Leadership is vital, of this there can be little doubt.
Most of the greatest things worth doing by human beings cannot by achieved by individuals working alone, it requires teamwork, sometimes dozens or hundred or even millions of people working together. And teamwork requires leadership. Whether it is building a house or laying a road or crossing an ocean, or fighting a war. In human affairs Leadership is vital. Though for us humans, we are leaders, or led, not in the sense of sheep being led by a shepherd. All forms of human leadership, (no matter how they are organised), require at some level the consent of the led. i.e. That leadership has to be seen as legitimate. This goes no matter whether that leader is a king or a dictator or an elected head. People will even put up with bad leaders if they think they hold power legitimately. However, once legitimacy is lost, no leadership can persist, no matter what methods are used to shore it up. Once legitimacy disappears no amount of bureaucratic maneuvering or even massive violent oppression can preserve it, such tactics only delay the inevitable.
To David Shearer the Labour Party parliamentary caucus, your attendants and supporters, I would advise;
Don’t bother fighting a rearguard action to preserve minority selection for the leadership of the party, that battle is already lost. You may win the battle, but you will lose the war.
Don’t resist this change, instead accept gracefully the greatest possible democratic selection of leader. Your organisation will be the greater for it.
As I started to type this, Morning Report had been reading out a lengthy statement from Te Puni Kokiri that felt like it was going on forever.
The Minister didn’t front up to answer questions invoking the excuse the matter was an operational matter, the Ministry didn’t front up and sent a long blah blah blah statement.
I did not turn on RadioNZ to listen to Simon Mercep reading out long, mind numbing government propoganda. I hope this is a one-off and not to be repeated.
I agree. RNZ continue not to hold to task ministers and organisations that refuse to front for ‘difficult’ interviews. Compare with the way Campbell Live has put Hekia Parata and other government ministers under the blowtorch for failing to agrre to being interviewed.
Jim, maybe the solution is to email RNZ and express the viewpoint?
New Zealand clergy face being interviewed by Australian police as part of a Royal Commission investigating how institutions – including churches – allegedly covered up claims of child sex abuse, a victims right advocate says.
With this in mind Lauda Finem have been scanning our trans Tasman neighbours media for any sign that they would pick up on the story, but no not a peep, sure a couple of stories about the Australian situation but nothing on how New Zealand might have been impacted and or how the New Zealand church hierarchy may have been complicit in allowing pedophile priests to set up in New Zealand. We know for a fact that this was the case in the St John of God scandal, with the convicted brothers having been transferred between the two countries.
So what about the New Zealand National Party controlled Government, where do they stand on all of this, if you were relying on the New Zealand media for an answer you would still be waiting. Australia’s channel Nine, however, was all over the story
Be interesting to see where this all ends up, as the Catholic Church is simply a child abuse ring pretending to be a religious entity, I think that much is clear by now, as the history certainly back that up!
The real powers of the globe are the ones who sit behind these fronts, but make full use of its “services”, and also have the ability to “disappear” these inconvenient situations quite quickly.
Just what might a possible “Royal Commission” unearth I wonder…..More of the same, followed by a cover up, or perhaps straight to the cover up, or perhaps it all just magics itself away!
There are differences between child abuse rings and organisations that protect individual sex offenders. Best not to confuse or conflate the two.
And the difference would be what, as it relates to the historical actions of the CC, as it relates to covering and protecting itself, and thus hiding what it truly represents!
Best for people not to miss the glaringly obvious!
While I understand your sentiment, to address the question literally,
Rioting would destroy the nieghbourhoods where oppressed people live, weaking whatever community links they already share with an unsafe environment. Rioting elevates brutality, the exact opposite required for the support of oppressed people.
No one in the current bunch of centre right/left care if the poor riot. Other than venting suppressed anger, nothing constructive from a rioters point of view, would come of it. The poor, the kind that have tasted hopelesness, don’t vote centre left/right. All it would do is give politicians an excuse to further demonise the poorer fringes. After the riot, politicians on both sides would use it manipulate people with either fear or pride.
Rioting takes energy, lots of negetive energy, the kind that only comes from wholesale nothing-to-lose situations. NZ isn’t quite there yet. It requires built up dense populations with an already high violent tendency meeting a trigger that transgresses a widely accepted subcultural value. Civil forces often seek out and use these triggers to help them control populations through “controlled burns”. Rioting isn’t something anyone can ask people to do, it’s the emotional response of the collective mind.
Strategically speaking, it would be better use of resources for communities to unofficially break away from the mainstream culture – as far as they can – and look after themselves in any constructive way they can, rather than devolve into rioting, self abuse and risk being controlled through violence. Frequent organised or impromptu protests of any size, acts of civil disobedience, basic sabotage, community agreements and support groups – these things vent and pre-empt anger before it becomes destructive, are achieveable, return positive morale results and train communities to out-think their adversaries.
touche’ I was definitely having an emotional response. but, sort of my point, those affect are powerless and marginalised and the big fat middle and getting diabetes, don’t give a crap….okay so no riot, a protest, a march, a Hikoi,. I’m thinking the recent-ish anti mining protests coromandel Great Barrier (don’t muck up holiday spot) but we can’t get off our arse for state sponsored child starvation .
“Twaddle, rubbish, and gossip is what people want, not action.. . . The secret of life is to chatter freely about all one wishes to do and how one is always being prevented—and then do nothing” Soren Kierkegaard
now, Kierkegaard, there’s another odd chappie I related to in my search; ohh, the labelling, the guilt, the shame, nah, just kidding 😉
ol’ Soren was on to it.
The policy of National Ministers to refuse to be interviewed in the media with any opposition spokespeople (except in a short election period) is very arrogant . So much for openness and transparency. It is such a pity that the media goes along with it. Wouldn’t it be great to hear/see a debate between the National minister of Housing and Annette King, for example.
From this today: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10847352
Household incomes have increased by a third in the last four years. Did I miss a pay rise or 2. Not sure if anyone knows the source or reference of this gem from English Increase of a 1/3rd ???
The recovery is HERE folks and real.
“Our problem is one of success.” from English
herodotus
That is a good link. Lots of laughs. It almost sounds like the tongue in cheek one from yesterday about Shearer standing down for Pagani, the female one I think.
English says that house prices have gone up only 1.3% in nominal terms, is this after they are adjusted for inflation? Perhaps the salaries that have gone up by a third in the last four years are the parliamentary salaries. Probably they the only ones he bothers to be informed about. Or perhaps there is a sort of double book-keeping where all figures quoted are taken from the average upwards and the true universal figures are in tiny script at the end of the report so it’s easy to black out when an OIA is made. The losers at the bottom are a drag on society to NACTs. Unfortunately they have shaped society to funnel opportunity towards them, and removed the work opportunities for those now struggling and either under-employed on low wages or unemployed and losing hope.
We had businesses that used to keep the country humming, but the reasonable tariff protection that was enough to keep them trading and profitable was abandoned in return for dairy and meat entry into our trading partners. We traded away the industrial revolution to go back to the agricultural economy and we haven’t been all that good at filling the gap with the hi-tech ones that were to be our saviours. Now we can’t even bother trying for the green and new innovative market.
Got off the original subject of housing but it all flows from the same ineptitude. Pollies offer themselves up as clever, wise, experienced. When they aren’t can we sue. Under the Trade Protection Act. We’ve been done.
John Key showed his true colours in the house yesterday:
Thank goodness David Parker’s watching Fox News ‘cos he might learn something, as opposed to that lefty stuff he seems to be embroiled in normally.
Seriously Mr Key, even in your homeland the U.S.A, a country with a far more right-wing political environment than ours, Fox News is waaay out on the far right and an object of derision that even the republican party are beginning to distance themselves from.
“Is saying that Key is from the USA an attempt to stir up NZ’s own “birther” movement.”
No, it refers to the fact that he prefers to reside in Hawaii (to which, privately, he is known to refer as “home”), and prefers to spend his money in the U.S. saying that their economy really needs it.
“And hard right extremist…really?”
According to his endorsement of Fox News as a media outlet from which one “might learn something”, yes.
How else can you possibly reconcile his statement?
Here’s how it works – Key’s “off the cuff” jokes at public appearances are usually prepared. But … when responding to a question, and hearing something for the first time, there are only a few seconds thinking time. So, he’s unprepared. The true character comes out.
Key heard “Fox News” and the brain went “Good”. Then he blurted.
He would never say that in a prepared speech. But he does in the House, under questioning. (On a previous occasion he commended Alan Sanford, the guy who got done for fraud in the West Indies).
Of course, a quick-witted Labour MP heard “Fox News” and immediately leapt up to say “In the light of that answer, does he agree with Karl Rove … etc” and totally nailed Key. Yay!
Nah, just kidding. They did the only thing they know – some more shouting.
And so it was, that the New Zealand PM’s crazy endorsement of a far-right broadcaster effectively “never happened”, never got noticed, because Key got away with it, because the opposition let him. As usual. (Except on the blogs, but nobody reads those, eh?).
