Trade Me. Folks, I’m going to let you in on a huge Christmas secret here: you can get all your presents for $1 if you know where to ...
To celebrate the 50th birthday of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth, Walters Prize-winning artist Ruth Buchanan has rehung their collection, bringing previously unseen works and skeletons out of the closet. Her new exhibition The scene in which I find myself/Or, where does my body belong examines ...
It is hard to remember a year in which New Zealand was so repeatedly in global headlines, writes Kamahl Santamaria, a Kiwi journalist based in Doha.Time zones are a strange thing. You go to sleep, and then for eight hours or so, you miss out on everything happening on the ...
Napoleon demanded that his generals be lucky. Conservative PM Boris Johnson, as he surveys a thumping victory in the British general election, would meet that criterion.His luck bears a resemblance to that of Margaret Thatcher. Like her, he has made a decisive break with orthodox establishment thinking. That presents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has rejected or sidelined a number of recommendations from the long-awaited Thodey review of the public service that might have constrained his and his government’s power. Not surprisingly, a proposal to ensure changes ...
Analysis - The "do nothing" government announces a big spend-up on infrastructure, moving the Port of Auckland, and Winston Peters throws his weight behind NZME's bid to buy Stuff. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]For their last video for the year, University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini and Michelle Grattan look backwards to the big issues which have shaped political discourse. They discuss the surprise election results, and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged Ngāti Awa for their role as tangata whenua (people of the land) in leading and caring for affected whānau (family members), following the Whakaari / White Island eruption and recovery operation earlier today. ...
The Environment Committee has opened for public submissions on the Urban Development Bill. The bill follows on from the Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities bill, which disestablished Housing New Zealand and set up a Crown entity in the same name. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Loader, Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Murdoch University, Murdoch University This article is part of our Gender and Christianity series. To understand contemporary Christian ideas about gender, and specifically masculinity, we need to go all the way back to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Gissing, General Manager, Risk Frontiers, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University Calls are growing for a national bushfire plan, including from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who says they are an issue of national security and the federal government must provide hands-on leadership. ...
Pro-democracy lobby group Democracy Action welcome New Zealand First’s commitment to hold firm rejecting the Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene’s bill to entrench the Māori seats. The Bill, which would require any changes to the seats to require the ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.Sometimes you are just doing a podcast as usual and then Colin Mathura-Jeffree gives you a call and throws your world off its axis. In a very special edition of Colin’s Cranny: Live, ...
We get a handle on the artists and artworks that shaped this decade in Aotearoa.As 2019 draws to a close, the four nominees for this year’s Turner Prize subverted the competition – they asked to receive the award as a collective. Meanwhile, at Art Basel Miami Beach, a banana taped ...
The second and final report of Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora, the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, contains nothing we didn’t know 30 years ago. Yet generations of politicians have ignored the same advice, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira.Between the 1950s and 1990s, New Zealand experienced seismic social, economic ...
Fuel company Z Energy has cut its earnings forecast for the year by 10 percent because of tougher competition and falling margins, and is forecasting a big cut in dividends. ...
Liquidators of the hacked cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia have travelled to the United States, to retrieve customers' information and certain crypto-assets. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology Popular commentary on dating apps often associates their use with “risky” sex, harassment and poor mental health. But anyone who has used a dating app ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania Australian shoppers are set to spend $52.7 billion this Christmas. In the words of the retail industry, we are “stampeding” to empty our wallets, both online and ...
NZ Herald and many other media outlets ran a story on a man whose farts could repel mosquitos, despite the story coming from a satire news site and not being verified in any way, writes Dan Satherly for Newshub.“Man’s farts so deadly he kills mosquitoes in a 6m radius” is ...
Timing right to borrow our way to a stronger economy in 2020 The Government’s announcement of its intent to invest significantly in the county’s infrastructure could turbo charge an economic recovery that was already showing positive signs for ...
A poem by writer, journalist, and former Manus Island refugee Behrouz Boochani.Forgive me my loveTranslated by Moones Mansoubi, Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, 2018 Forgive me my bird as I am not able to embrace you.But here,in this corner,I know some migrating birds that I smile to at dawn.I embrace them ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Powles, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, Massey University The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a chain of islands that lie 959 kilometres northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, has voted unequivocally for independence. The referendum saw 85% voter turnout during ...
Fisheries New Zealand starts consultation today on proposed changes to catch settings for rock lobster and scallops for the new fishing year beginning 1 April 2020. ...
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. This was the declaration of the pigs who control the government in George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm– a tart comment on the hypocrisy of governments that proclaim the absolute equality of their citizens but gives power and privileges ...
SPCA has been working flat out to desex more than 80 animals a day over the last year, which is the most desexing SPCA has done since recording the figures. ...
“The fact so many families are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table must be addressed urgently if we’re to provide the foundations for a good life for the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Scott Figenshow, Chief Executive ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Hamish Hamilton, $40)Winner of the 2019 Booker Prize.2The Body: ...
This holiday season Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs wants to offer parents and caregivers some advice on how to help keep your family safe online. ...
A report released by the Chief Victims advisor Kim McGregor advising there needs to be an Independent Victims body is being welcomed by Victim Rights lobby group Sensible Sentencing Trust. National spokesperson Jess McVicar says the trust have ...
For the third time in five years, the United Kingdom has gone to the polls today. From the summer islands of New Zealand, join The Spinoff as we follow the results rolling in.9.30am: So, with polls about 90 minutes away from closing, the top line is this – we’ve got ...
Winston Peters will back an NZME proposal to buy Stuff with a 'Kiwishare' guarantee the merged news company will keep regional news and separate websites for at least two years. ...
The Executive Director of Dapaanz (Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand), Sue Paton says the announcement that Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment court would become permanent immediately, following successful pilots in Auckland ...
Online marketplace Sidekicker is taking advantage of people who have little choice but to juggle multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet, writes artist and freelancer Ben Markley.After graduating early this year with one of the least vocational degrees, I didn’t expect the largest array of job prospects. Nevertheless, I ...
National is vowing to bring back and expand health sector targets dropped by the current Government and mulling whether to scrap elected District Health Boards. ...
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition launched a week ago, calling for better support and funding for community midwives. The 10k figure was reached after the first four days. Chief executive of the College of Midwives, Alison Eddy, said last ...
Information obtained by animal rights organisation SAFE has revealed rodeo organisers are refusing to halt calf-roping events in rodeo, despite the Government’s animal welfare advisors’ recommendation that they do so. ...
Subject; Deputy PM said quote; “New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has challenged his Cabinet colleagues for the delay over a Northport decision, criticising it as "paralysis by analysis". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/405385/paralysis-by-analysis-winston-peters-assessment-of-the-delay-over-northport ...
