Open mike 15/06/2011

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, June 15th, 2011 - 197 comments
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197 comments on “Open mike 15/06/2011”

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Big Bruv 1
15 June 2011 at 6:24 am
I wonder what today will bring us?…..
1. More revelations about Labour stealing from the public purse.
2. More diversionary tactics from Labour sycophants here at the Standard.
3. And more impiortantly…the public further reinforce their belief that Labour could not run a shower let alone a government.
Sort your act out guys, this nation needs a strong opposition, we simply cannot afford another term of Labour lite policies from Neville Key and the Nat’s.
Force Neville back to the right, only then can we hope to build a strong economy, one strong enough to withstand another Labour government (in about nine years)
- mickysavage 1.1
  15 June 2011 at 6:36 am
  I wonder what today will bring?
  More visits from well known RWNJs and new posters that we have never heard of before. More incessant chantings of slogans along the lines of “Labour Bad”. More claims that the taking of data from a crippled server was somehow authorised.
  No doubt the debate will be heated and no one’s opinions will be changed.
  Of course we could always DNFTT.
  - Big Bruv 1.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:29 am
    Is that all you have Micky?
    Normally you can put together a fairly reasoned (all be it wrong) argument, I guess even you have been forced to concede that Labour are as guilty as sin when it comes to stealing public funds.
    Tell me mate, why is it that you lot think you have the right to steal my money whenever you fancy?
    [Blatant trolling. A repeat will not be tolerated. Final warning…RL]
    - felix 1.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 8:37 am
      I can’t speak for “you lot” whoever that is, but I can think of a few good reasons to take what little money you have left.
      High on the list: to save prostitutes from having to endure your tedious company.
    - Pascal's bookie 1.1.1.2
      15 June 2011 at 8:53 am
      If someone has been stealing your money you should lay a complaint with the cops bruv.
    - Big Bruv 1.1.1.3
      15 June 2011 at 9:05 am
      ha ha….feeling a bit caught out are you RL?
      Feeling a bit guilty on behalf of your Labour party sycophants?
- Bored 1.2
  15 June 2011 at 6:54 am
  Earth calling Planet Bruv….any intellegent life there?????????????? Thought not.
Bored 2
15 June 2011 at 6:51 am
If you ever had any doubts about the Casino nature of the economy as RWNJs want it try this headline from the NY Times this morning..Markets Turn Up Sharply After Release of Retail Data
Apparently the markets gained 1% on news that data was bad BUT not as bad as expected. Go figure. It is the sort of mentality that drives Keys economic vision, pray and hope and talk up what is a very bad story.
- infused 2.1
  15 June 2011 at 7:53 am
  Theres been interesting data coming out of everywhere. Seems to be a surge of demand in NZ in the last two months. I’ve definitely noticed it.
  - Bored 2.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:18 am
    Indeed, our primary outputs are going to be highly in demand whilst there is still some liquidity in the world. Commentary from http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/ has repeatedly got the indicators right, they suggest the world economy will have increasingly sharp swings up and down with the average being slow decline. Interesting times.
    - infused 2.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 8:57 am
      That would indicate a correction, not an decline forever.
      The graphics remind me of this.
      http://macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/bubblesandmanias.gif
      - Bored 2.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 1:02 pm
        The line indicating value on the graph is OK if you assume unlimited growth and available resources…take the resource availability out consumption comes down, and with it true value.This is what we now face.
- Lanthanide 2.2
  15 June 2011 at 10:09 am
  I don’t know why bad data, but not as bad as expected, somehow surprised you when the market rallies?
  
  They ‘price in’ what they expect the results of every report will be. Then, if the report comes out as expected, the market barely moves. If it comes out differently, the market will move towards the new position.
  
  Nothing casino-like at all. Simple rational behaviour of markets, really.
PeteG 3
15 June 2011 at 7:15 am
Yesterday lprent said to me:
Quite simply if I see niceness breaking out amongst political parties in a democracy, then I’d consider that it is time to depart that society.
If the level of mudslinging, vitriol, hate and intolerance we have in our politics is seen as an essential part of a “healthy democracy” it’s no wonder our society has more than a few rough edges.
It’s in part the example set by the Dogs of Blogs, Bitches of Parties.
And part of the family of violence. (from Liberation”
- Bored 3.1
  15 June 2011 at 8:12 am
  PeteG, we might want to consider that vitriol and extreme positions go hand in hand with a society under increasing stress. The party that was the last 30 years is over, the “economy”if you can call it that now faces the long slow decline that will parallel resouce depletion (energy in particular). There are no magic bullets, no immediate cure, or way back ever. Its gone. Bleak indeed.
  The cosy assumptions of the middle classes are crumbling before their eyes, no financial institution is to be trusted, no long term future based on what we are used to can be trusted. Those who own most are grasping to own more, those with least are getting less. So we will fight one another for the diminishing remains of what is left. Dont expect it to be “nice”, it is too visceral for that.
  - PeteG 3.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:17 am
    I think we have to fight against going down that path.
    - Bored 3.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 8:20 am
      I agree, but I fear we might already be into the second round throwing punches wildly.
- lprent 3.2
  15 June 2011 at 8:29 am
  You forgot to put in the reason why I said that. As I recall I described it quite vividly.
  Just think, there is very little conflict in the democracy in Fiji right now. Is that what you’re after?
  - felix 3.2.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:32 am
    Well he has indicated a desire that all parties get behind the government.
    - PeteG 3.2.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 8:45 am
      I guess it might sound a bit strange to some to expect that all our elected reprentatives should actually represent us and work together for the good of the country rather than ignore the people that voted for them, barricade themselves in party factions and try and bring each other down by any means they can think of, more foul than fair.
      Doesn’t it seem strange that we seem to accept a “democracy” where the main opposition party doesn’t accept the democrat vote of the election and instead devotes itself to trying to bring the government down?
      That sounds like actively encouraged desperate for power sedition to me, not democracy.
      - Pascal's bookie 3.2.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 8:50 am
        Ya big galloon, the people that voted for the opposition deserve representation in parliament too.
      - felix 3.2.1.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 8:58 am
        Opposition to The Party is sedition now, Pete?
        PeteG 3.2.1.1.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 9:02 am
        Continually trying to bring a government down is, isn’t it?
        You know very well I don’t support single party rule. That’s just another of your attempts at devious and blatant misrepresentation.
        I support multiple healthy parties who can work together for the good of the country (which they do at select committee level now anyway) but can still have differences and debates on issues.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 9:25 am
        Have differences and debates and then get behind the government.
        You’re getting clearer.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 9:34 am
        “You know very well I don’t support single party rule. “
        Actually I don’t, Pete. I know you say that, but every time we drill down through your ideas about representation we run into this brick wall that you just don’t seem to be able to see over.
        Here’s an example: http://thestandard.org.nz/drug-peddlers/#comment-330885
        Perhaps you’re ready to answer the question at the “end” of that interchange now, and we can find out once and for all what it is you believe.
        PeteG …
        15 June 2011 at 10:11 am
        Who’s this “we” you are referring to? Who are you working with?
        You don’t give me the impression you want to understand what I think.
        You give me the impression you want to eliminate posts you don’t want here. Under favourable protection you try to exclude who you don’t want on the blog.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 11:45 am
        By “we” I just mean myself and the other commenters who have tried at length to get you to examine your ideas a little more closely. I’m only speaking for myself, but acknowledging that I’m not the only one who has put these questions to you.
        Would you like to change the subject again or are you going to try to answer the question now?
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 2:34 pm
        Awww, where’d you go Pete? (again)
        Seems it’s always at this exact point in our conversations (the point where I ask you the question you can’t face) that you disappear for the day.
        I’m beginning to have serious doubts about your level of commitment to an inclusive, open, consultative model of governance, Pete.
        PeteG …
        15 June 2011 at 2:55 pm
        I have other things to do sometimes felix, I’m not perpetually in thrall of your quaint manoeverings.
        Politicians should be prepared to justify their actions to all voters.
        I notice in that exchange that I made it clear (again) that I don’t support a one party state. Most of you “assumptions” there were incorrect, but that’s what you seem to like doing.
        I support a multi party state where the parties don’t always try and destroy each other.
        A question for you – do you accept that I don’t support a one party state?
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 4:56 pm
        Pete, I won’t know until you answer the question at the bottom of that thread.
  - PeteG 3.2.2
    15 June 2011 at 8:41 am
    Just think, there is very little conflict in the democracy in Fiji right now.
    What democracy?
    - Pascal's bookie 3.2.2.1
      15 June 2011 at 8:47 am
      Hey Pete, how come you keep comin round here tryin to start fights and bein all ornery about things?
      Usin words like ‘dogs’ and ‘bitches’ and stuff.
      - PeteG 3.2.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 8:53 am
        Robust democratic debate 🙂
        And because if I said things like “please can our politicians and their heavies behave a bit more civilly and set a better example” it tends to get ignored.
        Parties need jolting out of their self obsession with power at any price. Blogs aid and abet their charade of democracy, aka desparate clinging to power by any means.
        Pascal's bookie 3.2.2.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 9:03 am
        Yeah everyone should just shut up and let you* make all the decisions then, for the good of democracy.
        *Yes yes, I know I heard you the last time. You have a new and improved method of politics where people you listen to will talk to you and you’ll do what they tell you. Sounds like something I’d hate, sorry.
        So what to do?
        Colonial Viper …
        15 June 2011 at 11:49 am
        Don’t you know? PeteG is the one destined to bring balance back to the Force.
- higherstandard 3.3
  15 June 2011 at 9:16 am
  Pete I have no great love or respect for our parliamentarians, however, in their defense our parliamentary system is set up and designed to be oppositional in nature so as to ensure a positive and negative position on all issues are vigorously debated while this can lead to the childish and hateful behaviour we often seen in parliament it is a reasonable price to pay for having a democracy.
  - PeteG 3.3.1
    15 June 2011 at 9:26 am
    Oppositional is fine, we need that. But I think our parties go much further than “oppositional”.
    We can have opposition and denbate without having to resort to the levels of mudslinging, blatant dishonesty and illegality (or stretching the rules to suit) that we get far too much of.
    Don’t you see the difference?
    - higherstandard 3.3.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 9:43 am
      Oh I agree with all that, I was pretty much backing up lprent’s view that if we suddenly had an outbreak of agreement on everything from the politicians we should all be very worried indeed.
      - PeteG 3.3.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 9:54 am
        No, we need to encourage diverse views.
        All I’m suggesting is we shouldn’t have to accept so much arsehole behaviour and nasty tactics.
        It’s no better than accepting kicking someone’s head in after the bar has closed because that’s what you do when you’re tanked up.
        lprent 3.3.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:24 am
        …arsehole behaviour and nasty tactics.
        I consider that those would be where people are getting killed, tortured, jailed, disappeared or having the shit beaten out of them. When you look outside democracies that is what you see. When you look at sham ‘democracies’ like Fiji, that is what you see. In fact that appears to be the norm for the political process over the centuries.
        The penalty cost for having a vaguely democratic system like ours is that you allow minorities and dissidents room to have a voice without getting killed (etc) is that the process is noisy. The noisiness appears to be what you’re objecting to.
        I suspect you have lived a sheltered existence and could do to get out more amongst different cultures to see how they handle their political systems. You don’t even have to leave the country. I’d suggest that you do what I did at age 18 and go in the army. The culture was quite different to what I was used to, and soldiers there had a far far clearer appreciation of a free society looked like than you do.
    - prism 3.3.1.2
      15 June 2011 at 9:59 am
      PeteG – Denbate – is that some sort of rodent extermination material?
    - Colonial Viper 3.3.1.3
      15 June 2011 at 10:15 am
      Time to change from our Westminster system of parliament you say?
      - PeteG 3.3.1.3.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:52 am
        No. We just have to use the system we’ve got better.
        And not allow our politicians to abuse it so much.
        Colonial Viper 3.3.1.3.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:55 am
        Its the Westminster system. Oppositional and adversarial is what it was founded on.
        But feel free to try and change the trimmings around the edges.
Janice 4
15 June 2011 at 8:17 am
Why can’t Radio NZ leave the Darren Hughes affair alone? This morning they were trying (again) to make Phil Goff look bad over it. Are CT worried that Phil is increasingly like a better alternative than the donkey, et al. Move along.
- infused 4.1
  15 June 2011 at 8:33 am
  [Deleted. Despicable smear-mongering. A repeat will earn a long ban…RL]
  - infused 4.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:54 am
    How is it smear mongering? He was under the influence of something, I didn’t say it was Darren that had anything to do with it. I’m merely pointing out the reason why charges were not laid. This was reported by the way.
    [lprent: Whatever it was, I’d guess that you just failed to put in the link. Silly you. But I suspect that you made up your own story and didn’t put in a link to something reputable because it didn’t support you interpretation – right?.
    Don’t be daft. If you want to make a statement of fact or insinuation of fact, then you need to support it. Otherwise we’ll treat it as trolling. ]
- Gosman 4.2
  15 June 2011 at 8:57 am
  What is CT short for and how exactly is he, she, or it meant to be able to influence Radio NZ National editorial policy?
  - freedom 4.2.1
    15 June 2011 at 9:08 am
    Crosby Textor – a hybrid organism that infects the brain stem of weak minded egoists who believe that some people are simply better than others because they own more shit.
  - marsman 4.2.2
    15 June 2011 at 9:16 am
    CT? Try Crosby Textor the hoodwink experts John Key and the rest of his nasty little crowd get their daily spin lines from. Read the Hollow Men.
    - Gosman 4.2.2.1
      15 June 2011 at 10:17 am
      Okay then, so how is an Australian PR agency meant to influence the editorial decisions of Radio NZ National?
      - freedom 4.2.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:29 am
        really, you are going with feigning ignorance?
        Gosman 4.2.2.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 11:39 am
        …and you seem to be going with the ‘I don’t need to actually provide any evidence or even justify my position because I just know it is so’ approach.
  - Colonial Viper 4.2.3
    15 June 2011 at 10:18 am
    One typical CT tactic is to provide news organisations with easy access to selective “facts”, specific framing/languaging and acceptable people to interview.
    And with news organisations having to do more on less and less, its a quick easy way for them to get some content out there without working too hard.
- Vicky32 4.3
  15 June 2011 at 6:36 pm
  I just heardv on 3 News Fatty Garner putting his view on the Darren Hughes event as if it were fact… pretty much as he usually does, in fact… 🙁
Gosman 5
15 June 2011 at 8:53 am
mickeysavage, is it true that you sent a whiny missive to Peter Goodfellow of National complaining about Cameron Slater and worrying about whether he had your credit card details?
Wouldn’t that be like someone on the right complaining to the Labour party about the antics of someone from The Standard? I’m sure you would agree that the Standard boys and girls cannot be dictated to by Labour Party head office yet you seem to think Cameron Slater can. Truly Bizarre.
Anyway I thought the Labour party has already stated that the credit card information was on another properly protected server and nothing was compromised? Don’t you trust the Labour party hierarchy on this?
- lprent 5.1
  15 June 2011 at 9:22 am
  People have done that a couple of times to us as well.
  However, the National party’s IP’s are all over the access logs long before Slater touched it. It would appear that the National party could have a copies of some Labour party data, and it looks highly likely that someone in the National Party tipped off their poodle. So yes you may know what you told your poodle to collect.
  But I suggest you look at the Privacy Act. It has some interesting provisions for organisations having to disclose any information that they hold on individuals.
  - higherstandard 5.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 9:40 am
    So is Cameron working for ACT or National ……….. or is he actually responsible for 9/11?
    Perhaps he’s just a political junkie who revels in poking opposing political junkies, politicians and political parties with a stick ……… seems to be good therapy for him.
    - felix 5.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 9:46 am
      None of those are necessarily mutually exclusive of course (just sayin is all…)
      - higherstandard 5.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:00 am
        I suspect reverse vampire involvement.
        Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:20 am
        Reverse vampire involvement, yes, but behind it all I suspect a cabal of born to rule werewolves.
        higherstandard …
        15 June 2011 at 10:22 am
        “Congress tart !”
        Colonial Viper …
        15 June 2011 at 10:23 am
        Where can I find one of those? 😉
    - travellerev 5.1.1.2
      15 June 2011 at 10:55 am
      Now that was silly wasn’t it, HS? But you’re not alone. 48% of all New Yorkers are wondering the same thing.
      - Gosman 5.1.1.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 11:42 am
        Jeez Travellerev you can’t stop yourself can you? lol!
        travellerev 5.1.1.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 1:49 pm
        Cowboy hat boy. Shush. you are so silly.
      - Lanthanide 5.1.1.2.2
        15 June 2011 at 1:23 pm
        I bet if the question was: “Would you support a new $400m investigation into WTC7 collapse?” the answer would have been a lot more negative.
        In other words, if you give stuff away for free, even if it’s stuff people don’t really care about, they’ll gladly accept it. If you charge them for it, you’ll get a low fewer takers.
        travellerev 5.1.1.2.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 1:46 pm
        ROFL, Fuck, rare earth man talk about a warped argument.
        I’ll tell you what; if the choice is let’s get to the bottom of why a perfectly well build 47 story steel framed high rise collapsed after only minor office fires into its own footprint in 6.5 seconds breaking all Newtons laws of motion for a mere $400 million before we bankrupt ourselves attacking Afghanistan and Iraq considering the fact that they spend $ 40 million on the Lewinski/Clinton case (to find out whether he lied under oath about screwing the girl) I’m sure NYers would choose the investigation into the collapse of building 7 no problem.
        