(Fast forward to the election campaign … PM says Nelson Mandela’s a wanker, David Shearer looks blankly at him, tries to remember what he was told to say, and then asks his next prepared question).
… when responding to a question, and hearing something for the first time, there are only a few seconds thinking time. So, he’s unprepared. The true character comes out.
Yes, and remember his reaction to the unfortunate fellow who tried to climb over the debating chamber balcony? It gave him a fright so what did he do? Took it out on Phil Goff sitting opposite and made the throat-cutting gesture as if it was Goff’s fault. That was one of the best “true character” incidents of them all.
Serious question, KK. Do you actually understand what the US birther movement is about? Because implying anyone’s trying to set up the equivalent in NZ is kinda, um, seriously funny when you do.
He might kicked into touch soon.Selwyn Manning on Bombers show said that people in the inner circle of the National Party are not happy with the happy chappy.Maybe he should be job hunting.
Starring roll in a remake of Laurel and Hardymaybe.
Despite a ceasefire being brockered by Egypt: Israel strikes
The bombardment of Gaza continues. Strikes appear to be concentrated in the north. Multiple observers on the ground report near-continuous strikes, apparently a combination of air strikes and naval fire.
Haaretz puts the number of rockets fired from Gaza today at 83. The IDF says 25 rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
It seems this will go on for sometime. I wonder how Egypt respond apart from withdrawing it’s ambassador.
The IDF has just claimed that this cyber-bullying justifies the next 5 bombings of Palestinian orphanages: “Al-Qassam Brigades’ teasing is out of control and can no longer be tolerated, we have no option but to bomb their children” …World leaders NATO and the UN say they condemn excessive teasing. Murray McCully rings the Israeli Ambassador and asks if all Jews are as funny as Larry David.
Gavin Ellis on radionz before noon was scathing of the criticisms of Shearer by The Standard bloggers particularly because many are anonymous, mentioned Eddie and Irish Bill.
Some editorials in published media are anonymous aren’t they? Surely the effort to express ideas referring to facts and with a reasonable scenario of future effects if someone remains as leader, shouldn’t mean that member of the public must be named. We do try to keep extreme opinions down to a few occasional curses. Being known can make life difficult when mixing with opposing family and at work etc when one is not a journalist and then it’s part of the job. And in some places they kill investigating journalists don’t they?
Yep! In some places people are routinely killed for speaking out against the establishment. With David Farrar publicly calling for funding to be cut for RIANZ because of what Home Brew Crew said about John Key, is it any wonder that people want to retain anonymity when such a vindictive response is openly published, and agreed upon by lots of right wingers? ‘We don’t like what you say so tell us who you are so we can fuck you up’ doesn’t really cut the mustard as a valid argument if you ask me.
We’re all a bunch of big meanies . . . KKK according to Fran . . . hackers and terrorists according to Clare Curran. Watch out for increasing invective against “cyber bullies” and “Anonymous” and “blogs” followed by cross-party laws forbidding this or that or saying what you want. Step by step. The battle is on to quell the internet and reduce its status from that of the town square to little more than the inside of a shopping mall.
Not the inside of a shopping mall. More like looking in a tea cup to see the future in the tea leaves, which are likely to reveal one’s own preferences.
‘The Standard’ being equated to ‘Pravda’ and the ‘Chinese Peoples Daily’?!
Ideas thoughts and opinions to be given no weight…apparently the individuals behind the thought, opinion or idea is what matters?
Crazy stuff.
And to cap it off, Richard Long’s piece where he opines that DS ‘should be given a chance’ should have received more coverage because…because..erm…oh, that’s right…because it was written by Richard Long!
Meanwhile, the opinions of Brian Edwards, Chris Trotter, Vernon Small et al, ain’t worth jackshit because…erm, well….just because they aint. Apparently..
So all in all, I’d say “Well done!” to ‘Standard’ posters for getting the feel of people out there. Ellis essentially complained that there were 200+ comments on Eddies post because… well I don’t know why…must be something to do with it all all being anti-democratic. Or something.
Unfortunately, interest-rate swaps have done serious harm to many farmers. The sale of swaps in New Zealand mirrors a scandal in Britain where banks have reportedly put aside £630 million (NZ$1223m) to compensate clients wrongly sold interest-rate swaps.
Have they put aside taxpayer bailout funds, or just printed it off.
There, a parliamentary committee on banking standards was formed to consider the issue and the Financial Services Authority stepped in to help customers get redress.
Anything like this in NZ, perhaps Maggie Barry can chair it, she is/was on the finance & expenditure select committe, is obviously immensely knowledgeable, so why not!?
Here, Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills has said farmers who suffered from using swaps have only themselves to blame. “At the end of the day I’m a great believer in buyer beware and personal responsibility,” he told interest.co.nz.
Good to know that Bruce is in the pocket then, innit!
Wonder if Auckalnd Council can get back some of the $167m it lost this year on the same swaps…./sarc
Tasers not only take liberty away (normal police physical detainment with a bit of ruff and tumble and cuffs), but also remove freedom and happiness.
Tasers remove the right to choose to come along peacefully.
Tasers are kidnap, they remove even the freedom to control ones own body.
Police should not be replacing routine physical detainment with tasers, this is a escalation in violence.
Tasers are useful, they are purposed to lower physical harm to police officers, quite rightly, but only use in the most extreme cases, where a gun would have been used, or very great harm is likely to Police themselves.
But worse, Tasers can be used by criminals in crime to effect criminality much easier than before, removing the chance of victims to retaliate.
No doubt they will post on eating arsenic is quite good for you as long as you don’t eat too much. You will probably know it is too much children when you fall down dead. We Conservatives have wisdom you know.
Well, there is a post about the royal commission of inquiry into sexual abuse, and the covering up of sexual abuse, within the Roman Catholic church in Australia.
the post explains how this just goes to show how Christ like the priesthood, (and the holy mother church), really is.
?Afraid to much information might fry their brains and damage them emotionaly?
For f’sake M8, knowledge is power u idiot(s).
Don’t look directly at the sun ever … it burns your retinas morons.
Look at it sideways and very briefly only once and sit in a dark room afterwards.
If ya missed it ya missed it, get a pinhole thingy next time.
The update is a moment of fucking zen. She didn;t get to kill the buddha tho, buddha done fried her eyes some. More with the making of the tea, godchild.
But hey right. I’d be delighted to be surprised, but doubt that I would be, about what she would advise about teaching children the ‘dangers’ of sex and drugs.
Lies to children, about staring at the fucking sun, are a teaching thing. You update shit, as child grows, or they update it themselves.
Science, ffs.
All science is taught on the ‘lies to children’ approach.
Reminds me of the time when I was a child, my father would warn me in no uncertain terms not to look at the light emitted by someone doing electric welding, I cannot remember what he said in his warning (apart from ‘dont look at the light’ in a raised voice), but I do know that I always avoid looking directly at someone welding to this day.
Just announced that 90 workers have been sacked from NZ rail. .If we are to believe the polls this means they will go up,for the Nat’s . Pigs might fly!
[lprent: added charts. The GCR isn’t good. Labour bounced back most of the last drop – but all of the potential coalition parties went down as well. The overall trend is done for left coalition. ]
Fortunately I suspect that Bill English has unexpectedly given us a boost. He is starting to sound like Muldoon when he blames that statisticians for reality being different from what he envisaged.
David Shearer’s Column
2012 November 14
by Kapiti Independent Reporters
Labour has the tools to deal with unemployment
By David Shearer for the Kāpiti Independent
On a recent visit to the West Coast, I caught up with some of the Spring Creek miners who’ve just lost their jobs.
One miner who should be celebrating the arrival of his new-born son told me that he’s now worried about paying the bills, may lose his house and is considering moving his family away from Greymouth so he can find work.
Another guy I spoke to moved back here from Australia so he could train as a miner. But 10 weeks into his apprenticeship, he had the rug pulled out from under him and he’s now out of a job.
I’m hearing stories like this right across the country and last week, we were hit with the shocking new statistic that unemployment has now reached 7.3%. That’s the worst rate in 13 years, since National was last in Government.
There are now 175,000 people unemployed. The situation is particularly dire for young Kiwis with one in four aged between 15 and 19 out of work. Māori and Pasifika families are being hit hard too with the unemployment rate topping 15%.
The government says it’s a ‘blip’. It is simply throwing its hands in the air and saying ‘there’s nothing we can do’.
Well I think there’s plenty we can do. Labour has some concrete ideas, including paying employers the equivalent of the dole if they’re prepared to take on apprentices. We’d require companies that win major government contracts to take on one apprentice for every $1 million of taxpayers’ money they receive.
We would also give businesses tax breaks for research and development, so they can find new markets for their innovative ideas and create high-value jobs. We’d support the manufacturing and exporting sector by giving the Reserve Bank a wider mandate to tackle the high and volatile dollar.
