We have sent a request to jacinda to come to meet our community groups in Gisborne/HB over our own “local government’s support to retore/re-open our mothballed rail services.”
We are currently awaiting Jacinda’s acceptance to meet our committees in Napier & Gisborne, as we are happy if jacinda does want to be a ‘mover & shaker’ when these “roadblocks” are in everyone’s way.
We see this morning our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has committeed $3 million dollars to give to the Manus Island refugees.
Three million dollars is half we need to get our railn re-opened and it would only cost $6 million to re-open our Gisborne/Napier rail service without improvements, we are advised byour engineers.
So we are seeing jacinda’s offer to communities needing help as a positive Patricia. “lets do this”.
Yep. And hopefully the money saved from corporate welfare (perhaps all the stuff that isn’t dressed up as ‘PPP’s ) will more than cover it.
Once that Soimun no-Brudges vanity projek the Tauranga Expressway is paid off (the four lane thing that never sees traffic in one direction having vehicles parallel to each other in both lanes, even during peak hours) could have its tolls contribute to more sensible options (going forward).
…. and then we have the Auckland East-West link. (and Judith Collins desperately trying to defend it in parliament today pulling out her best she-devil, would-be crusher, desperately trying to be sensible persona).
Ekshully @CG, now I think about it, it’d have been a fucking sight cheaper to have provided a kind of roll-on roll-off link between Murapara and (port of) Tauranga using rail than that elephant (no disrespect to elephants) that’s dressed up as a road ‘highway’. Do you know how many tunnels on that line there are that might need lowering? I can’t find any
An interesting and nuanced take on the 2016 Dem primary. Among other things, it makes a solid argument that Sanders was actually the biggest beneficiary of the cleared Democrat field.
Because the fewer competitors there are trying to get your attention, the easier it is to grab a big chunk of it. If more solid competitors like Biden and Warren had also been in the race, then Sanders would have been relegated to the ineffectual fringe grumpy role he’s had his entire career.
You don’t understand the last 40 years. Biden is the flake , not Sanders. ‘Mr Vice-President’. You don’t understand the people v. the powerful. Our great grandfathers’ generation it was a flora of the guts we couldn’t deny.
‘Daunting’ Antarctic sea ice plummet could be tipping point.
‘A dramatic drop in the amount of sea ice around Antarctica has scientists wondering if the continent has hit a tipping point.
There has been a record 30 percent decrease in the total amount of sea ice, and this summer it’s disappearing from the Ross Sea at a rate not seen in more than 30 years.
The rapidly changing conditions are having a major impact on this year’s scientific research at Scott Base, with scientists describing the changes as “unusual”, “unprecedented” and “daunting”.
One of the affected scientists is Antarctic oceanographer Dr Natalie Robinson, who studies sea ice and what lies beneath it.
“We had about 200km of sea ice to play with last year, but this year we’re down to about 25-30km, so it’s certainly a very different ball game,” she told Newshub.’
Kim & John are a wonderful duo I have always had a deep respect for kim going back years as she has been an enduring soul who presents a simply delightful presentation of every item covered.
long live Kim Hill, she should be made Radio NZ Production Manager ( and paid suitablly for this) and begin to teach all other presenters on public media the art of being neutral in presentation of issues, without bias!!!!!!
As Kim & John are the only ones we hear that possess “neutrality without bias.”
We hope they do cover this Antartica melting ice cap to the south of us as we will be dramatically affected by this within five years everywhere in our low lying global regions.
If I were the government, I’d deal with the neoliberal reserve bank.
This is meddling by the banking and finance industries and they need to be reminded who is boss.
Yes Ed, they are part of the “grumpy neo-liberal crowd” who have their snouts in the housing trough and do not want competition of any kind. Banks have grown fat on interest on inflated loans.
The fact that the government will back developments by buying the smaller units and townhouses up to 20% of builds, to help meet demand, helps secures developer’s futures.
Further, the freeing up of land assures no bottle necks, and the proposed fast tracking of pre-approved basic designs should speed up council approvals.
These are co-operative ventures, not destructive ones competing for fewer homes as they are for differing parts of the market, and ensure continuity. Great!!
