Listening to RNZ yesterday afternoon after the Christchurch earthquake, it struck me that there were several callers who expressed more of a fear of insurance companies inaction than fear of the actual earthquake.
5 years on, there were people ringing who were still in houses not dealt with by the EQC . Two callers in particular named AIG as an appalling insurer.
Yet they have enough money to splash their corporate logo all over the All Blacks shirt.
I really hope John Campbell reopened this can of worms.
There is nothing one can do about the earthquake. It’s simply something you learn to live with when choosing to live here in Christchurch. As opposed to that, the insurance shamble is man-made and can be avoided. Insurance companies drag everything as much as possible so that more and more people will give up and take a cash settlement.
One of my customer is building a commercial kitchen for one of our local church. He was surprised to find out that the reason he is building this kitchen is that the church is feeding a 100+ people a day. We had a bit of a chat about the situation here in AKL where it now is more and more the norm for low income people and people on benefits to be depended on charities to eat, they may earn enough money to pay the bills, but then have no money for food or they may get enough benefits to cover the rent but not electricity or food.
I asked him how much his pay had increased over the last 5 – 7 years vs the increases in his living costs, and he agreed with me that yes, for people on a fixed income, benefit or the min wage life has not gotten better but in fact much worse.
Slowly but surely the the mask of feel good, and pretend to be good and happy at all times is slipping, and the raising poverty and misery is coming more and more to the light for all to see.
McConnell (Senate Majority Leader) has already said any Obama appointment isn’t gonna happen. Since he controls what issues come before the Senate, he may be able to block the Senate from even voting on an Obama appointment.
Looking at the current crop of Republican senators, McCain looks the only one with enough sense of duty to vote for a reasonable Obama choice, and four Republican votes are needed (there’s currently 54 Republicans, 2 independents, 44 Democrats).
On the other hand, if Sanders wins in November and the Democrats regain a majority in the Senate, then there might be a sudden rush of final business before the new people are sworn in in January.
He could nominate the risen Yeshua and they’d block because black man…..
Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2005: ‘The President, and the President alone, nominates judges’
[…]
“[T]he Republican conference intends to restore the principle that, regardless of party, any President’s judicial nominees, after full debate, deserve a simple up-or-down vote. I know that some of our colleagues wish that restoration of this principle were not required. But it is a measured step that my friends on the other side of the aisle have unfortunately made necessary. For the first time in 214 years, they have changed the Senate’s ‘advise and consent’ responsibilities to ‘advise and obstruct.'”
The GOP blocks because they block anything the Democrats try to achieve. Since they were taken over by the Tea Party it is total war. The “black man” bit helps energise their racist base but they will do the same with any Democrat in office.
Even though there was already precedent favourable to Obama’s action, they issued a stay against Obama’s Clean Air action in a 5-4 decision with Scalia one of the 5. The full case was due to be heard mid-year.
Excellent! I also note that the onion’s twitter page features a banner photo of Obama, some more replicant Obamas, Ban Ki Moon, some space aliens, a lizard person and, er, John Key.
I’m trying very hard to be a decent respectful human being by maintaining a proper sense of decorum, and not break into hysterical laughter or a rousing chorus of “ding, dong, the witch is dead”.
The following is not laughter inducing, but relevant anyway:
“It’s appropriate that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at a luxury resort while freeloading as the guest of thus far unidentified wealthy sponsors as one of 40 guests at a private quail-hunting vacation party.
“The resort where he died, Cibolo Ranch Resort, located on land stolen by its founder from the Apache and Comanche people in the Big Bend region of west Texas, is a posh retreat favored by the ultra rich, offering rooms priced from $350 to $800 a night — and it’s a safe bet that the bed Scalia died in was located in a top-priced room — and that the credit card that was swiped to pay for it didn’t have his name on it. (According to one report, the guests at the gathering had their bills covered by the resort’s owner, John Poindexter, a mullti-millionaire real estate owner, rancher and former investment banker.)”
…..
“We don’t at this point know what Scalia’s final junket was about — Poindexter makes a point of saying it “wasn’t about politics or law — but it’s no surprise he wasn’t there on his own dime. It wasn’t the way Scalia operated. Indeed, so egregious and frequent were Scalia’s junkets that in October 2015 the New York Times wrote an editorial condemning them and calling for a reform to make such legalized bribery illegal. ” http://thiscantbehappening.net/node/3043
What changes could the Supreme court ring in that the world desperately needs?
An end to the claptrap Scalia and his ilk champion[ed].
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gives comfort to creationists while speaking at his granddaughter’s commencement ceremony.
Giving the commencement address at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda where his granddaughter Megan graduated, Scalia opined:
Class of 2015, you should not leave Stone Ridge High School thinking that you face challenges that are at all, in any important sense, unprecedented. Humanity has been around for at least some 5,000 years or so, and I doubt that the basic challenges as confronted are any worse now, or alas even much different, from what they ever were.
The reference to “5,000 years” is an allusion to the claims made by Young Earth Creationists who take a “Biblical view” of science and reject biological evolution.
[…]
The following is an excerpt of the dissent in Edwards vs. Aguillard written by Scalia:
The body of scientific evidence supporting creation science is as strong as that supporting evolution. In fact, it may be stronger…. The evidence for evolution is far less compelling than we have been led to believe. Evolution is not a scientific “fact,” since it cannot actually be observed in a laboratory. Rather, evolution is merely a scientific theory or “guess.”… It is a very bad guess at that. The scientific problems with evolution are so serious that it could accurately be termed a “myth.”…
Even though there hasn’t been any cases that I am aware of recently that involves creationism and the Supreme Court of the US why would this impact the entire world even if there was?
I’ve had the measles, as did all my siblings. I think it’s an indictment on society and the medical profession and the health systems and the Science is God people that that woman had to go to a closed internet group for advice about her baby when my mother’s generation all knew as a matter of course how to care for a sick child at home.
Doctor and FB groups are going to give completely different sets of advice. And she says in the article that she is going to take her son to the doctors, which IMO is a good way to spread the measles esp to vulnerable kids. Better that people have the skills to manage at home and the knowledge to know when they need to get medical help.
states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is not harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking an action.
[my italics]
We know the level of harm of vaccines: fuck all compared to the level of harm of the diseases they represent (see my opening sentence).
so yeah, I have very little time for people whose idiocy results in outbreaks of Dickensian illnesses in first-world nations. Frankly, I view anti-vaxxers as public health menaces.
Such a complete lack of understanding , ignorance and arrogance
That you don’t can’t or won’t describe simple concepts without using derogatory language, let alone comprehend them adequately , is your problem to work through
But I’m afraid being anti-vax fails on all three counts:
Informed choice: There is plenty of information on vaccination vs disease – it is a no-brainer that vaccination saves millions of lives / severe illnesses, with the negative effects of vaccination real but minuscule in comparison to the disease
freedom to choose: Unfortunately you are not only choosing for yourself / your children. Unvaccinated people pass disease to others and can destroy herd immunity. Oddly, this same “freedom” argument is advanced by RWNJ for their economic and social views (‘I should be free to choose whether I contribute to the education / healthcare of others etc). We should do some things collectively for the good of society.
Precautionary principle: The balance of risk is overwhelmingly in favour of vaccination. Not vaccinating fails the precautionary test.
You state “informed choice” as one of your major arguments.
Then make it clear you don’t believe in a patient’s informed choice at all, you believe in your choice and your conclusions, to be applied to everyone else, and then applying a thin veneer of your version of “informed choice” over the top of it.
1) Informed choice: there is plenty of evidence that Labour gets consistently better results for both adults and children than National does. Yes Labour Governments sometimes cause bad things, but those bad things are miniscule in comparison to the benefits that they deliver, especially compared to National.
2) Freedom to choose: National voters are not just choosing a government for themselves/their own children. Unfortunately, their choice is also damaging other people and can destroy the common good.
3) Precautionary principle: the balance of risk is greatly in favour of a Labour led government. Voting National and not voting Labour fails the test of the precautionary principle.
Conclusion – people who vote National are both socially and personally irresponsible, and the ability to democratically choose to vote for National shall be banned, in the name of the public good.
So basically the idea that Labour “consistently” does better is correct only 4/5 of the time. I reckon you might be lacking “scientific consensus” that your statement is correct.
A better example would be the policy of denazification of post-WWII Germany. Participants in a clearly bad government were banned from office, but the actual impact was minimal. So even if the thing is bad, the intervention needs to be better than the status quo. Voting interventions aren’t. Vaccinations clearly are.