If the Productivity Commission's report on local government funding, released yesterday, had been relied on by NASA as the basis for getting astronauts to the moon, its greatest achievement by now would have been launching a $2 skyrocket 40 feet into the air ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Mayne, Molecular biologist and bioinformatician, CSIRO Humans have a “natural” lifespan of around 38 years, according to a new method we have developed for estimating the lifespans of different species by analysing their DNA. Extrapolating from genetic studies of species with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Evans, Professor of Governance and Director of Democracy 2025 – bridging the trust divide at Old Parliament House, University of Canberra A new, ongoing survey on how young Australians understand and imagine their democracy is already challenging long-held stereotypes. The survey ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesco Paolucci, Associate Professor; Head of Health Policy Program, Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy and International Affairs, University of Newcastle Private health insurance has come under intense scrutiny in recent months, as it becomes clear health insurers are failing to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland’s IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland This is the second of two essays exploring key theories – cognitive load theory and constructivism – underlying teaching ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW On Monday the Australian government will release the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). This will – as required by the Charter of Budget Honesty – provide an update on the key assumptions made in this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia It seems like every time we switch on the idiot box we are confronted with news footage of another disaster. Bushfires in Australia. A hurricane in North America. A tsunami ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Andrew Little indicates justice system changes after reports, Auckland buses back on the road, and National release health proposals. Two significant reports for the justice sector were released yesterday. The first was Turuki! Turuki! Transforming our Criminal Justice System from the Chester Borrows-led Safe and ...
On Wednesday, the government announced a $12 billion infrastructure package. It turns out that scrapped National Party roading projects are back in consideration for funding under the scheme. ...
Andy Ruiz Jr pulled of a massive shock by KO’ing Anthony Joshua in New York. And then delivered another stunning moment when he stepped onto the scales in Saudi Arabia. ...
What happens when your work is the victim of attempted sabotage by a group of slow-moving middle-aged men? Author and journalist Michelle Duff reveals all.Initially, it was kind of unclear what I was looking at. The disembodied hand loomed from the shaky first-person footage, flipping the cover of the book ...
The National Party leader sits down with Alex Braae to talk political rhetoric, misinformation, and whether he’ll have any dance partners after next year’s election.How cynical is Simon Bridges? It’s a question that has dogged National’s leader over the past year.Being an opposition leader is, of course, a difficult job ...
Sharon Brettkelly calls home to the Bay of Plenty to give us an insight into what Whakatane locals are thinking in the wake of Whakaari-White Island's eruption ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison is picking up that Australia’s devastating, prolonged fires are producing a soured, anti-government mood among many in the community. It may not be entirely rational for people to turn on politicians in such ...
Open mike 15/02/2015 
Open mike is your post.
by Don Franks Like New Zealand, Britain is officially a country of equal opportunity under the rule of law, with increasing hardship for those at the bottom. When there’s an election, and the party most obviously callous towards poor people wins, decent folks are dismayed and bewildered. “What the hell ...3 hours ago
UKanians went to the polls yesterday in early elections aimed at resolving the Brexit impasse. And they certainly have, delivering a huge majority to the Tories, and (barring internal rebellions of the sort which delayed Brexit) giving them the power to do whatever they want. And thanks to the UK's ...5 hours ago
What other song could we play as the UK's political rule book gets torn up and thrown away?Video courtesy of YouTubeThis post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...1 day ago
Legendary in my own mind, I mean. All times are NZ, which is an hour10.00am (NZ) There's about an hour to go until the exit poll is released. At that point, half of the British voting public will devastated, and the other half celebrating wildly. Unless everyone is simply confused.Turnout seems ...1 day ago
If you want to study propagandist techniques, you are typically told to study Dictatorships. Not unfair, but what’s always been more interesting to me is so-called “democratic” countries and their broader information systems. Why? Because people opt for it, even as they decry “totalitarian regimes!”.. It’s quite an eye ...2 days ago
Below is the longlist of words and phrases generated in the korero phase of Public Address Word of the Year 2019, with some editorial moderation. Now it's time to vote. As you'll doubtless be able to see, you get three ranked choices. Use your power wisely. Or frivolously, whatever.As usual, ...2 days ago
by Daphna Whitmore This week 800 unionised bus drivers in Auckland were suspended from work after they refused to collect fares as part of a campaign of industrial action. Drivers working for Auckland’s largest bus company NZ Bus are asking for more pay and better working conditions after being offered ...2 days ago
As details emerge about what unfolded on Whakaari / White Island two days ago, my thoughts go out to all the families affected by this terrible event. My thoughts are also with the first responders who worked in perilous circumstances to assist and protect those affected. Both local and ...2 days ago
I love data. It’s amazing the sort of “discoveries” I can make given a data set and computer statistical package. It’s just so easy to search for relationships and test their statistical significance. Maybe relationships which ... 4 days ago
The state of the United Kingdom is fractured, torn up, shredded. The Empire is gone, it died a long time ago. And yet, the country is still tracking with a lead in favour of the ones who play to the ingrained, class-bound division for political gain. It is a disgrace ...7 days ago
It should be obvious by now but let’s be clear: The same folk who regularly traffic in disinformation, misinformation and “fake news” are also those who most strongly claim that their freedom of expression rights are being violated when moves are made to curb hate speech (as opposed to protected ...7 days ago
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...1 week ago
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...2 weeks ago
Image credit: The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ... 2 weeks ago
Paramedics have reiterated their support for New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball's bill to impose mandatory prison sentences on those who assault our first responders and prison officers. There are more than 50 cases of abuse and assault against New Zealand paramedics each week. The figure has remained largely unchanged ...23 hours ago
Just after 2pm on Monday this week, Whakaari / White Island erupted. Read the Prime Minister's statement here, and watch her statement to the House below. ...24 hours ago
Auckland’s growing screen sector is the catalyst for a new partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and Auckland’s economic development agency Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED). The launch today at FilmFX in Henderson, is to celebrate the partnership which looks to capitalise on the social and economic development opportunities ...51 mins ago
Sir Peter Snell has died, aged 80, at his home in Dallas, Texas. James McOnie remembers arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever athlete.Sir Peter Snell was so great that small towns still engage in custody battles over the legendary runner.His birthplace Opunake (where he spent his first 11 years) claims him, ...27 mins ago
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Can I believe my eyes? Rodney (Perkbuster) Hide in todays Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/Rodney-Hide/news/headlines.cfm?a_id=978
This government reminds me of the family of Chris and Crew Kahui in that if you just erect a wall of silence and stick to it, you can get away with anything.
does anyone else notice keys’ lying-‘tells’..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/states-consider-increasing-taxes-for-the-poor-and-cutting-them-for-the-affluent-comment-how-to-tell-when-john-key-is-lying/
To me I can tell he’s lying if lips are moving.
“Hello,” he lied.
Very much so. NAct is a dysfunctional family, protecting abusers.
And just like what should of been done in the kahui case, the screws should be tightened until someone cracks .
Interesting backstory to the Kahui twins.
Given the premature birth and high probability of death in the early days, close watch was kept on the mother as this situation and probable outcome can be a precursor to disassociation and non-bonding. As the twins progressed it was noted that the bonding between mother and children was not as positive as would be optimal. It was recorded that further follow up from mental services for post-natal support was recommended.