“Yes Ed, they are part of the “grumpy neo-liberal crowd” who have their snouts in the housing trough and do not want competition of any kind. Banks have grown fat on interest on inflated loans.”
Do really not understand who, and what, the Reserve Bank is and what they do?
They don’t loan money to people to buy houses.
Actually they once used to, many, many years ago. They apparently would make loans to their staff. That was back in the sad old days when wages were low, tax rates were enormously high and perks were not taxed.
Long, long, long ago though.
No, they loan it out to private banks after the private banks have loaned out so much money that they’re insolvent and need propping up.
Actually they once used to, many, many years ago. They apparently would make loans to their staff. That was back in the sad old days when wages were low, tax rates were enormously high and perks were not taxed.
Long, long, long ago though.
Not just to their staff but to the general public to build houses. It was the old Housing Corp loan that many people used to buy/build their first home with minimal interest rate. This was discontinued when the government decided that corporate profit was more important than people.
We could do it again. Done properly it would be far better than what we have now and better than what we had then as well.
Yep, the Housing Corp was awesome. Lent us money to buy a house when we were a shop assistant and a postgrad student – not many couples like that buying a house these days, unless they’ve rich relatives.
Twyford seems to have his finger on the pulse of it, this should provide a boost in developments by virtue of more funding.
Banks won’t lend on a construction, they’ll only lend against a secure asset like the land. Developers usually need to find at least 40% of the cash to fund a development. Since it’s super high risk few will lend them the dosh and those that will charge usurious rates of interest.
If the Govt is minimising the risk, as Twyford claims, then we should see more developments, not less, as more funding taps are turned on for them.
That’s funny Ed.
Less than a week ago the Reserve Bank were being lauded as being the fountain of wisdom, on this site no less.
Are you really advocating that they shouldn’t be allowed to carry out their job which is to give free and frank advice to the country?
Look at all the enthusiasm for them and their opinions just a few days ago. https://thestandard.org.nz/reserve-bank-predicts-economic-growth-under-new-government/
“Are you really advocating that they shouldn’t be allowed to carry out their job which is to give free and frank advice to the country?”
That is a big stretch to believe the RB really know what’s in ‘our best interest’, when they have been ‘overseeing’ us buying overseas funds fro forien banks to prop our “emergency funding” for disasters ect’ when other countries were using their RB to print money so now we are paying $6 Billlion annually in ‘interest only” on our huge crown debt now because of this when some of the ’emergency” funding had been printed by our RB instead.
We advocate that the reserve ;bank act; be ammended and go back to as it was when the last time we had to print money.
And the last time was under the first labour Government of Michael Joseph Savage when he and he pulled us out of the spiralling depression then doing it.
Alwyn did you watch parliament yesterday when the $11.7 billion dollar man (S Joyce) asked David Parker if he had the cost figures for the Christchurch re-build?
Parker said he believed it to be around $60 billion, so if true we are really being loaded up with so much overseas bank debt like Greece was, until we may finally go the same way as Greece.
Why do I get the distinct impression that the RBNZ doesn’t understand economics?
The RBNZ would be right if the numbers of builders remained the same. Considering Kiwibuild always planned on better technology and training more builders this obviously isn’t the case and thus they’re wrong.
I did not no my what my name was till my great grandmother died I stayed with the name she preferred to call me . But staying with the name I have has done me no favours as a person can tell I’m Maori and I don’t try and hide that fact.
Good name for the new Kiwi In Rotorua I have a niece with that name and she has excellent parents her father has worked for DOC for 20 od years and her mother is a Teacher her future will be bright we have the same sir name.
Do we really want OUR Warriors franchise or any sports franchise sold to Foreigners as OUR sports stars are one of the reason we have a big influence In OUR worlds Society.
They could have ulterior motives and the only motive we want for OUR sports stars is to win fairly and for them to be good role models for our Moko’s and all the Moko’s around OUR world Ka pai
Yesterday Guyon found a racist thug called Ian who was happy to brutalise the inmates at Manus for 18 months.
Guyon the Tory amplified this guard’s voice to smear Jacinda and Labour. No difficult questions were asked of Ian.
This morning people were allowed to challenge the view of Ian.
Why was such a thug allowed a platform in the first place, RNZ?
