Open mike 15/11/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 15th, 2015 - 45 comments
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45 comments on “Open mike 15/11/2015 ”

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  1. Tinfoilhat 1
    15 November 2015 at 8:38 am

    Deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed in Paris and indeed our thoughts are with all of France.

  2. Wairua 2
    15 November 2015 at 9:09 am

    This reads like a plot from ‘Day of the Jackal’ by Frederick Forsythe.

    DeGaulle reputedly survived ~50 assassination attempts when he
    took France out of NATO and Algeria, all thwarted by the French services.

    Hollande is not DeGaulle – but the common factor is large defence establishments facing defeat in colonial wars.

    Frederick Forsythe could not publish all he knew at the time ..

  3. The Chairman 3
    15 November 2015 at 9:19 am

    Can we expect rights and freedom to be lost in the state retaliation to this attack?

  4. Tory 4
    15 November 2015 at 9:27 am

    So the liberal policies that have seen mass immigration into Europe have resulted in direct related terrorism.
    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/paris-attacks-european-leaders-link-terror-threats-to-immigration
    Rightly or wrongly and in the words of Maximus Decimus Meridus ‘ On my command unleash hell’.

    • savenz 4.1
      15 November 2015 at 9:43 am

      @ Tory. I don’t think ‘liberal policies’ are the problem, France are targeted because of their airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

      “They attacks came despite France – one of the founding members of the US-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria – being on a high state of alert for possible terrorist attacks in the run-up to a global climate conference later this month.”

      http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/syrian-greece-refugee-paris-attacks-killers

      http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/french-intelligence-under-scrutiny-paris-attacks
      “A further reason for the lack of violence in France was the success of its political class in distancing the country from the US-led war on terror and its almost universal opposition to the war in Iraq.

      Those defensive advantages, however, have now evaporated. “We can’t close our eyes to it,” Trevidic said. “We are now in the eye of the hurricane. The worst is yet to come.”

    • mary_a 4.2
      15 November 2015 at 11:30 am

      @ Tory (4) – you state the following – “So the liberal policies that have seen mass immigration into Europe have resulted in direct related terrorism.”

      WHAT??

      So what you are saying is that desperate migrants, escaping a war zone, have been crossing border after border with their families, including young children and babies in Europe, loaded with weapons of mass destruction tucked away in their paltry possessions?

      ONE Syrian passport found in close proximity of a dead suicide bomber in Paris this weekend is not enough evidence to support your statement!

      It seems as more information is emerging, this was an inside job, with the Da’esh stamp all over it!

  5. Tory 5
    15 November 2015 at 9:42 am

    What many commentators here in NZ do not understand is the increasing level of distrust and anger that residents of Western European countries are feeling. This is highlighted in articles such as this,
    http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/editorial-on-anti-refugee-sentiment-in-germany-a-1062442.html
    While the liberal left sit here in the safe comfort of their quarter acre section and bungalows, calling for open boarders in Europe, residents in countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Denmark are seeing massive influxes of refugees that are bringing huge social problems and anxiety not seen for decades.
    The outcome of what we are seeing will be similar to the crusades where east verses west will result in bloody conflict for decades. There is no answer as both sides are diametrically opposed to each other’s values so get used to it. The only bright light through all of this is the increase in arms manufacturing and the war machine will keep us all out of recession.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1
      15 November 2015 at 9:51 am

      God you’re full of shit.

      A Belgian citizen and a French citizen have been implicated in the murders. How many refugees were trying to get into Europe when the staff at Charlie Hebdo were murdered?

      No, what we have here is a racist, who will twist any event to his racist narrative. MI5 have made it plain: racists like Tory are part of the problem.

      • tc 5.1.1
        15 November 2015 at 9:57 am

        Yup tory gets a new angle to fan the fire from. Expect more.