This recommendation, according to a friend who worked at MMH was never implemented, and was never mentioned at all after the death of the twins.
I have no idea about the nature of what occurred at that home – or who was culpable. The images of the room were striking in that it was a typical nursery, well organised and well-kept – exactly what you would expect for loved new additions to a family.
However, the failure of the health department to provide essential services, should make everyone aware that we must continue to lobby and advocate for an improvement in this area.
True, Molly. I also don’t know what happened in that case. What I should have said is that NAct remind me of the old patriarchal bible-bashing family, within which all sorts of abuse was hidden. I had an aunty who was the product of her father raping her sister at a young age. No one outside the family knew. That’s the sort of family I think of when Tories start wanking on about belonging to a family. It’s sick shit whether it’s pedophilia or whether it’s helping with the commission of a few war crimes.
i think it is the first time i have linked to hide..
..and he doesn’t hold back..
..and in fact – is saying things keys’ opposition should be saying..
..but don’t (yet?) seem to be..
Well, if troll like shills such as Te Reo Putake can gravitate up there is something seriously wrong in the loosely organised group of the Standard writers. God forbid if he ever becomes a moderator too. Every other writer that gravitated here over the years I could see a reason for even if I did not agree with the things he said but for me the Standard just lowered it’s Standard shockingly with that one. IMHO.
I’ve run across TRP a couple of times in person, and many times via the net. What he says is what his own opinions are.
He reflects quite a large portion of the activist left, in the same way that I do as well. We’re far less interested in ideological purity than the need of the left need to win elections. You can’t do much to improve the country or that of less affluent voters from opposition benches.
It takes time before people become learn to be good moderators, and they tend to be irritatingly constrained by our policies. The reason for that is quite clear when you look at the disaster that Bomber has made with his Goebbels style policy at The Daily Blog.
I’d also ask what that has to do with *this* post so I am moving this to Open Mike.
“..He reflects quite a large portion of the activist left, in the same way that I do as well…”
you identify as rightwing/incrementalist-labour..do you not..?
..didn’t we have nine years of that with clark..?
..and what did that get us..?
..poverty/inequality rife…environment further degraded..etc. etc…i don’t need to list it all..
..do you not see that more has to be done on these issues than was done before..?
..that the imperatives are getting louder (esp. on climate-change..) by the day..?
..so how can yet another ‘nothing for the poor/steady as she goes’ labour govt make the difference/changes needed..? (c.f. labour ’14 election-policies..)
..how is that (esp. for those hurting the most..the poorest and the environment) that much better than these tory pricks..?
..only ‘incrementally’ really…eh..?
..and with each passing day we fall further behind the rest of the world..
..in the last 24 hrs..cameron/milliband/clegg have signed a joint-pledge that no matter who wins their upcoming election..
..they will go gangbusters on fighting climate-change..
..here..we have the bloody green party giving nods/winks to the dairy-polluters..
..and an/that promising to be even more incremental than was that radical cunnliffe..(!)..labour party..
..in their policy prescriptions..
..how the hell is that going to help anyone/in any way..?
what is the value of victory..
..if you then do nothing with it..?
..except trying to stave off the other side getting their turn..
..for a long as possible..?
..as clark did..as key does..
‘He reflects quite a large portion of the activist left’
You mean the left that believed the nonsense that Roger Douglas, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.
FIFY.
Not the least bit true, Paul. The left political party I was a member of during the Lange/Douglas years had a complicated relationship with the LP, recognising the need to get rid of the divisive and financially incompetent Muldoon Government, but being blind sided by the radical rightward turn Douglas engineered.
Blair was and is awful and it was only the unfortunate death of John Smith* that allowed him his shot. The Blairite ‘third way’ is a load of tosh and it’s great that the influence of those who promote it with the NZLP is finally waning.
I admit liking Clinton, his saxophone playing is pretty good. The politics not so much.
* http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/12/john-smith-labour-britain-prime-minister
Yep @ Paul – that very same ‘Left’.
You know … I caught a bus yesterday, from Wellington to Te Puke, and I’ve been circulating around the environs.
Today’s little outing – Papamoa, Tauranga et al.
I know this must be many people’s idea of Nirvana (I mean where the Joyce moto’way begins and ends), but a can’t think of a better description of the area than the Benidorm of the South Pacific.
There’s even ripened old leather faced English expats trundling along in moto-assisted 3 wheelers with their pot-bellied long-suffering husbands in tow. Even the Polis force has their share. (No amount of bllody avocado or kiwfruit-infused moiseuriser is going to see them back to what they think is their former ‘beauty’.
NONE.
(I’m sure they all had their superannuation transfers sorted out before the deadlines expired).
CHRIST! UGLINESS all around – and I dont just mean ‘the examples for a case study in NZ obeisity one could pluck at every coner. You just have to look at the car parked next to you sags to its extemity as two occupants “seat” themselves before exiting the same car park.
IT’s not just that aesthetic FUGLINESS of appearance – it’s the FUGLINESS of consumerism and expansionism at work.
But I cannot comment further – because that would be expressing my prejudices based on looks – and as we know, that’s not a go! And describing the ‘feel’is a hard task.
I’ll head back to Te Puke and parts more remote – hoping that Benidorm goes bust and expansion stays put.
Actually, the best thing around here is that there is a functioning railway line where trains go by reasonably regularly. I bet some in Gizzy’s are envious. The ground shakes – but then it has reason to do so – not like the thundering FUGLINESS ground shaking greed laden human specimens I sampled when waliking down one of those Papamoa “boulevards” that shook. (admitedly it was built on sand)
Give Te Reo Putake a chance as an author. I think his first post was a worthwhile effort and provoked some good discussions.
Authoring is a very different skill to blog commenting. TRP is well known as a petty attack activist in commenting but that won’t necessarily be reflected in posting where you put yourself and your ideas out for much greater scrutiny so generally take a more reasoned and responsible approach.
no doubt he will be cheered by yr support..
..what is known in some quarters (fact-checking?..anyone..?..)..
..as the beige-kiss-of-death..
forked-tongue-of-death?
Thank you, Pete. Admittedly Muldoon’s “I love you, Mr Lange” instantly popped into my head when I read your comment, but the essence of what you say is correct. I think it’s inevitable that being, ahem, authorised will change how I comment on OM and other posts and I’ll probably be a little less bombastic as a result. Probably.
Just for the record, and in case my regular sparring partners are worried, I’m not big on banning and you’re not likely to see me even attempting any kind of moderation at least until the training wheels come off. Having said that, the crap Stephanie Rodgers has put up with in recent days comes pretty close to what I would consider ban worthy.
that was a fast u-turn..
in that second paragraph..
..from ‘not big on banning’ to ‘i wd have banned yesterday’..
..whoar..!
..that was an awfully quick power-corrupts…eh..?
