The leading secular radical movement in Palestine is the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, founded in 1967. Its key founder was George Habash.
Some of us at Redline were involved, a couple of years ago, in fund-raising in NZ for the PFLP.
Its most well-known member is probably Leila Khaled, a Palestinian icon who is today a member of its PolitBureau. Its general-secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, is currently in an Israeli jail, without charge, after the Israelis kidnapped him in 2006.
We have numerous articles up on Redline on the cause of Palestinian liberation and the PFLP, including an interview that was done with Leila as part of the fundraising campaign.
Excellent. Thanks for that Philip. Murray Horton is a witty and compelling speaker, with a sharp mind. Which means he is totally unsuited for radio programmes like Jim Mora’s The Panel.
I’ve just heard, on Radio NZ National’s excellent Mediawatch program, that empty vessel Mike “Contra” Hosking boasting to a simpering, giggling Rachel Smalley how he gave Nicky Hager “a hard time” on his show last year.
When did that happen? I find it extremely unlikely that Hosking would have got the better of Hager, who is far more articulate, and clearly his superior intellectually as well as ethically and morally.
Perhaps someone could provide a link to—or a transcript of—this amazing event which I for one do not believe ever happened.
That would be the Mediawatch in which that Lackwit Larry got a mention. It’s been years since I heard that droning voice delivering words of wisdom. Do people actually listen to that guy while conscious or is he the ZB sleep-time for toddlers story teller. 10mg of Mogadon would be a better option.
…. and yes – it is an excellent programme (watch out for the knives amongst RNZ management)
and yes – it is an excellent programme (watch out for the knives amongst RNZ management)
I have no doubt that Richard (Lord Haw Haw Haw Haw) Griffin has conniptions every time that this programme sends up the government’s media wing, as it did this morning with its devastating exhibition of Hosking and Williams. In the last few months alone, they’ve already wielded the knife against Wayne Brittenden and Down the List.
No. Hoskings and JLR don’t use the American pronunciation of ‘class’ rhyming like ‘ass’ as your subject (Fis) does. (Catching up with Key 14th March) They rhyme the word ‘class’ with ‘arse, speaking the same way as real New Zealanders.
Seven Sharp- shortly after the DP book was launched so it would have been mid to late August Morrissey.
There was no “intellectual” superiority in the so-called “hard time”. It was just loud noise coming from Hosking not unlike Key’s attempts to discredit Hager at the same time. Everything Hager said was rubbished by Hosking, but he presented no cogent or logical explanation fore the rubbishing. You know the type of thing:
Hager: I’ve just heard that President Kennedy has been assassinated.
Hosking: That’s rubbish. You’re making it up. The President of the USA been assassinated? Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous.
A few hours later there is an official statement… “President Kennedy has been assassinated”. Hosking goes quiet for a long time. Then he boasts loudly on a radio programme… I remember giving that creep Hager a hard time last year.
It’s a sign of how low standards are at TV1 that this himbo-bimbo fronts their evening newsmagazine show.
I heard part of Mediawatch and one of the things Hoskings did on his radio show was read out a text or email from one of his listeners (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Hosking had’ve made it up) referring to Hager as “that little prick Hager”.
I wonder if he would’ve read out a text using the same words to describe Key.
And what a withering intellectual critique of Nicky Hager, eh? But that’s Hosking’s level.
Given that he is still banging on the same nonsense about Hager all these months later, he has a real bee in his hairdo about Nicky. Nicky must’ve really made him look bad!
But now, yes, it appears he is totally delusional as well.
Hosking is that unfortunate specimen: a working class boy who has “made good” and takes on the simpering narcissism and prejudices of the class that he thinks he has joined, even though he’s really tolerated by them because he’s a useful idiot.
I knew Hosking was an airhead and a narcissist. But now it also appears he’s totally delusional.
He’s a prime example of that unfortunate creature, the working class boy ‘made good’ who takes on the prejudices and simpering narcissism of the class he thinks he’s joined when really they tolerate him because he’s a useful idiot.
Yeah, I read the headline. Thought it was unbelievable that someone thought respecting private property was the definition of a free and tolerant so society so didn’t want to add to the page views. I’m guessing it was about the Titirangi Kauri, but any statements on what he thinks about respect for people or the environment?
But that’s not how these characters play. They are puffed-up bandwagon-jumpers, holier-than-thou busybodies, always ready to bully and abuse at no expense or inconvenience to themselves.
To hell with minority rights – in this case, the Lenihan’s. We can jump up and down, and scream and shout and be clapped and reported about. It’s glorious. Look at us, we care. To hell with the law.
It really is interesting to consider that quote in the light of the early US leaders who waxed lyrical about freedom and justice. And “owned” other human beings as slaves.
Yes the concept of “private property” as conceived by John Locke in 1690 in his “ Second Treatise on Government” is shot full of logical and ethical inconsistencies. This is the founding statement and justification of the right to private property and to protection of that property by public law and force. Locke argues that the right to private property and protection is the foundation of all government legislation and duty, of all individual rights, and – if violated – of the rights to rebel against the state or sovereign. Market doctrine since Locke has presupposed his position as canonical (vis Hide’s stupid out burst!).
We have to reinvestigate the whole concept of what constitutes property – just what rights “ownership” carries as well as protection of the commons as well.
By the time George Washington became President he was the richest man in the USA. His wealth came from the extermination of the Indian nations and the expropriation, farming and on selling of their land.
In fact it is clear that the Founding Fathers of the USA did everything they could to make sure that the USA would not be a popular democracy. The appointed senate, the electoral college, and the barring of women and blacks from voting were just a few clues to that.
I came across an excellent book in the Ottawa library last year “Unequal Freedoms – the global market as an ethical system” by John Mc Murray published 1999. It investigates and critiques the philosophical basis of both the “free market” and the globalisation of such. Highly perceptive and a devastating critique of market doctrine. We see that modern economic theory is based on very flimsy foundations and it is unsurprising that our conventional economic practices are failing.
Hide doesn’t recognise that his much treasured rules of ‘private’ property are not actually sustainable in society, certainly not to the level of paramouncy as he seems to believe.
He has been caught out believing his own bullshit.
Oh, I really hope so. While I can imagine SIS agents (basically jumped up school prefects from Grammar school 2nd XVs) saying that sort of thing, the stupidity needed to put it in writing would be monumental. At least Simon Bridges level.
Hope someone will introduce into the House the letter of apology from new head of GCSB for written comments ‘spies’ ( ie employees of NZ taxpayers) made about raping Mrs Mona Dotcom and replacing her with one of their own.
KDC is a sublime rust for Key. Keeps on giving and eating away, and he may yet be the one responsible for bringing him down.
Since the article says that it applies to those who were there prior to 1999, and therefore King qualifies, it is hardly surprising that she’s in favour. Anything to build up her slush find for when she quits at the next election.
Incidentally has anyone heard a rumour I was told about last week. My informant, who is subject to a bit of hyperbole, claimed that the price of Annette being deputy for a while was that she would quit and allow Little to stand for Rongotai. Seems a bit extreme but it could be possible. Certainly I’m sure he would like an electorate that he could possibly win.