        Here is the collapse for those of you who didn’t know about the third building collapsing.
        Even NIST had no explanation as to why this happened and let’s face it it never happened before or after 911.
        More than 1500 Architects and Engineers want to know why it happened too. If only to be able to prevent it from happening another time.
        
        Gosman …
        15 June 2011 at 1:56 pm
        “More than 1500 Architects and Engineers…”
        To borrow your own text speak emotion
        ROFL!
        This would be round about the same number of supposed “Architects and Engineers”, (including a high number of students it must be stated), that has been claimed by that same website for the past few years.
        If you must use the appeal to authority and numbers logical fallacy to bolster your argument it would be better if you could actually show that the numbers supporting these wacky ideas are actually growing significantly over time rather than stagnating.
        travellerev …
        15 June 2011 at 2:07 pm
        no Cowboy hat boy,
        the figures are:
        1,513 verified architectural and engineering professionals and 12,284 other supporters
        have signed the petition demanding of Congress
        a truly independent investigation.
        If that many building professionals want to know why a perfectly well build steel framed twice reinforced to withstand nuclear blasts collapses after a couple of hours of minor carbon fires within 6.5 seconds into its own footprint breaking all the laws of motion I’m happy to second that request. That is not using authority to press a point that is pointing out that since I’m not a building professional but they are I’m inclined to support that demand. Especially since even NIST after eight years can not explain the collapse.
        Gosman …
        15 June 2011 at 2:13 pm
        LOL.
        I note you failed to answer the actual question that I raised, which was shouldn’t the numbers supporting this investigation be growing substationally rather than stagnating as seems to be the case?
        Pascal's bookie …
        15 June 2011 at 3:31 pm
        Eve, about the ‘small office fire in WTC7’ that you like to mention, here’s video you could link to in support of that:
        and an interview with Deputy Fire Chief Peter Hayden, from early 02:
        Hayden: Yeah. There was enough there and we were marking off. There were a lot of damaged apparatus there that were covered. We tried to get searches in those areas. By now, this is going on into the afternoon, and we were concerned about additional collapse, not only of the Marriott, because there was a good portion of the Marriott still standing, but also we were pretty sure that 7 World Trade Center would collapse. Early on, we saw a bulge in the southwest corner between floors 10 and 13, and we had put a transit on that and we were pretty sure she was going to collapse. You actually could see there was a visible bulge, it ran up about three floors. It came down about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, but by about 2 o’clock in the afternoon we realized this thing was going to collapse.
        Firehouse: Was there heavy fire in there right away?
        Hayden: No, not right away, and that’s probably why it stood for so long because it took a while for that fire to develop. It was a heavy body of fire in there and then we didn’t make any attempt to fight it. That was just one of those wars we were just going to lose. We were concerned about the collapse of a 47-story building there. We were worried about additional collapse there of what was remaining standing of the towers and the Marriott, so we started pulling the people back after a couple of hours of surface removal and searches along the surface of the debris. We started to pull guys back because we were concerned for their safety.
        Looks to me like a substantial fire that was left to burn for several hours because the firefighters were concerned about the integrity of the building. But opinions vary obviously.
        travellerev …
        15 June 2011 at 3:58 pm
        Hi PB,
        Here is a fire in a steel framed building in Madrid. It was much hotter, the building much more fragile and it burned mush longer but the building was still there.
        Here is a steel framed building in China which again burned far hotter ,longer and was build in a strange lopsided manner but it di not collapse.
        According to NIST the building suffered not substantial damage, the fire only burned up office materials and furniture and no steel framed building other than the three WTC buildings have ever collapsed due to fires, let alone into their own foot prints in 6.5, 10 and 11 seconds. And the reaon for its collapse was because according to them one beam of the structure heated up and expanded a tiny bit more than the others causing the structure to collapse like a controlled ($ millions of dollars to pull off correctly) demolition. Come on PB, Come on.
        Let me ask you something? Try to clap your hands 47 times in 6.5 seconds or a 180 in 10-11 seconds. That is the time it took for those buildings to “collapse”. If you can do that I concede that those buildings failed structurally into their own footprint towards the path of most resistance.
        
        Pascal's bookie …
        15 June 2011 at 4:43 pm
        Still not small office fire. It was bloody big office fire left to burn for several hours because the fire crews thought the building was going to collapse.
        According to NIST the building suffered not substantial damage, the fire only burned up office materials and furniture
        Wikipedia mis-reports the NIST interim report then:
        In its progress report, NIST released a video and still-photo analysis of 7 World Trade Center before its collapse that appears to indicate a greater degree of structural damage from falling debris than originally assumed by FEMA. Specifically, NIST’s interim report on 7 World Trade Center displays photographs of the southwest facade of the building that show it to have significant damage. The report also highlights a 10-story gash in the center of the south facade, toward the bottom, extending approximately a quarter of the way into the interior.[5][41] A unique aspect of the design of 7 World Trade Center was that each outer structural column was responsible for supporting 2,000 sq ft (186 m²) of floor space, suggesting that the simultaneous removal of a number of columns severely compromised the structure’s integrity.[42] Consistent with this theory, news footage shows cracking and bowing of the building’s east wall immediately before the collapse, which began at the penthouse floors.[5] In video of the collapse, taken from the north by CBS News and other news media, the first visible sign of collapse is movement in the east penthouse 8.2 seconds before the north wall began to collapse, which took at least another 7 seconds.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_World_Trade_Center
        I know, I know, wikipedia. But still. The NIST report says something. It either says what wikipedia claims it says, or what you claim it says. Shall I check?
        The madrid building wasn’t more fragile, it had a reinforced concrete central core, which survived, the steel shell around it collapsed though, about 2-3 hours in to the fire.
        travellerev …
        16 June 2011 at 8:30 am
        PB,
        I take it you did not try to clap your hands 47 times in 6.5 seconds then.
        Buildings do not collapse due to fire in freefall speed into their own foot print because of gravity.
        The fire was comparatively cold and the explanation from NIST has been peer reviewed and found wanting.
        Here is a link to the NY times archives explaining the reinforcement of the building in 1989.
        It was reinforced again to house the emergency bunker of Giuliani. It was supposed to be able to withstand a nuclear impact.
        Here is a video which shows the explosion initiation bringing down the building in the afternoon. NIST denies explosions occurred.
        Here is a video of an interview with Barry Jennings. Barry Jennings was the Deputy Director of Emergency Services Department for the New York City Housing Authority. He died under mysterious circumstances just before the NIST report was released. He describes explosions in the building when none of the two towers had collapsed yet and He describes how the first 6 floors just disappeared leaving the outer walls standing.
        