..you wanna be more stringent than the self-admitted ‘more stringent’ moderator..?..(!)
..double-whoar..!
..two sentences is a long time in moderating..eh..?
..and..who wd u have banned yesterday..?
Read it again, Phil. Slowly this time.
“…who wd u have banned yesterday..?..”
..and for why..?
Nobody. Read the comment again.
i have..
“.. the crap Stephanie Rodgers has put up with in recent days comes pretty close to what I would consider ban worthy…”
what ‘crap’..?
..and who from..?
..was ‘considered ban worthy’..?
..and for why..?
Take some modern spiritual guidance, Phil:
a good clip..
..but i still feel an answer is deserved to the questions in response to what you said..
..esp. as you have moderator-ambitions..eh..?
There are many Labour people who would agree with TRP. They are classified by most as being on the left. It is therefore important to debate their positions. We do not do this by calling them troll like shills.
It’s not just the fact of these Lefties wanting to send troops to Iraq. It’s also their complete lack of any concept of what the troops are getting into (IMO it is degenerating into a sectarian civil war against the Baghdad regime), and the lack of any realistic accompanying political plan to let the Kiwis make an effective difference in the long run.
These are actually two dimensional unthinking characteristics that we often associate with right wingers.
I ask – the US and UK have bitter long experience fighting in Iraq and poured 12 years and billions into training the Iraqi Army – and the Iraqi Army ran from a lightly armed militia. What makes these ‘Lefties’ think the NZ Army (which apart from the SAS has next to no combat experience in Iraq) is going to do any better as trainers in 2 years?
And then its the sound of fucking crickets chirping.
At one point in the last week or to I recall key saying that the trainers will be safe because there are sending security forces with them ,I took that to mean the SAS would be going with them . But as our media are useless none seem to digging very deep so I could be wrong.
The SAS don’t usually get sent to do sentry duty. Any environment where you need the SAS to play a role as guards is ipso facto a very dangerous environment.
That would be all of Iraq ” a very dangerous environment.” And the surrounds .
How many trainers have been killed by the trainees in the last 10 years
that ‘right’ in labour also fully supports giving the poorest s.f.a..
(c.f. labour election-policies ’14..)
If you need a laugh early Sunday morning this is from 2011
Bernie Sanders, independent Democratic Socialist US Senator, may try to run for President on the Democratic ticket.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/232706-bernie-sanders-for-president-really
Interesting article. It’s impossible that he would ever win the Democratic primary, but there is growing anger over income inequality and feelings that the system is rigged. At the very least, him running in the Democratic Party primary would force Hillary Clinton leftwards. She has already been attempting to use more left wing rhetoric (i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUoCiWsTfI), but it’s obviously just rhetoric. But it’s proof she is scared of someone coming from her left in the primaries. If Bernie runs in the primaries, he will force up those issues that the neoliberal Democrats don’t want to talk about.
Edit: btw, here is a link to Bernie’s agenda: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/an-economic-agenda-for-am_b_6249022.html
And lets remember that Hilary Clinton hasn’t ever been elected to sweet FA to represent voting constituents previously. Like Bill, she represents the interests of the 0.1%.
Speaking of slick Willy Clinton, I heard a tale the other week of what a hound dog he is. An American friend of mine won a state title (Arkansas) of Miss America. She was attending a function as part of her role, where she met the then Governor Bill Clinton. Cutting a long story short, later that evening Billy offers to drop her off at her hotel after her minder had taken ill and left early. Off they went in the charming Governor’s limo, on arrival at her hotel Bill insists on seeing her to her room and practically invites himself in for a coffee. Being a young and innocent girl from Hicksville she thinks it’s the least she can do. She puts the jug and excuses herself to go to the bathroom, when she comes out horror or horrors there is Slick Willy laying buck naked on her bed. In stunned disbelief she says Mr Governor I’m going to turn around and go back into the bathroom and when I come back out you better be gone, which he was. They met on numerous other occasions and never a word said.
Were it not for the money and connections that the Rodham family held, Clinton would still be chasing ambulances in Little Rock.
during the time he was governor..
..arkansas became one of the main destinations for cocaine smuggled in by air from sth amarica..
..coincidence..?..much..?
..his brother roger was often mentioned in dispatches..
..as sniffing around in those smugglers’ quarters..
..and in those days..everyone used cocaine..
Sounds about right…it seems very unlikely that he waited until the Oval Office to start trying it out with younger women.
That was my thoughts exactly.
Yes she has been. She was elected US Senator for New York in 2000 with 3,747,310 votes (55%), and was re-elected in 2006 with 3,008,428 votes (67%).
Darn it I knew I had missed something obvious. Thanks, Matthew.
Hooton my old China where have ya been, I had directed some questions about SkyCity to you over the last few days.
How is the mandarin lessons going?
You can tell your iwi group they were a bit stiff not getting the tender reopened for their proposed Waterfront convention centre. I must say you gave it a very good crack. Anyway on the bright side you’re probably done enough to get the nod as the new ACT party President when that comes up.
“And lets remember that Hilary Clinton hasn’t ever been elected to sweet FA to represent voting constituents previously”.
Really? I thought that, in the universe I inhabit, she was elected by the people of New York State to the United States Senate in 2000 and re-elected in 2006.
New York may not be the largest state anymore but it still has a population of nearly 20 million people.
It also seems a bit extreme to describe the job as being “sweet FA”
Still perhaps you inhabit a parallel universe where these elections never took place.
ps. Bugger. While I was composing this Hooton responded with the same information.
Yeah I totally missed that one, thanks for the info Alwyn.
elizabeth warren is the best/only hope for any real change..
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=elizabeth+warren
Sanders may have been a socialist back in the 80s when he was Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, but he’s more of a hawkish liberal Democrat these days. While he remains admirably progressive on most domestic social issues, he’s unfortunately backed all of Obama’s nasty little wars in the Middle East, never opposes increased Defence spending, always has an eye on lucrative US military contracts and the jobs they bring to Vermont.
He’s also a chum of AIPAC and Israeli Governments of all stripes, never questions the unconditional financial and diplomatic support the US gives to Israel’s occupation and ethnic-cleansing and can usually be relied upon to support the never-ending pro-Israeli resolutions in the Senate.
Yeah but unfortunately that’s about as good as we can get in the US of A nowadays. He does speak strongly against the 1% and the 0.1%. But he has to get his campaign funds from somewhere…
idiot rejection
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/cropping/66137801/farmers-denied-highvalue-hemp-crop
Hemp has very very low THC – you’d hijack a seed truck of hemp ummm to grow more hemp not to get high.
and one the best reasons for allowing hemp is that you cannot grow the cousins together – your dope gets wasted.
Hemp is really a wonder plant and would provide many opportunities as it did in the past.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp
I think we may need a few of those things as society slips further down the slope due to CC and no easy picking oil.
Marty, I just had a conversation two days ago with someone who was part of the Hemp Association of NZ for many years. He said that they sometimes travelled with Nandor Tanczos to maraes trying to inform and persuade the elders to consider this as a sustainable crop.