Drove some long distance recently and saw incidents all the time – swerving badly across the road, driving onto one lane bridge with us already on it, random stopping in the middle of the road…. probably couple of incidents per morning on average…..
it is a very real threat, with locals driving like nanas now
My sister was catching a commuter flight from Wellington, and saw a driver (passenger in back seat) having difficulty at the car park entrance. When she enquired if they needed a handed, the driver said she was looking for the car rental place to drop off the car, and needed to do so quickly as they were late to check in for a flight.
My sister offered to direct them there and jumped in the passenger seat. During the short drive, the driver drove extremely badly, before ending up at the car rental. During somewhat strained conversation it appears that the driver had never driven a car before and driving on the NZ roads was the first time. She had driven from Rotorua to Wellington, on our somewhat unforgiving of driver error roads.
@ vto and Molly ….in the meantime young New Zealanders can’t get licenses….!!!! ( too expensive….too hard!…too much testing….too many failed because of simple tiny errors)
….this is jonkey’s banana republic…persecute and make it very hard for New Zealand youth to get ahead …and make it a free for all for the overseas hoons and irresponsible and wealthy
I suggest heavy, near extreme, measures are required.
URGENTLY.
There simply has to be a hard core practical test before any rental car can be taken out by a non-NZ driver.
If it costs – tough. It will save NZ lives.
If they fail and can’t drive – tough. It will save NZ lives.
If tourists leave – tough. It will save NZ lives.
This is now an everyday occurrence. Starting to make me very cross.
THE TOURISTS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN DRINK DRIVING…..
Most people don’t understand about derivatives or other financial products. In Holland, Pension funds are going down to their exposure to these toxic instruments, in the US pensions funds are collapsing and the funds are being looted by banks and governmental institutions to cover debts and in New Zealand we hear nothing about the Cullen fund which supposedly has about $19 billion in investments so I thought I’d link to some articles I have been writing in as early as 2012 about the fund that was supposed to be able to support our pension system for a long time to come:
so you wont ‘t be cashing in your hybrid bank bonds then Gosman?….oh wait you can’t…..I wonder if you can find someone to purchase them off you…..at a greatly reduced value of course…
Goldman Sachs man Gooseman.futures in their basic form were originally designed to create a smoothing of market prices for growers and manufacturers to stabilize markets.
Today’s futures are far from that.
The wall St futures of today are a corruption .
Futures of today are ponzi schemes bought and sold by corrupt bankers who know when the tide goes out they are worth nothing.
Unless the company selling these ponzi schemes is in bed with the large govts is The US and EU where Goldman Sachs bankers are the finance ministers.
They will turn around and get enough money printed to save their arses.
Gooseman another failure.
When are you going to produce some evidence you know something about futures.
Many times I have seen futures trading suspended because they can’t meet their obligations.
Then trillions of dollars in bailouts .
Welfare for criminal ponzi schemers.
Greek govt being lent $100’s of billions by bankers who knew they couldn’t pay it back.
Predatory loan sharks.
is John Key Merrill Lynch.
Gooseman your a gullible govt grovelar
“Max Keiser hit out against Deutsche Bank in the latest episode of his RT program Keiser Report, saying the bank was “technically insolvent” despite assurances from German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that he had “no concerns” over his country’s biggest bank…
the German banks (and Finance Minister) didn’t behave responsibly with the Greek situation…..just as we can expect them to continue to behave in the event more defaults occur….somewhat like Cyprus
Their method has been clearly signaled and is ignored at our own risk.
A review of the modelling of the benefits of the TPPA
In a document that was recently released under the OIA, Treasury put the present value of the benefits at $13.3 billion. This assessment was based on the NZMOD benefit numbers. If we scale this back by our assessment of the annual benefits then the net present value of the benefits is $665 million. Treasury’s assessment of the net present value of the costs is $800 million (not including biologic costs)
And that doesn’t even take into account our loss of sovereignty. So, for us, the TPPA is a lose-lose.
but all is well, a real estate agent told me that the asian buyers (yep a realtor said the word asian) finally all received their IRD Numbers and House Sales will go up into the stratosphere in AKL again.
so who needs exports, n stuff ….not us not us
Quote: “Yet despite all this stimulus, growth is anaemic and deflation becoming entrenched in many countries. Increasingly, central banks are turning to negative interest rates as a last resort. Japan recently joined the ECB, Denmark Sweden and Switzerland.
What happens next could be startling. For example, the UK should start to consider ending all cash transactions to enable banks to levy negative interest rates on their customers, Andrew Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, argued in a speech last September, available here.
This is only one of the range of radical new tools central banks must devise to cope with the next recession, Martin Wolf, chief economics columnist of the Financial Times, wrote recently, available here.
Our Reserve Banks has been remarkably reticent on all these issues, even though it has missed every inflation forecast it has made in the past four years. With deflation looking ever more likely than inflation, it should take the opportunity of its March 10 Monetary Policy Statement to begin to engage business and the wider public on this fundamental challenge.
Reality is hitting home in may other ways, such as the forecast by DairyNZ that 85 per cent of dairy farmers will run at a loss this season.
Yet in Parliament on Tuesday, Key’s passing gesture to the real world was this:
“…weaker dairy prices, along with other factors, are contributing to slower growth in the nominal economy, which is expected to be around $17 billion lower over the next five years than was expected in last year’s Budget. This flows through to slightly less tax revenue, slightly lower operating balances and slightly higher debt, compared to Budget forecasts.” Quote End.
I wonder if people realise what the Bank of England nut bar is saying here? ……….
“For example, the UK should start to consider ending all cash transactions to enable banks to levy negative interest rates on their customers, Andrew Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, argued in a speech last September”
It is fucked completely.
He is saying – lets charge people to conduct transactions in order to save the banks.
It may take a while for this to seep in – especially to right wing brains…
Quote: A cashless society could help us combat crime and tax avoidance by making it much harder to trade illegally and in an untraced way. It would also avoid the problem of cash hoarding if interest rates were ever cut to 0%, or even negative rates. It would make it much easier to have negative interest rates that gave the Reserve Bank the power to stimulate the economy by charging savers to look after their money. A move to a digital currency could also allow us to do without banks for transactions and save an awful lot of money in processing and conversion fees.
So why don’t we do it? Now that most people have smart phones and almost all retailers are connected to a payments network, it would seem a simple step to remove cash from the system. After all, many of us use EFTPOS and contactless Visa and Master cards to pay for things. Why not switch completely and remove all the cost and danger of storing, transporting and handling cash?
Yet it’s proving much harder than many thought, and it’s not just a New Zealand problem. Despite all the gadgets and terminals, there is actually much more cash in circulation than there’s ever been. The Reserve Bank reports there was NZ$4.96 billion worth of notes ands coin sitting in wallets and vaults and under mattresses as at March of last year. That’s up 61.6% from the NZ$3.07 billion in circulation just 10 years earlier. Quote end.
i do like how its always to combat crime, are we not just a bunch o suckers in their eyes.
yes we could do it….and it would aid in tax evasion…..unfortunately it will also aid in bail ins for the banks and right at the moment that is a very real risk…I .dont think anyone would be very happy about losing a significant portion of their savings,….except perhaps the bankers who have skimmed off obscene bonuses for providing the “service”….quarter (or whatever figure they determine) of an obscene unwarranted amount is still not a bad scam.
Watch , listen and follow very closely the chorus of cashless society shills. They are lining up, they are many , and they have local chapters in every corner of the globe
There are a small number of issues which will grab the attention of a huge percentage of the western world. This is one of the few
The more those few issues are openly pushed, greater numbers of people will begin to look more deeply into the lies behind them, rebel, or look for alternatives
weaker dairy prices, along with other factors, are contributing to slower growth in the nominal economy
What is this “nominal economy” and how is he getting away avoiding the impact of weaker dairy prices and other factors the real economy that real people operate in?
he does not live in the same economy than you and me. That is how he avoids the consequence of the selling of our country. When he is done he’ll bugger off.
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Lately there has been a great deal of misinformation regarding the origins and purpose of Skeptical Science. As John Cook wrote nearly a decade ago, Skeptical Science is primarily a website that debunks climate misinformation with peer-reviewed science. Despite the ever-worsening impacts from climate change, with record after record being broken in ...
Under Attack: By sacking not only RNZ Concert’s presenters, but also its producers and librarians, and reducing the station to an automated purveyor of classical music in-between parliamentary broadcasts, RNZ’s CEO, Paul Thompson, wasn’t simply announcing an operational shake-up, he was declaring war on one of the most important guardians of ...
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Australian smoke plume sets recordsThe recent wildfires in Australia sent one of ...