I noticed Ian pulled out the old “I’m not racist BUT….” line.
He might consider too that if you treat people the way they have been on Manus, and after the trauma they’ve already suffered, they’re not necessarily all going to be the compliant little beings Ian thinks they should be
And yet Guyon said nothing, asked nothing…..
He just held the amplifier closer for the bigot to spread his smears.
I thought RNZ was better than that – you’d expect it on Murdoch’s press, the Daily Fail or Fox, but our state broadcaster should have higher standards….
I’m putting this out there to protect my sibling and there Moko future .
To the largest forestry management company in New Zealand the first letter in there name is P F.
Can you make sure that my sibling get the best deal possible for there forestry estate harvest as they no nothing about forestry But I no a lot about this subject and I don’t want to use the Thunder .
Because my sister is so stubborn she won’t admit she need my help just about but not quite . So I just use my wisdom to guide them in the right direction and they are listening to my lectures as my children put it I am there only wise protector who has there best interest at hart and I will not be happy if I see them being ripped off.
As I no that some people see the innocent people as $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ .P.S I was going to run and build a house on there estate but this action would not have been good for my Moko’s future and It’s there future that matters the most to me. Yes I could have challenged the estate but I don’t like being negtive on people especially with them so close to my Hart and I don’t like pissing money on Lawyers
Kia kaha
It’s because money has got power and they have a lot of money.
Money has power because We give the power to money it would be toilet paper if we did not worship money over everything else in OUR WORLD SOCIETY Ka Pai
The changes to paid parental leave has given Hosking a chance to show what an arse he is.
“National were never fans of expanding paid parental leave” he says so that means he can declare that Labour are “telling us how to live our lives and how to raise our kids.”
Enjoy his teeth. And , given he grew up in the welfare state like me , I have no polite reluctance in hacking his ankles with the most forceful blows. Vive us.
See if you can watch this appalling performance by New York’s
moronic governor Andrew Cuomo without screaming at your screen.
Imagine if, in the 1950s, New York Governor Averell Harriman had attacked the Montgomery bus boycott, or if Governor Rockefeller in the ’70s had attacked the anti-apartheid movement. They didn’t, of course, which makes them morally and ethically very different to the intellectual pygmy that currently sits in Albany….
Cuomo is a shameless and cynical supporter of Israel’s depradations in the Occupied Territories. That’s far away, though, and it’s easy enough for him to shout his support for it. Back in New York, however, it’s not so easy to advocate killing and brutality. After one of Cuomo’s thugs killed Eric Garner in 2014, some people tried to make him do something….
Give the poor guy a break.
He’s a Democrat and they really aren’t very smart.
As Will Rogers put it so well.
“I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat”.
Cuomo is pretty good evidence of that statement.
Truly? Trump isn’t a Democrat, and neither are any of his voters or the various morons he’s appointed to key positions. Are you sure you’re attacking the right party? (And this from the guy who today announced that he didn’t know what the Reserve Banks does and yet a few minute later thought his comments on their activities should carry some weight…)
Thanks alwyn, your point is a very good one. Because the Democratic Party is dominated by the likes of the Cuomo and Clinton families, we can look forward to indefinite Republican Party rule in the United States
“indefinite Republican Party rule in the United States”
Now I am really getting scared. I don’t think very much of the leading lights in the Democratic Party but the Republicans are generally even more ‘barking at the moon’ types.
I will confess my personal choice, if I had been able to vote in the US, would have been Republican Governor Kasich of Ohio but he is definitely an odd one amount among his party. The rest of the people who ran for President were pretty flaky and Trump was the worst. He could end up getting us into a war.
Jacinda; – while you stress stop & be kind to your body to please.
Get a daily massage to mobilise the toxins & take a hyrotherapy bath every day as i do, by adding backing soda, and other times use hyrogen peroxide (H2O2) (about a half of a honey pot filled or more of H2O2.
The hydrogen peroxide forces oxygen (like a hypobaric chamber in reverse) into your body and this energises the body, while it destroys all the free radical cells we take in our polluted environment every day, which can cause toxicity and more extreme symtoms.
“The hydrogen peroxide forces oxygen (like a hypobaric chamber in reverse) into your body and this energises the body, while it destroys all the free radical cells we take in our polluted environment every day,..”