He was saying that they were really disappointed with the Nandor’s advocacy for legalisation of marijuana because after seeing the reaction on the maraes – they considered it a step too far too soon.
There is a recent documentary that can be purchased on the historical use, the benefits and sustainability of hemp crops.
The trailer is worth looking at if anyone is interested.
Kiaora Molly
A more tikanga centric cash crop for Māori is harakeke, not hemp. Harakeke has equally admirable qualities and benefits. Its relatively easy to grow and has a multitude of good uses.
A big plus is that it will never be mistaken for cannabis proper and smoked. Should the ridiculous happen, it has a laxative effect.
Yes, have been wondering about cropping harakeke for some time. The last old style mill was down Southland I think and still operating until recently-ish. Some parts of our land grow harakeke like, well, they have been growing here for millions of years…
We have a bunch of them in a garden and they punch out screeds of seeds easily and consistently, and that’s just one of their uses.
Kiaora VTO
Yes, I believe that Riverton may still have a working harakeke mill. It is as versatile as hemp. There was work done some time ago on developing a commercial fabric industry using harakeke.
From my understanding a variety of harakeke has been patented as the most ideal variety for creating cloth.
I am rather excited about the prospect of making paper from harakeke for an art project I am involved with. Should be fun although I am a wee bit concerned about the caustic soda thing. I can be a wee bit clumsy.
If I start typing nice things, you will know that I’ve burnt my hands off and now have a ghost writer
Flax is also a great crop.
It is not one or the other, and industrial hemp should not be confused with cannabis.
Hemp, has a multitude of uses: construction, materials, regeneration of land, food – including providing essential Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils in a way readily assimilated by the body. It is also fast growing, cropping in just over 3 months, and requiring no external fertilisers or pesticides – entirely in keeping with kaitiakitanga principles.
I’m not a cannabis user – though I agree with philure’s comments regarding decriminalisation – but when I looked into hemp, as an easy to grow, harvest and utilise, this crop has a lot going for it.
Regarding the maraes, the impression I got from the person I was talking to was that they could not separate in their heads the difference between industrial hemp and cannabis, and that was why they had no traction. There also may have been the possibility that because of that general association, the marae would be loathe to get the label of supporting pot use. Which is understandable.
So, that opportunity was not taken by those Maori who were offered it, and begins to get picked up by others interested in sustainable farming, and customers interested in great organic products.
Kiaora Molly
Firstly, Harakeke would be considered more in keeping with a sustainable ethic for Maori than hemp. Indigenous people using an indigenous plant. Hemp is an imported species.
Secondly, Maori and Marae have a fairly sophisticated understanding on the use, growing and dealing in cannabis. It’s more common in some communities than wine. Who do you think grow most of the supply in New Zealand?
I think Marae are being quite sensible because they obviously know how mischevious their rangatahi can be.
I have little knowledge of marae based protocol so I accept your assertion.
But you still make the assumption that industrial hemp and cannabis are the same in terms of drug use. They are not.
Hemp also provides great food supplements and benefits, which is an easier market to approach rather than high end materials. (As well as building materials. I know MIT in Auckland many years ago was investigated harakeke as a component of earth building, but I never heard how that worked out, and never heard about it again.)
If the plant was not connected with cannabis in any way, and was shown to be regenerative of land, able to be cropped three or four times a year, requiring little or no chemical applications, and able to be used for foodstuffs, materials, building materials etc – wouldn’t you at least be open to finding out more?
Kiaora Molly,
I know the difference between industrial hemp and cannabis. I have even visited the hemp store in Auckland.
Māori have used harakeke mai rānō. For centuries we have used harakeke to bind, to build, to catch, to clothe, and to heal.
I would rather advocate the industrial use of harakeke than hemp. In fact, I would go so far as to say to Marae – “forget hemp, grow harakeke instead.”
By growing harakeke, the security issues would be non existent: no high fences; or regular drug testing on plant or people required; no need to grow in remote areas away from population centres. With harakeke, the compliance regime would be way less involved, intensive, or expensive. Most importantly, our people will be able to work all facets of the industry and not be banned because of criminal or drug convictions.
Kia ora, Adele,
Understand where you are coming from.
I’m not an advocate for one crop being “better than” another. Just that hemp is another choice that could deliver.
” In fact, I would go so far as to say to Marae – “forget hemp, grow harakeke instead.””.
Despite understanding the valid reasons for your aversion – if a marae did choose to try hemp – why would you persuade them otherwise?
That seems disrespectful to me, and negates any benefits that occur, especially those that come from the attempt even if successful outcomes are not achieved. I’m assuming a decision has been made after discussions and there are enthusiastic people who are prepared to commit time and effort into making it work. Why would you say to them – that their choices and enthusiasms are not valued?
(If any progression on the decriminalisation of marijuana is achieved, then some of your concerns would be addressed.)
That said, would like to see the maraes thrive in any sustainable way, and if that comes via harakeke – all well and good.
Kiaora Molly
“Despite understanding the valid reasons for your aversion – if a marae did choose to try hemp – why would you persuade them otherwise?
What’s so disrespectful about reminding Marae of the values we espouse as Māori? Indigenous peoples and their environments are not separate entities.
What is more disrespectful is to pursue a sustainability model that neglects to sustain the people who whakapapa to the whenua. Marae are meant to be the bastions of Te Ao Māori, not a gateway to its assimilation.
All things being equal, if Māori had to choose between harakeke and hemp. I am fairly sure most would choose harakeke.
Kia ora, Adele,
“What’s so disrespectful about reminding Marae of the values we espouse as Māori? Indigenous peoples and their environments are not separate entities. “
I don’t believe it is disrespectful to be part of a community discussion and put your point forward – I do think it is disrespectful to criticise afterwards a consensus decision.
“All things being equal, if Māori had to choose between harakeke and hemp. I am fairly sure most would choose harakeke.”
I am suburban Māori, and this kind of blanket dismissal of the values and interests that my life have provided to me so far, is the reason that I have found no comfortable place to be in Te Ao Māori.
Which I am trying to belatedly remedy.
But the disconnect between the kaitiakitanga of Te Ao Māori, and the groundswell movement for sustainability is one that I find difficult to comprehend. The worldview of Māori, is as you have stated, one of balance and harmony. The sustainability movement is similar. My exposure and experience to date has been with the sustainability movement, perhaps this will change as I progress in learning more about Te Ao Māori.
I appreciate the time you have taken for this conversation.
No hemp but let’s wait to see the perspective when the GMO discussion picks up again
I expect once the strains have been modified and patented there will be a shift
Even if the TTp % is low do the plants look so similar that the illegal plants can grow in with the legal?
no, dope cannot grow (so you get something you can get high from) within hemp – but they do look similar
“Growing hemp and marijuana together isn’t an option. By doing that you get cross pollination which leaves both plants infertile. When they cross pollinate you loose the buds of the flowers and the seeds.”
http://rediscoverhemp.com/tag/plant/
I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that. Over successive generations you would get lessening of the value of the THC crop, but at first there would be a decrease in THC in the MJ plant and and increase in the Hemp. It’s unclear to what extent that would still be enough THC in the plants to give a high. It might not be enough for big growers to bother, but it probably does present some problems for lawmakers in that the plants both now contain enough THC to be an illegal drug.