The travel perk was, of course one of Norman Kirk’s schemes. Norm wanted to give MPs, and himself, a pay rise but not to appear to be doing so. He therefore brought this in so he could sanctimoniously say that MPs were sacrificing for the country without actually doing so.
He also brought in the extra allowance for former PMs. He carefully worded it so that Jack Marshall wouldn’t get it, but in time Norm would. When he died before the requisite time period the Rowling Government changed it so that Ruth King, along with Wallace Rowling himself would get the money.
Never get between a trougher and the money pot seemed to be the motto of those charlatans.
I will if you like but you might not want to hear about it.
The main promoter of the scheme, despite being a junior minister, was the bete-noire of the left, Roger Douglas.
The scheme grew out of a private member’s bill put forward by Douglas when in opposition.
As Wikipedia says
“Douglas was an early and enthusiastic promoter of the government’s plans for a compulsory contributory superannuation scheme that would supplement the old age pension. In 1972, while still in opposition, he introduced a private member’s bill that provided for a form of compulsory superannuation. In Cabinet, Rowling, who was then Minister of Finance, and Douglas were largely responsible for a 1973 White Paper setting out the government’s proposals for superannuation. As well as augmenting individual provision for retirement, the scheme was intended to be a source of capital for investment in the domestic economy.[11] The scheme became law in the form of the New Zealand Superannuation Act 1974.
The law was passed a few days before Norm died but it wasn’t really his work, was it? You have to give credit for the short-lived scheme to Rowling and Douglas.
Yes, this was when Douglas still acted for the good of the country and well before his book “There’s Got to be a Better Way”, which laid out some plagiarised Friedmanite rubbish as his own thoughts. Norm knew what the country needed, Lange was too blinded by his own witty performances to even notice what Douglas had turned into.
Legislation for a major change like super doesn’t go through without the approval of the PM, just as a very dodgy MP doesn’t stand for re-election without the specific approval of the PM.
“Legislation for a major change like super doesn’t go through without the approval of the PM, just as a very dodgy MP doesn’t stand for re-election without the specific approval of the PM.”
You may be right, although if the second part is true one must worry about the honesty of Helen Clark, given what Taito Phillip Field had been up to.
I have been told by people who had to deal with Kirk that he really had little control over anything during 1974. He had, unfortunately, had heart problems, circulation problems and other health problems during the entire year and was not really in command of his job. I cannot comment from personal experience but some of the people who have told me this were very senior public servants at the time.
Taito Philip Field was merely dodgy. For very dodgy you need to look at the right. I don’t think Field ever molested the children of anyone who worked on his house. Graeme Cappill came from the right.
You may be right.
On the other hand perhaps you can remind us again what Party Mr Capill belonged to, when he was an MP, and therefore which PM is responsible for his behaviour? At least tell us which PM was the leader of his party?
You can also tell us who was the party leader responsible when the former MP for Otaki got into Parliament and how you might justify the rather “iffy” behaviour he got up to when he entertained a teenager in the present Labour Parties deputy leader’s home? How do you justify that sort of behaviour, where the kid ended up having to flee naked down the street?
“perhaps you can remind us again what Party Mr Capill belonged to, when he was an MP, and therefore which PM is responsible for his behaviour? At least tell us which PM was the leader of his party?”
Th’ feck are you on about? No PM was ever the leader of Capill’s tawdry little conservative right-wing christo-fascist party.
Ps did you know that the right-wing conservative pedophile Graham Capill also worked for the NZ Police?
I think you know that it’s the type of offences that Capill was found guilty of that’s important here. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you the rest next week, if you don’t know already.
Some scathing views about National’s Northland BYELECTION-BRIBES:
* “New” jobs which may or may not be full-time jobs; “new” road bridges which are not a priority; “new” promises on the roll-out of broadband which are old promises.
* Is there no limit on the lengths to which the National Party will go to pull the wool over voters’ eyes and hope that prevents the seat of Northland from falling into Winston Peters’ clutches?
* Deserving of special scrutiny is the repeated claim by Steven Joyce that 7500 new jobs were created in Northland last year. [Note: The link below explains why that claim is just pig shit]
* With more pork yet to come, National is setting a none-too-useful benchmark which risks turning contests in electorates into unseemly auctions.
* But National does not care one jot what Labour or anyone else thinks. It is locked in an almighty struggle with the man who has been its nemesis for longer than the party cares to remember.
* It was Mark Osborne, National’s candidate in Northland, who announced that the Government would be spending up to $70 million on replacing 10 single-lane bridges in the electorate. It is Parliament which sanctions such spending and Bridges who will be responsible for ensuring the money is spent on exactly what Parliament has decreed it be spent on – not Osborne, who as yet has no parliamentary standing and should not have made the announcement. It takes pork-barrelling to a new level when the candidate is doing it.
* Equally disturbing is the scale of the pork-barrelling by National.
* But National does not care one jot what Labour or anyone else thinks. It is locked in an almighty struggle with the man who has been its nemesis for longer than the party cares to remember. The stakes are not just high; they are stratospheric. So far, National appears to have no idea how to do that beyond trying to crowd him out of the media.
* National’s post-mortems on the byelection will also have to ask how the party managed to select a candidate who is so obviously out of his depth. Putting him up against Peters was lamb for the slaughter.
* National’s campaign is further handicapped by its confused stance in this byelection. The subtext of Joyce’s gushing statements about the strong growth in the Northland economy is that this is all down to National’s sound management of the overall economy and its business development programmes. Yet, the ever-lengthening line of Cabinet ministers trekking to Northland bearing gifts speaks of a regional economy still in dire straits and desperately short of capital, infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce needed to attract business ventures.
Northland is either a burgeoning success story or an economic cot-case. It cannot be both.
* If things are on the improve in the region – as Joyce insists – why is National being punished by a large chunk of the party’s supporters deserting to New Zealand First?
I sometimes wonder about Armstrong’s (political) convictions. Perhaps he ‘adapts’ his style & contents to maximise the number of page views (reads?) & comments? After all, he’s a qualified professional with lots of experience unlike the likes of Rodney Hide and Mike Hosking.
“Northland is either a burgeoning success story or an economic cot-case. It cannot be both.”
It can, actually. Northland is like a 3rd world country where the wealthy live in gated enclaves and the poor live in misery. Take a drive from Kerikeri to Moerewa. It’s not far.
Tomorrow, Monday 16 March 2015, after confirming with the Electoral Commission the ‘due process’ to follow – it is my intention to make a formal complaint against National’s Northland candidate Mark Osborne, for reported comments allegedly made by him, which, in my opinion, are a breach of s.216 (2) of the Electoral Act 1993 – “BRIBERY”.
In my view, in order to get an ‘outcome’ – you need to first put something into a ‘sausage machine’.
Just ‘howling at the moon’ doesn’t ‘cut it’ – in my opinion and experience.
The chain of events that ended up getting John Banks removed from Parliament, started with a complaint to the Police….
I was one of the three complainants.
Once I have the ‘process’ confirmed with the Electoral Commission – I will pass on the information.
Under NZ electoral law – “BRIBERY” is an offence.
But, situation normal, nothing will happen until someone actually MAKES A COMPLAINT?