Yes, she has lost weight and it shows in her face. I’m sure her partner Clarke will be preparing nourishing meals for when she returns. She’s had a frenetic two and a bit months. Amazing to think what has happened in such a short space of time. I’m still pinching myself for confirmation it is all true. 🙂
I am still pinching myself also. Jacinda is certainly looking a bit thinner, particularly in her face – but it is hardly surprising with not just the frenetic pace of the political side of her life, but losing both her beloved grandmother and her adored cat in the midst of it all. But Clarke is on to it and has the fish as part of healthy food in hand …
This is good news. Will reverse some of the sly pro-developer anti-landscape rules the previous government slipped through under the radar of most people.
Not sure about Jane Cliftons political allegiances but surely even the most one-eyed, dyed-in-the-wool leftie can’t be impressed by how the new government is going
I think its a good move by Labour/NZFirst because we need to trade, simple as that. But I’m not a leftie, I didn’t vote for a party that was protesting the TPPA, I voted for a party that supported the TPPA
I will agree that Trev (and Tolley…TnT perhaps?) have made a good start as speaker and deputy speaker and long may it continue
Clifton’s column didn’t read “unimpressed” to me; she notes that the “keepers” are keeping mum while their bosses are away; very wise, I’d have thought, and that Trevor Mallard has the measure of even the slimiest of the Nats, citing Bridges attempt at humour/smarminess; Clifton notes that no Nat dared try him on his Hurrumph ruling. I reckon you’re wrong in your claim that no one is impressed by the Government’s performance, very wrong indeed. As an aside, isn’t it wonderful not to have to be be exposed to Key’s snide, immature schoolyard taunts and put-downs. What a pill he was! What a joy too, listening to Trevor Mallard bring respect back to the Speaker’s role. We suffered some appalling years with Carter plonked onto that seat.
“while their bosses are away”.
Are you sure? I doubt that Heather Simpson, who I gather is back in the PM’s office, was off on the jaunt overseas with Ardern.
She will certainly have been cracking the whip over the Cabinet members. Trevor started off quite well on day 1. After that though I’ll bet he got called in and fed the riot act. He’ll now turn into a fawning wimp like Margaret Wilson. Nobody would dare offend H2 twice.
Very sad isn’t it?
Jane Clifton has certainly had appalling taste in men during her life.
Shame, as her columns are most interesting and would indicate that she is an intelligent woman.
You haven’t noticed? She’s an agreer and supporter of 1984. After all it’s been good for the top 10 %. That is to say, as a thinker, she’s consciously repudiated the 90 %. No problem except for her being a NZer. I admire her quickness , where I failed as a journalist, but few of the middle class pooped up by their unprivileged parents had enough imagination for their parents circumstances.
Next month the company will promote a New Zealand webpage for agents and property developers who want to raise their profile and advertise properties in China before the change.
“This campaign is really trying to assist those Chinese buyers who do have a real need to invest in New Zealand, whether because their children are studying in New Zealand or their families and relatives already live there and they’re potentially looking to migrate there in the future.”
With new builds exempt from the new ban, Jane Lu said interest from China in the New Zealand market would remain strong.
“We do believe, of course, with the new policy change it will … push the overseas Chinese buyers into the new development sector.
So Labour’s so-called ban on offshore investors is expected to drive them towards new developments, which will create a ripple effect keeping upward pressure on housing costs.
Response to OIA docments showing TVNZ’s declining revenue:
Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran is alarmed the previous government did nothing to address TVNZ’s declining revenue, despite being warned about it by officials earlier this year, she says.
…
However, Ms Curran said the government had been left with an organisation that had been neglected and had no ministerial oversight.
“I feel some alarm at the strategic challenges that the previous government was aware of and did nothing about.
“[We’ll be] seeking some urgent advice from Treasury and we’ll be wanting to explore a full range of options from talking to officials and also the board of TVNZ as to approach its strategic challenges.
Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran is alarmed the previous government did nothing to address TVNZ’s declining revenue, despite being warned about it by officials earlier this year, she says.
Sounds like typical National. Run it into the ground in preparation for selling it on the cheap to their donors.