I haven’t heard the argument against from the authorities point of view, but I’m guessing that ‘growers won’t bother’ isn’t sufficient for them.
http://www.newheadnews.com/hemp/hybrids.html
Having said all that, I think we should be legalising hemp growing in NZ. It’s a no brainer really.
Perhaps someone is worried that Mr Plod won’t be able to tell the difference. Or that consumers may be fed an underpowered product.
Police not being able to differentiate easily might be an issue, esp with dried plant.
“Or that consumers may be fed an underpowered product.”
lolz. It might be a good thing to tone the dak down a bit. Interesting that they don’t see the potential for widespread wrecking of the crop 😉
I read an article some time back that asserted that one of the major backers of making hemp illegal was the cotton growers. Apparently hemp cloth can be finer and stronger than cotton while also being cheaper because it’s so easy to grow and grows so fast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#Fiber
And Dow etc as cotton requires lots of pesticides so good for them whereas hemp very little if any so cue reefer madness etc after WW2 as hemp was in large scale production for rope, fabric etc and needed to be discredited.
It also has a fine paper market that last time I looked couldn’t get enough as demand exceeded supply.
Can’t remember the documentary, but oil and chemical companies did have a major role to play in the “reefer madness” propanganda after the war, along with the cotton growers.
As an experiement for the last couple of years have been growing chia seeds in the garden. I have harvested the seeds (which cost a fair bit in the supermarket) but also grow them as pollinators as they provide for the bees. They grow fast, survive without very much water, and have a very strong stalk. The seeds have a very good Omega 3 and Omega 6 content.
Because of this thread I’ve just googled the plant, and found out it is part of the same family.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-13/thirst-war-sen-inhofe-releases-fake-photos-russian-troops-ukraine
Proving once again that the US really, really wants to go to war.
The Spin Bites Back
Scene- A well appointed lounge in the penthouse office of an undisclosed metropolitan eyesore. A gentle levity fills the air as glasses clink and cheques cashed are fondly remembered. There is an urgent knocking at the door.
X- Who is it?
JK- It’s me, John
X- ( under the breath -okay ) Come in John.
JK- Hi guys, really sorry to interrupt you all, but I think we have a bit of a problem!
X- What happened this time? Drop your handicap ? (guffaws and back-slaps ensue)
JK- No, Really, we have a big problem.
X- Ok John, just move those files and sit down
NOT THOSE ! that’s [redacted]’s pile
JK- Oh, I didn’t see it
X- Well, that’s what you pay us for. So tell us, What’s the matter buddy?
JK- I was just updating my facebook page, letting all my fans know how super awesome my summer hol’s were, when I saw a post about people asking to be unfriended if any of their friends think Zero Hour contracts are a fair and reasonable idea.
X- So… ?? … look, we’ll fake you up some new friends.
JK- No, no, it’s not that, no, well Yes! thanks!! That would be great!!
Maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying, Zero Hour contracts!!!
X- Yeah ! Aren’t they just the answer to every bosses’ prayers?
JK- No you fools! They are a huge problem.
X- How so?
JK- We state repeatedly how we use the Household Labour Force Survey to gauge the levels of employment in New Zealand. Right?
X- yes.., with you so far….
JK- That survey uses a benchmark of one hour of paid work a week for a job to qualify as employment. Right?
X- Yes it does and it is a beautiful thing. (high fives for all) The journos lap it up.
JK- That’s the problem… How are we going to sell the employment figures when thousands of jobs are shifting to Zero Hour contracts?
X- Oh! fuck
JK- yeah. exactly.
X- It will be fine John. You’ve got the new war, the flag, the cricket world cup is good for a few more weeks. There is that whole Centenary thing coming up. Wall to wall photo ops -no one will even notice.
JK- Ok guys, if you say so. Bit of a relief to be honest. Now have you had any ideas about fixing this mess with Sky City ?
X- We’re spinmeisters John, not miracle workers.
Stuff prints propaganda from Reuters: No alternative to bulk data collection
These are utter lies. Firstly, the NSA (and therefore the NZ services) are collecting and have access to all content passing on the internet, in addition to the very critical and important associated metadata. The metadata is crucial for searching and indexing the sea of content they are collecting on everyone.
Secondly, Bill Binney has explained in detail how peoples privacy can be completely protected by automatically encrypting everyone’s identities during the collection process, and only decrypting the identities of those people who are suspects, via court warrant. That is the system he designed, and the protections that the NSA stripped out of his programme.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/65187271/No-alternative-to-bulk-data-collection?cid=outbrain:starter
“..Bill Clinton Apologizes To Mexico – For War On Drugs..
..Former President Bill Clinton apologized to Mexico during a speech there last week –
– for a backfired U.S. war on drugs –
– that has fueled spiraling violence..”
(cont..)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/13/bill-clinton-apology-drug-war-mexico_n_6680412.html
I’m not a gambler but I thought it would be topical to have a punt on how much Joyce is going to give to Sky City today.
They were never going to put in $140m. My guess is they threw out a number and waited for the focus group results to come in before making an announcement for much lesser figure.
$140m is a number picked so that it looks like the govt. is on our side when they manage to negotiate it down to what will now be spun as a “better deal”. Hey, they are working for New Zealand, right?
As we have seen, the public reaction has been severe, and even National’s perennial and faithful lapdogs have growled (a little bit), so my punt is on 1/3 of the original figure announced, rounded down to:
$45m.
i think $60 million was the endgame-target..
..and yep..!..we have been ‘played’ yet again..
..by both skycity and key…
(and let us not forget that skycity made $66 million profit in the last six months..
..and that their share-price jump at the news of this upcoming present from the mug-punters..
..increased the value of their casino by $77 million..)
..that all seems ‘fair’..eh..?
I’d go for $60 million. That way they get to say that they have been tough and forced Sky Shitty to come up with more than half.
both wrong..they get zip…
Ahem. I was closest.
but not even close enough for the faintest whiff of a cigar..
It ain’t over till the fat convention center is finished.
Anyone else suspect that there was no $140m top up required at all?
Anyone else suspect it was just a Crosby-Textor trick to dampen previous criticism of the pokies-for-convention-centre deal?
No I can’t see the nats setting them self up for this big a beating over something most have put in the to late to change basket.
no..it was a spike in hubristic-activity..
..they wanted to do it alright..
I notice the Stuff headline was “Sky City backs down (to the Government)”, and not “Government backs down (to the tax-payer)”.
Morrissey recently made mention of those honourable politicians in the west (often, it has to be said, of the independent Left) who speak truth to power.