The Global Protest to #FightInequality was powerful – thankyou and what next? Dear allies, We started the decade with a huge protest to #FightInequality that was heard around the world, including the 1% at Davos. Watch and share the highlights on facebook and twitter. A huge thank you. Together we ...
The Ministry of Health have announced a package that might ensure NZ will never experience another measles epidemic. While at the time of writing the details are still limited it appears that the important limitations in our current programme have been acknowledged and the intent is to address them. Great ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael BakerIn this blog we briefly summarise our assessment of the highly uncertain new coronavirus threat. Given its potential to become a severe and prolonged global pandemic, a precautionary response now means activating all components of our pandemic plan, with a particular focus on ‘keep ...
When Labour was running for election, Jacinda Ardern famously said that climate change was "my generation's nuclear free moment". The implication was that her government would take the problem seriously, and act swiftly to reduce emissions. The reality:New Zealand will emit a million more tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020 ...
James Renwick is Professor of Physical Geography at Victoria University of Wellington. He studied at Canterbury and the University of Washington and has worked on diverse aspects of climate science, including global atmospheric circulation and Antarctic sea ice. In December 2019 he was appointed to the New Zealand Climate Change ...
by Philip Ferguson Exit polls are showing a three-way virtual tie between the main parties in the south of Ireland. Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are all on just over 22%. FG on 22.4, SF on 22.3, FF on 22.2. Exit polls indicate that over 30% of 18-24 ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 2, 2020 through Sat, Feb 8, 2020 Editor's Pick New Report Details How Fossil Fuel Industry's Climate Destruction Also Exacerbates Human Rights Abuses"Even in the face of the ...
In a previous post I described briefly when and how the Starlink satellite chains – recent launches by Space-X in a scheme to bring 5G internet connectivity to the whole globe – could be seen from New Zealand with the naked eye. Here I provide an update and predictions for ...
Keeping The Faith: This Government’s broad, new, heavily moderated, progressive faith does not require a prime minister with the powers of a medieval pope. Jacinda’s regime has no need of subterranean torture chambers to ensure compliance. A gift for diplomacy and the ability to inspire her fellow human-beings is all ...
Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian has penned a column which chastises the left wing of the Labour party for daring to retain principles and ideals, qualities - it seems - that should be jettisoned in pursuit of power.Never mind that Freedland was an ardent Remainer, that is to say, one ...
Tonight’s news suggests the coronavirus outbreak may have originated from pangolins. Details are very sketchy, almost nothing at all beyond a claim of high similarity. My impression is this claim comes from a press release by South China Agricultural University. Initial discussion online suggests this is a more likely candidate ...
by Susanne Kemp The Fire and Emergency service (FENZ) has recently asked firefighters in Auckland Areas 3, 4 and 5 to take on an additional duty that has rather ominous implications. Namely, to collect names and addresses of everyone on the premises of fires they attend. The firefighters’ union, the ...
Part of the story of the Nazis' rise to power in Germany was the willingness of mainstream right-wing parties to work with them to keep out the left. Because of this, one of the fundamental rules of postwar German politics has been "do not work with Nazis". As a result, ...
There has long been a truism in public broadcasting: don't mess with Concert FM. The theory was that although the station has been in a long-term audience decline, and that audience is steadily ageing out, it has powerful establishment support – and any threat to it would provoke a fury.As ...
This is a re-post from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists The heat absorbed in Earth’s oceans reached a new record in 2019, found a recent study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. Despite the fact that this has been the case for almost every year over the past decade, this information ...
We are confronted with the spectre of Simon Bridges making clear he cannot, will not, trust Winston Peters – the oft-cited “King Maker” in New Zealand politics.Supporters are lauding it as a master stroke, naturally, because in their eyes, it prevents him being the tail that wags the dog. ...
by Don Franks Under a government claiming empathy with the fine arts, Radio New Zealand ( RNZ) is poised to cut back its classical music station, RNZ Concert. The plan is replacing it on FM radio with music “for a younger audience” as part of a new multimedia music brand. ...
While the Provincial Growth Fund has provided $2 million to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia, Regional Economic Minister Shane Jones said he is greatly concerned that there are “issues” in implementing the projects. The Minister said the immediate solution was to pipe water from a bore ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland NZ First is calling on Rio Tinto to accept its responsibilities to the Southland community and enable the immediate removal of the toxic Aluminium Dross from the Mataura Paper Mill site. New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland, Mark Patterson ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was on RNZ’s Morning Report talking about the recent droughts in the Northland region and what the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing to alleviate its impact. The PGF recently announced a funding of $2 million for temporary water supplies to Kaikohe and Kaitaia, ...
Speaking to The Country’s Jamie Mackay, New Zealand First MP and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones talks water storage, plant-based meat imitation, and superstar Hollywood director James Cameron. While water storage may have its critics, Minister Jones defended the scheme by saying: “unless we invest and continue to invest” in this ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is accusing northern iwi leaders of selling out Māori by voting for ideologically-driven court cases rather than practical steps to increase water supply. “I just think that iwi leaders who think that water issues are going to be solved by perpetually fighting in the ...
A dairy owner in St Kilda, Dunedin was delighted to hear that an attempted robbery of his establishment was foiled by a government-funded security system. Sean Lee was delighted at how well the anti-theft smoke system worked. When a knife-wielding man entered the store, the shop assistant immediately pressed a ...
Customs says it stopped more than three tonnes of illegal drugs coming into New Zealand last year. This includes 1,180kg of methamphetamine, 329kg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine precursors, which could have been converted into 246kg of methamphetamine, 739kg and 6469 pills of MDMA or Ecstasy and 60kg of cocaine. Offshore, ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Up to $2 million will be allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia where drought is biting hard, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Drought conditions in Northland have led to ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Law and Order New Zealand First welcomes the deployment of an Eagle Police helicopter in Christchurch in what is a step towards fulfilling its long-standing goal to increase the use of police helicopters for the front line, particularly in addressing the scourge of fleeing drivers. Christchurch leads ...
It may have been the first sitting week of 2020, but our Government is already in full-swing - managing a strong economy, investing in infrastructure, and working to break the cycle of homelessness. Read below for all that, and more... ...
In a heated debate in Parliament, National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claimed that “nearly 1600 patched gang members have been added” since the Coalition Government took power. To illustrate her point, she altered a chart used by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show her government’s progress in housing to instead ...
Speech by the Rt Hon Winston Peters at Parliament’s Opening 2020 "We all need insurance" This year New Zealanders are going to have a clear choice to make That choice is between: Optimism versus pessimism; More progress versus back to the future; Investment versus divestment; Unity versus division. New Zealand ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has slammed the Board of Auckland Airport following the airport's runway closing twice within two weeks due to maintenance. Around 2,000 passengers were affected by last week’s runway closures, according to 1NEWS. Another maintenance closure on January 24 saw two international flights and three domestic flights ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Broadcasting New Zealand First supports the commissioning of a business case to assess the viability of a new public media entity. “A strong media environment is critical for a healthy democracy. New Zealand First is a strong supporter of a diverse, independent media,” New Zealand First broadcasting spokesperson ...
Pounamou and technology industries in the West Coast region are set to receive more than $2 million in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding. This was announced by the Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau during Waitangi Day commemorations in Hokitika. He said $800,000 would be given to Development West ...
Clayton Mitchell MP, New Zealand First spokesperson for Labour and Industrial Relations Unemployment and wage growth numbers released by Stats NZ today demonstrate a labour market in good shape with unemployment falling to 4.0%, the underutilisation rate falling to an 11 year low, and wage growth at a 10-year high ...
Hon. Ron Mark, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Defence New Zealand First Spokesperson for Defence Ron Mark, welcomes the official opening of Te Rau Aroha, a new museum at Waitangi Treaty Grounds as part of our Coalition Agreement. “It is a great honour to be part of an effective Government ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime MinisterGood morning,Let us start with important acknowledgements.First, this special day, in remembrance of the 28th Maori Battalion, is also to honour all those men and women who have risked their lives in the service of our country.Second, special guest Robert ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand will look to build on its relationship with the United Kingdom and recommit to the European Union, after the country officially left the continental union recently. The Minister said New Zealand already cooperates closely with Britain on defence and security issues and has ...
The Government continues to make progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the First Reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and its referral to the Social Services and Community Select Committee. “Now is the opportunity for landlords, tenants and others who want ...
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Hon James Marape will visit New Zealand from 21-25 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and friendly relationship. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marape here and strengthening the relationship between our two countries,” ...
Thousands of children have begun receiving a free lunch on every day of the school week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Government’s free and healthy school lunch programme is under way for 7,000 students at 31 schools in Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty / Waiariki, extending ...