I’ve already emailed the Electoral Commission – asking them this ‘due process’ question, so the ‘sausage machine’ has been ‘switched on’ – as it were….
Good luck Penny. Maybe you can also include/allude to the early votes deliberately cheated out of confused elderly as mentioned in Open Mike yesterday ? ( Can find you link if you missed it).
Very serious indeed, and possibly could be part of same complaint ?
I haven’t seen the comment you refer to but the voting of people suffering from dementia by the staff of their aged care home seems to be a standard feature of every election.
I worked as a clerk at a polling booth in one of the homes at an election some years ago. Their were people who obviously suffered from dementia whose voting papers were collected by a staff member. The staff member had to tell us who the resident was as they didn’t seem to be in a position to know their own name.
The staff member then “helped” them to vote. I don’t think some of them had the faintest idea that there was even an election on.
One can only hope that there are never enough to unduly affect the results.
I have no idea who the votes were being cast for.
I certainly never saw the completed ballot papers. I can only say that I don’t think the “voters” knew either.
I’m more concerned with this new, and insidious, practice by the National party to have helpers phone and door-knock offers of rides to the polling booth.
On election day in 2014 we got an automated call from Sam Lotu Iiga’s electorate office apparently offering a ride to the polling booth. I don’t know how many houses this call went out to on election day but one must assume it was all households in the Maungakeiei electorate.
I complained to the Electoral commission on the day, and to be fair to them they had their chief lawyer call me back almost instantly, but he said it was within the rules agreed to by all parties.
While a higher proportion of constituents voting for parties of the socially responsible left are more likely to require help to get to a polling booth (or in this case – advanced voting for the infirm), this agreement is likely to not be in Labour’s benefit because the National party will cynically use it to have a last ditch advertising push on election day to all voters, regardless of mobility status…
…as Sam Lotu Iiga did in Maungakeikei in September 2014.
A solution to this would be for the Electoral commission themselves to have the funding to help vulnerable voters fulfil their right to vote uninfluenced by the Nats.
I would love to know what evidence you have for the statement that “While a higher proportion of constituents voting for parties of the socially responsible left are more likely to require help to get to a polling booth”.
On the other hand I do know one person, who does vote for right leaning parties, who called the Labour Party to request help to get to the polling booth. After voting she then, on the way home thanked “the nice young man and assured him she had voted for his candidate XXX. XXX was the National candidate”. She said that the driver managed, just, to resist tossing out of the car.
I told this story to one of my Labour leaning friends and she did it the other way round at the next election. She got National to take her to vote Labour. She claimed he was, in a strained way, quite polite to her.
You’d have to be stupid to not accept that more lower socio-economic people vote left and that more lower socio-economic people lack private transport.
I complained to the Electoral commission on the day, and to be fair to them they had their chief lawyer call me back almost instantly, but he said it was within the rules agreed to by all parties.
It is. Labour has always offered rides especially to the elderly and infirm in well supported electorates
That’s what the Electoral Commission’s lawyer said too.
“Labour do it too”
I had to laugh because it sounded like something straight out of the Crosby Textor handbook.
I felt at the time that help to the polling booth targeted to immobile voters is fair enough, but an automated and apparently random phone message? Sounds like campaigning to me.
Given your comment reference, 11.2.1.2 you appear to be replying to my comment which is 11.2.1.
What the hell are you talking about? Am I not allowed to help run the election by giving my time, and the payment went to a charity, to help run the election? I was a clerk in the polling booth. I wasn’t a bloody party representative.
1. It is not “bullshit”
2. I hate to dent your little ego but I don’t really care in the slightest what you think. I have yet to read anything by you that matters in the slightest.
Lest we forget, the process which led to the legally enforced corporate takeover of the Auckland region via the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%) amalgamation, effectively started on 5 September 2006, with the attempted ‘Mayoral coup’.
The purpose of the (failed) Auckland ‘Mayoral coup’ was to get rid of the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) and replace it with a ‘Supercity’.
The ‘ring leaders’ of this attempted Auckland ‘Mayoral coup’, were Waitakere City Council Mayor Bob Harvey, Manukau City Council Mayor Barry Curtis, North Shore City Council Mayor George Wood, and Auckland City Council Mayor Dick Hubbard.
FACT.
The ‘form’ taken by these four City Council Mayors – was a letter – co-signed by all of them – addressed to then LABOUR Prime Minister, Helen Clark, asking for her urgent intervention and assistance, on behalf of those who were really pushing hard for this – BUSINESS leaders.
Luckily, fellow community activist Lisa Prager and myself, having been ‘tipped off’ about this meeting to be held in the Auckland Town Hall, gate-crashed it and disrupted it – on the basis that the Auckland ‘Mayoral Forum’ under whose auspices this meeting had been called, was NOT a ‘creature of statute’ – had no lawful right to do anything – and under the then Local Government Act 2002, there had to be a binding poll of the PUBLIC before any ‘amalgamation’ took place.
Our action on 5 September 2006, at least helped to slow down the process …
Looking at the RT site for what it has about President Putin’s whereabouts.
The news at the 12th March was that he had cancelled some things but was having meetings out of the public eye. He had some trouble in 2012 similarly and this was ascribed to old sports injuries etc. http://rt.com/politics/240025-russia-peskov-putin-health/
This has been hot on Twitter since late yesterday when Philip Lyth picked it up, then Idiot/Savant (NRT) and Graeme Edgeler. Graeme researched it and then posted on Public Address:
The whole situation seems to changing minute by minute. According to Graeme the Stuff article has been updated to exclude a sentence included in the original article referring to Fox, Turei and King opposing the changes. *
Graeme’s Twiitter feed is possibly the only way to keep up with the changing situation. Lots more details, questions, comments there.
EDIT – the earlier version also included the fact that only one dissenting vote is needed for the changes to not pass! Apparently this still stands, but taken out of the Stuff article.
I suspect that this is going to be all over the MSM news tomorrow, The Stuff (Dom Post) article was obviously written in haste – I suspect by a pretty junior on duty journo. Herald also has a fairly vacuous article up tonight. Won’t bother providing a link unless you would like one.
But it continues to be debated on Twitter – Graeme Edgeler, Jessica Williams, Hoots, Annette King (qualifies when she leaves Parliament), Tau Henare (another qualifier now) etc. King seems to be out there trying to justify the change on behalf of National. Say no more.
Edgeler seems to be holding his ground and refusing to let it go which IMO is good. Could be the start of another bad week for Key …. !
Death by a thousand cuts, perhaps. Time will tell.
Sparrho is like the Google for scientific papers—and patents, posters, events, and grants. Just type in keywords, like “GMO food,” and you’ll soon have access to all the latest research. Here’s a snapshot of what comes up when you search for GMO food:
As you can see, the latest results are up-to-date (I performed the search on March 6). Some are accessible to laypeople, some are not. That’s because Vivian Chan, Sparrho’s CEO and co-founder, originally designed the platform for herself. “I was doing my PhD at Cambridge University, and realized using search engines for science doesn’t work. There are all of these databases out there, but you have to know exactly what it is you’re looking for,” she says.