Here’s a brilliant (and highly amusing) example from a couple of years ago. Clare Daly, Left-wing MP for Dublin North, takes on the Irish PM and Irish MSM for their horrendous brown-nosing of Obama during his visit there…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF5PChW5WDY
A few excerpts…
“The almost unprecedented slobbering over (Obama and wife Michelle) that the nation has been exposed to over the last number of days. And it’s really hard to know which is worse – whether it’s the outpourings of the Obamas themselves or the sycophantic fawning over them by sections of the media and the political establishment”
…….And, of course, the biggest irony of all – the professtations of Obama himself in is speech to children in Northern Ireland about peace…Now I ask you, is this person going for the hypocrite of the century award ? … By any serious examination this man is a War Criminal….
(to the Taoiseach) But is it not a reality that you have showcased us as a nation of pimps, prostituting ourselves in return for a pat on the head. To be honest with ya, we were really speculating this morning whether you were going to deck the Cabinet out in leprechaun hats decorated with a bit of stars and stripes to really mark our abject humiliation here.”
One of the more progressive unions in New Zealand in recent years has been the firefighters:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/firefighters-coverage-on-redline/
Phil
Oops charter school doing well for puils NOT
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/66204362/private-school-failed-our-autistic-son
The organisation which runs Mt Hobson, Villa Education Trust, is also facing fresh controversy over another of its schools, West Auckland Middle School.
Regan Bennett’s family say the 14-year-old suffers from epilepsy and has been assessed as requiring Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding for his education.
The government funding is hard to get and is available only for the highest needs students. The ministry paid more than $4000 to the school for extra help for Regan.
But in the first term Regan received a maximum of 30 hours’ teacher aide support and no one-on-one teacher time as stipulated by the ministry, his family said.
A large amount of that teacher aide time was used during school swimming lessons.
The school said it had discussed the teacher aide resourcing with Regan’s mother who was in full agreement. The school believed it would be “educationally detrimental” to have a teacher aide in the traditional morning classes as it would act as a barrier between the student and the teacher.
ACT MP David Seymour, under-secretary to Education Minister Hekia Parata, said the issues surrounding Haggett were not an indictment on the partnership school policy.
(Translation Charter school)
Hi DV, just a heads up for future reference 🙂
Ta Time i learned to format!!!
Yipee
Compared with village idiot Cameron Slater, I guess David Farrar might look almost infellectual. But here’s an interesting piece, actually published nearly three years ago, about how prejudice is a core part of Farrar’s view of the world. His ‘explanation’ of the economic meltdown in Greece is that Greeks have a “CBF attitude” to life.
We looked at Farrar’s nonsense here: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/farrars-blog-a-pile-of-prejudices/
Phil
Totalitarian Democracy Now
Describes precisely where our democracy is today – owned by the 1%.
Aaah, schadenfreude….
The Times said it received an advance copy of an upcoming report by Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab that details how banks in Russia, Japan, the United States, and other countries fell victim to malware starting in late 2013 that allowed the hackers to watch video feeds, view daily operations, and impersonate bank officials.
The malware apparently allowed the hackers to transfer money from the banks to fake accounts. According to the Times, Kaspersky Lab said the total theft could be more than $300 million, although the cybersecurity firm has not nailed down an exact figure. Each transaction was limited to $10 million and some banks were hit more than once, according to the publication.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/02/report-millions-stolen-from-banks-through-sophisticated-malware/
And as the NSA has been systematically weakening internet, network and computer systems security for their own intrusion purposes, they have been making the whole environment more vulnerable to hackers than ever before.
Toby Ziegler.
Good to see that Porirua City Council Mayor Nick Leggett came out on 10 February 2015, against the Hutt and Wairarapa being ‘bullied’ into the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’ proposed amalgamation.
Of course, this should help effectively sink the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity Titanic’, because, as I understand it, for the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal to go ahead, there must be ‘demonstrable community support’ across each one of the ‘Territorial Authorities’ (TAs).
If there is ‘demonstrable’ community OPPOSITION from 5 out of 9 of the TAs
– Hutt CC, Upper Hutt CC, South Wairarapa DC, Carterton DC and Masterton DC (for starters) – then – in my considered opinion, the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’ will be stuffed.
Good job.
Who on earth would want an effective corporate takeover – as we have experienced under the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%), happen anywhere else in NZ?
‘Economies of scale’ and greater (business) opportunities for investors, BIG business, property developers, speculators and financial interests?
A bigger ‘public trough’ for fewer but bigger ‘private snouts’?
BEWARE folks from the Wellington region!
The public focus is on ‘governance’ – but behind the scenes ( as in Auckland) the corporate focus is on ‘infrastructure’.
The mechanism is through CCOs – which are hardly being mentioned by either the Local Government Commission (LGC) or those people or organisations which purportedly want ‘Better’.
‘Better’ for whom?
Follow the dollar ….
Penny Bright
(For more background information – http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz )
sky city have u-turned..and won’t get any money..
..power to the people..eh..?
..see what we can do when we put our minds to it..eh..?
John Key and Steven Joyce have stood up to Sky City and made them keep the written contract to build the convention centre. I was correct as always and not a single cent of taxpayer money will be spent on the Auckland convention centre. This is huge win for the Government and people of New Zealand. Glad you can all celebrate.
On the contrary, this episode has made the Govt look weak and indecisive. It should not have dragged on for this long. How hard was it for National simply to say No!
They had to wait and see if the key spin/bullshit around it being an eyesore would change there polling on it .
not so much that as key pushing for that massive handout..
..i wonder if sy-citys’ value will slump by the $77 million it jumped when ‘the market’/shareholders thought they were going to be pocketing that serious wedge of money..
..(i mean..john key promised them..it’s not fair..!..)
No that’s a lose by Key & Joyce and simply not good enough, in Key’s own words Aucklanders do not want a cheap eye sore. The country agrees with him we want SkyCity to spend an extra 130 million dollars so we get an international quality convention centre, not some ugly eyesore that blights the Auckland sky line. Mike Hosking is all for the extra spend also.
we know what to call it now..
..’the eyesore’…
hosking supporting that was like trp supporting some more middle-east war..
..both lonely voices..
this could well act as a hubris-detox for key/joyce..
c’mon folks..!..in a fair world..for that one..
.. fisi would walk away with this weeks’ top-spinner gong..
..’the twisted-neck-award’…
Troubled child you are Fizzy, as always ! Key, Joyce, SkyCity sing in unison from one of several, long prepared song sheets. This one marked “Contingency Plan In Case We Get Busted”.
But good news. The ultimate heist has failed…….not to say the concept wasn’t a heist from the start…….not to say our prime minister hasn’t in the round-up handed fat extra money to SkyCity.
There’s gonna be an ugly concrete cube in the CBD which forever’ll be known as “Key’sEyeSore”. That’ll go down great in international convention centre marketing now won’t it ? Waipuna Lodge must be heartened !