National’s path takes us towards fewer jobs, lower wages and more of our people heading to Australia.
Labour’s path is about creating a new, clever economy – one where the Government backs businesses and workers.
November 14, 2012
Hi David
I know you understand a lot of what I’m about to write, and the above comment is just you saying what you like to think (or hope) people want to hear.
I am A-political – if thinking you are all useless and just mouth pieces for ‘the system’ is neutral?
But I also understand you are a good and fair representation of ‘the masses’, as George Carlin says ” Garbage in garbage out”, politicians are just a reflection of selfish humans. We vote for whomever offers us the best for our immediate future.
Having energy and climate change @ # 24 on your parties list of priorities is a clear give away that you are not focused on reality.
As you know the world past peak oil back in 2005 – 6 as confirmed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k22q5KZibtI&feature=plcp (Dr Fatih Birol on National Radio) of which NZ is a paid up member, and someone you might have heard of or had personal dealings with, specifically Helen Clark, who said on 18-4-2006 at a parliamentary press conference “We’re probably not to far short of peak production, if not already there … and that concentrates the mind ….” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIp5h0Xtuc . but as we have seen it didn’t concentrate anyone’s mind did it.
Peak oil means peak growth, as we have witnessed globally since 2007-8, that heralds peak employment, from now on each time the global economy starts to pick up, it will hit the available energy ceiling, and that is why we are stuck with escalating unemployment.
As an aside you must also understand that a growth based saving scheme like Kiwi Saver has a very limited future, if it is not already dead in the water?
Talking up the chance of apprenticeships and growing employment is denial of these facts. But like I said, I know you are just giving the prolies want they want to hear.
In the past 100 – 200 years we have dug up and injected back into the atmosphere several periods worth of ‘global warming’ gasses, it has only been the slowly (but speeding up) melting ice that has protected us from total climate devastation (think Sandy) . I guess as we are so far past the point of no return, it will not change what is set in motion anyway, so we might as well mine baby mine, and lets forget Kyoto 2, which National are totally happy with.
I might think you are listening if you take over the portfolios of energy and climate change, to give them the priority they deserve. or at least move Moana up your list.
Maybe you could start telling the truth, that will defiantly set a precedent, but as I found out back in 2005 you don’t get any votes 😉 Maybe you could start talking about the power of communities, how when the chips are down it is your neighbours you will eventually have to rely on.
My website is full of letters from previous ministers of energy, from Pete Hodgson to Gerry Brownlee all of who are saying peak oil (according to the IEA), will not happen until 2035 – 37, if Labour are still in this mind set then heaven help us.
I am happy to send you several documentaries on DVD that back up what I am saying.
Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a rise in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National Party to 45.5% (up 2% since October 8-21, 2012). Support for Key’s Coalition partners shows the Maori Party 2% (down 1.5%), ACT NZ 0.5% (unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (up 0.5%).
Support for Labour is 32.5% (up 3.5%); Greens are 10.5% (down 2.5%), New Zealand First 5% (down 2.5 %), Mana Party 1% (up 0.5%), Conservative Party of NZ 1.5% (down 0.5) and Others 1% (up 0.5%).
If a National Election were held today this NZ Roy Morgan Poll says it would be too close to call.
So is the rise in Labour support due to the magnificent leadership of David Shearer or the leftward lurch of the Labour party as advocated here many a time to win back support that had drifted to the Watermelon Greens or the xenophobic Winston Firsts
How can the Nova pay system cost the taxpayer 30 million dollars?
There’s no well in hell it costs 30 million to develop a pay roll system, what the fuck is it with government and IT.
Who’s getting a kick back?
So at $5k / school, that’s a little over twice your estimate. Then there’s the fact that a lot of the problems aren’t to do with site-by-site implementation, but rather it’s multi-user/multisite issues. Scaling, in other words.
At a surface level, it looks to me like the contractor thought they could just OTS one of their existing products and make a killing, but didn’t realise the effect of issues around things like complex leave calculations for teachers, or the HR organisation of the education sector is more complex.
And the state of the public service at the moment means that for issues to be identified and solved an IT-savvy liaison needs to have enough time to follow the development process properly, be around long enough to fully understand what was agreed, and have a vested interest in exposing the problem rather than just leaving it under the rug until they get moved on.
In our business we use ACE Payroll which is so simple to use (Everything in big font and simple English), costs around $200 per year for ongoing support, and even if each school purchased it and paid their own teachers it would be a whole lot cheaper.
Sometimes I think IT folk just like adding zeros on when invoicing for IT work.
Well you have to ask, it’s a pay roll system, why the need to build one from scratch and what was so wrong with the previous system that it needed to be scrapped and a new one created?
Why couldn’t an existing system be adapted this has a bit of an INCIS stink to it.
comparison to Pravda; now that is interesting. 🙂
maybe people may start to focus less on their hair etc and more on global socio-political events before the mandatory haircut.
Anyone want a stack smashing lesson? 👿
It’s quite easy …. overwrite the stack pointer (a register) with a value …. preferably a lower one.
This happens when regexp gets alot more data than it was expecting …. say 10K worth , that’s how you smash pearl people.
Can someone please explain why I hear the claim that neoliberalism was discredited with the global financial crisis, and that John Key & Co are the only ones still with the neoliberal ideology.
Have other countries really moved away from neoliberalism? I know that there has been austerity…maybe a bit more regulation, but isn’t this just the same old shite?
Or is the argument that the GFC discredited neoliberism rather than changed it? I can only really see a stronger version of neoliberalism today, compared to 2007.
There is a slow ground shift in academic and policy discourse, but the economists and politicians who have power are still buying into the orthodoxy. Unfortunately, true change is not likely to happen until this particular generation passes on. In the final analysis, the wealthy are simply looking for ideological, theoretical and political vehicles with which to protect their elite privilege.
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by Don Franks In 1957, E M Forster wrote, of his greatest work: “The India described in ‘A Passage to India’ no longer exists either politically or socially. Change had begun even at the time the book was published ( 1924) and during the following quarter of a century it ...
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff@DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...
Now the Zero Carbon Bill is law, what's next? Obviously, the ETS changes currently before select committee are going to be the next battleground. But we're also going to get a good idea of where we're going, and if the progress the Zero Carbon Act promises is good enough, during ...
Grant PearceThe effects of the current Australian bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland (and also again in California) are devastating and far-reaching. To date, the fires have resulted in several lives being lost and many homes and properties destroyed. Here in New Zealand, the impacts have been only ...
A passing comment in a post the other day about the labour force participation rates of older people prompted me to pull down the fuller data and see what we could see about various participation rates over the decades since the HLFS began in 1986. As it happens, the ...
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...
"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Tom MooreTraditionally a food source and cutting tool, freshwater mussels/kākahi are now widely valued as water filters that help clean our waterbodies and maintain ecosystem health throughout Aotearoa. The improvement they provide in water quality can make it easier for other animals to live in streams and rivers, as ...
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…Installation complete: this was nothing ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is back in the House today for its second reading. While this isn't the final stage, its still effectively D-Day for the bill. Because today, at around 5pm, is when we're going to find out if it has a majority, whether National will support it or ...
Winston Peters is in court today, suing a bunch of former Minister and civil servants over their pre-election leak of his superannuation repayment. He's characterised the leak as malicious, and said that it is repugnant that his information was passed on to Ministers to use for political advantage. And he's ...
Murray CoxDo I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called ...
Transformative Politics: The idea is to turn each recipient into an unwitting accomplice in their own transformation. From interested observer to hyped-up activist, sharing our messages promiscuously with ‘friends’. You’ll be part of an ever-expanding circulatory system, Jennifer, for the ideas that will win us the election.”JENNIFER SKITTERED her chair ...
The boycott is a fundamental tool of protest. By choosing who we buy from, we can send a message, and hopefully change corporate behaviour. Historically, boycotts have been effective, for example over apartheid in South Africa and Israel, in forcing divestment from Myanmar, and in ending bus segregation in the ...
Jan Rivers spoke at the Abortion Legislation Select Committee in favour of the bill, but in opposition to calls from other submitters to exchange the word ‘woman’ for ‘person’ throughout the bill. Jan is a supporter of the feminist group Speak Up For Women and has recently written an excellent ...
I checked my traffic stats:I was intrigued by 'monica29' - who was this very dedicated individual? I clicked on the link, to be greeted with ...Ho, hum.Spreadin' the word, spreadin' the word. Doesn't matter who hears it, as long as it gets out there. ...