Good analysis and ideas in the Observer today for addressing Britain’s housing crisis, which shares most of the hallmarks of NZ’s:
”The Homes for Britain campaign, which brings together housing associations, private house builders, landlords, planners and architects, is holding a rally in Westminster. It aims to solve the housing crisis “in a generation”, which is a realistic time frame, given that it has taken a generation to create the current situation
”The crisis in house prices is therefore not an act of pure economic fate but constructed and willed by policy over decades. As such, it can also be defused by policy, if not easily or quickly. So far, the main government response has been to try to relax planning rules and to encourage the market with measures such as Help To Buy which, presented as much-needed assistance to first-time buyers, tend to push up prices further.”
Aid agencies reported that around 90% of houses in Port Vila have been destroyed, many people displaced, and schools ripped apart. Oxfam Australia’s executive director Helen Szoke said:
It’s becoming increasingly clear that we are now dealing with worse than the worst case scenario in Vanuatu. This is likely to be one of the worst disasters ever seen in the Pacific.
Up to 75,000 children in Vanuatu could be in desperate need of food, water and shelter, Save the Children has said.
‘Lack of urgency’ on climate change, says World Bank V-P
As reported earlier, Vanuatu’s president, Baldwin Lonsdale, is, by coincidence, at the UN world conference on disaster risk reduction in Japan, from where AFP sends this report:
Despite ominous predictions of mass devastation in cyclone-wrecked Vanuatu, policymakers at a UN disaster meeting in Japan do not seem to understand the pressing need to tackle climate change, the World Bank warned Sunday.
A state of emergency has been declared in the impoverished Pacific nation, where dozens are feared dead after one of the most powerful storms ever recorded smashed through. Aid agencies have spoken of “grave fears” over the scale of the human tragedy.
But Rachel Kyte, World Bank vice president and special envoy for climate change, said there appeared to be a disconnect between policy and the increasingly-frequent weather-related disasters the world is suffering.
“I worry that a sense of urgency and a sense of shared ambition is not at the right level,” she told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of the UN conference on disaster risk reduction in Sendai, Japan.
“It’s hugely ironic that this storm should hit Vanuatu while we are all here. If we truly care for those people, we have to respond,” she said, referring to the need for environmental commitments.
“I think we have to hold ourselves accountable and at least voluntarily we should have targets” on emission reductions from the Sendai conference, she said.
The conference comes ahead of COP 21 talks scheduled for December in Paris, at which countries will try to thrash out agreements on cutting greenhouse gases.
French foreign minister Laurent Fabius, who will chair the meeting, told AFP Sendai could act as a springboard to success later in the year.
Kyte told AFP:
I don’t think I would say climate change caused [Cyclone] Pam, but I would say the fact is in the past three or four years we’ve seen category fives coming with a regularity we’ve never seen before.
And that has some relationship with climate change. It is indisputable that part of the Pacific Ocean is much warmer today than in previous years, so these storms are intensifying.
We may have helped communities become resilient to the kinds of storms we experienced in the past, but resilience to a storm with wind speed of up to 300km per hour – that’s a whole new intensity.
The UN development bank chief, Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, said it was “impossible” to protect against natural disasters without addressing one of the root causes:
Unless we tackle climate change on the global level we are making the task of building resilience to disasters almost impossible.
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Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
New Zealand’s opposition Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins delivered a “state of the nation” speech on March 24, in an attempt to resuscitate the party after it lost power in a landslide defeat in the October 2023 election. The speech was ...
Sunday 31 March at 3 pm, protesters with empty plates will march from Aotea Square in a silent protest to raise awareness for the 2.2 million people in Gaza facing imminent famine. The March calls for urgent government action to avert further suffering ...
Asia Pacific Report The University of the South Pacific — one of only two regional universities in world — is facing a “gathering storm” over leadership, a management crisis and a looming strike, reports Islands Business. In the six-page cover story in the latest edition of the regional news magazine ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jocelyn Jones, Research Associate in Justice Health and Social Issues, Curtin University The 1997 Bringing Them Home report into the removal of Aboriginal children from their families was a turning point in Australia’s history. The inquiry rejected past government policies of assimilation ...
EDITORIAL:By Pip Hinman and Susan Price Meta, the giant social media corporation, has “unpublished” Green Left’s longstanding Facebook page, which had tens of thousands of followers. We had been regularly posting stories, videos and photographs on the page from our consistent reporting of the news and views that seldom ...
Richard Shaw’s latest book, The Unsettled, explores the truth behind his and other Pākehā families’ ‘settler’/’pioneer’ histories and considers what to do with them. In this excerpt Shaw reveals how, once family facts come to light, the places around us look and feel different as our view of our place ...
The comedian and Celebrity Treasure Island champion takes us through his life in television, including trying to find his mum a man, the lasting impact of the 3B cream ad and his love for a certain Sticky TV presenter. James Mustapic’s closest collaborator is his mum Janet, who has been ...
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Rachel Hunter sold out a Christchurch school hall for a mysterious sounding ‘Community Event’. Alex Casey went along to find out what it was all about. Former international supermodel Rachel Hunter is sitting cross-legged on stage between HEAT PUMP 3 and HEAT PUMP 4. It’s a school night in St ...
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A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
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From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
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I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Iranian cabinet is full of US trained PhDs
It’s quite likely that Iran understands the USA far better than the other way around.
https://twitter.com/rezaaslan/status/522076160545419264/photo/1
http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2014/nov/13/rouhani%E2%80%99s-us-educated-cabinet
Ten steps which narrowed British politics to the extreme centre
A nation big enough to go to war in the Middle East, but not big enough to fund public libraries.
http://rt.com/op-edge/240745-uk-neocons-faux-left-establishment/
The leading secular radical movement in Palestine is the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, founded in 1967. Its key founder was George Habash.
Some of us at Redline were involved, a couple of years ago, in fund-raising in NZ for the PFLP.
Its most well-known member is probably Leila Khaled, a Palestinian icon who is today a member of its PolitBureau. Its general-secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, is currently in an Israeli jail, without charge, after the Israelis kidnapped him in 2006.
We have numerous articles up on Redline on the cause of Palestinian liberation and the PFLP, including an interview that was done with Leila as part of the fundraising campaign.
Below are a few PFLP pieces:
Remembering George Habash: Palestinian revolutionary intellectual and freedom fighter: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/remembering-george-habash/
For a world free of racism, imperialism and capitalist exploitation – message from PFLP to 2014 eirigi conference: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/for-a-world-that-is-free-of-racism-colonialism-imperialism-oppression-and-capitalist-exploitation-pflp-message-to-eirigi-conference/
Palestinian liberation and the PFLP today – interview with PFLP deputy-general-secretary: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/palestinian-liberation-and-the-pflp-today-an-interview-with-abu-ahmad-fouad-deputy-secretary-general-of-the-pflp/
PFLP on the Palestinian Authority: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/pflp-on-the-palestinian-authority/
NZ solidarity activist interview with Palestinian revolutionary icon Leila Khaled: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/nz-solidarity-activist-interviews-leila-khaled-2010/
The case of Ahmad Sa’adat: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/the-case-of-ahmad-saadat-palestinian-revolutionary-leader-and-political-prisoner/
Also, check out the Palestine and PFLP categories on the site.