They’ll get their reward another way this time.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/66210105/SkyCity-backs-down-over-convention-centre-top-up
Joyce seems to be claiming the credit
What on earth Jordan Williams of the taxpayers association is claiming victory for is beyond me.
Whatever next Hooton claiming credit for the ACT party.
I guess it will be a team effort to turn what is a big hit on key into key being such a competent poly he’s saved nz 130 mil, so its better to have it being front footed buy there mates in the TPU so they can control the story
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11402393
“The Crown has also indicated today that it may be prepared to accept slightly smaller NZICC if that is required to meet the agreed total construction cost,” Mr Joyce said.
But no reduction in the number of pokies they will be allowed, presumably. So the citizens of NZ still lose and the house wins.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2524032/Mars-Snickers-chocolate-bars-shrink-size-price-stays-same.html
the house always wins..
..that’s why..come the day..
..they will be nationalised..
..best to have that gambling income stay here @ home..
Commonly known as ‘PRODUCT SIZE REDUCTION’ or in corporate jargon its called sweating the asset.
OK so how many pokie machines and gambling tables did lead snake oil salesman Stephen Joyce negotiate will be taken off the deal. Let’s hear the idiot media ask that question of him.
A positive farming story for your Sunday
http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/66138029/Work-of-dedicated-greenie-on-view
Very cool, thanks. Would love to have seen it.
Excellent result for the Government over Sky City. No matter how much the Left try to spin this it will be seen as a victory for John Key. Read it in the history books.
😆
Yes, a complete redesign is sure to reduce the eventual cost. Rats taste better with lots of hot sauce, nom nom nom Fisi.
Nothing to stop SkyCity from building its own convention centre off its own bat without the government giving ‘concessions’.
When asked what about the eyesore on Auckland’s sky line Key will mutter something
that makes no sense
. When the media ask Morrison the silver tongued Aussie SkyCity boss, he will be struggling to contain himself from crying with laughter and reply;
“It’s not like a convention centre the size of a shoe box is going to be a blight on anyone’s sky line, say for Mr & Mrs Sewer Rat….God I love doing business with you Kiwi’s.”
They have already built the eyesore. The thing that looks like a hypodermic.
+1
Auckland and the people of NZ still don’t want the convention centre and know that this government screwed them over to give it to SkyCity.
You are seriously claiming that Auckland and the people of New Zealand do not want 800 jobs and a $49,000,000 economic boost. That’s some powerful stuff you’re smoking.
No reputable international organisation would want to hold a conference at a bloody casino, what send their delegates off to a gambling den only to come back
a gambling addict. New Zealand will become a laughing stock. The only conference will be the National Party ones.
+100 Skinny….John Key’s tacky conference casino centre… déclassé
Exactly, this is just a big party centre for NACTUM piss ups. Not a nice venue for the people of Auckland to enjoy, like a library or a pool.
Key was played for a fool again, just like the Hobbit deal with WB. The taxpaying public did not vote for this shit while we have a housing crisis, rampant inequality, and Christchurch in ruins.
And now the public will shell out to fund a new HQ for TVNZ. The Keymaster has shafted us again.
That would be, maybe, 200 jobs, an ongoing loss to the country as the government guarantees SkyCity’s profits and ever more social damage due to gambling addiction. Yeah, I’m sure that NZers don’t want it.
These lefties are just bitter that Key was able to keep his promise that no tax payers money would be used.
People on welfare don’t care about more jobs.
You on anti depressants since the arse fell out of milk powder.
All low wage zero hour jobs.
Missed most of this discussion but it occurred to me that the jubilation around the country can now be interpreted that we now support the Convention Centre and its pokies.
We won but we still lose and Key can claim that he listens to the people. Huh!
Sky city in its current form is an ugly leech on society without the convention centre.
And with the convention centre and hotel it becomes a boon for Auckland.
Yes, but I find it quite odd and am uncomfortable with a national convention centre being so closely associated with the unsavoury business of gambling.
I assume a lot of the business this Sky City convention centre will be in hosting foreign delegates and here we are shoving floors and floors of gambling at them as their first experience of the country.
It’s Las Vegas in the South Pacific.
I guess that is what John Key intends.
seems to be how it will work.
The centre itself will lose money most years, but SC will profit overall in the rest of the building.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/middleeast/clashes-continue-in-iraq-near-base-of-us-troops.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0
TRP’s little fantasy unfolding as expected.
Indeed. People have short memories don’t they?
It’s as if this is a whole new war, yet not 3 years ago three ill-trained defence force soldiers lost their lives in the same war in Afghanistan.
The soldiers being sent this time will be even more poorly trained.
I was roundly abused for pointing out that John Key never insisted we pay a cent. Hysterical over reaction from the poster as usual. The sky is falling said Chicken Little.
Next time you leave the rock you live under remember to put on a sun hat on, you’re really fried that pea brain of yours today. I refreshed my memory by reading that link.
All I could make of your ramblings was you swinging your undies in the air cheerleadering for Key, oh and reinventing yourself as a litigation lawyer.
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/protesters-storm-national-party-fundraiser-2015021517#axzz3RmDPyoTC
Top reporting from three as usual calling the back down of the government a ” show of force” and then not bothering to tell us what the protest was about.
Tough times being in coalition with the Brit RW during times of depression. (A Guardian piece about past politics.)
[Ramsay] MacDonald, still reviled in some leftwing circles as a class traitor, was abandoned by most of his Labour colleagues and by the Liberals, when as Labour prime minister in 1931 he accepted George V’s invitation to head a coalition government with the Tories during the economic slump.
Home Office files [released today at the National Archives at Kew] show that in office he became powerless even to insist on the just treatment of the communist leaders of the hunger marches – though some of them had been close colleagues in the founding years of the Labour party….
…Home Office files… show that MacDonald was “broken-hearted” over his failure to secure the release of the veteran trade union agitator Tom Mann, a leader of the 1889 “great dock strike” and a founder of the Transport and General Workers’ Union.
The first marches took place in 1927, and Churchill, then chancellor, told the home secretary he was concerned that those taking part were getting into “a very distressed condition” and thought their arrival in London, “footsore and hungry,” would create a difficult situation. He wanted them intercepted while some distance from London, “treated decently and tactfully, but turned back somehow or other”.
The Home Office was apparently not very interested, regarding them more as figures of farce than dangerous revolutionaries. MI5 reports said the Lancashire group had proved the most difficult: they had demanded hotpot when they reached Manchester and had to be dispersed with a hose.
…But as unemployment mounted and the marches became a regular feature in British life, attitudes hardened. In the winter of 1932 the biggest of the hunger marches ended in a 200,000-strong demonstration in Trafalgar Square and brutal clashes with the police, and the leaders of the NUWM were arrested, including Tom Mann, 76.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/oct/20/past.politics
Could NZ summon a proportionate number of protesters? And how would we be treated by the majesty of government. Tasered? Shot at? If UNACTS took off their masks the Dorian Gray personas would be nasty.
Testing – 1 2 3