There have been three polls since the election was announced, and I will shamelessly steal YouGov / UK Polling Report's Anthony Wells' summary of them:Survation – CON 34%, LAB 26%, LDEM 19%, BREX 12%, GRN 1% Ipsos MORI – CON 41%, LAB 24%, LDEM 20%, BREX 7%, GRN 3% YouGov ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters met with Korea Racing Authority Chairperson Nak Soon Kim in Seoul today to discuss closer cooperation between the New Zealand and Korean horse racing industries. As part of the visit to the Seoul Racecourse, Mr Peters witnessed ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10 million to establish Otago as the centre of New Zealand’s creative digital industry over the next ten years, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The initiative will bring us closer to the vision of ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)’s skills and employment programme will help young Otago people into long-term forestry careers, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Ara Mahi will invest $63,000 in the 2020 school year to support eight 17 and 18 ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will support local plans to revitalise and stimulate economic development opportunities in Otago, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The four Regional Economic Development Ministers have approved an in-principle investment of $19.9 million towards the region’s ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is pleased to have received the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report on the Coalition Government’s Mycoplasma bovis eradication efforts, which shows significant progress in the fight against the disease. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, says the report’s findings ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon David Parker, Minister for Trade and Export Growth The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otago’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced today. Almost $20 million ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, discussed in Seoul today opportunities to work more closely in the Pacific and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Peters and Minister Kang confirmed New Zealand and the ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development The three marae in the historic Parihaka Pa complex in Taranaki have been upgraded to high speed broadband with the support of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Connecting the ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark will today launch the Advancing Pacific Partnerships 2019 Defence Assessment during a speech at Te Papa. The Assessment outlines how Defence will partner with our Pacific Island neighbours and invest in Pacific regional security architecture. The Plan aligns with the Coalition ...
A new Provincial Growth Fund investment could create about 80 new jobs in Gisborne over the next two years, turning a local small business into a “beacon of employment” in the process. Regional Economic Development Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau said the PGF’s Te Ara Mahi funding stream would provide $1.6m ...
The Government is asking the food industry to step up work to tackle obesity including reducing sugar, fat and salt in their products, better information for consumers, and tighter restrictions on advertising to children. Health Minister David Clark and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor have responded to a ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
The Government welcomes PHARMAC’s decision to fund a vaccine to protect young people from meningococcal disease from 1 December this year. “Meningococcal disease is a serious threat which people at higher risk should be protected from,” says Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter. “The combined pharmaceutical budget was increased by ...
Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a ...
The Government has fixed an issue affecting how Immigration New Zealand has processed visa applications for culturally arranged marriages, which will now see a consistent process applied which ensures people with legitimate arranged marriages can visit New Zealand while also preventing any rorting of the system. Earlier this year Immigration ...
The Royal Commission into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques will report back on 30 April 2020 to give it more time to hear submissions and consider information, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Royal Commission was originally scheduled to report back to Government by 10 December 2019. “There has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities. Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. ...
The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today. 168 community conservation projects throughout New Zealand are benefiting from $8 million in government grants, including $500,000 ...
Controls on assault rifles and semi-automatic firearms are to be broadened to include some types of pistols, under changes to a bill currently making its way through Parliament. Police Minister Stuart Nash has tabled a Supplementary Order Paper to the Arms Legislation Bill, which is currently before a Select Committee ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark will travel to Singapore today to conduct a counterpart visit and to co-chair the third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting with his counterpart, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. “Singapore is one of our most important defence partners in the region, and our ...
Nelson’s Salisbury School is to be rebuilt, creating a modern and suitable learning environment for students at the residential special school, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The school for girls aged 8-15, in Richmond, was earmarked for closure by National until the process ...
The panel undertaking a comprehensive review of the Resource Management Act has identified the main issues to be addressed and options for reform and is calling for feedback to inform its final report. In July the Government announced the comprehensive review of the resource management system, including the RMA - ...
An important safety valve has been added to New Zealand’s criminal justice system with the third reading of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill today. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “We’ve seen how our justice system can very occasionally get things spectacularly wrong, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles New independent disputes panels for parents and students Management of school property ...
The Government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system is a watershed moment in education and an opportunity to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today. “Last year through Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation, Māori teachers, parents, ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi ...
Infrastructure Minister is welcoming the first of many updated project pipelines from the newly established New Zealand Infrastructure Commission today. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, has released an expanded pipeline of major capital projects – another crucial step towards delivering better infrastructure outcomes. “The first iteration of the ...
Tougher gun laws designed to improve public safety through firearms prohibition orders are proposed in a new document released for public input. Police Minister Stuart Nash says firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would give new powers to Police to ensure high-risk individuals come nowhere near firearms. “We have already prohibited the ...
Andy Coupe has been confirmed as TVNZ’s new Board Chair. “Mr Coupe has strong commercial and capital markets experience and TVNZ has benefited from his technical knowledge of business and finance, as well as his extensive governance experience,” the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Kris Faafoi said. Andy ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today officially opened a separated pathway, following the completion of the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge, which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along Hutt Road. The $6.8m Hutt Road project provides a separated path for cycling and pedestrians, the replacement of informal parking ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of career diplomat Si’alei van Toor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “I’m pleased to appoint Ms van Toor to this position. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having previously served as Senior Trade Adviser to the ...
The Treasury’s 2019 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on Wednesday December 11, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Coalition Government will publish the 2020 Budget Policy Statement at the same time, outlining the priorities for Budget 2020. Further details on arrangements for the release will ...
A new initiative to better support small businesses through hands-on mentoring and advice has been launched by the Minister for Small Business. The first event in the Kiwi Business Boost series of regional workshops and online tools has been launched in Wairoa by Stuart Nash. “The Business Boost initiative combines ...
The latest Quarterly Connectivity Report shows that more and more New Zealanders are moving to Ultra-fast Broadband (UFB), with Rolleston having the highest uptake at 74 per cent, as at the end of September. “This means that nearly three quarters of Rolleston’s households and businesses have moved to ultra-fast services. ...
The passing of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill will help ensure a safe planet for our kids and grandkids, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said today. The landmark legislation which provides a framework to support New Zealanders to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects ...
The review of Oranga Tamariki practice around the planned uplift of a Hastings baby in May shows significant failings by the Ministry and that the planned and funded changes to shift from a child crisis service to a proper care and protection service need to be accelerated, Children’s Minister Tracey ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow. Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December. “I want to ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Bede Corry as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of a senior diplomat to this important role underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the United Kingdom,” said Mr Peters. “The United ...
As a follow-up to our post about police station office hours for the public and in the cause of balance, we bring positive news – or rather, we are passing on the positive news which the police delivered in a press statement, It’s all about the productivity gains achieved – it ...
Books editor Catherine Woulfe follows Wellington author Lawrence Patchett into his extraordinary story of heat and humanity and history repeating. The Burning River begins like the best kind of yarn. “Someone had been there. Someone strange. In the centre of his camp, a new circle of sooted rocks. A campfire, with ...
SPECIAL REPORT: By Philip Cass in BrisbaneMelanesian Media Freedom Forum – Day two –The second day of the Melanesian Media Freedom Forum began with praise for the work of young Pacific journalists by Professor David Robie and ended with a warning that threats to journalism in the ...
In this special episode of The Real Pod, brought to you by Nando’s, we chat to the champions of My Restaurant Rules NZ 2019.In the afterglow of Rustic Kitchen’s historic win on My Restaurant Rules NZ, Duncan and Alex got on the blower with Tyson and Denise. Then we forgot ...
Hannah Kronast attends a women’s empowerment panel focused on the huge disparities in training and employment within science and technology. In the far back left-hand corner of a women’s equality and empowerment event, a male stuck up his hand. “What can men do to help?” he asked.It was at a panel ...
Our recent Spinoff Art survey provided a snapshot on gender equality in the local art scene, but it wasn’t the full story. Anna Knox continues the conversation by asking some gallery owners and directors for their responses to our findings.The Spinoff’s survey of gender bias in visual arts found that ...
Based on their study of trans wellbeing Aotearoa, the research team at Counting Ourselves find six data points that highlight the strength of our trans and non-binary community.Last month the first comprehensive national survey on transgender health and wellbeing in Aotearoa was published by the academics and researchers at Counting ...
The SpinoffBy Dr Jaimie Veale, Jack Byrne and Ahi Wi-Hongi
Ten thousand years ago, roasted hares and figs were flat-layed on Levantine flax leaves. Now, we drape prosciutto over strawberries on computer desks. Josie Adams mourns the death of the platter.Three days ago I stumbled on an accidental recreation of a 1950s platter: a giant ham, a cake that was ...
India’s decision not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership promoted by China is politically significant. But its impact on trade and prosperity is more nuanced, as Bloomberg explains.It avoids some market opening on both sides (India to agriculture; others to services) that would have been economically beneficial. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Crisp discusses the the week in politics the government’s response to the bush fires as well as the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action. They also talk about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The proposed acquisition of infant formula producer Bellamy’s Australia Ltd by China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited has been given approval by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Strict, legally enforceable conditions, have been set by the treasurer, which ...
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is condemning the All Saints Day evening raid on 31 October. With the arrest of over 60 union organisers, human rights defenders and activists in the Philippines province of Negros. The 16th of November is an international ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Assistant professor, University of Canberra What’s happening? Suddenly, at the level of central banks, Australia is regarded as an investment risk. On Wednesday Martin Flodén, the deputy governor of Sweden’s central bank, announced that because Australia and Canada were “not ...