Fascinating piece of NZ history – Murray Horton on the introduction of peacetime conscription in 1949 and the fight against it: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/labours-introduction-of-peacetime-conscription-and-the-fight-against-it/
Excellent. Thanks for that Philip. Murray Horton is a witty and compelling speaker, with a sharp mind. Which means he is totally unsuited for radio programmes like Jim Mora’s The Panel.
Fantasists of Our Time
No. 1: MIKE HOSKING
I’ve just heard, on Radio NZ National’s excellent Mediawatch program, that empty vessel Mike “Contra” Hosking boasting to a simpering, giggling Rachel Smalley how he gave Nicky Hager “a hard time” on his show last year.
When did that happen? I find it extremely unlikely that Hosking would have got the better of Hager, who is far more articulate, and clearly his superior intellectually as well as ethically and morally.
Perhaps someone could provide a link to—or a transcript of—this amazing event which I for one do not believe ever happened.
That would be the Mediawatch in which that Lackwit Larry got a mention. It’s been years since I heard that droning voice delivering words of wisdom. Do people actually listen to that guy while conscious or is he the ZB sleep-time for toddlers story teller. 10mg of Mogadon would be a better option.
…. and yes – it is an excellent programme (watch out for the knives amongst RNZ management)
and yes – it is an excellent programme (watch out for the knives amongst RNZ management)
I have no doubt that Richard (Lord Haw Haw Haw Haw) Griffin has conniptions every time that this programme sends up the government’s media wing, as it did this morning with its devastating exhibition of Hosking and Williams. In the last few months alone, they’ve already wielded the knife against Wayne Brittenden and Down the List.
Steve McCabe will have lost his spot on the Panel after daring to criticise the dear leader last week.
I know. Mike Hosking posts here as fisiani. The comparisons are uncanny.
I reckon fisiani sounds more like Jamie-Lee after a morning prayer sermon from Dear Leader & Joyce
No. Hoskings and JLR don’t use the American pronunciation of ‘class’ rhyming like ‘ass’ as your subject (Fis) does. (Catching up with Key 14th March) They rhyme the word ‘class’ with ‘arse, speaking the same way as real New Zealanders.
Seven Sharp- shortly after the DP book was launched so it would have been mid to late August Morrissey.
There was no “intellectual” superiority in the so-called “hard time”. It was just loud noise coming from Hosking not unlike Key’s attempts to discredit Hager at the same time. Everything Hager said was rubbished by Hosking, but he presented no cogent or logical explanation fore the rubbishing. You know the type of thing:
Hager: I’ve just heard that President Kennedy has been assassinated.
Hosking: That’s rubbish. You’re making it up. The President of the USA been assassinated? Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous.
A few hours later there is an official statement… “President Kennedy has been assassinated”. Hosking goes quiet for a long time. Then he boasts loudly on a radio programme… I remember giving that creep Hager a hard time last year.
Thanks for that, Anne. I wonder if this is available on YouTube. I’ll have a search; I’m sure it will end up there some time.
Excellent one, Anne.
That’s Hosking to a tee!
It’s a sign of how low standards are at TV1 that this himbo-bimbo fronts their evening newsmagazine show.
I heard part of Mediawatch and one of the things Hoskings did on his radio show was read out a text or email from one of his listeners (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Hosking had’ve made it up) referring to Hager as “that little prick Hager”.
I wonder if he would’ve read out a text using the same words to describe Key.
And what a withering intellectual critique of Nicky Hager, eh? But that’s Hosking’s level.
Given that he is still banging on the same nonsense about Hager all these months later, he has a real bee in his hairdo about Nicky. Nicky must’ve really made him look bad!
Phil
The thing about all this spying stuff is its our ‘Are we the baddies?’ moment.
https://youtu.be/ToKcmnrE5oY?list=RDToKcmnrE5oY
I knew Hosking was an airhead and narcissist.
But now, yes, it appears he is totally delusional as well.
Hosking is that unfortunate specimen: a working class boy who has “made good” and takes on the simpering narcissism and prejudices of the class that he thinks he has joined, even though he’s really tolerated by them because he’s a useful idiot.
Phil
I knew Hosking was an airhead and a narcissist. But now it also appears he’s totally delusional.
He’s a prime example of that unfortunate creature, the working class boy ‘made good’ who takes on the prejudices and simpering narcissism of the class he thinks he’s joined when really they tolerate him because he’s a useful idiot.
Phil
Dog Math
😀
Reality Maths 🙂
hide frothing at the mouth like the c-grade actor that he is
“Respect for private property is what makes a free and tolerant society.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11417397
Private property is what makes a society greedy and divisive leading to an inevitable collapse.
The confiscation of the commons destroys society.
Yeah, I read the headline. Thought it was unbelievable that someone thought respecting private property was the definition of a free and tolerant so society so didn’t want to add to the page views. I’m guessing it was about the Titirangi Kauri, but any statements on what he thinks about respect for people or the environment?
yep, this
minority rights? lol what a dickhead hide is
So no tolerance and freedom to have an opinion for people or respect for the environment – can’t see the ownership titles I suppose.
He’s gotta be pretty pissed off about how his pet supercity project is working out huh? 🙂
It really is interesting to consider that quote in the light of the early US leaders who waxed lyrical about freedom and justice. And “owned” other human beings as slaves.
Yes the concept of “private property” as conceived by John Locke in 1690 in his “ Second Treatise on Government” is shot full of logical and ethical inconsistencies. This is the founding statement and justification of the right to private property and to protection of that property by public law and force. Locke argues that the right to private property and protection is the foundation of all government legislation and duty, of all individual rights, and – if violated – of the rights to rebel against the state or sovereign. Market doctrine since Locke has presupposed his position as canonical (vis Hide’s stupid out burst!).
We have to reinvestigate the whole concept of what constitutes property – just what rights “ownership” carries as well as protection of the commons as well.
By the time George Washington became President he was the richest man in the USA. His wealth came from the extermination of the Indian nations and the expropriation, farming and on selling of their land.
In fact it is clear that the Founding Fathers of the USA did everything they could to make sure that the USA would not be a popular democracy. The appointed senate, the electoral college, and the barring of women and blacks from voting were just a few clues to that.
I came across an excellent book in the Ottawa library last year “Unequal Freedoms – the global market as an ethical system” by John Mc Murray published 1999. It investigates and critiques the philosophical basis of both the “free market” and the globalisation of such. Highly perceptive and a devastating critique of market doctrine. We see that modern economic theory is based on very flimsy foundations and it is unsurprising that our conventional economic practices are failing.
Hide doesn’t recognise that his much treasured rules of ‘private’ property are not actually sustainable in society, certainly not to the level of paramouncy as he seems to believe.
He has been caught out believing his own bullshit.
Murdoch in the great package deal being offered Northlanders by National.
https://twitter.com/domesticanimal/status/576845854364938241
Great cartoon…and so true!
SIS papers release to dotcom lawyers: shocking reveal!
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom
hmmm, I hope he’s going to release the documents. Too much assertion otherwise.