A whole lot of people fell for yet another round of anti-Assange/Don Trump Jnr smears yesterday, this time fired up by The Atlantic and then repeated all around the world.
Firstly, Assange openly tweeted about communicating with Don Jnr way back in July
The author of the Atlantic article, Julia Ioffe, put a period rather than a comma at the end of the text about not wanting to appear pro-Trump or pro-Russia, and completely omitted WikiLeaks’ statement following the comma that it considers those allegations slanderous. This completely changes the way the interaction is perceived.
This is malpractice. Putting an ellipsis (…) and then omitting the rest of the sentence would have been sleazy and disingenuous enough, because you’re leaving out crucial information but at least communicating to the reader that there is more to the sentence you’ve left out, but replacing the comma with a period obviously communicates to the reader that there is no more to the sentence. If you exclude important information while communicating that you have not, you are blatantly lying to your readers.
The damage has been done CV, and this was just yet another grain of sand put atop an increasingly large heap (and Assange is in the company of many, many others who’ve been buried in such a way).
Picking up on and arguing against every instance of it happening won’t lead anywhere…not even if you eventually win every argument.
People think (or choose to believe) that that which is heaping the grains of sand is a force of good – that, though perhaps flawed, it’s essentially benevolent.
That belief runs deep and it’s that that needs challenged. Picking up on particular singular causes and running with them breathlessly can, for a number of reasons, be counter productive.
The main reason I commented about it yesterday is because of the reputation of Wikileaks (don’t actually care that much about Assange one way or the other). In that sense I think these things are worth bring into discussion and seeing what happens. Wikileaks appears to be increasingly less reliable and I don’t think that’s all down to a pile of sand grains.
From memory, there have been accusations that information being made public ought not to have been made public.
But, as far as I know, there has never been any suggestion that information coming through Wikileaks (and they are basically, though not wholly, a conduit for information) has been false.
Here’s what David Farrar’s website is saying about the Prime Minister today.
5,167 COMMENTS
Rich Prick
That fucking bitch has sold us out in her march for UN virtue points. Enjoy applying for visas and attending the embassy for interviews, just to pop over to Sydney for the weekend people. Stupid fucking bitch. Ask yourself, are those restraints on our freedom worth it for the 150 rapists and criminals Cindy wants to bring home?
Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1REPLY REPORTNOVEMBER 14, 2017 11:21PM
Farrar’s Ferals at their very, very best. (/sarc btw)
What rips my undies is that our State Broadcaster, the otherwise relatively tolerable Natrad, insists on having Farrar as a regular guest.
My tinfoilhatwearingnutbar alter ego kinda figured that it was part of some nefarious deal with Those Who Will Not Be Mentioned in order to maintain their pathetic level of funding.
Farrar’s actually worse than that other right wing commentator they have on from time to time…
There’s a level of endorsement from Farrar for comments like that because they are unmoderated. He might claim the views of his commenters don’t represent his but by leaving them up he is accepting of that kind of language towards the PM.
Not really – using your logic it would mean that “the standard” (or its owners / moderators) have a level of endorsement for post that they leave up (assuming you are being even handed in your application of moral outrage)
Remember when a poster on here said that Ashburton WINZ murder should be held up as a hero ?
As this is a moderated blog – and that the comment was left up – would you be saying that there is a level of endorsement from the people that run this website?
No – of course not. What that poster (as well as the Rick Prick” posted above) is disgusting and the people making those comments should be ashamed of themselves.
Regardless of political leanings – there is no need for that level of comment.
I dont post on kiwiblog – but if I did I would be downticking Rick Pricks comment to get it hidden.
But it needs to be seen for what it is – the view (all be it a poor one) of a commentor and its not the blog stating it.
[Farrar is well known for allowing content that wouldn’t be acceptable here. e.g. the comment that Muttonbird quotes would almost certainly get moderated here. That’s because we don’t tolerate misogyny.
Read the bit in the policy that says “What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others” and consider what it is like for many women to have to be around men that call women stupid fucking bitches or align themselves with rape culture advocates. And what it is like for those women to be in spaces where that is passively endorsed.