      • Psycho Milt 5.1.2
        15 November 2015 at 10:14 am

        These Belgian and French citizens were Belgian and French in citizenship only. It’s similar to when UK media reports about “Britons” fighting for Da’esh – mostly they’re referring to Pakistanis who were raised in the UK but are about as British as chipotle. Allowing mass immigration into Europe by people who consider themselves Muslims first, whatever their ethnicity is second, and citizens of whatever country they end up in a very poor third, can be seen in hindsight to have been a recipe for trouble. Much as it pains me to agree with the fascist commenter above, the current doubling-down on mass immigration by Muslims is suicidally stupid.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.2.1
          15 November 2015 at 10:18 am

          Prejudicial nonsense – the same sort of prejudicial nonsense that blames “cultural norms” for sexual assault by Afghani cops.

          Refugees, for the most part, are fleeing people like Tory.

          • marty mars 5.1.2.1.1
            15 November 2015 at 11:16 am

            + 1 Exactly!

          • Psycho Milt 5.1.2.1.2
            15 November 2015 at 12:00 pm

            True but irrelevant. The refugees are mostly fleeing people like Tory, and it constitutes mass immigration by Muslims.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.2.1.2.1
              15 November 2015 at 12:42 pm

              …looking for a better life, and being harrassed and discriminated against by people like Tory while doing so, which fosters more bigotry. It’s the bigotry and personal character of the Tories of this world that is the problem: religion is a convenient excuse.

      • Foreign Waka 5.1.3
        15 November 2015 at 11:19 am

        You are wrong, it is true that the Europeans will close the boarders as you need to understand that this conflict between the east and west, between different religions and cultures, is 100’s of years old.
        NZ had the Moa roaming whilst the Islamist stood at the walls of Vienna, having made it further into central Europe with every attack. There was no ambivalence there, they wanted to conquer Europe. Full Stop. This desire has not abated.

        This is not to say that today’s asylum seekers are not also victims of radical behavior.
        However, what is happening now is the precursor of a defense mechanism that works every time and everywhere. To presume that Kiwis “would be above this” is plainly not true. I know that we all belief that we are better educated, intellectually on a better approach but alas – if you and your family is being threatened, you will defend. I am certain of that.
        As for the citizen of Brussels and France, it would be interesting to know, whether they were originally immigrants from Africa or Middle East or descendant? Because every asylum seeker and immigrant is taking up citizen ship to gain access to the welfare system – this you need to understand.
        By the way, it was just confirmed that ISIS has taken responsibility for the attack.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.3.1
          15 November 2015 at 12:39 pm

          You are wrong…

          That may very well be so: it wouldn’t be the first time. That said, your comment doesn’t address the point I made at all: bigots and wingnuts on both sides are the problem.

          • Foreign waka 5.1.3.1.1
            15 November 2015 at 3:24 pm

            I doubt any of us will ever be able to. What we do know is that in times of relative prosperity dialog prospers. The question is in whose interest it is not to have this taking place.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.3.1.1.1
              15 November 2015 at 3:34 pm

              I doubt any of us will ever be able to.

              On the contrary: democracy, human rights and the rule of law – modern progressive values – are the only things that have ever succeeded in reigning in the atavistic instincts of the Right.

              • Foreign waka …
                15 November 2015 at 5:34 pm

                Enlightenment certainly will do that but look around the globe and tell me, how much democracy has been established with all the war that is going on? How many times will the Amnesty International or UN reports be ignored as human rights become less important than the political bonds. In relation to NZ Australia, ref the current Christmas Island issues.. As for the rule of law, every country has their own laws but this does not mean justice is being done.
                So I wish that the atrocities, injustices and inequalities would go away but it is not in the interest of the money moguls. The first world is only the first world because there is a second and third…

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  15 November 2015 at 5:45 pm

                  The rule of law is not a matter of having laws, it is a matter of who is required to obey them.

                  The Kurds in Northern Iraq established democracy during wartime. Likewise in Syria.

                  If the money moguls have any sense of history they know that peace is more profitable than war.

    • Robert Glennie 5.2
      15 November 2015 at 12:02 pm

      I think this could be the E.U.’s defining hour. It will make or break under the refugee crisis, which will test the patience of its member states to the limits and possibly beyond. Will they be able to hold it together as a bloc or will internal rifts tear it to bits?

      I think the E.U. might be in the early stages of coming apart. Its member nations need to accept their colonial past and the horrors that they inflicted on their former colonies, especially those in the Middle East and north Africa. Unless and until they do, the atrocities of the last few years caused by I.S.I.S. and Boko Haram in Africa, will continue.