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni today announced a new approach that continues to broaden the Government’s social sector focus from a narrow, investment approach to one centred on people and wellbeing. Minister Sepuloni said redefining the previous approach to social investment by combining science, data and lived experience ...
The Government is strengthening the Protected Disclosures Act to provide better protection for whistle blowers, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures Act is meant to encourage people to speak up about serious wrongdoing in the workplace and protect them from losing their jobs or being ...
Nǐn hǎo (Hello in Mandarin). Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year in Mandarin) Néi Hóu (Hello in Cantonese). Sun Nin Fai Lok (Happy New Year in Cantonese) Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for your invitation to attend this celebration today. I would like to acknowledge ...
Tougher penalties for gun crime are a step closer with the passage of firearms reform legislation through another stage in Parliament. The Arms Legislation Bill has tonight passed its Second Reading. “The changes have one objective - to prevent firearms falling into the wrong hands,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Introduction Mr Speaker We all know why we are here today. It has been a long journey. The journey did not actually begin on 15 March 2019. It began on 30 June 1997. Almost 23 years ago, Justice Sir Thomas Thorp told us what was wrong with our firearms legislation. ...
The Government’s work to put trades and vocational education back on the agenda took another major step forward today with the passing of the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is a watershed day for trades and vocational education. These law changes formalise ...
Speeding up the return of Christchurch regeneration activities to local leadership is behind the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today by Minister Megan Woods. “As we approach nine years since the February 2011 earthquake in Canterbury, and with the transition to local leadership well underway, the time ...
Hundreds of New Zealanders and international visitors will be able to get back out into nature with the Milford Track partially reopening next week, after extensive assessments and repairs, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The popular Great Walk has been closed since 3 February after an extreme ...
Up to 110 new EV chargers nationwide in cities and regions 50 electric vehicles for ride-sharing The Government is helping deliver more infrastructure and options for low emissions transport through new projects, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. Tauranga, Nelson, Levin, New Plymouth and Oamaru are just some ...
New Zealanders are increasingly better off under this Government as wages rise and families have more disposable income, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. Stats NZ reported today that average household disposable incomes after housing costs rose 4.9% in 2019. This was the highest rise in four years and came as ...
All New Zealanders need to have their voices heard at work to ensure we have an inclusive and productive economy. Today we introduce a Bill to do this for workers in the New Zealand screen industry, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “The Screen Industry Workers Bill will ...
The Government has announced further help for the Southland and Otago regions to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. “I’ve approved Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG), making $500,000 available to help with the clean-up in Fiordland, Southland, and the Clutha district in Otago,” Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said. ...
Following the announcement that more than 340 schools will be funded to run events promoting vocational education, the Government has announced it will fund a further 257 events to be run by employers and industry. “These industry-run events will allow more than 30,000 students to connect with more than 2,000 ...
Today the Government is making progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the introduction of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill in Parliament. “This Bill includes a series of reforms to improve the wellbeing of the 609,700 households that live in rented homes, and ...
A Government programme to wipe out pea weevil has achieved a world first, with Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor today announcing the successful eradication of the noxious pest from Wairarapa. This means the nearly four-year ban on pea plants and pea straw was lifted today. Commercial and home gardeners can again grow ...
Southland residents hit by flooding caused by heavy rainfall can now access help finding temporary accommodation with the Government activating the Temporary Accommodation Service, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare announced today. “The Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to help ...
“Is that it?” That’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s response to Simon Bridges’ much-hyped economic speech today. “Simon Bridges just gave the most over-hyped and under-delivered speech that I can remember during my time in politics,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s not surprising. Simon Bridges literally said on the radio this morning ...
A trial deployment of the Police Eagle helicopter in Christchurch will test whether the aircraft would make a significant difference to crime prevention and community safety. “The Bell 429 helicopter will be based in Christchurch for five weeks, from 17 February to 20 March,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. “The ...
The Government has kept up the pace of its work to promote New Zealand’s trade interests and diversify our export markets, with visits to Fiji and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker. Building momentum to bring the PACER Plus trade and development agreement ...
The Coalition Government’s investment in a strong border and disrupting transnational organised crime produced record results for stopping drugs in 2019, says Minister of Customs Jenny Salesa. The illegal drugs were seized at the New Zealand border by Customs, and overseas by Customs’ international border partners before the drugs could ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today kicked off construction of a separated cycleway alongside Tamaki Drive. A two-way separated cycleway will be built along the northern side of Tamaki Drive, between the Quay Street Cycleway extension and Ngapipi Road. There will be a separate walking path alongside. Phil Twyford said giving ...
Owner-occupiers of unit and apartments living in earthquake-prone buildings will have certainty about the financial support they’ll be eligible for with the release of criteria for an upcoming assistance scheme, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa says. The Residential Earthquake-Prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme will help unit owners facing ...
Temporary restrictions on travel from China will remain in place as a precautionary measure to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The restrictions which prevent foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China from entering New Zealand have been extended for a further 8 days. This position ...
Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today that Tairāwhiti rangatahi will benefit from an investment made by the Government’s He Poutama Rangatahi (HPR) scheme. The funding will go to the Tautua Village, Kauneke programme and the Matapuna Supported Employment Programme which will fund 120 rangatahi over two years. “Both programmes work ...
All parents and caregivers need to ensure that their children go to school unless they are sick, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin said today. “The school attendance results for 2019 show, across the board, a drop in the number of students going to school regularly,” the Minister says. “Apart from ...
A Deed of Settlement agreeing redress for historical Treaty claims has been signed by the Crown and Moriori at Kōpinga Marae on Rēkohu (Chatham Islands) today, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced. Moriori have a tradition of peace that extends back over 600 years. This settlement ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today with Māori King Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII officially opened the country’s newest road, the $384 million Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway. The 15km four-lane highway with side and central safety barriers takes State Highway 1 east of Huntly town, across lowlands and streams ...
The rapid uptake of life-saving new hepatitis C medicine Maviret since it was funded by PHARMAC a year ago means the elimination of the deadly disease from this country is a realistic goal, Health Minister David Clark says. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus which attacks the liver, proving fatal ...
Kaupapa Māori will underpin the Government’s new plan to deal with homelessness announced by the Prime Minister in Auckland this morning. “Māori are massively overrepresented among people experiencing homelessness, so, to achieve different outcomes for Māori, we have to do things very differently,” says the Minister of Māori Development ...
1000 new transitional housing places delivered by end of year to reduce demand for emergency motel accommodation. Introduce 25% of income payment, after 7 days, for those in emergency motel accommodation to bring in line with other forms of accommodation support. Over $70m extra to programmes that prevents those at ...
Clear requirements for ensuring customers are treated fairly by banks, insurers and other financial service providers are included in new financial conduct legislation that passed its first reading today. “The recent reviews, by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and Reserve Bank of New Zealand, into the conduct of banks and ...
Applications are now open for the fifth round of the Regional Culture and Heritage Fund Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Grant Robertson announced today. “I am delighted to open this year’s fund which has some $7 million available to support performing arts venues, galleries, museums and whare ...
The Minister of Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta today congratulated Associate Professor Amokura Kawharu on her appointment as the next President of the Law Commission. “Amokura Kawharu will be a standout in her new role, leading in an innovative and forward looking approach to the law reform process. She will ...
Auckland University legal academic Amokura Kawharu has been appointed as the next President of the Law Commission, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. Associate Professor Kawharu will take up her new appointment on 11 May 2020. “I would like to congratulate Associate Professor Kawharu on her appointment,” Andrew ...
A programme for employers to help them engage effectively with younger employees was launched today by Minister of Employment, Willie Jackson. The Youth Ready Employer Programme contains a range of on-line templates that employers can easily access to help with employing and retaining young people in their businesses. The programme ...
Budget 2020 will be delivered on Thursday 14 May, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “This year’s Budget will continue the Coalition Government’s focus on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand while also preparing the economy for the future. “Those challenges and opportunities cannot be resolved in one budget, ...
I move, That this House place on record its appreciation and thanks for the devoted and distinguished service to New Zealand by the late Rt Hon Michael Kenneth Moore, member of the Order of New Zealand, a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, an Honorary Member of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The coronavirus is presenting a major threat to Australia’s education export industry, which is highly dependant upon the China market, and a huge challenge to the universities. Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The corona virus is presenting a major threat to Australia’s education export industry, which is highly dependant upon the China market, and a huge challenge to the universities. Phillip Honeywood, CEO of the International Education ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stacey L Rowe, PhD candidate, Monash University Today’s evacuation of about 180 passengers from the cruise ship Diamond Princess to serve another period of quarantine back in Australia has raised questions about the best way to control spread of the coronavirus. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tess Hardy, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Melbourne Australian supermarket giant Coles and discount chain Target this week joined an ignominious list of large corporations caught up in “wage theft” scandals. Coles confessed to underpaying salaried employees about A$20 million over ...