Farrar sets the standard at his blog. There is a standard at The Standard too, so I’m pointing out that we have active moderation here to inhibit bigots of many kinds because they’re basically antisocial and bad for political discussions as well as being generally harmful to society – weka]
To support your argument you pull out a comment from years ago which, if we actually go and have a look, provoked a shit ton of opprobrium for the original commentator and led to a very interesting and thought provoking debate.
The debate was…nuanced…which is not a characteristic of Farrar’s little cesspit dwellers.
No, but the owners and authors of the site do have a responsibility for the comments. So death threats and threats of violence are usually removed. Stuff that is grossly sexist or racist likewise. I’ve moderated people for fat phobia. You probably don’t see the stuff that gets removed.
Farrar doesn’t care because he wants a reactionary blog that foments hatred. So that’s what he gets.
There are two moderation notes in this thread for you, one requires a response.
I am curious about this comment though, and if you can come up with any examples other than the Tully comment. I’m guessing not. It doesn’t surprise me that people who vote for a party that had a leader for 8 years that supported rape culture can’t tell the difference between KB and here. But there is a difference. I think you are focussed on the things you don’t like, but that’s not how it works. It’s about creating spaces that are safer and more attractive to a range of people. Farrar obviously wants misogynists and that’s what KB gets.
“There’s a level of endorsement from Farrar for comments like that….”
We can only assume that the comments he fails to moderate are actually from real individuals. If I were on a mission to promulgate a certain narrative then using such a site would be an ideal way of spreading the word under the guise of vigorous and open debate.
The site certainly attracts those with a propensity to hate speech.
Who knew there were so many of them with enough time on their hands…?
David Farrar must go, and we understand the revamp of the public broadcaster Radio NZ will rout these National Party lobbyists such as Farrar, Hooten, and any other biased National puppets, because the public broadcaster was abused and used by national for nine years and manipulated by the chief National Propagangist Steven Joyce as his propaganda platform illegally.
So we welcome the removal of these propagandists from our public funded media.
No – thats not what his website is saying about the prime minister – its what a commenter said about her. (for the record – I think the comment made is disgusting)
Just like some of the filth that has been put on this site by commentators is not being said my the standard.
You know full well that since the day the woman won the leadership, the demented fucks have been throwing truly vile misogynist insults, targeting everything from her looks, her health, her private life, her body shape through to her choice of attire and hair style, and smearing her character, honesty, motivations and intelligence, surpassing any thing they threw at Clark.
I’m no shrinking violet and I like putting the needle in but this shit is truly nauseating 4chan/gamergate style hate speech that’s arrived, fresh from the fetid swamp that is US political discourse.
Did you read my link?
Are you really going to say that the sort of comment I linked to doesn’t count as filth?
Do you really think that Key should have been burnt to death or that Bolger should be shot? Fair comment do you say?
Would you really hold the administrators of this site responsible for comments like the one I pointed to?
I certainly wouldn’t, just as I wouldn’t hold Farrar responsible for the crap some people post on Kiwiblog about Ardern or Clark.
It is, unfortunately an innate fact of life on the Internet.
Your whataboutism doesn’t wash because occasional unhinged comments by unhinged folk ain’t the same as day in day out, page after page of vile4chan/gamergate style hate speech authored by multiple contributors, specifically targeting women.
And yes, I want publishers to be responsible for the crap some people post on their sites. A day or so ago over at the sewer there was an actionable comment, that still stands, and one day Farrar or some other publisher will be called to account and required to turn over their visitor logs stats. The sooner the better, I reckon.
“occasional unhinged comments by unhinged folk”.
What was occasional about these sort of comments?
Just search for “Key treason” and see how many hits you get.
Or just look at anything by “Wild Katipo”.
That is an amazing number, really it is.
I tried it in the search panel on this blog.
I didn’t find nearly as many as that and I discovered that in every case it was me using the word, usually about people like you. I didn’t see a single case where someone had used it to describe me.
I shall have to expand my vocabulary. Perhaps I should stop describing you as “foolish” for a while and simply call you an idiot.
Would you prefer that?
☺ good you tried it out i thought you would – just trying to help you with the moaner you were on – no need for that level of abuse mate pull your head in.
We are all trying to help a new government succeed making NZ a kinder, gentler, society after the nine cruel toxic years of a National party hate campaign.