SPECIAL REPORT: By Philip Cass in Brisbane Opening session – Day OneThe problems of operating in the Pacific and the impact of online news and the emergence of ‘citizen journalists’ were common concerns for all delegates to this week’s Melanesian Media Freedom Forum.The forum, held at Griffith ...
Standoff between protesters and the police at Yeung Uk Road, Hong Kong. Image by Studio Incendo – 20190825 Tsuen Wan March. CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81751531.The recent surge in social protests world-wide is quantitatively and qualitatively different than in previous ages. The advent of individualised mass communications technologies and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is going to start asking internet service providers to block certain offshore gambling websites. The decision follows former New South Wales premier ...
The Zero Carbon Act (ZCA) is over a week old, but it’s still being heavily debated and analysed. After all, depending on who you listen to, it’s the most significant new law of the year, of this Government, or even of some people’s lifetime. And it deals with a giant ...
Green MP and refugee Golriz Ghahraman was there last night when the former Manus Island detainee and acclaimed writer arrived in New Zealand.Last night, quietly and without fanfare a small group made up of human rights activists, literary folk, and just two journalists, came together at Auckland Airport to welcome ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra D’urso, Researcher, The Australian Centre, University of Melbourne To perform an exit is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, exiting a situation can be almost impossible for some. Exit Strategies is a new production by indie performer and theatre ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niro Kandasamy, Tutor, University of Melbourne Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Saturday comes at a critical time for the country. The government has been in turmoil since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked the prime minister last year and replaced him with former strongman ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation If you have kids, chances are you’ve worried about their presence on social media. Who are they talking to? What are they posting? Are they being bullied? Do they spend too much time on it? ...
New Zealand Police has won a prestigious World Class Policing Award for its ‘more street than station approach’ Mobility programme, which has saved millions of hours of officers’ time. ...
SEA-Unite SkyCity workers are expected to strike this weekend after 50 called in sick with symptoms linked to smoke inhalation from the convention centre fire. ...
In a powerful rebuff to critics who question whether the prime minister is willing to use her political capital, this morning she powerfully demonstrated her commitment to New Zealand culture.For two years, my professional life has been devoted to winning respect for the lowbrow, beaten-up, off-brand artefacts that truly define ...
MPs and staffers will likely begin moving out of their Bowen House offices over the next six months, so the building can undergo earthquake strengthening work. ...
The party that sold off the BNZ, NZ Rail, Petrocorp, Postbank, the Shipping Corporation, Air New Zealand, the State Insurance Office, the Tourist Hotel Corporation and a host of other New Zealand assets is at it again – with the assistance of its coalition ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trent Penman, Associate professor, University of Melbourne As sure as night follows day, this week’s bushfires prompted inevitable debate about whether fire authorities should have carried out more hazard reduction burning, and whether opposition from conservationists prevented this. There are two key ...
A new poem by writer and performer Freya Daly Sadgrove.TURDUCKEN I blow my body around like the huge clump of brown hairthat I once saw blowing up Cuba StreetI follow its movements with interestI put a video of it on the internet my favourite bragis that a groundskeeper ...
PHARMAC has backed down on a controversial drug brand switch affecting patients with epilepsy and mental health conditions after three people died following the change. ...
Tara Ward reviews Goodnight Kiwi, a new series that features well-known New Zealanders reading bedtime stories to kids. It’s strange to think that New Zealand television wasn’t always the 24-hour, infomercial-tastic extravangza that it is today. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, our televisions used to go dark every night at ...
FIRST Union members at Countdown have ratified a new agreement that will set their supermarket team on a path towards a living wage, and significantly raise the pay of 15,000 workers across the country. ...
13 moments that prove the music awards are so much > than all other award showsBENEE cleaned up, every performance was somewhere between an eight and a ten, there was an unfeasible quantity of award presenter awkwardness and many nights ended very late. The music awards are over 50 and ...
While the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Commission are examining whether New Zealand laws properly balance the issues of freedom of speech and hate speech (whatever that might be), taxpayers are helping to finance Chinese propaganda. Hateful propaganda, we suggest. The Screen Production Grant has handed a $243,000 subsidy to a ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Media Peter Thompson (Stuff): A new model for public media – but have the old ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (Viking Penguin $35)“Olive struggles to figure herself out, and has an urgent ...
After more than seven months of trying to end a tenancy to protect neighbours, a Rotorua property manager has finally received approval from the High Court to end the tenancy. ...
We agree with the Ombudsman Peter Boshier in his new report on councils QUOTE ; “leaders, officials lack of action to "ensure an approach is adopted that is consistent with openness and transparency" Un-quote. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1911/S00186/chief-ombudsman-new-report-wakeup-call-for-council-leaders.htm ...
Māori food systems are rich with potential, and whānau-based food producers across the country are looking to traditional ways to ensure their communities thrive in the future. Alice Neville reports from the Eat New Zealand Food Hui.In recent years there has been much talk – in food business, hospitality, tourism ...
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) commends the Government’s proposal to take school zoning responsibilities out of the hands of school boards and principals and instead have these taken up by a new Education Service Agency. ...
SINGAPORE, Nov 15, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - Global BioLife Inc, the U.S. subsidiary of Singapore eDevelopment Ltd (SeD), will present its 3F Antimicrobial Fragrance as a new method to prevent and treat Tuberculosis at the ASM Biothreats Conference, ...
The National Party is calling for the Auditor General to investigate a bid for tax payer money made by a forestry company set up by a senior New Zealand First figure; and an award-winning author detained on Manus Island by Australia for six years has touched down in Auckland ...
Responding to news that the Screen Production Grant handed a $243,000 subsidy to a propaganda film produced by Chinese state-owned enterprises, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Louis Houlbrooke says: “Taxpayers have all been made complicit ...
The campaign to take more colour coded bins into the regions has been developed by The Packaging Forum which promotes recycling under the Government’s Love NZ brand and The Auckland Litter Prevention Steering Group which manages the Be a Tidy Kiwi ...
Shane Jones calls protesting farmers 'rednecks' following rowdy march on Parliament; and top council staff 'manipulated' reports to hide bad news from councillors and public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie Bradby, Professor of Physics, Australian National University There’s a lot of uncertainty in a research career. Most funding – and most jobs – are doled out by the project, or in chunks of a few years at a time. Recently, however, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney The Australian government has indicated that “diaspora communities” are crucial to Australia’s public diplomacy mission to promote the country abroad. It has also identified online and social media as essential ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University For many parents whose teenage children are completing Year 12, this time of year means mixed emotions. Parents might feel proud, exhausted and excited. And as young people start heading to schoolies and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heiko Timmers, Associate Professor of Physics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Much is made of the “next generation” of nuclear reactors in the debate over nuclear power in Australia. They are touted as safer than older reactors, and suitable for helping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fran Gale, Senior Lecturer, Social Work and Community Welfare, School of Social Science and Psychology, Western Sydney University Children are too rarely asked their perspectives on public spaces. Traditionally, adults make choices for children, particularly about how they live and play. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW What do a billionaire, a former vice president, and a US democratic socialist have to do with Australia’s nearly three-decade run of economic growth? More than you might think. The race for the Democratic Party’s 2020 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lydia Edwards, Fashion historian, Edith Cowan University Eyebrows can turn a smile into a leer, a grumpy pout into a come hither beckoning, and sad, downturned lips into a comedic grimace. So, it’s little wonder these communicative markers of facial punctuation have ...
The rules around use of parliamentary TV are set to be liberalised and MPs will no longer have to give permissions for clips of them to be used in political advertising. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When five former fire chiefs held a news conference on Thursday to urge the federal government to take more action on climate change, it was a challenging moment for Scott Morrison. Those who fronted the ...
A powerful New Zealand First figure helped establish a forestry company that then pushed for money from two key funding streams controlled by a New Zealand First Minister. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Farmers square off with Shane Jones at parliament, tax rebates for Chinese propaganda film criticised, and ructions over future shape of public media.Now first of all, I just want to make it clear rednecks isn’t the term I’d use. But it was ...
The biggest shakeup in the country’s broadcasting history looks to be looming as the Government gets serious about its options for strengthening public service broadcasting. ...
Support for the Zero Carbon Bill shows our action on climate will have to disrupt the status quo, writes Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton. That will mean new opportunities - and costs. ...
Football Ferns captain Ali Riley is making the most of her opportunity to play for German giants Bayern Munich, harbouring a dream to represent NZ at her fifth World Cup ...
'Policing' is increasingly falling to private security and citizen-led initiatives. Yet the wages and the training don't match the responsibility. So what can we do? ...
Yesterday, Stuff reported that the 2017 Chinese-made propaganda blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 was partially made in New Zealand. Sam Brooks watched it and – spoiler alert – found it weird as hell.About halfway through Wolf Warrior 2 on Netflix, the unnamed leader of a revolution in an unnamed African country marches up ...