        Pascal's bookie …
        16 June 2011 at 8:57 am
        All of which is fascinating eve.
        however, all I’m pointing out is that you keep saying it was a small fire, when video shows that it wasn’t, and that there was structural damage when you claim there was none, and that the NIST report doesn’t say what you claimed it says.
        Given this, I’m not really inclined to trust things you have to say. That’s not my fault, it’s your fault. You say things that when checked turn out to not be true, or at the very least , wildy misleading.
        It really really really will help you to convince people if you sort that problem out.
        travellerev …
        16 June 2011 at 9:20 am
        If that many building professionals want to know why a perfectly well build steel framed twice reinforced to withstand nuclear blasts collapses after a couple of hours of minor carbon fires within 6.5 seconds into its own footprint breaking all the laws of motion I’m happy to second that request
        Is what I said PC. Compared to the Spanish and Chinese fire they were minor.
        If you choose to ignore evidence of explosions (You’re not alone, NIST refused to address this), the fact that the building reinforced to withstand a nuclear blast did collapse in free fall speed 6.5 seconds into its own foot print against all laws of motion and physics and unseen before and after 911 than that is your prerogative, mate.
        Thanks a bunch for keeping the thread alive because unlike you there are always people who do want to know and they get to learn about it this way.
        For those of you wanting to meet other people who want to know the truth here is the forum you might want to visit and become a member from and here is once again the link to Architects and engineers for 911 truth. Here is the site for the fire fighters for 911 truth and here is a list of prominent patriots who want a new and independent investigation.
  - Gosman 5.1.2
    15 June 2011 at 10:22 am
    “So yes you may know what you told your poodle to collect.”
    WTF???
    I’m not even a member of the National Party so why would you try and suggest I had something to do with this.
    I think you are guilty of the very same problem you have when people equate members of The Standard with Labour.
    - lprent 5.1.2.1
      15 June 2011 at 10:27 am
      My apologies. That sort of deliberately slipped out. For some reason it felt right…..
      (it must have been all of the synchronized yapping I have been seeing for the last couple of days)
- mickysavage 5.2
  15 June 2011 at 10:21 am
  Why does political discourse have to be so violent Gosman?
  
  And by the looks of your comment you will be aware that I have written expressing my concern that my private information may be held by the National Party and by Slater. Cameron has responded in his usual manner.
  
  I am actually wondering about the benefit of debating some issues online. I don’t care about abuse myself, but I know a number of others who feel very threatened by the overly intrusive and abusive behaviour of some.
  - Gosman 5.2.1
    15 June 2011 at 10:28 am
    Are you suggesting my comments to you constitutes abuse?
    All I have asked you is if you sent an e-mail to Peter Goodfellow about the credit card information that Cameron Slater might or might not have and the reason why you sent the e-mail to him when your issue seems to be with Cameron Slater and the Labour party has already stated that credit card information was not accessed.
    Yes I did say your e-mail was whiny but that is my personal opinion of it when reading it. That is hardly constitutes abuse on any major level in my book but if you were horribly offended I must apologise profusely to you.
    - mickysavage 5.2.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 10:45 am
      Sorry Gosman. I agree your comment was mild in comparison to many.
      
      I was referring more to the stream of texts and emails I am currently receiving.
      
      I am pretty thick skinned about it but I just had breakfast with a few others who have been considerably affected by the application of the internet blowtorch on them.
      
      There has to be a better way.
      - Colonial Viper 5.2.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:56 am
        Sorry to hear that MS. Misuse of telecommunications including email is a crime.
        Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 1:35 pm
        Yes, it is. A very serious crime.
      - Gosman 5.2.1.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 11:34 am
        I actually sympathise with you on this. I inwardly cringed when I saw you included your contact details on the e-mail as I could imagine certain people would most likely use that information in rather nasty ways. I might disagree with your political view point but there really is no excuse for that sort of stuff.
      - PeteG 5.2.1.1.3
        15 June 2011 at 2:04 pm
        Do you get what I mean then MS?
        I’m told (elsewhere on this thread) that a climate of political attack and abuse is essential for democracy to function, and to keep lprent in the country.
        wtl 5.2.1.1.3.1
        15 June 2011 at 3:34 pm
        But (I presume) MS is not being abused by politicians or representatives of political parties. So how does your “new way of doing things” have anything to do with the current issues MS is having?
        PeteG …
        15 June 2011 at 3:49 pm
        I was talking about my opinons I posted on and discussed here, about the example of political behaviour set by our so called leaders – that any tactics are fair game as long as you can get away with it. Behaviour that flows out, including to politically minded people who seem to think anything and anyone is fair game in the brawl for power.
        I think it’s incredibly sad to see the amount of resources that go into trying to abuse and destroy in political circles. It goes far beyond democratic debate, it’s an excuse to be a power seeking arsehole.
        wtl …
        15 June 2011 at 4:12 pm
        I figured that would be your answer. But don’t you think they you are seriously exaggerating the potential benefits of your so-called ‘new way of doing things’? Obviously, behaviour of political minded people is influenced to some degree by our political leaders. But people aren’t suddenly going to start behaving like angels just because there is less dirt being thrown around at the top.
    - Colonial Viper 5.2.1.2
      15 June 2011 at 10:49 am
      All I have asked you is if you sent an e-mail to Peter Goodfellow
      Is that the same guy that the movie Goodfellas was named after? 😉
      How do you threaten someone without threatening someone?
      “Hey Mickey, look, you’ve been causing trouble here and you know it. Why would you do that when you know your mum has just had a heart attack and is recovering down at St Vincent’s? And your wife, she’s got that new job at the store down the road hasn’t she? I heard that she likes it there. Now your little Matty he’s at such a sensitive age looking to start school next month. So Mickey, if I were you, I’d just focus on making sure that your family stays healthy and happy, and not worrying about all this other political stuff.
      Geddit?”
  - Pascal's bookie 5.2.2
    15 June 2011 at 10:42 am
    So you wrote to the National Party and now Slater knows about it?
    How does that work?
    - mickysavage 5.2.2.1
      15 June 2011 at 10:55 am
      Wrote to both to put them on notice and to ask for information they held concerning me. Slater responded rather briefly saying “F@#$ off”. His eloquence is mythical. I am thinking of seeking clarification of his position but it is a bit like poking a bear with a stick …
      - Pascal's bookie 5.2.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 10:57 am
        Right.
      - Colonial Viper 5.2.2.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 10:59 am
        I suspect that Slater only understands or appreciates certain kinds of messages MS. A polite email is not one of them.
      - prism 5.2.2.1.3
        15 June 2011 at 11:08 am
        ms – Sounds like a new alien language? Perhaps he has out of planet connections which could explain Whale Oil’s peculiarities.
      - McFlock 5.2.2.1.4
        15 June 2011 at 2:26 pm
        Nah, don’t bother. Throw it to the Privacy Commissioner.
    - ianmac 5.2.2.2
      15 June 2011 at 10:57 am
      Wondering about that too. How does Gosman know? Has MS’s letter been published. Good on him by the way.
      - Colonial Viper 5.2.2.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 11:00 am
        The Righty Socialist Network. Seriously – they play and co-ordinate as a corporate team.
        Draco T Bastard 5.2.2.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 1:39 pm
        Yep, possibly the biggest bunch of collectivists around. It’s a pity that the left doesn’t play together so nicely.
      - Gosman 5.2.2.2.2
        15 June 2011 at 11:37 am
        Slater has published the letter in it’s entirety on his blog.
        felix 5.2.2.2.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 11:52 am
        So Cameron sees fit to publish the contact details of people who email him.
        Cool people you work with, National.
        Gosman …
        15 June 2011 at 12:06 pm
        Who works with?
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 2:30 pm
        No-one Gos, it’s just some wacky zany conspiracy.
        Nobody in their right mind would imagine for a moment that Slater has anything to do with the National Party.
        What a preposterous idea.
        Gosman …
        15 June 2011 at 3:15 pm
        Finally some sense from you Felix on this whole Cameron Slater is a willing tool of the National Party conspiracy theory ;).
    - lprent 5.2.2.3
      15 June 2011 at 1:17 pm
      So you wrote to the National Party and now Slater knows about it?
      