Parliament is now seeking public submissions on an international treaty that makes it possible to recover child or spousal support from someone who lives in another country. The Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne Since July last year, bushfires have burned more than 7.7 million hectares of southeast Australia, putting many threatened species at increased risk of extinction. ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Pranav Chopra, founder and CEO of Nemi Teas.On Business is Boring this week, ...
Barnardos is today welcoming the Minister of Social Development’s announcement of a new ‘social wellbeing approach’. Speaking from the official launch of the new approach in Tamaki Makaurau today, Barnardos’ Chief Executive Mike Munnelly ...
A failed Dunedin financial adviser is facing 12 charges relating to fraud and theft over what the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) says is a Ponzi scheme that lost investors $15.7 million. Barry Kloogh appeared in the Dunedin District Court this morning to face charges brought by the SFO over running ...
How to stop procrastinating and actually (finally) get on top of KiwiSaver. Because there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you don’t know a single thing about it. Read the full series here.As we learned in part two, being in the right fund can make all the difference: you ...
New Zealand Cricket and media company NZME have failed to reach a deal on radio broadcast rights for next season's international and domestic matches. The current deal expires at the end of April and does not affect the remainder of this summer's broadcast schedule on Radio Sport. Radio Sport has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jianling Xie, Postdoctoral Scientist, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute Researchers in the United States have unveiled the structure of the “spike protein” of 2019-nCoV – the virus behind the current coronavirus disease outbreak. Despite the fact that researchers have already ...
Australian national airline Qantas is cutting some trans-Tasman flights because of the expected fall in business from the coronavirus. It said it will reduce capacity by 5 percent because of a fall in demand, along with the reduction in services to China, Hong Kong and Japan. Qantas and Jetstar services ...
Dr Bryce Edwards.Is the National Party off the hook over the Serious Fraud Office donations prosecution? That’s what the party is claiming, pointing out that no National official or MP has been charged. But of course, there was a National MP involved – albeit one no longer with the ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentDonation scandals Bryce Edwards (Guardian): Vested interests in New Zealand politics are too big to ignore – we need ...
Eden Project New Zealand (EPNZ) has announced that it has signed a ‘licence to occupy’ agreement with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and the Christchurch City Council (CCC) regarding a new Eden Project in Ōtautahi/Christchurch. ...
Thursday, February 20: South Islanders will be bidding ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Austrian oil and gas giant OMV, which has come up empty handed following a controversial deep sea drill in the Great South Basin. Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, ...
A Southland woman has been prosecuted by SPCA after she docked the tails of eight Rottweiler puppies using docking bands. Taylor Hall pleaded guilty to eight charges of docking the tail of a dog and was sentenced at Invercargill District Court on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Piccini, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University Australia has just entered its final year of its membership on the UN Human Rights Council. This position was won on the strength of two key arguments: Australia would be the first Pacific nation to ...
In Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, the titular Zoey starts to hear the thoughts of those around her – but expressed in song. Sam Brooks investigates what would happen if Zoey took a trip across the Pacific to sunny ol’ New Zealand.If you could pick any superpower, what would it be? Flight? ...
Auckland Council is warning government officials of the risks of disastrous housing developments like some seen in the United Kingdom. It is facing off over the way the government plans to get thousands of prefabricated homes built here to tackle the housing crisis. An email sent last week by council ...
By Rambo Talabong in Manila The top lawyer of the Philippine Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) who was a controversial witness in Senate hearings on the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) controversy has been shot dead. According to the police report, lawyer Fredric Santos was gunned down yesterday afternoon by ...
Shane Jones was back in his Northland home patch during the week to announce the serving of another dollop of public money from the Provincial Growth Fund. It was not the first allocation of PGF funding to benefit the region this year. This time the PGF will allocate up to ...
We need to challenge those who minimise the actions of rapists based on the gender or ages of their victims, argues Emily Writes.Content warning: this article contains descriptions of sexual assault.News out of Australia of another college supporting a sexual predator is as unsurprising as it is horrific. Victims of ...
The two recent donations investigations show political party funding rules are not fit for purpose, and politicians cannot be trusted to fix them, Cat MacLennan writes. ...
The legislation setting up a firearms register and introducing tougher licensing controls is a step closer to becoming law, but negotiations with New Zealand First are still ongoing. ...
A year after they went carbon neutral, The Warehouse Group’s chief sustainability officer reflects on the journey so far and the work that is still to be done. It was a year ago that the red shed made its biggest commitment to going green in its 38 year history. The Warehouse ...
Fresh on the heels of this morning’s news about the prime minister handing someone a bottle opener, The Spinoff can reveal that Jacinda Ardern once offered a man a banana. Jacinda Ardern once offered an Auckland man a banana, according to a tweet viewed by The Spinoff.The MP who would go ...
Auckland Airport has reported a flat first-half result, and plans to bring forward the billion-dollar redevelopment of its domestic terminal, and upgrade the international arrivals hall. The company's net profit for the six months to December was unchanged from the year earlier's $147.2 million, reflecting a drop in passenger growth ...
How voters react to the headlines generated by NZ First’s latest financial shenanigans may (or may not) determine the outcome on September 19. The most recent Colmar Brunton poll had NZ First down at 3%, so some commentators are already writing off the party’s chances of survival. But the real ...
Since 2017 New Conservative has been calling for net zero immigration until our housing stocks meet demand. Immigrants must prove they are financially independent so they have the means to pay higher rents which forces those at the ...
Despite more than 40 years of law reform aimed at improving the experience of giving evidence for adult rape complainants, Ministry of Justice research in 2018 re-confirmed that the process remains distressing and re-traumatising. According to experts, more ...
Just like donations to political parties, the justice system should be open and transparent. That is what I believe and have sought. Until now, however, I have been unable to make a public statement regarding these allegations, despite wanting to ...
Himali McInnes looks past the fact that the first black woman to win the Booker had to bloody share it and focuses on the book – in itself a treasure. Girl, Woman, Other is the smart, urbane eighth novel by Bernadine Evaristo. Born in London of Nigerian, German and Irish descent, ...
The Prime Minister clearly hasn’t read the draft bill to legalise recreational cannabis, Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett says. "That was clear after watching her answer a question at Parliament yesterday, on the bill ...
Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire inhale the stench of donation scandal enveloping NZ First and National. Can the prime minister avoid the pong?Winston Peters, his New Zealand First Party, and whatever the New Zealand First Foundation is are just part of a wider donations controversy that seems set ...
20 February 2020: Steve Abel was selected last night as the Green Party candidate for the New Lynn electorate in West Auckland. The Long time environmental activist and Greenpeace’s former Senior Campaign and Political Adviser stepped down from ...
Jami-Lee Ross is once again proclaiming his innocence, as he heads off to court next week - along with three others - to face Serious Fraud Office charges. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rowan Callick, Industry Fellow, Griffith University Brand “People’s Republic of China” is wobbling, as if the massive picture of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square was swaying with an earthquake tremor. But it can only actually fall if pushed from inside. The handling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, Research fellow, La Trobe University Older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) people fear discrimination, exclusion and isolation in Australia’s aged care services, we found in our research. With an ageing cohort of LGBTI+ people needing to access, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Tolhurst, Hon. Assoc. Prof., Fire Ecology and Management, University of Melbourne When it comes to reducing the extent of bushfires, scientists disagree on the best way to do it. Hazard-reduction burning (also known as “prescribed burning” or “controlled burning”) is controversial ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Stanley, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney We were heavily involved in the consultation program for Melbourne’s long-term land-use plan, Plan Melbourne. The idea that resonated most with many participants was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Michael X. Savvas, Senior Lecturer in the Transition Office (PhD in Creative Writing), Flinders University A recent project to encourage South Australian prisoners to write provides insights into how prisoners may benefit from written expression. The project, Life Sentences, gave more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wallace Boone Law, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide On the night of January 9 2020, my wife and I secured our Kangaroo Island home and anxiously monitored the South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) website for bushfire advice. After many horrific weeks ...
In today’s edition: Jami-Lee Ross is confirmed as one of four charged by SFO, a damning international report on the NZ housing crisis, and SkyCity cancels a booking for Peter Singer event.SFO–JLR is not just an unlikely long-haul flight from California to India, but the latest instalment in the ...