Rather than get distracted by the stadium debate, we need to urgently acknowledge that unlocking this land now for future integration into the CBD is critical for Auckland’s future, aruges Paul Winstanley.Don’t be fooled. This is not just another story about the waterfront stadium. Well, not really. Like the mayor ...
The Period Poverty Solution Petition: The Health and Wellbeing Implications was presented by the Positive Periods campaign team, of which The Period Place is a part of, at a cross-party breakfast, thanks to Louisa Wall MP and Joanne Hayes MP in Parliament ...
Open mike 15/11/2012 
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And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…
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Leadership is vital, of this there can be little doubt.
Most of the greatest things worth doing by human beings cannot by achieved by individuals working alone, it requires teamwork, sometimes dozens or hundred or even millions of people working together. And teamwork requires leadership. Whether it is building a house or laying a road or crossing an ocean, or fighting a war. In human affairs Leadership is vital. Though for us humans, we are leaders, or led, not in the sense of sheep being led by a shepherd. All forms of human leadership, (no matter how they are organised), require at some level the consent of the led. i.e. That leadership has to be seen as legitimate. This goes no matter whether that leader is a king or a dictator or an elected head. People will even put up with bad leaders if they think they hold power legitimately. However, once legitimacy is lost, no leadership can persist, no matter what methods are used to shore it up. Once legitimacy disappears no amount of bureaucratic maneuvering or even massive violent oppression can preserve it, such tactics only delay the inevitable.
To David Shearer the Labour Party parliamentary caucus, your attendants and supporters, I would advise;
Don’t bother fighting a rearguard action to preserve minority selection for the leadership of the party, that battle is already lost. You may win the battle, but you will lose the war.
Don’t resist this change, instead accept gracefully the greatest possible democratic selection of leader. Your organisation will be the greater for it.
As I started to type this, Morning Report had been reading out a lengthy statement from Te Puni Kokiri that felt like it was going on forever.
The Minister didn’t front up to answer questions invoking the excuse the matter was an operational matter, the Ministry didn’t front up and sent a long blah blah blah statement.
I did not turn on RadioNZ to listen to Simon Mercep reading out long, mind numbing government propoganda. I hope this is a one-off and not to be repeated.
I agree. RNZ continue not to hold to task ministers and organisations that refuse to front for ‘difficult’ interviews. Compare with the way Campbell Live has put Hekia Parata and other government ministers under the blowtorch for failing to agrre to being interviewed.
Jim, maybe the solution is to email RNZ and express the viewpoint?
Australian police may interview NZ clergy
And in Lauda Finem’s take on it…
Paula Bennett: NZ govt sees no need for sex abuse inquiry
Be interesting to see where this all ends up, as the Catholic Church is simply a child abuse ring pretending to be a religious entity, I think that much is clear by now, as the history certainly back that up!
The real powers of the globe are the ones who sit behind these fronts, but make full use of its “services”, and also have the ability to “disappear” these inconvenient situations quite quickly.
Just what might a possible “Royal Commission” unearth I wonder…..More of the same, followed by a cover up, or perhaps straight to the cover up, or perhaps it all just magics itself away!
“as the Catholic Church is simply a child abuse ring pretending to be a religious entity”
There are differences between child abuse rings and organisations that protect individual sex offenders. Best not to confuse or conflate the two.
And the difference would be what, as it relates to the historical actions of the CC, as it relates to covering and protecting itself, and thus hiding what it truly represents!
Best for people not to miss the glaringly obvious!
Given recent events, you could also say that about the NZ Education system…….
Very true!
FUCKEN PAULA BENNETT AND NATIONAL STARVING CHILDREN TO PUNISH BENEFICIARIES; WHY AREN’T WE RIOTING IN THE STREET?
While I understand your sentiment, to address the question literally,
Rioting would destroy the nieghbourhoods where oppressed people live, weaking whatever community links they already share with an unsafe environment. Rioting elevates brutality, the exact opposite required for the support of oppressed people.
No one in the current bunch of centre right/left care if the poor riot. Other than venting suppressed anger, nothing constructive from a rioters point of view, would come of it. The poor, the kind that have tasted hopelesness, don’t vote centre left/right. All it would do is give politicians an excuse to further demonise the poorer fringes. After the riot, politicians on both sides would use it manipulate people with either fear or pride.
Rioting takes energy, lots of negetive energy, the kind that only comes from wholesale nothing-to-lose situations. NZ isn’t quite there yet. It requires built up dense populations with an already high violent tendency meeting a trigger that transgresses a widely accepted subcultural value. Civil forces often seek out and use these triggers to help them control populations through “controlled burns”. Rioting isn’t something anyone can ask people to do, it’s the emotional response of the collective mind.
Strategically speaking, it would be better use of resources for communities to unofficially break away from the mainstream culture – as far as they can – and look after themselves in any constructive way they can, rather than devolve into rioting, self abuse and risk being controlled through violence. Frequent organised or impromptu protests of any size, acts of civil disobedience, basic sabotage, community agreements and support groups – these things vent and pre-empt anger before it becomes destructive, are achieveable, return positive morale results and train communities to out-think their adversaries.
touche’ I was definitely having an emotional response. but, sort of my point, those affect are powerless and marginalised and the big fat middle and getting diabetes, don’t give a crap….okay so no riot, a protest, a march, a Hikoi,. I’m thinking the recent-ish anti mining protests coromandel Great Barrier (don’t muck up holiday spot) but we can’t get off our arse for state sponsored child starvation .
“Twaddle, rubbish, and gossip is what people want, not action.. . . The secret of life is to chatter freely about all one wishes to do and how one is always being prevented—and then do nothing” Soren Kierkegaard
now, Kierkegaard, there’s another odd chappie I related to in my search; ohh, the labelling, the guilt, the shame, nah, just kidding 😉
ol’ Soren was on to it.
Good stuff Uturn +1
The policy of National Ministers to refuse to be interviewed in the media with any opposition spokespeople (except in a short election period) is very arrogant . So much for openness and transparency. It is such a pity that the media goes along with it. Wouldn’t it be great to hear/see a debate between the National minister of Housing and Annette King, for example.
From this today:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10847352
Household incomes have increased by a third in the last four years. Did I miss a pay rise or 2. Not sure if anyone knows the source or reference of this gem from English Increase of a 1/3rd ???
The recovery is HERE folks and real.
“Our problem is one of success.” from English
herodotus
That is a good link. Lots of laughs. It almost sounds like the tongue in cheek one from yesterday about Shearer standing down for Pagani, the female one I think.
English says that house prices have gone up only 1.3% in nominal terms, is this after they are adjusted for inflation? Perhaps the salaries that have gone up by a third in the last four years are the parliamentary salaries. Probably they the only ones he bothers to be informed about. Or perhaps there is a sort of double book-keeping where all figures quoted are taken from the average upwards and the true universal figures are in tiny script at the end of the report so it’s easy to black out when an OIA is made. The losers at the bottom are a drag on society to NACTs. Unfortunately they have shaped society to funnel opportunity towards them, and removed the work opportunities for those now struggling and either under-employed on low wages or unemployed and losing hope.
We had businesses that used to keep the country humming, but the reasonable tariff protection that was enough to keep them trading and profitable was abandoned in return for dairy and meat entry into our trading partners. We traded away the industrial revolution to go back to the agricultural economy and we haven’t been all that good at filling the gap with the hi-tech ones that were to be our saviours. Now we can’t even bother trying for the green and new innovative market.
Got off the original subject of housing but it all flows from the same ineptitude. Pollies offer themselves up as clever, wise, experienced. When they aren’t can we sue. Under the Trade Protection Act. We’ve been done.
Feed the meme: public servants are lazy
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7953034/Public-servants-take-more-sick-days
Thats not fair. They are cheats as well.
John Key showed his true colours in the house yesterday:
Seriously Mr Key, even in your homeland the U.S.A, a country with a far more right-wing political environment than ours, Fox News is waaay out on the far right and an object of derision that even the republican party are beginning to distance themselves from.
John Key, out of touch, hard-right extremist.
Is saying that Key is from the USA an attempt to stir up NZ’s own “birther” movement.
And hard right extremist…really?
Key wasn’t born in the USA, but his Bankster mindset and his Bankster loyalty to other Banksters is.
“Is saying that Key is from the USA an attempt to stir up NZ’s own “birther” movement.”
No, it refers to the fact that he prefers to reside in Hawaii (to which, privately, he is known to refer as “home”), and prefers to spend his money in the U.S. saying that their economy really needs it.
“And hard right extremist…really?”
According to his endorsement of Fox News as a media outlet from which one “might learn something”, yes.
How else can you possibly reconcile his statement?
Yes, Felix, that happens a lot.
Here’s how it works – Key’s “off the cuff” jokes at public appearances are usually prepared. But … when responding to a question, and hearing something for the first time, there are only a few seconds thinking time. So, he’s unprepared. The true character comes out.