      Poodle post ?
PeteG 6
15 June 2011 at 9:30 am
Bizarre -with one hand typing damning accusations of dirty tricks from the opposing party, and with the other hand dissing me for suggesting our opposition model of democracy is a tad bent.
- felix 6.1
  15 June 2011 at 9:44 am
  So it hasn’t crossed your mind that people aren’t actually dissing you for saying that you aren’t happy with the present model, but are actually calling bullshit on your alternative proposal?
  Interesting, Pete. That level of narcissism could take you a long way in your new career.
- Pascal's bookie 6.2
  15 June 2011 at 9:52 am
  Pete, why must you resort to these filthy insinuations? Kumbaya mate! Remember?
  Let us talk closely know and reason together a way out of this mess, a mess caused by your sad and pathetic wallowing in the politics of personal denigration. First admit that your idea is fail, and then agree with us to move forward, together.
prism 7
15 June 2011 at 9:54 am
Gerry the Butt is on air saying that he can’t say anything definite. It’s blindingly obvious he says that some people will have to shift. But he doesn’t want to state definite areas, ‘It is a big decision for people, it’s a lifetime investment, but the ducks have to be all lined up. Even after an announcement there will be a considerable time before people can move”.
Every comment he makes shows that he understands the position and then refuses to answer the questions, to make decisions because he has to make decisions that are ‘very, very robust’. Everyone wanting simplistic approaches are being unreasonable. So much for all his powers. I imagine that the decision to appoint him went like this – Gerry is such a mouthy livewire. His family know about timber. He knows about practical working with timber. He is a teacher, (who often think they know everything) and is not a shy communicator. He won’t be happy with his other positions. This will give him something to get his teeth into, which are false, and get him out of our hair here at NACT headquarters where he is a bit of a nit.
Last “It’s about fairness to the property owners”. By that he means, not making precipitate announcements, before all the possibilities have been gravely considered, chewed over like a cow’s cud, and finally excreted to the population. By all means they can’t be consulted with, have location meetings with management and engineers as they wish, who would explain the difficulties and possible and likely solutions and what the hold-ups are caused by. This is the authoritarian way.
Excerpt from the song Show Me from My Fair Lady – sing along!
Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do?
- Colonial Viper 7.1
  15 June 2011 at 10:22 am
  Has anyone thought of a protest occupation at his place? You know, everyone bring one bucketful of liquefaction from their property to dump on his lawn, just to make a point.
  - prism 7.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 11:27 am
    cv That would be a newsworthy action. It seems we can otherwise only act like an army of primed mosquitoes buzzing and biting till he reacts. If we can inject some ideas viruses and set up an itch we might get action and move this organic pile for the benefit of all of Christchurch.
    Next idea is that the east side parts to be abandoned for housing should be bought by Landcorp from CERA or other body and then turned into dairy farms. These would use best practice and be models showing good environmental practices using present understanding of using effluent safely. I understand that if treated properly the gases produced can be utilised for energy. Landcorp would hold environmental field days similar to Hamilton and attract farmers and the general public for demonstrations. Landcorp would also develop, assisted by locals, corridors of vegetation for birds etc. Some of the people who had had to abandon their previous houses would have the option of living in hamlets of suitable, practical, low-cost houses on suitable higher ground with a passing grade from engineers. These would be served by buses morning, lunchtime and evening so that they wouldn’t be isolated from the city and wouldn’t need a car to get to work.
    - Jim Nald 7.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 11:37 am
      Have a listen to Minister Gerry Brownlee in all his glory, all embracing competence, omnipotence, and beneficence:
      [audio src="http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20110615-0930-minister_for_earthquake_recovery-048.mp3" /]
      That should get more publicity. Knock me over, Gerry. Take my breath away. Quake me. And it’s all so blindingly obvious.
      The interview before that with Barry Tutt and Lianne Dalziel is at:
      [audio src="http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20110615-0909-chch_residents_in_limbo_awaiting_geotech_report-048.mp3" /]
      These were on ‘9 to Noon’, Radio NZ, today.
      - Lord Zealand 7.1.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 7:55 pm
        I’ve never understood how in a country so full of cow shit, mushrooms can cost $12/kg! Using modern mycological methods we could drink the run off from dairy, but not while we assign more value to ipods than we do to chickens. They are just gaming it to see which way their corporations can make the most money from it and once they’ve been told what they are going to do,I’m sure they will let us all in on it. I thinking your all expecting a little too much from someone who obviously has someone else hand up his am I allowed to say that? I better go read more policy 🙂
Pascal's bookie 8
15 June 2011 at 9:59 am
Tough peeps of the day, (no really edition):
Ali al-Ekri
Rula al-Saffar
Zahra al-Sammak
Ayat al-Qurmezi
http://www.smh.com.au/world/medicos-tortured-bahrain-trial-told-20110614-1g1vn.html
freedom 9
15 June 2011 at 10:01 am
whilst the poodles were licking their wounds, and the journos were playing three card Monty with the truth, it seems the Education Minister has been busy planning the destruction of one of the few programmes that has consistently helped thousands of POOR children recieve much needed assistance for over fifty years
Tolley wants to close the Health Camps and is not saying what will replace them
This is a very serious attack on one of our country’s most internationally applauded Child-assistance policies. Does anyone have any detail?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/5140699/Letter-an-insult-to-board
- ianmac 9.1
  15 June 2011 at 11:05 am
  I do know that Health Camps became a sort of mis-nomer years ago. Used to be just for kids who were sick.
  But now it is a respite for desperate kids suffering from abuse and learning difficulties and general needs. Kids are there for a limited time and get regular meals, regular recreation, and regular schooling. Suppose the problem is in what happens to those kids after the Camp.
  - Lord Zealand 9.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 8:07 pm
    No, my friend was raped by one of the ‘leaders’ at the health camp. I look back at those six weeks as a time that I learnd to harden my heart and really start to hate the world. If there ever was a FAIL in the states attempts to fix my broken family, then this camp was definitely one of them. I do not know of a single other kid who liked or benefited in their time there, far too much like a “getting you ready for prison” and “boot camp” to be anything other than a tool instilling repression in our youth. Good Riddance!
travellerev 10
15 June 2011 at 11:05 am
George Carlin on who owns us. It just never get’s old.
- ianmac 10.1
  15 June 2011 at 11:43 am
  Is that old or told? Pretty depressing stuff. And here in NZ? Maybe it is time for lobby groups to be made transparent before it is too late.
Colonial Viper 11
15 June 2011 at 11:32 am
Stop the motor of NZ?
Is that the same 1960’s motor we are using powered by milk, cheese and wool?
- Draco T Bastard 11.1
  15 June 2011 at 8:35 pm
  No, that would be the 1860s one that we still haven’t replaced.
Afewknowthetruth 12
15 June 2011 at 12:32 pm
‘Lack of certainty is killing the spirit and economy of Christchurch’
OK. Here is some certainties:
1. Global extraction of conventioanl oil has peaked, so current economic arrangements will disintegrate over the next decade. The globalised, industrialised food system will collapse..
2. Governments worldwide have done nothing to prevent severe overheating of the Earth via emissions: now that positive feedbacks have been triggered, substantial sea level rise that will cover much of Canterbury is more or less inevitable over coming decades. i.e. Christchurch doesn’t have a long term future.
3. Politicians serve their own interests, and the interests of bankiers and corporations. Any ‘solutions’ they come up with will therefore primarily be for the benefit politicians, bankers and corporations. Since peak oil and abrupt climate change are taboo topics for them, their ‘solutions’ will be completely disconnected from reality.
4. Most people are ignorant of the facts and don’t believe the truth when it is provided.
5 The most important item on the agenda of politicians and the media at this stage in the game is to keep ‘the proles’ misinformed and believing in the system – a bit like Fukishima: ‘everything is under control’.
It’s not quite time to run for the hills, but that time will come. (Of course, those who run early get the best spots.)
[lprent: This sidetracked way to far from the post. Next time I see you do this, you will get a *long* ban. moving whole thread to OpenMike. ]
- RedLogix 12.1
  15 June 2011 at 12:39 pm
  It’s not quite time to run for the hills, but that time will come.
  In the kind of apocolyptic scenario you are thinking of those who are isolated in the ‘hills’ will be the first to be picked off. It will be those who have strong communities around them who will survive.
  You should look at the post-Soviet experience in Russia during the 1990’s to get a better model of what is more likely to happen.
  Yeah and Fukushima is a worry. The cover up is worse than Chernobyl.
- John D 12.2
  15 June 2011 at 1:37 pm
  “2. Governments worldwide have done nothing to prevent severe overheating of the Earth via emissions: now that positive feedbacks have been triggered,”
  Which positive feedbacks have been triggered? Last news I heard was that were potentially heading into a Maunder Minimum, giving us several decades of cold weather.
  - Lanthanide 12.2.1
    15 June 2011 at 2:24 pm
    “Last news I heard was that were potentially heading into a Maunder Minimum, giving us several decades of cold weather.”
    
    You must have been under a rock for a while, then.
    - John D 12.2.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 2:31 pm
      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/ice_age/
      A little off-topic, I admit. But it might answer the question above
      - Draco T Bastard 12.2.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 6:04 pm
        Could be interesting, bit early to bank on it though and this line at the end made me laugh:
        This could overturn decades of received wisdom on such things as CO2 emissions, and lead to radical shifts in government policy worldwide.
        The threat of climate change hasn’t resulted in the governments making any radical shifts in policy yet.
- Draco T Bastard 12.3
  15 June 2011 at 5:51 pm
  Yep, Chch is fucked with higher sea level rises than previously anticipated.
  “Global sea level is projected to rise by 0.9 to 1.6m (2.95 to 5.25 ft) by 2100, and Arctic ice loss will make a substantial contribution to this.”
  Chch is going to be a salt water swamp by the end of the century.
- U 4 United 12.4
  15 June 2011 at 6:15 pm
  How can the earth be at “peak oil” when we’re yet to reach peak exploration? Get a grip! I heard this sort of doomsday meanderings back in the 1970s. Why don’t you google “fracking” then re-phrase what you loosely call “known facts?” Idiot!
Portion Control 13
15 June 2011 at 1:34 pm
Micky wrote to Goodfellow and ccd Slater on the email. It was a strange, rambling email that accused all sorts of high crimes on behalf of National for which Micky has no evidence while purportedly defending Labour’s unlawful and non-existent lack of security on its data.
Micky then told Slater he was free to publish the email but only in its entirety. Is it any wonder that Slater did so, and included the contact details that Micky left which were on the email, following Micky’s request to publish in entirety?
Micky if you are Labour’s legal counsel then Labour really is up shit creek. Cam Slater’s blog isn’t even subject to the Privacy Act, so good luck trying to shift that shit up a hill.
- mickysavage 13.1
  15 June 2011 at 1:55 pm
  Strange? Rambling?
  “Dear Peter
  
  There has been some recent publicity concerning the National Party’s downloading of information from a Labour Party server which regrettably was not as secure as it might be.
  
  From today’s National Business Review I note that you have confirmed that a National Party staff member “accessed” the data. By this I anticipate that you mean “downloaded”. The data has also regrettably found its way into the hands of Mr Cameron Slater.
  
  I am pretty sure that some of the data was mine. I donated to the Labour Party to purchase some “Stop Asset Sales” signs as I considered this a worthy cause to support. The idea of selling an interest in our power companies to essentially overseas interests is frankly insane. I paid for the signs by credit card and I am concerned that the National Party now has my credit card’s details.
  
  You can imagine the worry that this has caused me. It is bad enough that your party has my credit card details but there is the strong possibility that your organisation has also facilitated Cameron Slater aka Whaleoil to obtain the same information. I cannot imagine what he will do with this information.
  
  So I seek the following from you:
  
  1. Advice on what data your organisation holds concerning me.
  2. Your organisation’s undertaking that it will not disclose any information that it holds concerning me to any third party.
  3. Details of information already supplied to Mr Slater concerning the security problems that the Labour Party server had.
  4. Details of information supplied to any third party which may include data that relates to me.
  
  Please note that if I suffer any monetary loss because of the actions of your organisation then I reserve the right to seek damages.
  
  I am sending a copy of this email to Mr Slater so that he is also placed on notice. I also seek the same information from him. If he does anything that causes me loss then I reserve the right to seek redress from him personally.
  
  I note that Mr Slater has chosen to print previous emails from Chris Flatt. He is at liberty to print this email but only in full.
  
  Finally please note that I require a response within the next seven days. “
  - Gosman 13.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 2:06 pm
    Don’t you think you made a bit of a major assumption there that the National party organisation supplied Cameron Slater with this information.
    I’m not sure if people in the organisation had publically come out and denied they had when you wrote off to them but if they had what were you expecting them to say about this? Were you hoping you would catch them out with them stating ‘Well we didn’t give him any of your credit card details so you dont have to w…. D’oh!’?
    Also is this a formal legal request for your information back and if so did you formally direct a request to Cameron Slater as well? If not, why haven’t you made a formal legal request, you are after all a lawyer?
    - mickysavage 13.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 2:21 pm
      Also is this a formal legal request for your information back and if so did you formally direct a request to Cameron Slater as well?
      