      • Foreign waka 5.2.1
        15 November 2015 at 3:35 pm

        I think you need to come to grips with History. Most of the Euro countries were once Monarchies and 2 WW have done away with them. France had their own gruesome revolution taking care of the “guilty” of colonization via the guillotine.

  6. savenz 6
    15 November 2015 at 10:01 am

    Under TPP is you are worried about ‘opening borders’ – what do you think massive immigration and buying up of land here in NZ is going to do? It is not the ‘liberals’ that are advocating immigration here in NZ it is the Torys, while also advocating sending NZ military over to Iraq to be ‘part of the club’. Saudi Arabia, Russia and many others are keen to ‘invest’ here and our government can’t wait to welcome anybody in here, no questions asked (just bring your cheque book). The joke is that Saudi Arabia is probably funding a lot of the terrorist operations and our government is giving them 11 million in sheep bribes and are a ‘friend’ of the US. Inspite of most of the 9/11 terrorists being from Saudi. Guess those Charter schools have a lot of answer for in the US. Saddam was against the Muslims and ISIL never existed before the US invaded.

    Meanwhile here in NZ, SIS is busy with Dotcom and Hager smearing Phil Goff, and probably targeting environmental groups like Greenpeace and the Unions who might want a ‘living’ wage. Now that is a Crime, certainly many in Wellington seem to think so by suing the council.

    Having mass surveillance does not work – if anything it makes security forces complacent, being used politically and not going back to basics. Likewise you should be encouraging public discourses from any suspected terrorists instead of sending them underground where they are harder to watch.

  7. veutoviper 7
    15 November 2015 at 10:49 am

    On this sad day, I think we all need some good news.

    Pip Keane, former producer of Campbell Live, is rejoining John Campbell at RNZ; along with Catherine Walbridge, producer of Nine to Noon for four years and more recently a producer for The Nation.

    A formidable team.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/289592/keane-joins-checkpoint-with-john-campbell

    • ianmac 7.1
      15 November 2015 at 11:57 am

      Though on Media RNZ this morning the new program won’t start until January 18th. There is hope yet with such a great team. But will Key find a way to cut the funding or fire some key people?

    • Hami Shearlie 7.2
      15 November 2015 at 12:05 pm

      That is GREAT NEWS!! I can’t wait for his programme to start!! My mother will be listening to John and watching the captioned “The Chase” quiz show at the same time – Ladies do multi-task so well – the knitting might even come out too! – Boy, how TV3 has sunk like a stone since John left! Who watches that channel now?

  8. Robert Glennie 8
    15 November 2015 at 11:57 am

    So, we have the Paris attacks, and the whole world is reporting it.

    But months ago we had the Garissa University attack which killed as many people and barely a word was said.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32169080?SThisFB

    And nary a word has been said about an attack in Lebanon hours before the Paris attacks.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34805466

    The media clearly have a pro-western bias.

  9. RedBaronCV 9
    15 November 2015 at 12:35 pm

    I know it’s of much lessor importance at the moment but looks like the local body elections are off and running. There are a steady flow of articles in the MSM dissing non right wingers.

    In weekend Stuff-Dompost Duncan Garner has written an opinion about how Wellington has not been well served by its current mayor.
    Trouble is Duncan G appears to live in Auckland not Wellington- so just why is he doing this? Why does he suddenly have this huge negative opinion about someone he would rarely encounter and no doubt does not pay rates for?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/74003038/duncan-garner-on-yer-bike-celia-the-city-needs-a-bolder-better-mayor

    • Rosemary McDonald 9.1
      15 November 2015 at 5:46 pm

      “Now her council is embroiled in an unnecessary and expensive legal scrap over a ridiculous decision to pay a living wage to council contractors.”

      Question….Is Duncan Garner being paid the minimum wage or living wage when he writes propaganda like this?