Oh, I really hope so. While I can imagine SIS agents (basically jumped up school prefects from Grammar school 2nd XVs) saying that sort of thing, the stupidity needed to put it in writing would be monumental. At least Simon Bridges level.
Hope someone will introduce into the House the letter of apology from new head of GCSB for written comments ‘spies’ ( ie employees of NZ taxpayers) made about raping Mrs Mona Dotcom and replacing her with one of their own.
KDC is a sublime rust for Key. Keeps on giving and eating away, and he may yet be the one responsible for bringing him down.
This on Twitter from Jessica Williams .. can’t find anything further about it .. anyone know anything ?
” Jessica Williams
@mizjwilliams
Why is the government trying to sneak through a fat increase to MPs’ travel perks? Listen to @LIVENewsDesk! “
I suspect it’s this. Annette King has given it the walrus of approval.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11417644
Since the article says that it applies to those who were there prior to 1999, and therefore King qualifies, it is hardly surprising that she’s in favour. Anything to build up her slush find for when she quits at the next election.
Incidentally has anyone heard a rumour I was told about last week. My informant, who is subject to a bit of hyperbole, claimed that the price of Annette being deputy for a while was that she would quit and allow Little to stand for Rongotai. Seems a bit extreme but it could be possible. Certainly I’m sure he would like an electorate that he could possibly win.
The travel perk was, of course one of Norman Kirk’s schemes. Norm wanted to give MPs, and himself, a pay rise but not to appear to be doing so. He therefore brought this in so he could sanctimoniously say that MPs were sacrificing for the country without actually doing so.
He also brought in the extra allowance for former PMs. He carefully worded it so that Jack Marshall wouldn’t get it, but in time Norm would. When he died before the requisite time period the Rowling Government changed it so that Ruth King, along with Wallace Rowling himself would get the money.
Never get between a trougher and the money pot seemed to be the motto of those charlatans.
Thank you for another post from the Tory misinformation service. How about Norm’s super scheme? Tell us about that instead.
I will if you like but you might not want to hear about it.
The main promoter of the scheme, despite being a junior minister, was the bete-noire of the left, Roger Douglas.
The scheme grew out of a private member’s bill put forward by Douglas when in opposition.
As Wikipedia says
“Douglas was an early and enthusiastic promoter of the government’s plans for a compulsory contributory superannuation scheme that would supplement the old age pension. In 1972, while still in opposition, he introduced a private member’s bill that provided for a form of compulsory superannuation. In Cabinet, Rowling, who was then Minister of Finance, and Douglas were largely responsible for a 1973 White Paper setting out the government’s proposals for superannuation. As well as augmenting individual provision for retirement, the scheme was intended to be a source of capital for investment in the domestic economy.[11] The scheme became law in the form of the New Zealand Superannuation Act 1974.
The law was passed a few days before Norm died but it wasn’t really his work, was it? You have to give credit for the short-lived scheme to Rowling and Douglas.
Yes, this was when Douglas still acted for the good of the country and well before his book “There’s Got to be a Better Way”, which laid out some plagiarised Friedmanite rubbish as his own thoughts. Norm knew what the country needed, Lange was too blinded by his own witty performances to even notice what Douglas had turned into.
Legislation for a major change like super doesn’t go through without the approval of the PM, just as a very dodgy MP doesn’t stand for re-election without the specific approval of the PM.
“Legislation for a major change like super doesn’t go through without the approval of the PM, just as a very dodgy MP doesn’t stand for re-election without the specific approval of the PM.”
You may be right, although if the second part is true one must worry about the honesty of Helen Clark, given what Taito Phillip Field had been up to.
I have been told by people who had to deal with Kirk that he really had little control over anything during 1974. He had, unfortunately, had heart problems, circulation problems and other health problems during the entire year and was not really in command of his job. I cannot comment from personal experience but some of the people who have told me this were very senior public servants at the time.
Taito Philip Field was merely dodgy. For very dodgy you need to look at the right. I don’t think Field ever molested the children of anyone who worked on his house. Graeme Cappill came from the right.
You may be right.
On the other hand perhaps you can remind us again what Party Mr Capill belonged to, when he was an MP, and therefore which PM is responsible for his behaviour? At least tell us which PM was the leader of his party?
You can also tell us who was the party leader responsible when the former MP for Otaki got into Parliament and how you might justify the rather “iffy” behaviour he got up to when he entertained a teenager in the present Labour Parties deputy leader’s home? How do you justify that sort of behaviour, where the kid ended up having to flee naked down the street?
“perhaps you can remind us again what Party Mr Capill belonged to, when he was an MP, and therefore which PM is responsible for his behaviour? At least tell us which PM was the leader of his party?”
Th’ feck are you on about? No PM was ever the leader of Capill’s tawdry little conservative right-wing christo-fascist party.
Ps did you know that the right-wing conservative pedophile Graham Capill also worked for the NZ Police?
Just like Mike Sabin did.
I think you know that it’s the type of offences that Capill was found guilty of that’s important here. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you the rest next week, if you don’t know already.
will you be in for the hearing, murray ?
Nah, I’m back in Oz.
Some scathing views about National’s Northland BYELECTION-BRIBES:
* “New” jobs which may or may not be full-time jobs; “new” road bridges which are not a priority; “new” promises on the roll-out of broadband which are old promises.
* Is there no limit on the lengths to which the National Party will go to pull the wool over voters’ eyes and hope that prevents the seat of Northland from falling into Winston Peters’ clutches?
* Deserving of special scrutiny is the repeated claim by Steven Joyce that 7500 new jobs were created in Northland last year. [Note: The link below explains why that claim is just pig shit]
* With more pork yet to come, National is setting a none-too-useful benchmark which risks turning contests in electorates into unseemly auctions.
* But National does not care one jot what Labour or anyone else thinks. It is locked in an almighty struggle with the man who has been its nemesis for longer than the party cares to remember.
* It was Mark Osborne, National’s candidate in Northland, who announced that the Government would be spending up to $70 million on replacing 10 single-lane bridges in the electorate. It is Parliament which sanctions such spending and Bridges who will be responsible for ensuring the money is spent on exactly what Parliament has decreed it be spent on – not Osborne, who as yet has no parliamentary standing and should not have made the announcement. It takes pork-barrelling to a new level when the candidate is doing it.
* Equally disturbing is the scale of the pork-barrelling by National.
* But National does not care one jot what Labour or anyone else thinks. It is locked in an almighty struggle with the man who has been its nemesis for longer than the party cares to remember. The stakes are not just high; they are stratospheric. So far, National appears to have no idea how to do that beyond trying to crowd him out of the media.
* National’s post-mortems on the byelection will also have to ask how the party managed to select a candidate who is so obviously out of his depth. Putting him up against Peters was lamb for the slaughter.
* National’s campaign is further handicapped by its confused stance in this byelection. The subtext of Joyce’s gushing statements about the strong growth in the Northland economy is that this is all down to National’s sound management of the overall economy and its business development programmes. Yet, the ever-lengthening line of Cabinet ministers trekking to Northland bearing gifts speaks of a regional economy still in dire straits and desperately short of capital, infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce needed to attract business ventures.