      There is no prescribed form. All that you have to do is ask in writing for the information.
  - higherstandard 13.1.2
    15 June 2011 at 2:11 pm
    Have you cancelled your credit card and informed the issuer of the same of the potential lack of security in relation to the card/s in question ?
    If not I’d suggest you should do so forthwith.
  - Portion Control 13.1.3
    15 June 2011 at 2:13 pm
    Micky you have no evidence that the Naitonal Party supplied anything to Slater. In fact you have denials from both the President and Slater himself that any such supply took place. The only pseudo-evidence you have is unsubstantiated allegations made by anonymous bloggers and commenters here at the Standard. Unless you’re preparing to have them appear as witnesses in Court to substantiate their claims which I don’t imagine would please them, then you are pushing shit up hill. I realise you are emotionally fraught at the moment but you would be better off blaming the Labour Party for publishing your personal details on the internet rather than trying to be a nuisance to the National Party who will just laugh your silly attention-seeking correspondence away.
    - lprent 13.1.3.1
      15 June 2011 at 2:22 pm
      Read Pagani’s blog for a human readable version. The logs are pretty clear if you (like we do) have a record of IP’s that access our site and you look at the back trace.
      Quite frankly I think that Goodfellow doesn’t know what people in his organization do. After all someone there has been feeding dirt on him to Whale for some time. You perhaps…
      Cameron Slater is a serial liar and completely untrustworthy. If he states something is a fact, then the highest probability is that is largely a fabrication. That is quite easy for me to prove, I’d just point to the various lies he has made about me and the organizations I worked for over the years.
      If someone wants to sue on that basis, then go right ahead.
      - Portion Control 13.1.3.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 2:27 pm
        Could be me, but I doubt it Lyn since I’m not actually part of the National Party organisation. But I tell you what, if you go and put a disclaimer about all the party associations that your bloggers have you will have a right to make snide remarks about right wing commenters here. But you might want to read your About policy first.
        lprent 13.1.3.1.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 2:29 pm
        It is in the about.
        You have interesting IP’s and I have seen them before, which tends to make me suspicious. They are covered by the privacy provisions policy but I do scan them when I start putting people into moderation.
        BTW: Since we’re talking about accuracy. My name is Lynn, and my partners name is Lyn. I keep thinking that you’re talking to someone else. Use lprent or Lynn please.
        Portion Control …
        15 June 2011 at 2:37 pm
        There is no disclaimer there of all the party associations of your bloggers Lyn and I wouldn’t expect them to be such, so if you want to go around insinuating party associations of commenters here that’s your choice because it’s your blog, but don’t expect me to think it’s an intellectually consistent approach to take.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 2:48 pm
        What’s your point, PC?
        You want readers to think you’re a disinterested neutral objective observer?
        lprent …
        15 June 2011 at 2:51 pm
        Yes there is. They are of the labour movement. A couple of us are Labour party members. Some are union members. Some have no known memberships but will state who they will vote for. Some bemoan that there is no party they will vote for.
        At last count there are 30 odd people who have author rights here. Some haven’t used them for some time but did so extensively in the past. Others have only written a couple of posts. If you want to know what there affiliations are – then stop being so damn lazy and read their posts.
        Z K Muggletonspofin (22)
        Eddie (890)
        Ralph Malcolm (7)
        John A (111)
        Tane (409)
        all_your_base (687)
        Tillerman (12)
        Sam Cash (28)
        r0b (600)
        Natwatch (4)
        Dancer (174)
        sparkie (2)
        Mike Moore (actually an idiot satire) (1)
        Steve Pierson (875)
        Guest post (417)
        irrigate (2)
        Andy (5)
        whenua (2)
        RedLogix (17)
        Julie Fairey (3)
        the sprout (173)
        The Standard (905)
        Demeter (21)
        Marty G (922)
        Zetetic (302)
        Dancr (82)
        rocky (45)
        Michael Foxglove (91)
        Mike Smith (69)
        mummybot (1)
        James Henderson (5)
        Campbell (6)
        Bunji (152)
        Strelnikov (2)
        Ben Clark (22)
        Oh and http://thestandard.org.nz/author/admin
        Portion Control …
        15 June 2011 at 3:02 pm
        You know I didn’t ask for their associations so stop putting up bloody straw men and then getting all pissy on it when I don’t bite. I said you do not publish the party associations of your bloggers. Saying they are of the “labour movement” is not a disclaimer. Write what you like, it’s your blog. You’ve accused me of being a National Party insider who might pass things onto Whale and I’ve said your wrong. Keep that in mind next time you ban somebody for saying one of your bloggers is a Labour Party apparatchik. In the meantime that is not the topic of this discussion and you know it.
        lprent …
        15 June 2011 at 3:30 pm
        I would say that is a pretty clear disclaimer. It covers everyone who authors here because apart from the small number of original authors, it has been there since just after the site started.
        You’re not one of those silly buggers that thinks a site like this can be run out of a political organization are you? Bear in mind that the two Bills, the spout and some of the others are usually pretty trenchant critics of the Labour party. Also I don’t think much of the Greens or anyone left of the right of the Labour Party. That this site could be run by a political party that was always a bit of a jerk-off fantasy by the right bloggers losing readers.
        travellerev …
        15 June 2011 at 2:53 pm
        Ah, here we go. The little abrasiveness remarks, ignoring requests for the right name use and the accusations of not being intellectually consistent. Yep.
        Don’t let him get to you Iprent. He isn’t worth it.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 2:59 pm
        Thought he seemed familiar.
        travellerev …
        15 June 2011 at 3:01 pm
        Gngngngn.
        Colonial Viper 13.1.3.1.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 2:53 pm
        Could be me, but I doubt it Lyn since I’m not actually part of the National Party organisation.
        yeah mate you are pristine like Switzerland 😀
        what jokes you got in your next act?
        TheGoonShow …
        19 June 2011 at 10:44 am
        Have you heard the one about faceless men, the banker, and Merrill Lynch ?
        … Umm, you probably have – by now.
      - Gosman 13.1.3.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 3:20 pm
        You seem to be making the mistake of assuming that because you have evidence of Cameron Slater lying in the past that must mean everything he states subsequently must also be a lie AND that the opposite position from what he has stated about something must be the truth. That is hardly a persuassive argument.
        lprent 13.1.3.1.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 3:47 pm
        Let me put this another way.
        It is very hard to find posts where Slater does differentiate between what is his opinion and what is fact. I think that he doesn’t truly distinguish between them. I’ve even looked at a couple of his posts on weapons, checked the specs and found that his assertions of fact have no basis in reality.
        He is a entertaining storyteller for the credulous right, but you can’t rely on what he says because he routinely embellishes facts so they are unrecognizable.
        Some of that happens in some authors posts here as well. But generally they clearly distinguish between what is fact and what is their opinion. Apart from anything else we have a far more active comments section with a much wider range of people who comment. Someone from some viewpoint will tear loose statements of fact apart as embarrassingly as possible. Authors learn that pretty fast.
        And yes, you’re correct. I assume that anything that Whale says is wrong until proven otherwise. Why? Because my (and probably most peoples) experience of reading his stuff is that the more breathless his claims are, the more likely it is that he fabricated most of it.
        Gosman …
        15 June 2011 at 3:53 pm
        I don’t rely on what Cameron Slater states however that doesn’t mean that the opposite must in fact be true. You should still weigh up the balance of probabilities and evidence.
        travellerev …
        15 June 2011 at 4:00 pm
        Probabilities and evidence? yes, that would be the way to go about it.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        15 June 2011 at 9:13 pm
        That would be good – I haven’t seen you ever do that though.
        PeteG …
        15 June 2011 at 4:00 pm
        It is very hard to find posts where Slater does differentiate between what is his opinion and what is fact.
        That can also apply to many of the posts here, laughably (or sadly) appearing as extreme propaganda. Just look at the headlines. Those that want them to be true will buy them, but they are hardly going to convince anyone else of a political alternative with any competence.
        I know this isn’t a Labour blog – I agree, a party couldn’t do something like this – but a notable proportion of the posts here do nothing to help make Labour look like it has anywhere near recovered from 2008.
        Whether the extreme posting comes from Labour or not the perceived link is there and it’s easy to think you wouldn’t want that lot anywhere near the liquor cabinet let alone cabinet in parliament.
        Colonial Viper …
        15 June 2011 at 4:03 pm
        The quality of writing you should be concerned about as a budding young politician with 15 years of private sector R&D experience is not at The Standard, it is within the MSM.
        PeteG …
        15 June 2011 at 4:05 pm
        I agree – but how can one address that?
    - felix 13.1.3.2
      15 June 2011 at 2:24 pm
      Where is this denial from the president?
      As I recall from his statement he specifically avoided making that particular denial. Gotta link?
      - Portion Control 13.1.3.2.1
        15 June 2011 at 2:33 pm
        Try this Felix. It’s been linked to here several times already: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/national-admits-labour-data-breach-denies-passing-names-whaleoil-ck-95242
        National’s president, Peter Goodfellow, confirmed a head office staffer accessed the data but denied it was passed on.
        Or maybe you missed this:
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10732187
        “National Party president Peter Goodfellow told NZPA a head office staffer had accessed the data but only out of concern that National’s own website had similar vulnerabilities.
        He said today National had written to Labour to say it had not passed on any information and did not intend to.”
        lprent 13.1.3.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 2:40 pm
        That says that the data was not passed on.
        It does not say that they didn’t instruct Whale about how to get access to it himself. Which is what is being suggested by felix
        BTW: Looks like that took Whale some time to get right. The logs show him as being somewhat tentative. Whoever was doing it at the National part was better technically.
        Portion Control …
        15 June 2011 at 2:46 pm
        You’re the accuser here lyn, you have to prove your case with evidence. You have made assumptions based on plausibility, not inspected evidence and weighed up probabilities. They aren’t the same thing.
        Goodfellow also didn’t deny that he was the shooter on the grassy knoll. Are you going to call the FBI to insist they make an arrest?
        So far I haven’t even seen any evidence that Slater has done, or will do, anything illegal with the data. If you or somebody else could enlighten me on that I would be very grateful.
        Colonial Viper …
        15 June 2011 at 4:04 pm
        Portion Control telling lprent what he has or hasn’t done.
        Thankfully we’re not writing here to satisfy you are we mate?
        felix 13.1.3.2.1.2
        15 June 2011 at 2:43 pm
        So he did, my mistake.
        But what Lynn says is very interesting and a far more likely way for an organisation wanting to keep the dogs at arm’s length to operate.
        Portion Control …
        15 June 2011 at 2:52 pm
        What Lynn says (I apologise I’ve been calling him Lyn accidentally) on this is diversion and not backed up by evidence. If you want examples of third party attacks then you only have to look at the attacks that Pagani and Micky did on Simon Lusk and Whale a few weeks back before Trevor got in on the act. And if you are talking about third party attacks on political opponents by proxy then it would be very rich for that allegation to be coming from bloggers here at the Standard.
        As for the plausibility of Lynn’s claim of an association between Whale and the National Party, are you fucking serious? Whale fucking hates the National Party, has as far as I know never said anything nice about Goodfellow (in fact he waged a no-holds barred campaign against him) and would quite happily see them stomped into the ground with Act taking their place.
        felix …
        15 June 2011 at 4:45 pm
        Wow, you’re very much “in the loop” politically, aren’t you?
        Amazing that I haven’t ever seen your handle before. lolz.
        Colonial Viper …
        15 June 2011 at 4:46 pm
        Portion Control = Damage Control
        mickysavage …
        15 June 2011 at 5:00 pm
        Hmmm
        
        Simon Lusk is someone whose name I did not know until recently. He is implicated in the take over of the ACT party and also the anti MMP campaign. He is high up in the National Party and has significant links to the Beehive and Joyce. His name starts getting mentioned and then PC shows up and takes umbrage at this. Why the sensitivity?
        
        I would not describe comments about Lusk as being “attacks”. He appears to me to be very competent at what he does.
        