The author of a novel set in racy, racist Hawke’s Bay writes about the experiences and stories that make up his book. Ten years old and I’m walking with my grandfather to the Farmers Tearooms in Hastings. At the entrance we meet a man whose house has recently burnt down. ...
A major report by the Auditor-General on how councils manage drinking, storm and waste waters found an incoherent, disorganised and stagnant system unprepared for climate change Auditor-General John Ryan found so much lacking in our water management systems he chose to start his final report on it by listing the ...
Child victims of a notorious North Island psychiatric hospital are still doubtful charges will be laid. David Williams reports Police are reviewing their file on Lake Alice psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks in the wake of a landmark decision by a United Nations committee. In December, the Committee against Torture issued a ...
When New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup - for the first time in this hemisphere – in 2021, it will mean so much to the Black Ferns, both present and past. To outsiders, it may have been surprising to watch Kendra Cocksedge taking a moment to hold back her ...
Climate change and carbon footprints, political unrest, global epidemics – what does it all mean for the future of tourism? While the crystal ball is murky, futurologist Associate Professor Ian Yeoman from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Management has some ideas about how the sector may change ...
The amount of methane emissions for which humans are responsible could be as much as 40% higher than thought. What does that mean for the fight against climate change? New international research suggests that the volume of methane emissions humans are producing is dramatically higher than previously thought. The findings, which ...
SkyCity yesterday pulled the plug on hosting philosopher and academic Peter Singer’s event after disability rights advocates expressed strong objections to his views. They’re right to be angry with him, but he nevertheless deserves to be heard, argues Danyl Mclauchlan.Athoughtful piece on The Spinoff yesterday explored the disabled community’s ...
There's nearly 10,000 tonnes of potentially toxic waste causing anger and anxiety in a tiny Southland town. We look at the secret deal that put it there, and the battle against a faceless entity to get rid of it. Mataura used to be a paper mill town. Nowadays the old ...
The Prime Minister has tried to relieve mounting pressure on China and New Zealand's bilateral relationship at a Chinese New Year Celebration at Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larissa Christensen, Lecturer in Criminology & Justice | Co-leader of the Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit (SVRPU), University of the Sunshine Coast This week’s ABC’s Four Corners exposed an elite Melbourne school for failing to adequately respond to the grooming of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trish Luker, Senior lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the names and voices of deceased people. When was the last time you signed your name? Perhaps you are more familiar with the ...
“Oranga Tamariki have remained silent on their role in this horrific situation,” a Māori leader tells Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner. A respected Hawke’s Bay kaumatua, who has been supporting the whānau whānui of a four-year-old boy being treated in hospital for brain injuries, says Oranga Tamariki needs to take responsibility ...
*Watch Melanie Reid's full interview in the video player above* Oranga Tamariki stands accused of returning a four-year-old who had been previously badly injured within a Flaxmere household to the same home, where he has since been severely injured again. It allegedly did so without full consultation with the wider whānau, some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Green, Emeritus Professor & UTS innovation adviser, University of Technology Sydney The only surprise about the termination of the Holden brand in Australia was that it caused such surprise. This was the final nail in an already empty coffin, given local ...
The owners of the disputed land at Ihumātao say for seven months they've halted development at the request of the Prime Minister, but that can't continue indefinitely. ...
Big Tech companies like Microsoft have raised the spectre of geo-blocking NZ if the Government proceeds with a bill for classifying streamed content. ...
Open Mike 15/02/2016 
Open mike is your post.
Another day, another IPCA report on criminal conduct by policy. This time they kicked a child in the head when he was handcuffed:Police chased him and yelled out for him to stop. When he turned to face the police, he threatened them with a hammer. That's when the officers tasered ...6 hours ago
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Former National Party MP Jami-Lee RossIt comes as no surprise that Jami-Lee Ross has been named as one of the defendants in the X2 $100,000 National Party donations case currently before the courts. Click bait journalists who were chaffing at the bit to discredit the former senior whip had already ...9 hours ago
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*Watch Melanie Reid's full interview in the video player above* Oranga Tamariki stands accused of returning a four-year-old who had been previously badly injured within a Flaxmere household to the same home, where he has since been severely injured again. It allegedly did so without full consultation with the wider whānau, some ...1 day ago
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Listening to RNZ yesterday afternoon after the Christchurch earthquake, it struck me that there were several callers who expressed more of a fear of insurance companies inaction than fear of the actual earthquake.
5 years on, there were people ringing who were still in houses not dealt with by the EQC . Two callers in particular named AIG as an appalling insurer.
Yet they have enough money to splash their corporate logo all over the All Blacks shirt.
I really hope John Campbell reopened this can of worms.
Yes
I heard that damage claims have to be in in 3 months
Shame that there is not a 3 month pay out time..
All claim settlements need to include a ‘use-of-money’ component, back-dated to the date of the event.
You know, like the government and IRD does with us.
goose and gander and all that…..
yes?
no?
Yeah, there’d definitely be a financial incentive not to drag the chain if that were to be in place.
The whole thing is really a big clusterfuck though, with the whole “handover from EQC” seeming to be handled really poorly for everyone.
After EQC is done with it, your insurance company has to start *from scratch*.
There is nothing one can do about the earthquake. It’s simply something you learn to live with when choosing to live here in Christchurch. As opposed to that, the insurance shamble is man-made and can be avoided. Insurance companies drag everything as much as possible so that more and more people will give up and take a cash settlement.
One of my customer is building a commercial kitchen for one of our local church. He was surprised to find out that the reason he is building this kitchen is that the church is feeding a 100+ people a day. We had a bit of a chat about the situation here in AKL where it now is more and more the norm for low income people and people on benefits to be depended on charities to eat, they may earn enough money to pay the bills, but then have no money for food or they may get enough benefits to cover the rent but not electricity or food.
I asked him how much his pay had increased over the last 5 – 7 years vs the increases in his living costs, and he agreed with me that yes, for people on a fixed income, benefit or the min wage life has not gotten better but in fact much worse.
Slowly but surely the the mask of feel good, and pretend to be good and happy at all times is slipping, and the raising poverty and misery is coming more and more to the light for all to see.
Yes. And there’s another cold winter on the horizon.
Food? or warmth? Stark choices that have to be made by many.
Who will replace Scalia on the US Supreme Court..
Possibly Kamala Harris:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris
This would help ring in the changes that the world so desperately needs.
This bloke too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Srinivasan
Impressive, isn’t he? They might be able to get him through the Senate, which I think would be a problem with Harris.
You see the Senate going for an Obama nominee do you?
McConnell (Senate Majority Leader) has already said any Obama appointment isn’t gonna happen. Since he controls what issues come before the Senate, he may be able to block the Senate from even voting on an Obama appointment.
Looking at the current crop of Republican senators, McCain looks the only one with enough sense of duty to vote for a reasonable Obama choice, and four Republican votes are needed (there’s currently 54 Republicans, 2 independents, 44 Democrats).
On the other hand, if Sanders wins in November and the Democrats regain a majority in the Senate, then there might be a sudden rush of final business before the new people are sworn in in January.
He could nominate the risen Yeshua and they’d block because black man…..
Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2005: ‘The President, and the President alone, nominates judges’
[…]
“[T]he Republican conference intends to restore the principle that, regardless of party, any President’s judicial nominees, after full debate, deserve a simple up-or-down vote. I know that some of our colleagues wish that restoration of this principle were not required. But it is a measured step that my friends on the other side of the aisle have unfortunately made necessary. For the first time in 214 years, they have changed the Senate’s ‘advise and consent’ responsibilities to ‘advise and obstruct.'”
http://m.dailykos.com/stories/1484831
The GOP blocks because they block anything the Democrats try to achieve. Since they were taken over by the Tea Party it is total war. The “black man” bit helps energise their racist base but they will do the same with any Democrat in office.
What changes could the Supreme court ring in that the world desperately needs?
Affirmation that the President has the right and obligation to control the emission of harmful greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
Have they recently ruled against this then?
Even though there was already precedent favourable to Obama’s action, they issued a stay against Obama’s Clean Air action in a 5-4 decision with Scalia one of the 5. The full case was due to be heard mid-year.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/13/3749464/the-simply-breathtaking-consequences-of-justice-scalias-death/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/antonin-scalia-death-undecided-cases_us_56c072c5e4b08ffac1259d23
Dead after a long battle…
Excellent! I also note that the onion’s twitter page features a banner photo of Obama, some more replicant Obamas, Ban Ki Moon, some space aliens, a lizard person and, er, John Key.
🙂 He doesn’t even look out of place.