Key heard “Fox News” and the brain went “Good”. Then he blurted.
He would never say that in a prepared speech. But he does in the House, under questioning. (On a previous occasion he commended Alan Sanford, the guy who got done for fraud in the West Indies).
Of course, a quick-witted Labour MP heard “Fox News” and immediately leapt up to say “In the light of that answer, does he agree with Karl Rove … etc” and totally nailed Key. Yay!
Nah, just kidding. They did the only thing they know – some more shouting.
And so it was, that the New Zealand PM’s crazy endorsement of a far-right broadcaster effectively “never happened”, never got noticed, because Key got away with it, because the opposition let him. As usual. (Except on the blogs, but nobody reads those, eh?).
(Fast forward to the election campaign … PM says Nelson Mandela’s a wanker, David Shearer looks blankly at him, tries to remember what he was told to say, and then asks his next prepared question).
Yes, and remember his reaction to the unfortunate fellow who tried to climb over the debating chamber balcony? It gave him a fright so what did he do? Took it out on Phil Goff sitting opposite and made the throat-cutting gesture as if it was Goff’s fault. That was one of the best “true character” incidents of them all.
I got the name wrong – Allen Stanford. Question 4:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0903/S00149.htm
The PM thinks he’s a great guy. He’s in jail.
NZ’s own “birther” movement.
Serious question, KK. Do you actually understand what the US birther movement is about? Because implying anyone’s trying to set up the equivalent in NZ is kinda, um, seriously funny when you do.
He might kicked into touch soon.Selwyn Manning on Bombers show said that people in the inner circle of the National Party are not happy with the happy chappy.Maybe he should be job hunting.
Starring roll in a remake of Laurel and Hardymaybe.
Despite a ceasefire being brockered by Egypt:
Israel strikes
It seems this will go on for sometime. I wonder how Egypt respond apart from withdrawing it’s ambassador.
I’ve been listening to the news about it on the BBC WS all day. Scary stuff!
The IDF has just claimed that this cyber-bullying justifies the next 5 bombings of Palestinian orphanages: “Al-Qassam Brigades’ teasing is out of control and can no longer be tolerated, we have no option but to bomb their children” …World leaders NATO and the UN say they condemn excessive teasing. Murray McCully rings the Israeli Ambassador and asks if all Jews are as funny as Larry David.
National to fund electric cars?
Of course this is just more National party propaganda with the government actually doing nothing in the way of protection our environment…
Gavin Ellis on radionz before noon was scathing of the criticisms of Shearer by The Standard bloggers particularly because many are anonymous, mentioned Eddie and Irish Bill.
Some editorials in published media are anonymous aren’t they? Surely the effort to express ideas referring to facts and with a reasonable scenario of future effects if someone remains as leader, shouldn’t mean that member of the public must be named. We do try to keep extreme opinions down to a few occasional curses. Being known can make life difficult when mixing with opposing family and at work etc when one is not a journalist and then it’s part of the job. And in some places they kill investigating journalists don’t they?
Yep! In some places people are routinely killed for speaking out against the establishment. With David Farrar publicly calling for funding to be cut for RIANZ because of what Home Brew Crew said about John Key, is it any wonder that people want to retain anonymity when such a vindictive response is openly published, and agreed upon by lots of right wingers? ‘We don’t like what you say so tell us who you are so we can fuck you up’ doesn’t really cut the mustard as a valid argument if you ask me.
.
We’re all a bunch of big meanies . . . KKK according to Fran . . . hackers and terrorists according to Clare Curran. Watch out for increasing invective against “cyber bullies” and “Anonymous” and “blogs” followed by cross-party laws forbidding this or that or saying what you want. Step by step. The battle is on to quell the internet and reduce its status from that of the town square to little more than the inside of a shopping mall.
Not the inside of a shopping mall. More like looking in a tea cup to see the future in the tea leaves, which are likely to reveal one’s own preferences.
“Gavin Ellis”. Sounds fake to me.
Just listened to the 9 – noon segment.
‘The Standard’ being equated to ‘Pravda’ and the ‘Chinese Peoples Daily’?!
Ideas thoughts and opinions to be given no weight…apparently the individuals behind the thought, opinion or idea is what matters?
Crazy stuff.
And to cap it off, Richard Long’s piece where he opines that DS ‘should be given a chance’ should have received more coverage because…because..erm…oh, that’s right…because it was written by Richard Long!
Meanwhile, the opinions of Brian Edwards, Chris Trotter, Vernon Small et al, ain’t worth jackshit because…erm, well….just because they aint. Apparently..
So all in all, I’d say “Well done!” to ‘Standard’ posters for getting the feel of people out there. Ellis essentially complained that there were 200+ comments on Eddies post because… well I don’t know why…must be something to do with it all all being anti-democratic. Or something.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/7945141/Trust-a-bank-like-a-fox-in-a-henhouse
Have they put aside taxpayer bailout funds, or just printed it off.
Anything like this in NZ, perhaps Maggie Barry can chair it, she is/was on the finance & expenditure select committe, is obviously immensely knowledgeable, so why not!?
Good to know that Bruce is in the pocket then, innit!
Wonder if Auckalnd Council can get back some of the $167m it lost this year on the same swaps…./sarc
Tasers not only take liberty away (normal police physical detainment with a bit of ruff and tumble and cuffs), but also remove freedom and happiness.
Tasers remove the right to choose to come along peacefully.
Tasers are kidnap, they remove even the freedom to control ones own body.
Police should not be replacing routine physical detainment with tasers, this is a escalation in violence.
Tasers are useful, they are purposed to lower physical harm to police officers, quite rightly, but only use in the most extreme cases, where a gun would have been used, or very great harm is likely to Police themselves.
But worse, Tasers can be used by criminals in crime to effect criminality much easier than before, removing the chance of victims to retaliate.
Best NZ Conservative post eva:
http://nzconservative.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/solar-eclipse.html
Jesus, sounds like it could have been written by Ralph Wiggun
“These berries taste…burning”
The Simpsons is a liberal plot.
No doubt they will post on eating arsenic is quite good for you as long as you don’t eat too much. You will probably know it is too much children when you fall down dead. We Conservatives have wisdom you know.
Well, there is a post about the royal commission of inquiry into sexual abuse, and the covering up of sexual abuse, within the Roman Catholic church in Australia.
the post explains how this just goes to show how Christ like the priesthood, (and the holy mother church), really is.
not kidding.
would that be Ralph “Wiggum” 🙂
?Afraid to much information might fry their brains and damage them emotionaly?
For f’sake M8, knowledge is power u idiot(s).
Don’t look directly at the sun ever … it burns your retinas morons.
Look at it sideways and very briefly only once and sit in a dark room afterwards.
If ya missed it ya missed it, get a pinhole thingy next time.
IKR.
The update is a moment of fucking zen. She didn;t get to kill the buddha tho, buddha done fried her eyes some. More with the making of the tea, godchild.
But hey right. I’d be delighted to be surprised, but doubt that I would be, about what she would advise about teaching children the ‘dangers’ of sex and drugs.
Lies to children, about staring at the fucking sun, are a teaching thing. You update shit, as child grows, or they update it themselves.
Science, ffs.
All science is taught on the ‘lies to children’ approach.
Reminds me of the time when I was a child, my father would warn me in no uncertain terms not to look at the light emitted by someone doing electric welding, I cannot remember what he said in his warning (apart from ‘dont look at the light’ in a raised voice), but I do know that I always avoid looking directly at someone welding to this day.
Your dad was correct – if you look at someone welding with unprotected eyes you will suffer what is known as ‘arc eye’.
I’ve heard it described as a similar feeling to someone getting a hand full of sand and rubbing it into your eyes.
Mild doses will heal but still not good for you.
I see the Tories have managed to permanently fuck the train workshop down in Dunedin, by selling a bit of it off and closing the rest down.
Very difficult for NZ to make its own rolling stock any more, even if a Labour Govt wanted to, because the capability has been destroyed.
Smart old Tory strategy.
Yeah.
Tossers.
Just announced that 90 workers have been sacked from NZ rail. .If we are to believe the polls this means they will go up,for the Nat’s . Pigs might fly!
That would be normal Tory fuckwittedness – don’t make anything of value because it’s cheaper to import it.
Not to mention the fact that this is nothing less than an erosion of KR’s in-house heavy enginerring capcity.
30 years ago we had Otahuhu, Hutt, Addington, Hillside and Eastown.
How we just have Hutt — and even then they are going to probably take that apart…
The Nats know better than to sell rail all at once — its going to be bit by bit.
Oh wow, Labour back up to 32.5% in Roy Morgan.
I guess the posts saying that 29% wasn’t a blip, it was the beginning of the end, and so on, were all a bit Chicken Little.
Not to say Labour doesn’t have issues it needs to sort out, but still…
Of more interest is that Nat have gained 2% two polls running, which might be a bit worrying if it continues for the next one.