        Of course I could speculate at PC’s links to Lusk but lprent would not like it …
        Portion Control …
        15 June 2011 at 5:17 pm
        You can speculate all you like Micky, just as you speculated on Lusk and his so called high up connections in the Beehive which sound more like more fantasy from you of the kind that had you send the silliest lawyer’s letter to Peter Goodfellow that I have seen in a very long time. I’ve never met the guy and I tend to think if he was such a mover and shaker in the National Party more people would have heard of him.
        Bored 13.1.3.2.1.3
        15 June 2011 at 2:52 pm
        “National Party president Peter Goodfellow told NZPA a head office staffer had accessed the data but only out of concern that National’s own website had similar vulnerabilities.”
        Love it, I have a possible vulnerability on my computer so I take the liberty of testing it on somebody elses without their permission. Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
    - McFlock 13.1.3.3
      15 June 2011 at 2:31 pm
      so much for “rambling”. Comprehension problem, Perception Control?
      - seeker 13.1.3.3.1
        15 June 2011 at 3:19 pm
        Well said McFlock
        I would say definite comprehension and logical deductive reasoning problems. Have just commented on such to PC on “Silence of the Poodles” .Potty Control would seem to be a more appropriate moniker as a constant self reminder. “Must control pottiness, must control pottiness…….’
prism 14
15 June 2011 at 1:45 pm
Reading about Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker stating he would not continue if he couldn’t have his choice of City Manager struck warning bells in my mind. It sounds like a step along the path to American cronyism.
There a leader (mayor) gets elected, and can sack the administration and bureaucrats of the previous leader and instal his own handpicked people. Our idea has been that the bureaucrats are largely servants of the government working under the law for the people and serving whichever party gets into power in parliament. But they are supposed to be able to offer free and frank advice that is not partial to the leader’s whims and bents. It’s a good idea and it shouldn’t be countenanced to have it subverted.
felix 15
15 June 2011 at 2:39 pm
I don’t trust this new “Portion Control” person. He/she has made some very sideways and very weasely statements in the last couple of days.
Looks like someone sent here on a very specific mission.
- travellerev 15.1
  15 June 2011 at 2:41 pm
  I reckon he thinks he’s smart and he actually wants to call himself politically correct but I think it’s about damage control.
  - felix 15.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 2:46 pm
    Or as McFlock says “Perception Control”
    - travellerev 15.1.1.1
      15 June 2011 at 2:56 pm
      LOL
- Portion Control 15.2
  15 June 2011 at 3:04 pm
  Your labour party handlers told you to say that when you ran out of lies to distract from Labour breaking the law by not protecting personal data didn’t they felix?
  - wtl 15.2.1
    15 June 2011 at 3:24 pm
    LOL, the problem is you have been far too obvious and many people here are thinking exactly what felix is.
  - travellerev 15.2.2
    15 June 2011 at 3:25 pm
    Congrats PC,
    You managed posting here for the first time to end up with only cowboy hat boy Gosman as your mate.
    Handler??? Wow how’s that for thinking that people need to be handled in order to be able to see through you. So Cosby and Textor. LOL.
    - Portion Control 15.2.2.1
      15 June 2011 at 3:37 pm
      Travellerev if I can go to the effort of correcting myself when I spell Lynn’s name wrong then you can at least go to the effort of spelling my uncle Lynton’s name right. It’s CROSBY.
      - travellerev 15.2.2.1.1
        15 June 2011 at 4:03 pm
        It makes jokes tooo!!!
  - McFlock 15.2.3
    15 June 2011 at 4:26 pm
    Did you just pull the “I know you are, but what am I?” card, Percussion Cap?
    Don’t be asking for a pay rise just yet, is my advice….
  - felix 15.2.4
    15 June 2011 at 4:48 pm
    Yeah, these Labour party handlers are driving me nuts actually Codpiece Potion. I just want to do beat poetry but they’re holding me back and stifling my creativity.
    - travellerev 15.2.4.1
      16 June 2011 at 2:55 pm
      ROFL. Great names!!!
      - The Voice of Reason 15.2.4.1.1
        16 June 2011 at 3:22 pm
        It’s PC gone mad!
        mickysavage 15.2.4.1.1.1
        16 June 2011 at 3:28 pm
        Haven’t seen him today. Maybe it’s just PC gone?
        lprent …
        16 June 2011 at 5:54 pm
        Not gone
        He did improve markedly with his interactions after I lavished some personal attention on him with a auto-moderation clamp and a sarcasm reply goad.
        😈
        I don’t have him banned so it wasn’t me.
  - Lanthanide 15.2.5
    15 June 2011 at 5:05 pm
    Not everyone has handlers, you know. Or maybe you don’t.
    - McFlock 15.2.5.1
      15 June 2011 at 5:39 pm
      but if we don’t have handlers, how do we know what to say? It’s not like we’d just like honestly believe that the governments objective is just to favour the rich and fuck the country…
Carol 16
15 June 2011 at 3:21 pm
Why is Simon Power giving a speech in the General Debate, that focuses on attacking Goff’s leadership?
Oh and Finlayson is accusing Labour MPs of engaging in trivialities like flame wars & cycle races.
- felix 16.1
  15 June 2011 at 4:51 pm
  Yeah, did it seem like it was the exact same speech that half a dozen Nat MPs have read out every Wednesday for the last 3 years?
  - Carol 16.1.1
    15 June 2011 at 5:22 pm
    Yes, it seems to be a constant diversionary activity for National to bash Goff.
    Surely Finlayson can’t be serious, accusing Labour of not being serious about the important and urgent politics because they do blogging stuff, and cycle rides. Meanwhile, where is JonKey? Dancing awkwardly down a fashion runway? Joking his way from one photo op to the next? And as for his stand-up routine that he used to deliver his budget speech?
- Treetop 16.2
  16 June 2011 at 1:49 pm
  Carol, the problem with mud slinging from the Nats regarding Goff is that mud just may be slung back. What a dirty tricks election it is going to be. The Nats have to watch their back as they never know when a blogger will pull them up for a similar thing they are accusing a Labour MP about.
Vicky32 17
15 June 2011 at 4:27 pm
Since about 21.00 last night, I have been reading newspaper clippings I had put in a big envelope dated from 1989 to 1996. I am very depressed to see that everything NACT are doing has been done before – in 1984-99. some changes are so long standing that I had forgotten things were ever different. Yellow Buses for instance – have been owned by the international company Stagecoach since at least 1993, yet I had forgotten that they were ever Government (or Council) owned until among my clippings I found a heap of objections to Jenny Schippelfat selling Yellow Buses off…. It is mega-depressing that it’s all deja vu all over again – the same anti-bemeficiary letters to the Ed., the same replies – the same think tanks putting their ideas forward. It’s all worse now though – in 1991-2, there was great indignation about DPB women being work-tested when their youngest child was 7 years old. Good grief, that was bad enough…. One thing I have noticed – I came across only one reference to DPB women ‘breeding for a living”. Maybe that meme hadn’t got started then, or it wasn’t widespread? Or maybe I just didn’t save in this inadvertent time capsule, any reference to it?
- ianmac 17.1
  15 June 2011 at 5:13 pm
  The more we change the more we stay the same. Your research is a bit depressing isn’t it Vicky. Sad to think that the population isn’t outraged by the thought of “making” mothers go back to work when the child is 12 months. Remember when Key suggested 6 years last year? He got away with that and so they seem hell bent on getting away with the sooner.
  Wonder how many mothers (fathers?) on DPB would be affected and how many kids?
Vicky32 18
15 June 2011 at 8:02 pm
Oh yes, it’s deeply depressing! (I still have more clippings to go through, I am deciding what to get rid of, as I will one way or another, possibly, I hope, be moving soon!) It’s amazing how much rubbish one accumulates over 15 years in the same dump!) The scary thing is that in all those years, nothing has permanently changed…, (From 1999 to 2008, it did, but the changes didn’t stick..)
Boiling of frogs springs to mind. People now accept things they would have argued against in the 90s…
jackal 19
15 June 2011 at 9:42 pm
Fluff and a Jab
Green Party MP Metiria Turei asked some very important questions of John Key in Parliament today. Once again, the Prime Minister wasn’t there so Bill English tried to answer for the absentee leader.
In one particular answer given by the flailing Bill English, he said that the Government was helping to reduce the huge divide between the haves and have-nots ie disparity by improving immunisation and the Green’s inspired home insulation scheme. He must be joking!
illuminatedtiger 20
15 June 2011 at 10:07 pm
Anyone watching Back Benchers? Simon Bridges seems to be having a hard time tonight, he looks tired and all of his yelling and talking over of others is quite telling. Big ups to Wallace Chapman who’s done an excellent job in tolerating his behaviour all night.

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In California the giant electricity utility PG&E requested bankruptcy protection. In New Zealand a former Prime Minister and her previous colleagues around the Board table of Mainzeal have been fined $36 million – although both sides are appealing that. Also ...
Lance WiggsBy Lance Wiggs
1 week ago

Climate Change: The latest inventory
The annual inventory report[PDF] of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing a slight increase in emissions: Its small, and the government is blaming the weather (2017 was not a good hydro year), but it is still not ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

“We are one class” – free movement for the workers of the world
by The Spark Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children are fleeing for their lives, trying to gain entry into the U.S. Most are from Central America: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, where there is some of the highest ...
RedlineBy Admin
1 week ago

Are ramp signals fundamentally flawed?
Ramp signals – those traffic lights on motorway on-ramps that are designed to limit the number of vehicles that enter the motorway and thereby help keep traffic flowing, have long been a controversial transport initiative. They were first introduced on ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
1 week ago

The Gap
There’s a lot of work going on at the moment trying to address the funding needs of hundreds of companies that are emerging from New Zealand. Investors, groups of investors and funds are all lifting their sights, raising and contributing ...
Lance WiggsBy Lance Wiggs
2 weeks ago

Cheap at twice the price
In Parliament to day, opportunistic hologram David Seymour attacked the government's proposed gun buyback scheme, claiming that it would be costly and unsuccessful. Its success is obviously up to gun owners and police - and I would hope that they ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Immigration is people seeking a better life
by Don Franks Assumptions in an article on immigration numbers dropping show the crude capitalist values of our media. The question of immigration has always been a difficult balancing act for New Zealand’s political parties. On one hand, businesses need ...
RedlineBy Daphna
2 weeks ago

No wonder she didn’t want to answer
Last week, Parliament threatened the Chief Statistician with contempt to force her to produce basic statistics on last year's census. This morning, she finally produced them. And its become clear why she wanted to keep them secret: because the census ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Convenient Fictions
Abstract Noun: Do our political leaders still cleave to the Jeffersonian principle that government derives its just powers “from the consent of the governed”? Or do those who now inhabit the upper echelons of the New Zealand state consider themselves ...
Bowalley Road
2 weeks ago

Climate Change: Business as usual
Remember when Jacinda Ardern called climate change "my generation's nuclear free moment"? From that tough talk, you'd expect urgent and real action to stop fossil fuels and reduce emissions. But when they banned offshore oil exploration, existing permits were left ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

The case for allowing aid in dying in New Zealand
The End of Life Choice Bill, a member's bill in the name of David Seymour that would permit aid in dying, has been reported back by Parliament's Health Committee.read more ...
PunditBy Andrew Geddis
2 weeks ago

Climate change poses security risks, according to decades of intelligence reports
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A series of authoritative governmental and nongovernmental analyses over more than three decades lays a strong foundation for concern over climate change implications for national security. Most recently, the national intelligence community – ...
Skeptical Science
2 weeks ago

New E-Scooter trial and rules coming
At the end of last year and beginning of this year e-scooters dominated the news cycles. I’m still not entirely why they got so much attention but media were absolutely obsessed with them. Perhaps this is a reflection of how ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
2 weeks ago

Will the SIS double down on Islamophobia?
Yesterday the government announced the terms of reference for a royal commission of inquiry into the Christchurch terrorist attack. Among other things, the inquiry will be examining the failure of intelligence agencies in allowing a violent Nazi to buy weapons ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

New Zealand landlords have it easy
Landlords and house-hoarders are whining about the prospect of a capital gains tax forcing them to pay their fair share. But in Berlin, they have a different solution to controlling rising rents: forced expropriation:Thousands of Berlin residents took to the ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Reported back
The Justice Committee has reported back on the End of Life Choice Bill. As expected, they were unable to agree on a contentious piece of legislation, so they have recommended a few minor technical amendments, while leaving major policy questions ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Proper planning, not cuts demanded at Whitireia and Weltec
Staff at Whitireia and Weltec are making a stand for a quality vocationaleducation system that places communities at its centre. ...
Tertiary Education UnionBy TEU
2 weeks ago

Expertise and resources the key to vocational education reforms
Ensuring students get access to expert teachers and industry practitionersis the focus of the Tertiary Education Union’s submission on the ...
Tertiary Education UnionBy TEU
2 weeks ago

Doing what they promised II
The Finance and Expenditure Committee reported back on the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill, and recommended that it be passed with only minor amendments. There are new exemptions allowing commercial pest controllers and people with heirlooms to ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

The secret closed trials of Soviet Russia. (And Aotearoa New Zealand)
. . History throughout the 20th century is replete with authoritarian regimes using closed, secret trials to persecute dissidents. Closed, secret trials give a veneer of legal “respectability” to an autocratic regime that wants to do away with its critics, ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
2 weeks ago

Getting Light Rail to the Northwest in three easy steps
On Saturday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford held a public meeting in Henderson about transport in West Auckland and I was one of the speakers. At the event there was lot of discussion about rapid transit on the SH16 corridor where ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
2 weeks ago

And over on The Irish Revolution
Several of us at Redline maintain separate blogs: the Irish Revolution (about Irish history and politics) and 100 Years of Trenches (anti-militarism, anti-imperialism, in particular in relation to NZ). Below are some recent highlights from the Irish revolution blog: Bernadette ...
RedlineBy Admin
2 weeks ago

Skeptical Science at EGU 2019 – blogging from day to day
Just like last year, I travelled to Vienna to participate in the General Assembly of the European Geoscience Union (EGU) held from April 8 to 12. Different to 2018, I'll (try to) add to this blog on a daily basis, ...
Skeptical Science
2 weeks ago

One way of fixing it
Last year, Auckland got a regional fuel tax to help pay for its new rail link. But in addition to expanding public transport, the tax has also delivered another benefit: pushing more people to use it:Auckland's regional fuel tax is ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Thailand’s dictatorship strikes back
Last month, Thai voters gave the finger to the country's military dictatorship, electing - against all odds - a majority opposition coalition to throw out the junta. But now the military has struck back, charging a major opposition leader with ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