It’s funny – I actually went to KB and couldn’t find muttonbird’s quote. I did find piles of similarly disgusting comments in the most likely threads, though.
Whereas I’m actually surprised the comment you found slipped through the mods’ radar, and it’s most definitely an exception to the norm.
“Would you really hold the administrators of this site responsible for comments like the one I pointed to?
I certainly wouldn’t, just as I wouldn’t hold Farrar responsible for the crap some people post on Kiwiblog about Ardern or Clark.”
We remove stuff like that all the time. Pay attention. And yes, admin and the authors here take it seriously and actively moderate. Stop trying to be an apologist for Farrar’s really shitty politics.
I’m going to edit the Bolger comment now. The Key one can stand, it’s a metaphor.
“the demented fucks have been throwing truly vile misogynist insults, targeting everything from her looks, her health, her private life, her body shape through to her choice of attire and hair style, and smearing her character, honesty, motivations and intelligence, ”
And you think that commenters on here havn’t done the same about Paula Bennett or Judith Collins?
again – Im simply pointing out that people who make comments do not speak for the website – is that a hard concept for you to grasp?
edit: And as a “righty” – I’m pretty confident that you will not find comments like that about Jacinda from myself.
[I’d like to see some examples of comments on TS about Bennett or Collins that are similar to ones at KB. Three examples, with quotes and links, thanks – weka]
There have been some very rude comments about National MP’s for years – not hard to find them.
and indeed – Millsy was – Im not arguing that. What I was pointing out is that the commenter is making the statements and its not what the blog is saying or endorsing.
This is the irrefutable evidence that there is no struggle against terrorism as the whole global community believes. The US are actually covering the ISIS combat units to recover their combat capabilities, redeploy, and use them to promote the American interests in the Middle East.
“At the same time, the refusal of the US command to strike November 9 against the columns of terrorists IGIL (the outdated name of the IG-TASS commentary) retreating in the Bu-Kemal area is an objective fact recorded in the transcripts of the talks, and therefore well-known to the American side, just like and the active counteraction by the US aircraft of the air force of the Russian Air Force, which was ready to destroy the IGIL terrorists, regrouping for new attacks on government forces in the Bu-Kemal area, “the military department said.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense spread the message that the US refused to strike at the IG militants on the Syrian-Iraqi border, and published photographs of the column of terrorists. However, Internet users noticed that the screenshots are screenshots made from the computer game AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron.
On the degradation of citizens to consumers, via The New Yorker.
The background: Keurig temporarily withdrew advertising from Sean Hannity’s show after he voiced support for paedophile Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore. In protest, other Moore supporters posted videos of themselves destroying their Keurig coffee machines. Also, Nazi website The Daily Stormer proclaimed Papa John’s the “official pizza of the alt. right,” for some obscure reason related to NFL protests.
how moored our notions of civic engagement have become to our sense of ourselves as consumers, and how easy that fact is to aggravate and exploit…. In his Keurig video, Snoop Bailey is selling something, too.Before he busts up his coffeemaker, he touts the qualities of the golf club he’s using, and then later instructs his viewers to buy a competing brand of coffee, one that’s owned by military veterans. What looks at first like a strange act of suburban rage is really just another commercial.
Simon Wilson writes a nice long article wanting a kind of radical centrism for New
Zealand:
“A radical centre in New Zealand would not be Macronist, because we are not France. It would have its own guiding principles, and they might look something like this:
-T he economy and the environment are one.
– Long-term planning is fundamental to the purpose of government.
– Fiscal surpluses are invaluable for that long-term planning.
– The state doesn’t need to do everything.
– Government exists to safeguard and enhance the values of society and the rights of citizens, not to cut taxes.
– Low inflation is a foundational tool for creating opportunity for all.
– A developed economy should be a high-wage economy.
– Poverty and all its bitter handmaidens can be defeated, and they must be. Not sometime, when we can, if we can; but as a result of policies we put in place right now.”
Blah, blah, utopian wet dream and we don’t know what Simon means when he makes certain statements:
A developed economy should be a high-wage economy. Behind that large poster there is embedded poverty and people’s smarts twisted on how to screw a life out
of the crusts that have been thrown to them. Perhaps his standard will be reached by letting them die in the cold. Take out the no-wage then the low-wage and you get a nice self-satisfied bunch of strivers.