I’m trying very hard to be a decent respectful human being by maintaining a proper sense of decorum, and not break into hysterical laughter or a rousing chorus of “ding, dong, the witch is dead”.
You two are not helping.
The following is not laughter inducing, but relevant anyway:
“It’s appropriate that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at a luxury resort while freeloading as the guest of thus far unidentified wealthy sponsors as one of 40 guests at a private quail-hunting vacation party.
“The resort where he died, Cibolo Ranch Resort, located on land stolen by its founder from the Apache and Comanche people in the Big Bend region of west Texas, is a posh retreat favored by the ultra rich, offering rooms priced from $350 to $800 a night — and it’s a safe bet that the bed Scalia died in was located in a top-priced room — and that the credit card that was swiped to pay for it didn’t have his name on it. (According to one report, the guests at the gathering had their bills covered by the resort’s owner, John Poindexter, a mullti-millionaire real estate owner, rancher and former investment banker.)”
…..
“We don’t at this point know what Scalia’s final junket was about — Poindexter makes a point of saying it “wasn’t about politics or law — but it’s no surprise he wasn’t there on his own dime. It wasn’t the way Scalia operated. Indeed, so egregious and frequent were Scalia’s junkets that in October 2015 the New York Times wrote an editorial condemning them and calling for a reform to make such legalized bribery illegal. ” http://thiscantbehappening.net/node/3043
Not surprising.
After all, insider trading by members of congress didn’t get made illegal until 2012, and as far as I know it hasn’t been enforced yet.
The covarubius class imaging arrays on board those DOD satellites will show what really happened to an overweight 79 year old smoker.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbMofCJUEAAIbIK.jpg:large
Heh!
An end to the claptrap Scalia and his ilk champion[ed].
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gives comfort to creationists while speaking at his granddaughter’s commencement ceremony.
Giving the commencement address at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda where his granddaughter Megan graduated, Scalia opined:
The reference to “5,000 years” is an allusion to the claims made by Young Earth Creationists who take a “Biblical view” of science and reject biological evolution.
[…]
The following is an excerpt of the dissent in Edwards vs. Aguillard written by Scalia:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2015/06/scalia-commencement-speech-supports-young-earth-creationism/
Even though there hasn’t been any cases that I am aware of recently that involves creationism and the Supreme Court of the US why would this impact the entire world even if there was?
Anti-science loons impact the entire world.
Yes indeed. People who are anti-vaccines and GMO’s are a major problem.
Gosman the clone who proves you can’t vaccinate for gullibility.
The supreme court is anti democracy.
Of course it is anti-democratic. That is it’s point.
Seems pertinent
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/76866652/australian-antivaxxer-mum-seeks-covert-help-after-son-contracts-measles
I’ve had the measles, as did all my siblings. I think it’s an indictment on society and the medical profession and the health systems and the Science is God people that that woman had to go to a closed internet group for advice about her baby when my mother’s generation all knew as a matter of course how to care for a sick child at home.
I read that as she’d rather use her close-minded group on Facebook then go to a doctor
Nevertheless, my point above stands.
Doctor and FB groups are going to give completely different sets of advice. And she says in the article that she is going to take her son to the doctors, which IMO is a good way to spread the measles esp to vulnerable kids. Better that people have the skills to manage at home and the knowledge to know when they need to get medical help.
Pretending to understand enough to make another blanket statement
Informed choice, freedom to choose and the precautionary principle
You need to work harder at pretending.
Reading through your contributions, I would say you’re projecting, wildly
There is a distinct sneering tone, which reeks of fear such as the asinine remark you made above
What, if any is your issue with the three tenets I listed ?
I have little time for idiots who endanger others as well as their children.
1: “informed choice” does not equal “shit some moron told me in a youtube video must be more reliable than ‘big pharma'”
2: “freedom to choose” is not the same as “freedom to endanger the lives of others”
3: The precautionary principle:
[my italics]
We know the level of harm of vaccines: fuck all compared to the level of harm of the diseases they represent (see my opening sentence).
so yeah, I have very little time for people whose idiocy results in outbreaks of Dickensian illnesses in first-world nations. Frankly, I view anti-vaxxers as public health menaces.
@McFlock.
Jeez, sometimes you do say something sensible.
This is one of those times.
Such a complete lack of understanding , ignorance and arrogance
That you don’t can’t or won’t describe simple concepts without using derogatory language, let alone comprehend them adequately , is your problem to work through
Good luck with the journey
I’m not going to pretend I have the slightest ounce of respect for people who deserve none.
And on the other side of the equation: less than 5000 petitions of harm from vaccines in the same period, and about 2/3 of petitions are unsuccessful.
I always figured you for a command and control authoritarian at heart.
Nah.
I just have little tolerance for walking public health hazards,
Not that I like siding with right wingers.
But I’m afraid being anti-vax fails on all three counts:
Informed choice: There is plenty of information on vaccination vs disease – it is a no-brainer that vaccination saves millions of lives / severe illnesses, with the negative effects of vaccination real but minuscule in comparison to the disease
freedom to choose: Unfortunately you are not only choosing for yourself / your children. Unvaccinated people pass disease to others and can destroy herd immunity. Oddly, this same “freedom” argument is advanced by RWNJ for their economic and social views (‘I should be free to choose whether I contribute to the education / healthcare of others etc). We should do some things collectively for the good of society.
Precautionary principle: The balance of risk is overwhelmingly in favour of vaccination. Not vaccinating fails the precautionary test.
You have to be fucking kidding me.
You state “informed choice” as one of your major arguments.
Then make it clear you don’t believe in a patient’s informed choice at all, you believe in your choice and your conclusions, to be applied to everyone else, and then applying a thin veneer of your version of “informed choice” over the top of it.
Let’s run with your bullshit one step further:
1) Informed choice: there is plenty of evidence that Labour gets consistently better results for both adults and children than National does. Yes Labour Governments sometimes cause bad things, but those bad things are miniscule in comparison to the benefits that they deliver, especially compared to National.
2) Freedom to choose: National voters are not just choosing a government for themselves/their own children. Unfortunately, their choice is also damaging other people and can destroy the common good.
3) Precautionary principle: the balance of risk is greatly in favour of a Labour led government. Voting National and not voting Labour fails the test of the precautionary principle.
Conclusion – people who vote National are both socially and personally irresponsible, and the ability to democratically choose to vote for National shall be banned, in the name of the public good.
did you include lab4 in that equation? Because that seriously skews your math
Of course I included Lab4 into the equation.
Has Lab4 somehow been exorcised from Labour’s history and performance?
MPs from that time who voted for Rogernomics are still in the caucus.
Or should I do the drug company statistics thing and simply exclude entire datasets and time periods which prove inconvenient?
So basically the idea that Labour “consistently” does better is correct only 4/5 of the time. I reckon you might be lacking “scientific consensus” that your statement is correct.
A better example would be the policy of denazification of post-WWII Germany. Participants in a clearly bad government were banned from office, but the actual impact was minimal. So even if the thing is bad, the intervention needs to be better than the status quo. Voting interventions aren’t. Vaccinations clearly are.
This tourism driving is getting seriously out of hand on the main tourist roads of the south island – west coast, otago especially.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/76883987/frustrated-truck-driver-throws-tourists-car-keys-over-fence-near-queenstown
Drove some long distance recently and saw incidents all the time – swerving badly across the road, driving onto one lane bridge with us already on it, random stopping in the middle of the road…. probably couple of incidents per morning on average…..
it is a very real threat, with locals driving like nanas now
chaos and carnage
My sister was catching a commuter flight from Wellington, and saw a driver (passenger in back seat) having difficulty at the car park entrance. When she enquired if they needed a handed, the driver said she was looking for the car rental place to drop off the car, and needed to do so quickly as they were late to check in for a flight.
My sister offered to direct them there and jumped in the passenger seat. During the short drive, the driver drove extremely badly, before ending up at the car rental. During somewhat strained conversation it appears that the driver had never driven a car before and driving on the NZ roads was the first time. She had driven from Rotorua to Wellington, on our somewhat unforgiving of driver error roads.
@ vto and Molly ….in the meantime young New Zealanders can’t get licenses….!!!! ( too expensive….too hard!…too much testing….too many failed because of simple tiny errors)
….this is jonkey’s banana republic…persecute and make it very hard for New Zealand youth to get ahead …and make it a free for all for the overseas hoons and irresponsible and wealthy
Here is some backup to my call above – exactly what is going through EVERYBODY’s minds who lives in these parts and has to drive.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/76839291/fiordland-residents-fearful-of-driving-alongside-visitors.html
It is ridiculous.
I suggest heavy, near extreme, measures are required.