This is not how our public service should work
Our public service is supposed to work for us. While they are directly accountable to the government of the day, they are ultimately accountable to us through Parliament. A key mechanism for this accountability is the annual review process, in ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Russiagate: Lessons for the media. But will they listen?
How is this anything but a form of racism? Racism is never acceptable – and this coming from within the US intelligence community. Frankly, I don’t ...
Open ParachuteBy Ken
2 weeks ago

2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #14
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... John Cook in the News... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... How global warming ...
Skeptical Science
2 weeks ago

Older posts

The Mueller report
The redacted version of the Mueller report has now been released. If there was any doubt Mueller's opening statement is that the Russian Government ...
The Mueller report
2 days ago

Andrew Little leads NZ delegation on global anti-terrorism taskforce
Justice Minister Andrew Little leaves for the United States today to take part in a global task force that’s tackling terrorism and anti-money laundering. “I’m looking forward to leading the New Zealand delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ...
Labour
1 week ago

Third reading: Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill
Mr Speaker We have travelled a long way in eight days, since the bill was read a first time. It has been a punishing schedule for MPs and submitters and public servants who have played a role in this process. ...
Labour
1 week ago

Legal framework for gun buyback scheme announced
Police Minister Stuart Nash has announced a legal framework for the gun buyback will be established as a first step towards determining the level of compensation. It will include compensation for high capacity magazines and parts. Mr Nash has outlined ...
Labour
2 weeks ago

Second reading: Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill
Mr Speaker, it is Day 25 of the largest criminal investigation in New Zealand history. Not a day, or a moment, has been wasted as we respond to the atrocity that is testing us all. That is true also of ...
Labour
2 weeks ago

First reading: Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill
Mr Speaker, as we meet today New Zealand is under a terror threat level of HIGH. As we meet today, Police are routinely carrying firearms, Bushmaster rifles and Glock pistols, in a significant departure from normal practice. As we meet ...
Labour
3 weeks ago

NZ-China economic ties strengthened
Economic ties between New Zealand and China are being strengthened with the successful negotiation of a new taxation treaty. The double tax agreement was signed by New Zealand’s Ambassador to China and by the Commissioner of the State Taxation Administration ...
Labour
3 weeks ago

Tighter gun laws to enhance public safety
Police Minister Stuart Nash has introduced legislation changing firearms laws to improve public safety following the Christchurch terror attacks. “Every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack will be banned,” Mr Nash says. “Owning a gun is a privilege not ...
Labour
3 weeks ago

The Mueller report
The redacted version of the Mueller report has now been released. If there was any doubt Mueller's opening statement is that the Russian Government ...
The Mueller report
2 days ago

Planned funding cuts paint a grim picture for disabled care
Planned funding cuts paint a grim picture for disabled care Media release 21 April 2019 ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

$30 million of disabled support funding cuts saved
Disabled New Zealanders saved from $30 million of funding cuts to support services at last minute ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Commemoration of Historic Falun Gong Appeal
The Falun Gong Community will hold an event at Aotea Square, Saturday 20 April 2019 from 11 am to 3 pm. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Call Government for OECD/WHO/EU standards for traffic noise
CEAC/ residents seek health/wellbeing protection by adopting OECD/WHO/EU urban traffic noise standards. Confirmation from several reports both from NZTA/Transit-NZ acoustical consultants have since 2001 warned residents that heavy traffic levels coupled with ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

DefendNZ releases Top 5 Reasons for MPs to Vote ‘NO’
#DefendNZ releases Top 5 Reasons for MPs to Vote ‘NO’ – The End of life Choice Bill will never be safe #DefendNZ – a grassroots movement opposed to the End of Life Choice Bill – has listed their Top 5 ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

No CGT may offer opportunities to rethink policies
Child Poverty Action Group cautiously welcomes the government’s response to the Tax Working Group’s (TWG) final report . ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

We are the Rising Tide!
The seas are rising - but so are we! Human wave for action on climate change. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

ANZASW response to MSD decision on housing evictions
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes Housing New Zealand’s (HNZ) decision to clear the debts of those who have been wrongfully evicted for alleged methamphetamine contamination at their homes. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Environment Report shows need for major reform
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) welcomes the release of the latest report under New Zealand’s national environmental reporting regime. The report, Environment Aotearoa 2019 , was produced jointly by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

ANZASW on response to Tax Working Group report
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) notes the release of the government’s response to the Tax Working Group (TWG) report this week. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Environment Aotearoa yardstick welcomed by LGNZ
The latest report providing metrics on the state of New Zealand’s environment is being welcomed by LGNZ’s Regional Sector as a way for councils to focus their efforts where it can make the biggest difference. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Regional Council welcomes report findings
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has today welcomed the release of Environment Aotearoa 2019 by the Ministry for the Environment. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Taking Our Story to the World
On the 25th of May, 2019, seven committee members of the ANZASCS will be heading off to what is considered to be the most ‘unique city’ in the United States of America. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Prisons generally operating well say Inspectorate reports
Corrections acknowledges the release of the reports into Otago Corrections Facility, Rimutaka Prison and Auckland South Corrections Facility, completed by Corrections’ independent inspectorate. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Environment Report Confirms Regional Council Failure
Fish and Game welcomed the report on New Zealand’s Environment today and believe it is a performance review on regional councils and how they have completely failed to protect the environment. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

City Rail Link cost blow-out: Public deserves better
...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Environmental data improvement key in Environment report
Environment Canterbury has welcomed the Environment Aotearoa 2019 synthesis report as a significant milestone in the work to understand the state of our natural environment and the effects of climate change across New Zealand. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

National environmental snapshot sobering reading
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Chief Executive James Palmer has welcomed a national report released today on the state of our natural environment but says it makes sobering reading. Environment Aotearoa 2019 is jointly-produced by the Ministry for the Environment ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Action must follow damning environment report
Forest & Bird says the country must take bold action to reverse an environmental crisis, following the release of the Environment Aotearoa 2019 report. “We have more than enough information about how bad things are,” says CEO Kevin Hague. “New ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Call For Kiwis to Restrict Single Use Plastics
Kiwis are being asked to review and reduce their consumption of single use plastics this World Earth Day (April 22). ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

State of Environment report highlights need for better data
The Resource Management Law Association (RMLA) welcomes the comprehensive report on the state of the environment released by the Ministry for the Environment today. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Nine top environmental issues facing New Zealand
A new report shows the way we live and how we make a living are having a serious impact on our environment. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Reducing risks on the road needs better reflection
The AA is asking all drivers to remember to look in the mirror as we head towards the Easter break. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

“SOUR MILK” Protest at Parliament
Yesterday afternoon, around 60 members of Extinction Rebellion Te Whanganui-a-Tara gathered in Parliament grounds to protest against intensive dairy farming, and the associated land damage, greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater pollution, health impacts ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

REINZ welcomes Labour’s CGT announcement
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has today welcomed the announcement from the Prime Minister that Labour will not be adopting a capital gains tax (CGT), following feedback from the majority of New Zealanders that they do not ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Inspection reports for three prisons released
The Office of the Inspectorate today released inspection reports for Auckland South Corrections Facility, Rimutaka Prison and Otago Corrections Facility. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Dunne Speaks: The Capital Gains Tax U-Turn
In my Newsroom Column last week about the proposed Capital Gains Tax I wrote that "Notwithstanding her own strong feelings in favour of a comprehensive capital gains tax, [the Prime Minister] needs to recognise the depth of public opposition ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Closing the Gap statement on CGT decision
Today’s decision ruling out a Capital Gains Tax for New Zealand is hypocritical from a Government that campaigned on improving wellbeing, reducing inequality and governing on the basis of fairness, efficiency, and rationality, said Peter Malcolm, ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

No capital gains tax a relief for owners and tenants
Rental property owners and tenants will be relieved that pressure from hundreds of thousands of voters and taxpayers forced the ideologically-driven Prime Minister to drop the ideologically-driven capital gains tax, Tenancies War spokesman Mike ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Waikato Businesses pleased Government has dumped the CGT
Chris Simpson CEO of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce is pleased for the 55,000 businesses operating in the Waikato that the CGT has been dumped. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Praise for listening to feedback on CGT challenges
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) today praised the Coalition Government for listening to feedback on the challenges of wide-ranging tax reforms and the importance of maintaining the integrity and simplicity of the tax system. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

E tū very disappointed by CGT announcement
E tū, the biggest private sector union in New Zealand, is very disappointed that the Government will not adopt any of the Tax Working Group’s recommendations on introducing a capital gains tax (CGT). ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Tax Justice Aotearoa statement on CGT announcement
Tax Justice Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply disappointed that the coalition Government has not moved on capital gains tax and has failed to take up the challenge. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Early intervention initiatives not meeting needs of youngest
Early intervention initiatives not meeting the needs of our youngest tamariki, says Te Rito Maioha ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Government upholds status quo over Capital Gains Tax
The Government's rejection of a Capital Gains Tax upholds the status quo it promised to change in the lead up to the election and Government formation. Auckland Action Against Poverty condemns the Government's decision to not fix our tax system ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

NZPIF applauds Government’s capital gains tax decision
The NZ Property Investors’ Federation (NZPIF) applauds the decision not to introduce a capital gains tax” said Andrew King, Executive Officer of the NZPIF. “This tax would have no effect on the housing market except to make rentals more expensive. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

NZPIF applauds Government’s capital gains tax decision
The NZ Property Investors’ Federation (NZPIF) applauds the decision not to introduce a capital gains tax” said Andrew King, Executive Officer of the NZPIF. “This tax would have no effect on the housing market except to make rentals more expensive. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Govt makes the right call on CGT
The Road Transport Forum has welcomed the Government’s decision not to go ahead with a Capital Gains Tax. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Government makes right decision on CGT
The Government’s decision to not adopt the proposed capital gains tax (CGT) is the "right decision given the impact it would have had on business", says Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Leeann Watson. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

The right call made on CGT, Feds says
The decision not to proceed with a Capital Gains Tax is heartening evidence that the coalition government is willing to put well-reasoned and practical considerations in front of ideology, Federated Farmers says. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

CGT decision: The opportunity cost of a lost opportunity
Today’s announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that the coalition government has completely ruled out all options for a capital gains tax for the foreseeable future is a lost opportunity for lasting tax reform says the Public Service Association ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

EMA says CGT decision is good news for SMEs
The EMA says it is relieved that the government has decided not to proceed with a capital gains tax because of the detrimental effect it would have had on the productivity and growth of small to medium-sized businesses. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Tax Axed!
The Government has listened to the thousands of New Zealanders around the country who told it to Axe this Tax, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Government misses opportunity for a fairer NZ
Today’s announcement that the Government will not be supporting a Capital Gains tax is "hugely disappointing" says CTU President Richard Wagstaff. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Companies urged to show leadership in fleet safety
Brake, the road safety charity, is urging organisations with staff who drive for work to address their road risk and implement measures that help to reduce incidents. The charity is running a free online session for professionals with responsibility ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

After Christchurch, many NZers re-assess what’s important
Auckland, 16th April 2019 – A month on from the tragic attacks in Christchurch, Ipsos has released the findings of its most recent Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor, a regular survey of the most important issues facing New Zealanders. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Challenges Around Medicinal Cannabis Education
SETEK Therapeutics, a Taupo-based medical cannabis company has cautioned that public education and helping the medical profession to better understand medicinal cannabis will be a key challenge. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Wiping of debt for HNZ tenants step towards justice
The Government's announcement that it will wipe the Ministry of Social Development debt accumulated as a result of wrongful evictions because of methamphetamine contamination policies is a step towards justice. Auckland Action Against Poverty welcomes this ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Threat level change and release of attack response timeline
Police Commissioner Mike Bush acknowledges today’s change to the New Zealand threat level, and reaffirms Police’s commitment to keeping communities safe. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

More than 3,000 submissions on high country management
3,165 submissions have been received by Land Information New Zealand as part of the public consultation on proposals to improve the management of Crown pastoral land in the South Island high country. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Older posts

The Mueller report
The redacted version of the Mueller report has now been released. If there was any doubt Mueller's opening statement is that the Russian Government ...
The Mueller report
2 days ago