Of more interest is that Nat have gained 2% two polls running, which might be a bit worrying if it continues for the next one.
Yeah, National/MP/ACT/UF/Con up 0.5% and Lab/Green/NZF/Mana down 1%.
The trend continues…fortunately there’s an opportunity this weekend
Morgan poll.
[lprent: added charts. The GCR isn’t good. Labour bounced back most of the last drop – but all of the potential coalition parties went down as well. The overall trend is done for left coalition. ]
Look at the GCR. That is the problem.
Fortunately I suspect that Bill English has unexpectedly given us a boost. He is starting to sound like Muldoon when he blames that statisticians for reality being different from what he envisaged.
Can I do this?
[lprent: I’ll let it through. ]
David Shearer’s Column
2012 November 14
by Kapiti Independent Reporters
Labour has the tools to deal with unemployment
By David Shearer for the Kāpiti Independent
On a recent visit to the West Coast, I caught up with some of the Spring Creek miners who’ve just lost their jobs.
One miner who should be celebrating the arrival of his new-born son told me that he’s now worried about paying the bills, may lose his house and is considering moving his family away from Greymouth so he can find work.
Another guy I spoke to moved back here from Australia so he could train as a miner. But 10 weeks into his apprenticeship, he had the rug pulled out from under him and he’s now out of a job.
I’m hearing stories like this right across the country and last week, we were hit with the shocking new statistic that unemployment has now reached 7.3%. That’s the worst rate in 13 years, since National was last in Government.
There are now 175,000 people unemployed. The situation is particularly dire for young Kiwis with one in four aged between 15 and 19 out of work. Māori and Pasifika families are being hit hard too with the unemployment rate topping 15%.
The government says it’s a ‘blip’. It is simply throwing its hands in the air and saying ‘there’s nothing we can do’.
Well I think there’s plenty we can do. Labour has some concrete ideas, including paying employers the equivalent of the dole if they’re prepared to take on apprentices. We’d require companies that win major government contracts to take on one apprentice for every $1 million of taxpayers’ money they receive.
We would also give businesses tax breaks for research and development, so they can find new markets for their innovative ideas and create high-value jobs. We’d support the manufacturing and exporting sector by giving the Reserve Bank a wider mandate to tackle the high and volatile dollar.
National’s path takes us towards fewer jobs, lower wages and more of our people heading to Australia.
Labour’s path is about creating a new, clever economy – one where the Government backs businesses and workers.
November 14, 2012
Hi David
I know you understand a lot of what I’m about to write, and the above comment is just you saying what you like to think (or hope) people want to hear.
I am A-political – if thinking you are all useless and just mouth pieces for ‘the system’ is neutral?
But I also understand you are a good and fair representation of ‘the masses’, as George Carlin says ” Garbage in garbage out”, politicians are just a reflection of selfish humans. We vote for whomever offers us the best for our immediate future.
Having energy and climate change @ # 24 on your parties list of priorities is a clear give away that you are not focused on reality.
As you know the world past peak oil back in 2005 – 6 as confirmed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k22q5KZibtI&feature=plcp (Dr Fatih Birol on National Radio) of which NZ is a paid up member, and someone you might have heard of or had personal dealings with, specifically Helen Clark, who said on 18-4-2006 at a parliamentary press conference “We’re probably not to far short of peak production, if not already there … and that concentrates the mind ….” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIp5h0Xtuc . but as we have seen it didn’t concentrate anyone’s mind did it.
Peak oil means peak growth, as we have witnessed globally since 2007-8, that heralds peak employment, from now on each time the global economy starts to pick up, it will hit the available energy ceiling, and that is why we are stuck with escalating unemployment.
As an aside you must also understand that a growth based saving scheme like Kiwi Saver has a very limited future, if it is not already dead in the water?
Talking up the chance of apprenticeships and growing employment is denial of these facts. But like I said, I know you are just giving the prolies want they want to hear.
In the past 100 – 200 years we have dug up and injected back into the atmosphere several periods worth of ‘global warming’ gasses, it has only been the slowly (but speeding up) melting ice that has protected us from total climate devastation (think Sandy) . I guess as we are so far past the point of no return, it will not change what is set in motion anyway, so we might as well mine baby mine, and lets forget Kyoto 2, which National are totally happy with.
I might think you are listening if you take over the portfolios of energy and climate change, to give them the priority they deserve. or at least move Moana up your list.
Maybe you could start telling the truth, that will defiantly set a precedent, but as I found out back in 2005 you don’t get any votes 😉 Maybe you could start talking about the power of communities, how when the chips are down it is your neighbours you will eventually have to rely on.
My website is full of letters from previous ministers of energy, from Pete Hodgson to Gerry Brownlee all of who are saying peak oil (according to the IEA), will not happen until 2035 – 37, if Labour are still in this mind set then heaven help us.
I am happy to send you several documentaries on DVD that back up what I am saying.
Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a rise in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National Party to 45.5% (up 2% since October 8-21, 2012). Support for Key’s Coalition partners shows the Maori Party 2% (down 1.5%), ACT NZ 0.5% (unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (up 0.5%).
Support for Labour is 32.5% (up 3.5%); Greens are 10.5% (down 2.5%), New Zealand First 5% (down 2.5 %), Mana Party 1% (up 0.5%), Conservative Party of NZ 1.5% (down 0.5) and Others 1% (up 0.5%).
If a National Election were held today this NZ Roy Morgan Poll says it would be too close to call.
So is the rise in Labour support due to the magnificent leadership of David Shearer or the leftward lurch of the Labour party as advocated here many a time to win back support that had drifted to the Watermelon Greens or the xenophobic Winston Firsts
How can the Nova pay system cost the taxpayer 30 million dollars?
There’s no well in hell it costs 30 million to develop a pay roll system, what the fuck is it with government and IT.
Who’s getting a kick back?
It’s to cover all the implementation penalties M8!
It doesn’t seem inconsistent pricing for a large scale system. We’re not talking about setting up an MSAccess db for a one-site shop.
How much do you think it should have cost?
An off the self system could have been implemented incrementally for $5000 per school.
And that would be expensive from memory.
How many schools where there 10,000 + – ?
Probably wrote NovaPay in Pearl …. Freakin Morons M8’s!
I wonder if they need a regexp expert …. $150/hour M8! 😀
Supporting Open Source my ass M8!.
The Gnats’ thought they could do it on the cheap M8!
Heh 🙂
2.5K schools.
So at $5k / school, that’s a little over twice your estimate. Then there’s the fact that a lot of the problems aren’t to do with site-by-site implementation, but rather it’s multi-user/multisite issues. Scaling, in other words.
At a surface level, it looks to me like the contractor thought they could just OTS one of their existing products and make a killing, but didn’t realise the effect of issues around things like complex leave calculations for teachers, or the HR organisation of the education sector is more complex.
And the state of the public service at the moment means that for issues to be identified and solved an IT-savvy liaison needs to have enough time to follow the development process properly, be around long enough to fully understand what was agreed, and have a vested interest in exposing the problem rather than just leaving it under the rug until they get moved on.
Indeed, well said M8!
I dunno why it would cost $5K a school?
In our business we use ACE Payroll which is so simple to use (Everything in big font and simple English), costs around $200 per year for ongoing support, and even if each school purchased it and paid their own teachers it would be a whole lot cheaper.
Sometimes I think IT folk just like adding zeros on when invoicing for IT work.
(No offence lp)
Well you have to ask, it’s a pay roll system, why the need to build one from scratch and what was so wrong with the previous system that it needed to be scrapped and a new one created?
Why couldn’t an existing system be adapted this has a bit of an INCIS stink to it.
So the Gnats’ can follow through on their threats against the Teachers Union of course M8!
comparison to Pravda; now that is interesting. 🙂
maybe people may start to focus less on their hair etc and more on global socio-political events before the mandatory haircut.
I prefer a warm head thanks 🙂
Anyone want a stack smashing lesson? 👿
It’s quite easy …. overwrite the stack pointer (a register) with a value …. preferably a lower one.
This happens when regexp gets alot more data than it was expecting …. say 10K worth , that’s how you smash pearl people.
What ….. no takers …… so much for the Standard hosting a bunch of hackers M8!
Can someone please explain why I hear the claim that neoliberalism was discredited with the global financial crisis, and that John Key & Co are the only ones still with the neoliberal ideology.
Have other countries really moved away from neoliberalism? I know that there has been austerity…maybe a bit more regulation, but isn’t this just the same old shite?
Or is the argument that the GFC discredited neoliberism rather than changed it? I can only really see a stronger version of neoliberalism today, compared to 2007.
There is a slow ground shift in academic and policy discourse, but the economists and politicians who have power are still buying into the orthodoxy. Unfortunately, true change is not likely to happen until this particular generation passes on. In the final analysis, the wealthy are simply looking for ideological, theoretical and political vehicles with which to protect their elite privilege.