      • RedBaronCV 9.1.1
        15 November 2015 at 8:52 pm

        DG could also have added but didn’t “and this legal scrap has eminated from a group whose directorate includes someone from Westpac bank and other similar large organisations” not yer local corner dairy then. Plus
        “A group prepared to waste other ratepayers money on legal fees which will doubtless top anything that will ever paid over on the living wage”

        But I do feel that there is a certain lack of shall we say equality of opportuniy here. The council resolution could perhaps have gone on to say “and no other employee of the contractor can be charged to the contract at a rate exceeding say 10 times the living wage rate” and then they would have to argue both legs in court.

        • Rosemary McDonald 9.1.1.1
          15 November 2015 at 9:21 pm

          ” “and no other employee of the contractor can be charged to the contract at a rate exceeding say 10 times the living wage rate””

          But that would have made the Council dirty little Trotskyites…:-)

          Why is there so much opposition to paying all workers a living hourly rate?

          (That’s a rhetorical question by the way….before the protagonists on the right leap in to answer. Are they paid by the word by any chance?)

          • RedBaronCV 9.1.1.1.1
            15 November 2015 at 11:21 pm

            Trotsky or not – it would have been interesting watching the justification lines:
            “increase to living wage may cost ratepayers more”
            “but there are large savings on executive salaries ”
            “that doesn’t count ratepayers need to pay the executive wage.”

            I ask myself just how popular would be a move to cap local body, CCO, CEO and government salaries at say $350k right across NZ. I’m guessing it would be about 80% yes!

    • alwyn 9.2
      16 November 2015 at 1:48 pm

      You have apparently come up with an interesting complaint.
      Should we have a rule precluding anyone who does not live in an area from commenting about the things that go on there?
      May we take it that when Kelvin Davis, who I believe to be a resident of New Zealand, comments on Australia and Christmas Island the only appropriate comment we should make is –
      “You don’t live there so STFU!”

  10. Grim 10
    15 November 2015 at 4:07 pm

    I play chess, game of kings you know.

    Knowing a pawn is a piece on the board manipulated by an invisible hand, misled by loyalty to it’s ruler in no way reduces the pawns threat.

    Opposing Pawns are the immediate enemy, you don’t hug them and expect them to hug you back. They are the enemy of the day, and must be addressed.

    Those that see the game, place the blame with the 1 percent, but even they still only see the game as being on the board, focusing only on the pieces presented to them.

    In reality all pieces on the board are pawns.

    The trick is to stop looking down at the chess board, the enemy is a little higher up.

    They seek to control the board, to finally become safe and untouchable, as gods.

    In Chess if both sides don’t move and stay on their squares there is no conflict to be exploited, the hidden hand is powerless and any move it makes becomes visible to all.

    Anyone who seeks to impose their will on others does the work of the hidden hand.
    Anyone who transgresses against another does the work of the hidden hand.

    Those that render themselves defenseless and make themselves victims do the work of the hidden hand.

    They want the board, a one world government, I say no, stand your ground, defend your square, retain sovereignty, Fuck the TTP and Fuck John Key and Fuck liberal traitors.

  11. alwyn 11
    15 November 2015 at 6:51 pm

    In other news Kelvin Davis denounced the management and staff at Paremoremo Prison.
    “All the employees there should be dismissed. Serco are completely incompetent and none of their staff should be retained. They should be prosecuted for failing to protect the saintly persona of a man from my electorate.
    It is a total disgrace and the people running the prison should be prosecuted”.

    When it was pointed out to him that the prison was run by the Corrections Department he immediately complained that he had been misquoted and that everything at the prison was being run superbly and the prisoner must be a rat-bag trying to frame the prison officers.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/74047341/stabbing-in-auckland-prison-at-paremoremo

  12. te reo putake 12
    15 November 2015 at 6:56 pm

    Hmmm, a false quote and an inconsequential link. It’s almost like you’re making it up, Alwyn.

    • alwyn 12.1
      16 November 2015 at 10:43 am

      Me? Make it up?
      How could you possibly think such a thing? I am truly hurt that you could even consider such a possibility.
      Am I not to be allowed a little bit of creative writing?
      It is only a tiny little bit exaggerated, surely?

  13. North 13
    15 November 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Alwyn…..give us the link which confirms what you say Davis said. It would be extraordinary were he to truly understand that Paremoremo is run by Serco. You can assist here.

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    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

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