URGENTLY.
There simply has to be a hard core practical test before any rental car can be taken out by a non-NZ driver.
If it costs – tough. It will save NZ lives.
If they fail and can’t drive – tough. It will save NZ lives.
If tourists leave – tough. It will save NZ lives.
This is now an everyday occurrence. Starting to make me very cross.
THE TOURISTS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN DRINK DRIVING…..
AAAAAARRGGGHHHHHH…!!!!!!
What’s a few deaths and maimings when we’re making all those tourism dollars?
Most people don’t understand about derivatives or other financial products. In Holland, Pension funds are going down to their exposure to these toxic instruments, in the US pensions funds are collapsing and the funds are being looted by banks and governmental institutions to cover debts and in New Zealand we hear nothing about the Cullen fund which supposedly has about $19 billion in investments so I thought I’d link to some articles I have been writing in as early as 2012 about the fund that was supposed to be able to support our pension system for a long time to come:
https://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/the-serious-fraud-squad-should-investigate-john-key-and-merrill-lynchs-involvement-with-the-cullen-fund/
https://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/breaking-did-merrill-lynch-set-up-the-cullen-fund-meet-ira-bing/
Most people would include you it seems. Care to explain why Futures products are in anyway dangerous?
How about I leave that to an expert, cowboy hat boy!
So you agree that you yourself don’t understand them and rely of linking to clips of other people who you think can explain them do you?
so you wont ‘t be cashing in your hybrid bank bonds then Gosman?….oh wait you can’t…..I wonder if you can find someone to purchase them off you…..at a greatly reduced value of course…
Gosman you’re a boring little dick with a penchant for time wasting. Have a nice day!
Goldman Sachs man Gooseman.futures in their basic form were originally designed to create a smoothing of market prices for growers and manufacturers to stabilize markets.
Today’s futures are far from that.
The wall St futures of today are a corruption .
Futures of today are ponzi schemes bought and sold by corrupt bankers who know when the tide goes out they are worth nothing.
Unless the company selling these ponzi schemes is in bed with the large govts is The US and EU where Goldman Sachs bankers are the finance ministers.
They will turn around and get enough money printed to save their arses.
Gooseman another failure.
When are you going to produce some evidence you know something about futures.
Many times I have seen futures trading suspended because they can’t meet their obligations.
Then trillions of dollars in bailouts .
Welfare for criminal ponzi schemers.
Greek govt being lent $100’s of billions by bankers who knew they couldn’t pay it back.
Predatory loan sharks.
is John Key Merrill Lynch.
Gooseman your a gullible govt grovelar
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/12/deutsche-bank-plans-3bn-bond-buy-back
a whole 3 billion!
…more here on ….’Keiser: Deutsche Bank ‘technically insolvent’, running a ‘ponzi scheme’
https://www.rt.com/news/332446-keiser-deutsche-bank-technically-insolvent/
“Max Keiser hit out against Deutsche Bank in the latest episode of his RT program Keiser Report, saying the bank was “technically insolvent” despite assurances from German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that he had “no concerns” over his country’s biggest bank…
( but what about the poor Greeks?)
poor everybody….if they can’t keep all these balls up in the air for a very long time then we will all be Greeks
the German banks would not let Greece off the hook
http://www.maxkeiser.com/2015/07/grexit-or-jubilee-how-greek-debt-could-be-annulled/
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/270514-grexit-crisis-like-2008/
the German banks (and Finance Minister) didn’t behave responsibly with the Greek situation…..just as we can expect them to continue to behave in the event more defaults occur….somewhat like Cyprus
Their method has been clearly signaled and is ignored at our own risk.
agreed “… ignored at our own risk.”
I suspect it’s not always the case but a bond buyback here looks desperate.
particularly one this insignificantly small….it is less than a drop in the overflowing bucket
Republican Lifeguard (cartoon)
Isn’t that the same idea from Paula Bennett?
Pretty much National’s entire basis for how they run welfare.
Can’t access the mobile version for some reason lprent. Been that way since at least saturday.
Garbage in, garbage out
And that doesn’t even take into account our loss of sovereignty. So, for us, the TPPA is a lose-lose.
but all is well, a real estate agent told me that the asian buyers (yep a realtor said the word asian) finally all received their IRD Numbers and House Sales will go up into the stratosphere in AKL again.
so who needs exports, n stuff ….not us not us
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/76821748/Rod-Oram-Economic-reality-is-hitting-home
Quote: “Yet despite all this stimulus, growth is anaemic and deflation becoming entrenched in many countries. Increasingly, central banks are turning to negative interest rates as a last resort. Japan recently joined the ECB, Denmark Sweden and Switzerland.
What happens next could be startling. For example, the UK should start to consider ending all cash transactions to enable banks to levy negative interest rates on their customers, Andrew Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, argued in a speech last September, available here.
This is only one of the range of radical new tools central banks must devise to cope with the next recession, Martin Wolf, chief economics columnist of the Financial Times, wrote recently, available here.
Our Reserve Banks has been remarkably reticent on all these issues, even though it has missed every inflation forecast it has made in the past four years. With deflation looking ever more likely than inflation, it should take the opportunity of its March 10 Monetary Policy Statement to begin to engage business and the wider public on this fundamental challenge.
Reality is hitting home in may other ways, such as the forecast by DairyNZ that 85 per cent of dairy farmers will run at a loss this season.
Yet in Parliament on Tuesday, Key’s passing gesture to the real world was this:
“…weaker dairy prices, along with other factors, are contributing to slower growth in the nominal economy, which is expected to be around $17 billion lower over the next five years than was expected in last year’s Budget. This flows through to slightly less tax revenue, slightly lower operating balances and slightly higher debt, compared to Budget forecasts.” Quote End.
I wonder if people realise what the Bank of England nut bar is saying here? ……….
“For example, the UK should start to consider ending all cash transactions to enable banks to levy negative interest rates on their customers, Andrew Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, argued in a speech last September”
It is fucked completely.
He is saying – lets charge people to conduct transactions in order to save the banks.
It may take a while for this to seep in – especially to right wing brains…
its already happening in sweden, and in the US people on a benefit can only take $ 25 out a day, and they are charged for each transaction.
and not much discussed in our own sweet aotearoa
http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/79845/bernard-hickey-suggests-removing-cash-and-adopting-blockchain-type-system-transactions
Quote: A cashless society could help us combat crime and tax avoidance by making it much harder to trade illegally and in an untraced way. It would also avoid the problem of cash hoarding if interest rates were ever cut to 0%, or even negative rates. It would make it much easier to have negative interest rates that gave the Reserve Bank the power to stimulate the economy by charging savers to look after their money. A move to a digital currency could also allow us to do without banks for transactions and save an awful lot of money in processing and conversion fees.
So why don’t we do it? Now that most people have smart phones and almost all retailers are connected to a payments network, it would seem a simple step to remove cash from the system. After all, many of us use EFTPOS and contactless Visa and Master cards to pay for things. Why not switch completely and remove all the cost and danger of storing, transporting and handling cash?
Yet it’s proving much harder than many thought, and it’s not just a New Zealand problem. Despite all the gadgets and terminals, there is actually much more cash in circulation than there’s ever been. The Reserve Bank reports there was NZ$4.96 billion worth of notes ands coin sitting in wallets and vaults and under mattresses as at March of last year. That’s up 61.6% from the NZ$3.07 billion in circulation just 10 years earlier. Quote end.
i do like how its always to combat crime, are we not just a bunch o suckers in their eyes.
yes we could do it….and it would aid in tax evasion…..unfortunately it will also aid in bail ins for the banks and right at the moment that is a very real risk…I .dont think anyone would be very happy about losing a significant portion of their savings,….except perhaps the bankers who have skimmed off obscene bonuses for providing the “service”….quarter (or whatever figure they determine) of an obscene unwarranted amount is still not a bad scam.
Watch , listen and follow very closely the chorus of cashless society shills. They are lining up, they are many , and they have local chapters in every corner of the globe
There are a small number of issues which will grab the attention of a huge percentage of the western world. This is one of the few
The more those few issues are openly pushed, greater numbers of people will begin to look more deeply into the lies behind them, rebel, or look for alternatives
What is this “nominal economy” and how is he getting away avoiding the impact of weaker dairy prices and other factors the real economy that real people operate in?
he does not live in the same economy than you and me. That is how he avoids the consequence of the selling of our country. When he is done he’ll bugger off.
I guess Planet Key only needs a nominal economy.
Everything’s ok… TPPA will deliver us the missing growth. That light at the end of the tunnel is the Brighter Future. You read it here first.