Keep Raglan weird: The battle over a surf town’s soul
Don Rowe on the unsettling boom in his hometown.This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine.Raglan is changing. You can see it in the streets, where luxury cars slot side by side like so many dominoes. It’s audible in the ...
The SpinoffBy Don Rowe
6 hours ago

What the numbers on your toaster really mean
A lesson on why you shouldn’t always believe what you read on the internet A few years back, there was a meme (if you can call it that) telling us that everything we knew about toasters was wrong. It said ...
The SpinoffBy Jihee Junn
6 hours ago

Coffee with John Palino, the forgotten 2019 Auckland mayoral candidate
The Auckland mayoral campaign features more candidates than just Phil Goff and John Tamihere. Alex Braae sat down with repeat candidate John Palino, who is having another crack at the top job.John Palino is doing it tough right now. He’s ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
6 hours ago

Review: Flight of the Conchords amble back onto the stage in Live in London
New Zealand music’s most famous musical comedy duo return to the stage in Flight of the Conchords: Live in London. Calum Henderson reviews.New Zealand television networks have always got a lot of shit for not giving Flight of the Conchords their ...
The SpinoffBy Calum Henderson
7 hours ago

Pacific ‘bright spots’ amid World Press Freedom Index Asian warnings
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Fiji, New Zealand and Timor-Leste have made significant gains in the latest annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index while the Paris-based global watchdog has warned that totalitarian propaganda, censorship, intimidation and cyber-harassment have been ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
24 hours ago

A millionaire wants to land a helicopter on the beach. Herne Bay is ready to fight
In a polite Herne Bay kind of way, locals are gearing up for a battle royale with retailing millionaire Rod Duke over his plans for a helipad on a neighbourhood beach. Maria Slade went down to hang out.Karen Sims’ dog ...
The SpinoffBy Maria Slade
1 day ago

Recipe: Orange hot chocolate
A treat for a chilly autumn evening.Lusciously smooth and velvety, bittersweet and spiked with orange, this is the perfect drink to sip while curled in your favourite chair by the fire. I’m a fan of dark chocolate so I haven’t ...
The SpinoffBy Emma Boyd
1 day ago

Trump wants the Mueller report to be the end of the story. In fact it’s just the start
If Donald Trump believes yesterday’s release of the long-awaited Mueller report is the end of his troubles, he’s in for a rude awakening, writes a former investigator into Reagan’s Iran-contra scandal.The release on April 18 of a redacted version of ...
The SpinoffBy Charles Tiefer
1 day ago

How Bob Marley’s 1979 Western Springs concert changed NZ music
Bob Marley played his first and only New Zealand concert on Monday, 16 April 1979, at Auckland’s Western Springs. Writing for RNZ, Gareth Shute looks back on that visit and the seismic effect it had on this country’s relationship with ...
The SpinoffBy Gareth Shute
1 day ago

The original 151 Pokémon ranked from worst to best
Sam Brooks digs into his childhood to present his magnum opus: a ranking of all 151 OG Pokémon.You can see the scrollbar at the right side of your screen. Let’s just get into this, shall we? Opinions are, as always, ...
The SpinoffBy Sam Brooks
1 day ago

The art of the manu
Madeleine Chapman on dropping the perfect (dive) bomb – and why it’s worth protecting.This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine.The key to popping a perfect manu lies in the bum. Before the body has even left the platform, or ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
1 day ago

New Zealand is failing on climate change
Despite all the evidence of climate change and environmental degradation, and the clear need to take action, we just aren’t taking action, writes James RenwickThe Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ have released their latest report on New Zealand’s ...
The SpinoffBy James Renwick
1 day ago

Chris Lilley’s Lunatics has deadpan cringe, great dialogue but is more mawkish than outrageous
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Cothren, PhD Candidate, Flinders University Chris Lilley was in strife almost from the moment he started filming his new mockumentary series Lunatics, which has begun streaming on Netflix. Last year, leaked ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

West Papuan boycott of Indonesian election successful, says campaign
File photo of a West Papuan rally in Denpasar, Bali, in 2017 … “growing confidence about independence”. Image: The Jakarta Post Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has claimed a successful boycott of ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
2 days ago

Shamubeel Eaqub: Good riddance to Capital Gains Tax and a (slightly) fairer system
The supporters and opposers were polarised in their vehemence, but international experience shows CGTs don't do that much. The political calculus simply did not work, Shamubeel Eaqub writes. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

How Courtney Act turned reality television into activism
Alex Casey talks to Courtney Act, host of Bravo’s The Bi Life, about her brand of political activism in the most unlikely of places – reality television. I don’t know if there is some kind of EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
2 days ago

How the UK is leading the world on flu research, ready to kick in quickly when the next pandemic hit...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Simpson, Professor of Population Health, Victoria University of Wellington The next influenza pandemic is a case of when, rather than if. In the last major influenza pandemic in 2009, 201,200 people ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 19
The only published and available best-selling book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Home Fire: A Novel by Kamila Shamsie (Bloomsbury, ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
2 days ago

The Friday Poem: Objects 6 by Nikki-Lee Birdsey
New poetry by Piha poet Nikki-Lee BirdseyObjects 6 This time of year I try to think about what is better than beauty. Rose-pink clouds crowd the sky, crowd my page— I think of your face. I can’t fantasise like I did ...
The SpinoffBy Nikki-Lee Birdsey
2 days ago

MediaRoom: NZME radio is all Talk
NewstalkZB is the big, hands-down winner in the latest commercial radio ratings - matched by its rivals only in Wellington where it was first equal with The Breeze. ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Newstalk ZB’s unsentimental giant signs off with a tear in his eye
Long-serving Newstalk ZB Drive host Larry Williams has hung up the headphones at Newstalk ZB, where has been at since the Palaeolithic era. Alex Braae tunes in for the farewell broadcasts.Jack Tame and David Farrar were on The Huddle with ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
2 days ago

The Real Pod: In which the dancing stars are actually good
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.In the hangover of Married at First Sight Australia, we are overjoyed to shimmy onto the shiny lino of Dancing With the Stars ...
The SpinoffBy The Real Pod
2 days ago

Jacinda Ardern named world’s second greatest leader by Fortune magazine
And she’s the only elected leader in the top 10.Jacinda Ardern has been widely praised for her leadership following the Christchurch attacks last month, but now one American magazine has put a number on it, ranking the New Zealand prime ...
The SpinoffBy Toby Manhire
2 days ago

Brigitte Morten: CGT was a political zombie from the start
Opinion - It was all political games with the capital gains. This was a policy that was never going to be implemented in the way that Labour took to the 2017 election, Brigitte Morten writes. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

VIDEO: How to watch Aquaman
Aquaman is an incredibly complex film that puts a lot of questions into your head, distracting you from the simple joy of watching Jason Momoa battle foes under the sea. Never fear, three Spinoff staffers are here with the answers ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
2 days ago

The one-stop guide to executing a perfect Easter egg hunt
Eater of chocolate and master budgeter Madeleine Chapman lays out the recipe for a killer Easter egg hunt.Put on your Donnie Darko suit this weekend, sneak around in your own garden, then inevitably step on a marshmallow egg in August. ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
2 days ago

David Seymour critical of Jacinda Ardern’s grasp of economic policy
The ACT Party leader says the Capital Gains Tax backdown proves the prime minister is an effective marketer, but a lightweight policy maker. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

John Campbell’s roving days over
The move of TVNZ's high-paid star John Campbell to an off-peak and studio-bound role hosting Breakfast is baffling, Mark Jennings writes. ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

A day fishing with Clarke Gayford
Toby Manhire spends a day chasing kingis – and PM-adjacent yarns – with Fish of the Day host Clarke Gayford.This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine.Mid-week, mid-morning under a muddy grey January sky. We’re skimming into the Hauraki Gulf on a stupidly ...
The SpinoffBy Toby Manhire
2 days ago

The strangely aimless late career of John Campbell
The arrival of one of New Zealand’s most beloved broadcasters on breakfast TV is very perplexing, writes Duncan Greive Four years have now passed since #savecampbelllive, one of the most bizarre episodes in our recent media history, and one which sent ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
2 days ago

Grattan on Friday: The campaign with built-in R&R for voters
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Politically speaking, the Easter break is a blessing for a jaded electorate, at least a partial rest for voters’ eyes and ears in a campaign ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Vital Signs: the ‘ball-tampering’ budget trick they don’t want you to know about
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW The first week of the federal election campaign has been dominated by heated disputes about the numbers behind both government and opposition policies. Both sides are ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Time, money and method: three things to consider if you’re thinking about homeschooling your child
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Roy, Lecturer in Education, University of Newcastle This is the last article in our series on homeschooling in Australia. The series answers common questions including why homeschooling is on the rise ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

State of the states: Adani, economics and personality politics
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Economou, Senior Lecturer, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University Our “state of the states” series takes stock of the key issues, seats and policies affecting the vote in each ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Antibiotic shortages are putting Aboriginal kids at risk
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute At any time, almost one in two Aboriginal children living in remote areas will have a school sore. That means right now, there are ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

An Easter to reflect on our fragile home
Rod Oram writes of becoming an environmentalist out of love and pain. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

Australia’s epic story: a tale of amazing people, amazing creatures and rising seas
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Bird, ARC Laureate Fellow, JCU Distinguished Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University The Australian continent has a remarkable history — a story of isolation, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

What and where is heaven? The answers are at the heart of the Easter story
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity This is the second in a two-part series on heaven and hell by Bible scholar Robyn Whitaker. You ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

What is hell, exactly? We might joke it’s other people, but the Bible has a more complicated answe...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity This is the first in a two-part series on heaven and hell by Bible scholar Robyn Whitaker. You ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Going to the beach this Easter? Here are four ways we’re not being properly protected from jellyfi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynda Crowley-Cyr, Associae Professsor of Law, University of Southern Queensland The Easter long weekend marks the last opportunity this year for many Australians to go to the beach as the weather cools ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

In Abdul-Rahman Abdullah’s Pretty Beach, a fever of stingrays becomes a meditation on suffering
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ted Snell, Professor, Chief Cultural Officer, Cultural Precinct, University of Western Australia In our Here’s looking at series, experts explain prominent works of art. Abdul-Rahman Abdullah’s fever of stingrays glide menacingly beneath ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – April 18 2019
Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – April 18 2019 Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. The Beehive and Parliament Buildings. Today’s content Capital gains ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
3 days ago

Helen Clark, Don McKinnon front NZ chapter of US think-tank
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Secretary-General for the Commonwealth, Sir Don McKinnon, are throwing their political capital and global profile behind the establishment of the New Zealand chapter of a respected US-based think tank, the Aspen Institute. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

The IKEA effect: how we value the fruits of our labour over instant gratification
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology There are some anecdotes just so good that almost every story about a particular economic principle begins the same. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Fight over vocational education rages on
Chris Hipkins says he needs to push on with vocational education reforms to do away with uncertainty, but the ITOs are begging him to slow down. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

Week in Politics: Labour’s biggest campaign burden scrapped
Analysis - Was Winston Peters solely responsible for sinking the capital gains tax, or did Labour realise that taking it into the next election could be fatal? Peter Wilson looks at a busy week in politics. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 days ago

Fuji Xerox auditor keeps name suppression due
The names of the auditors of Fuji Xerox’s New Zealand subsidiary remain suppressed after an appeal hearing against a decision by an accountants’ disciplinary tribunal. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

CGT backdown: Revenue Minister not worried about tax turnover
The Revenue Minister isn't concerned about the impact ditching a capital gains tax will have on the tax take. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 days ago

Two Cents’ Worth: Disrupting the booze
Younger generations are drinking less. That's got to be good for our health, but not so good for business. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

Jokowi wins second term in Indonesia, CSIS-Cyrus quick count shows
Incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and First Lady Iriana cast their ballots at a polling station during the presidential and legislative elections in Jakarta. Image: Seto Wardhana/Jakarta Post By Karina M. Tehusijarana in Jakarta A quick count conducted by ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
3 days ago