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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Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
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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…
https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/698659911400448001
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!
https://youtu.be/wU28EDeLGhU
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.