Northland is either a burgeoning success story or an economic cot-case. It cannot be both.
* If things are on the improve in the region – as Joyce insists – why is National being punished by a large chunk of the party’s supporters deserting to New Zealand First?
The full article is here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-armstrong/news/article.cfm?a_id=3&objectid=11416930
Armstrong’s awful biased journalism prior to the election makes me question his authenticity.
A lot of journalists and media commentators were. I think now at least a few of them seem to have seen the light and are coming out of the dark side.
This is not the John Armstrong I’m used to..He must be due for the chop after this must read.
I sometimes wonder about Armstrong’s (political) convictions. Perhaps he ‘adapts’ his style & contents to maximise the number of page views (reads?) & comments? After all, he’s a qualified professional with lots of experience unlike the likes of Rodney Hide and Mike Hosking.
“Northland is either a burgeoning success story or an economic cot-case. It cannot be both.”
It can, actually. Northland is like a 3rd world country where the wealthy live in gated enclaves and the poor live in misery. Take a drive from Kerikeri to Moerewa. It’s not far.
Tomorrow, Monday 16 March 2015, after confirming with the Electoral Commission the ‘due process’ to follow – it is my intention to make a formal complaint against National’s Northland candidate Mark Osborne, for reported comments allegedly made by him, which, in my opinion, are a breach of s.216 (2) of the Electoral Act 1993 – “BRIBERY”.
In my view, in order to get an ‘outcome’ – you need to first put something into a ‘sausage machine’.
Just ‘howling at the moon’ doesn’t ‘cut it’ – in my opinion and experience.
The chain of events that ended up getting John Banks removed from Parliament, started with a complaint to the Police….
I was one of the three complainants.
Once I have the ‘process’ confirmed with the Electoral Commission – I will pass on the information.
Under NZ electoral law – “BRIBERY” is an offence.
But, situation normal, nothing will happen until someone actually MAKES A COMPLAINT?
I’ve already emailed the Electoral Commission – asking them this ‘due process’ question, so the ‘sausage machine’ has been ‘switched on’ – as it were….
Penny Bright
+1
Good on you, Penny Bright.
You are courageous and a tenacious fighter for accountability.
If I may say so, you are bold and Bright..putting your Penny and pen where your mouth is.
Good luck Penny. Maybe you can also include/allude to the early votes deliberately cheated out of confused elderly as mentioned in Open Mike yesterday ? ( Can find you link if you missed it).
Very serious indeed, and possibly could be part of same complaint ?
I haven’t seen the comment you refer to but the voting of people suffering from dementia by the staff of their aged care home seems to be a standard feature of every election.
I worked as a clerk at a polling booth in one of the homes at an election some years ago. Their were people who obviously suffered from dementia whose voting papers were collected by a staff member. The staff member had to tell us who the resident was as they didn’t seem to be in a position to know their own name.
The staff member then “helped” them to vote. I don’t think some of them had the faintest idea that there was even an election on.
One can only hope that there are never enough to unduly affect the results.
Disgraceful conduct like that by the union reps in rest homes has been happening at every election.
I have no idea who the votes were being cast for.
I certainly never saw the completed ballot papers. I can only say that I don’t think the “voters” knew either.
Headlines.
Fate of countries RMA reforms in hands of 137 elderly KeriKeri dementia sufferers.
Lol.
I’m more concerned with this new, and insidious, practice by the National party to have helpers phone and door-knock offers of rides to the polling booth.
On election day in 2014 we got an automated call from Sam Lotu Iiga’s electorate office apparently offering a ride to the polling booth. I don’t know how many houses this call went out to on election day but one must assume it was all households in the Maungakeiei electorate.
I complained to the Electoral commission on the day, and to be fair to them they had their chief lawyer call me back almost instantly, but he said it was within the rules agreed to by all parties.
While a higher proportion of constituents voting for parties of the socially responsible left are more likely to require help to get to a polling booth (or in this case – advanced voting for the infirm), this agreement is likely to not be in Labour’s benefit because the National party will cynically use it to have a last ditch advertising push on election day to all voters, regardless of mobility status…
…as Sam Lotu Iiga did in Maungakeikei in September 2014.
A solution to this would be for the Electoral commission themselves to have the funding to help vulnerable voters fulfil their right to vote uninfluenced by the Nats.
I would love to know what evidence you have for the statement that “While a higher proportion of constituents voting for parties of the socially responsible left are more likely to require help to get to a polling booth”.
On the other hand I do know one person, who does vote for right leaning parties, who called the Labour Party to request help to get to the polling booth. After voting she then, on the way home thanked “the nice young man and assured him she had voted for his candidate XXX. XXX was the National candidate”. She said that the driver managed, just, to resist tossing out of the car.
I told this story to one of my Labour leaning friends and she did it the other way round at the next election. She got National to take her to vote Labour. She claimed he was, in a strained way, quite polite to her.
Nice story, but I don’t believe a word of it.
You’d have to be stupid to not accept that more lower socio-economic people vote left and that more lower socio-economic people lack private transport.
It is. Labour has always offered rides especially to the elderly and infirm in well supported electorates
That’s what the Electoral Commission’s lawyer said too.
“Labour do it too”
I had to laugh because it sounded like something straight out of the Crosby Textor handbook.
I felt at the time that help to the polling booth targeted to immobile voters is fair enough, but an automated and apparently random phone message? Sounds like campaigning to me.
Do you want unions to be banned fisi?
If it stops rich pricks like you from bleeding the poor dry, then it is justified.
For too long people like you have been screwing over those at the bottom, demanding high rents, high divedends, low taxes, low prices, etc.
“For too long people like you have been screwing over those at the bottom, demanding high rents, high dividends, low taxes, low prices, etc”
Yes, especially the Selfish Rich Prick RW bastards.
Given your comment reference, 11.2.1.2 you appear to be replying to my comment which is 11.2.1.
What the hell are you talking about? Am I not allowed to help run the election by giving my time, and the payment went to a charity, to help run the election? I was a clerk in the polling booth. I wasn’t a bloody party representative.
alwyn-You really think people believe your Bullshit?
1. It is not “bullshit”
2. I hate to dent your little ego but I don’t really care in the slightest what you think. I have yet to read anything by you that matters in the slightest.
You mean real bribery like interest free student loans Or just a fevered deluded inference?
When are you going to stop freeloading and pay your rates?
Yes, god forbid that we should reduce the financial burden on those getting an education.
Lest we forget, the process which led to the legally enforced corporate takeover of the Auckland region via the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%) amalgamation, effectively started on 5 September 2006, with the attempted ‘Mayoral coup’.
The purpose of the (failed) Auckland ‘Mayoral coup’ was to get rid of the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) and replace it with a ‘Supercity’.
The ‘ring leaders’ of this attempted Auckland ‘Mayoral coup’, were Waitakere City Council Mayor Bob Harvey, Manukau City Council Mayor Barry Curtis, North Shore City Council Mayor George Wood, and Auckland City Council Mayor Dick Hubbard.
FACT.
The ‘form’ taken by these four City Council Mayors – was a letter – co-signed by all of them – addressed to then LABOUR Prime Minister, Helen Clark, asking for her urgent intervention and assistance, on behalf of those who were really pushing hard for this – BUSINESS leaders.
Luckily, fellow community activist Lisa Prager and myself, having been ‘tipped off’ about this meeting to be held in the Auckland Town Hall, gate-crashed it and disrupted it – on the basis that the Auckland ‘Mayoral Forum’ under whose auspices this meeting had been called, was NOT a ‘creature of statute’ – had no lawful right to do anything – and under the then Local Government Act 2002, there had to be a binding poll of the PUBLIC before any ‘amalgamation’ took place.
Our action on 5 September 2006, at least helped to slow down the process …
Penny Bright
On the good news front. Our Friends in Australia – are sick of the crap being done to them.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/protesters-shut-down-melbourne-to-fight-against-closure-of-aboriginal-communities-20150313-143uhe.html
I can’t believe Australia is still doing that shit. Good on the people taking over the main streets of Melbourne.
Forcing people out of remote communities through funding cuts ‘cultural genocide’: Trevor Donaldson
Content warning: ignorant white man pretending to be the Prime Minister of Australia being an extremely racist prick instead.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/03/12/4196442.htm?site=goldfields
NORTHLAND BYELECTION : The I-PREDICT price movements so far:
Investors and gamblers have been estimating, daily, the % chances of which candidate will win :
The predictions so far are for the dates, March 4th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th and today, the 15th (The ides of March of Winston’s march!):
The Nat candidate : 90%, 75%, 65%, 65%, 60%, and today, 53%.
The Winston Peters: 10%, 22%, 45%, 35%, 37%, and today, 48%.
The Lab candidate : 10%, 25%, 15%, 15%, 15%, and today, 0.3%.
Here are the graphs:
NAT : https://www.ipredict.co.nz/app.php?do=graph&sym=BE15.NTD.NAT&size=xlg&col=%230392D7&cbgcolor=%230089EF&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF
WP : https://www.ipredict.co.nz/app.php?do=graph&sym=BE15.NTD.OTHER&size=xlg&col=%230392D7&cbgcolor=%230089EF&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF
LAB: https://www.ipredict.co.nz/app.php?do=graph&sym=BE15.NTD.LAB&size=xlg&col=%230392D7&cbgcolor=%230089EF&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF
Pick the winner and double your money
@fisiani
“Pick the winner and double your money”
Who would you pick to double the money, fisiani?
Fisianil looking at the average decline in support for National per day.
I predict Winnie to Win.
Looking at the RT site for what it has about President Putin’s whereabouts.
The news at the 12th March was that he had cancelled some things but was having meetings out of the public eye. He had some trouble in 2012 similarly and this was ascribed to old sports injuries etc.
http://rt.com/politics/240025-russia-peskov-putin-health/
Comments on the Ukraine business from Gorbachev and Kissinger. Two old guys who have definite views on the subject and sound as if they are very sharp still. Kissinger is not glad handing the USA.
http://rt.com/news/203475-gorbachev-speech-berlin-wall/
http://rt.com/news/203795-kissinger-warns-cold-war/
I can only shake my head in disbelief at this http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67387751/Former-MPs-travel-perk-to-get-a-boost
This has been hot on Twitter since late yesterday when Philip Lyth picked it up, then Idiot/Savant (NRT) and Graeme Edgeler. Graeme researched it and then posted on Public Address:
http://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/mps-to-vote-on-raising-international-travel/
Graeme’s post includes links to Philip and I/S posts.
Marama Fox (MP) and Metiria Turei (GP) were contacted via Twitter and both said they would oppose the increase.
Last night Annette King tweeted Graeme asking where he got the information from regarding former MPs travel and “No-one else has heard it!”
https://twitter.com/annetterongotai/status/576598331515756545
The whole situation seems to changing minute by minute. According to Graeme the Stuff article has been updated to exclude a sentence included in the original article referring to Fox, Turei and King opposing the changes. *
Graeme’s Twiitter feed is possibly the only way to keep up with the changing situation. Lots more details, questions, comments there.
https://twitter.com/GraemeEdgeler
EDIT – the earlier version also included the fact that only one dissenting vote is needed for the changes to not pass! Apparently this still stands, but taken out of the Stuff article.
Cheers I thought I’d seen a comment on The Standard some were but couldn’t find it so thought I’d chuck this up.
Pleased you did!
I suspect that this is going to be all over the MSM news tomorrow, The Stuff (Dom Post) article was obviously written in haste – I suspect by a pretty junior on duty journo. Herald also has a fairly vacuous article up tonight. Won’t bother providing a link unless you would like one.
But it continues to be debated on Twitter – Graeme Edgeler, Jessica Williams, Hoots, Annette King (qualifies when she leaves Parliament), Tau Henare (another qualifier now) etc. King seems to be out there trying to justify the change on behalf of National. Say no more.
Edgeler seems to be holding his ground and refusing to let it go which IMO is good. Could be the start of another bad week for Key …. !
Death by a thousand cuts, perhaps. Time will tell.
Update – Edgeler has now posted a further post at Public Address.
http://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/update-on-the-former-mps-travel-perk/
Haven’t read it yet, but thought you might be interested if you had not seen it.
heh
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3043346/a-google-for-scientific-articles-for-the-next-time-youre-locked-in-a-debate-about-vaccines
Sparrho is like the Google for scientific papers—and patents, posters, events, and grants. Just type in keywords, like “GMO food,” and you’ll soon have access to all the latest research. Here’s a snapshot of what comes up when you search for GMO food:
As you can see, the latest results are up-to-date (I performed the search on March 6). Some are accessible to laypeople, some are not. That’s because Vivian Chan, Sparrho’s CEO and co-founder, originally designed the platform for herself. “I was doing my PhD at Cambridge University, and realized using search engines for science doesn’t work. There are all of these databases out there, but you have to know exactly what it is you’re looking for,” she says.
worth some thought maybe …
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html
and Sao Paulo, Brasil, with population of 25 million is on water rationing with supplies only two days a week …
thank goodness there isn’t any such thing as human=induced climate change. Imagine how bad things might really be !!!
The so called Housing Crisis in Auckland myth has been exploded http://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Auckland_Housing_Accord_Monitoring_Report_5.pdf
Ask the people having to live in shithole boarding houses.
Or the homeless people living on the streets.
Good analysis and ideas in the Observer today for addressing Britain’s housing crisis, which shares most of the hallmarks of NZ’s:
”The Homes for Britain campaign, which brings together housing associations, private house builders, landlords, planners and architects, is holding a rally in Westminster. It aims to solve the housing crisis “in a generation”, which is a realistic time frame, given that it has taken a generation to create the current situation
”The crisis in house prices is therefore not an act of pure economic fate but constructed and willed by policy over decades. As such, it can also be defused by policy, if not easily or quickly. So far, the main government response has been to try to relax planning rules and to encourage the market with measures such as Help To Buy which, presented as much-needed assistance to first-time buyers, tend to push up prices further.”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/14/britain-housing-crisis-10-ways-solve-rowan-moore-general-election
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/mar/15/cyclone-pam-aid-agencies-head-to-vanuatu-as-death-toll-rises#block-55053188e4b08cb82df08263