Perhaps they will all be like Alex the conniving finance dealer in the Peattie & Taylor cartoons. The look of things is important and that his peers can see that he can afford the best. He tells his wife off for buying expensive silk alluring underwear.
Don’t worry dear she says, no-one but you will see it. ‘That’s what’s bothering me’
he replies.
Poverty isn’t so dreadful, some people might like to live simply, but there need to be options to earn enough for it, plus a basic pension. What we need is everyone who is receiving government help being asked to do a few hours put-in, and that is all rich and poor. And this be regarded well as being good citizens by all and they receive a thank you certificate at year end.
Yes, it is a shame that Mugabe didn’t live up to his promises as I think Southern Africa might in a better state than it is atm. But then again depending one’s POV some say our Commonwealth leaders at time backed the wrong horse on the day.
Before Malcolm Frasier die, a lot of the Australian reporters ask him about the ongoing Zimbabwe issues and it was always met with a silent answer and some cases he walked away in silence.
I’m actually half way though this book after I had read Ian Smiths book and so far this book been quite interesting.
Yes, this is a very interesting move by the Zimbabwean Chief of Army and I wonder if he has the whole backing of the Army and Airforce? And the other is question is, has Mugabe still got the support of his infamous 5th Brigade and his Presidential Guard? If Mugabe still has the support from these two units, it could lead a very bloody coup for either side.
On the International Front:
What’s China’s position on this as China has been propping up the Mugabe regime of late? And what is the Commonwealth position on this?
It times like this I wish I had access to British, Australian and New Zealand Government archives on the Rhodesian/ Zimbabwe problem on who knew what etc and like what you said there could be “Lot of people running for cover on this…or rewriting of history”
Apparently this chart explains why the Department of Justice is corrupt because it’s not still investigating Hillary and Uranium One. Put together and shown to congress and the world by Louie Gohmert, one of the ever-helpful Republican caucus.
Fast and furious was not such a great movie unless you like cars and this led to executive privilege with prejudice and thus clintion is bbbbbbad to the bone.
What a load of BS pay 2 parents to look after children you no that would cost to much and there are other more urgent problems that need resources to fix the stuff ups of the last 9 years who’s chain is bull pulling. Kia Kaha
eco Maori – I think you will find in the proposal from National that they share the parental allowance – so there is no additional cost – just flexibility should both parents want to be there.
Paula Bennett lost her composure today and even the deputy speaker Anne Tollley had to pulll her up for inappropriate behaviour. Then Paula said wildly “I just got carried away”
Search on the parlaimametary site, speaking time, around 3.20pm today please.
It was so offensive that I had to turn off the sound.
National appear to be finding it very hard to live now without all that previous power they had to abuse the public any time they freely wanted.
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
Are you deeply passionate about sharing Māori stories? We’re on the hunt for an experienced writer/editor to lead coverage in our Ātea section.Ātea is a deeply valued section of The Spinoff site, offering Māori perspectives and insights across politics, current affairs and culture. We are thrilled to be looking ...
By Aisha Azeemah in Suva With the lights on one of his sneakers blinking as he ran through the gallery, a little boy looked up at several works of art. One of them was a sculpture of his grandfather: the man who changed how we see the Pacific — Epeli ...
WHAT: Uber drivers are holding a rally outside the Court of Appeal in Wellington tomorrow, as the company begins its appeal against 2022’s Employment Court verdict (in a case taken jointly by FIRST Union and E tū) that four drivers were permanent ...
jacinda appears to be having an impact on those she meets.
We have sent a request to jacinda to come to meet our community groups in Gisborne/HB over our own “local government’s support to retore/re-open our mothballed rail services.”
We are currently awaiting Jacinda’s acceptance to meet our committees in Napier & Gisborne, as we are happy if jacinda does want to be a ‘mover & shaker’ when these “roadblocks” are in everyone’s way.
We see this morning our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has committeed $3 million dollars to give to the Manus Island refugees.
Three million dollars is half we need to get our railn re-opened and it would only cost $6 million to re-open our Gisborne/Napier rail service without improvements, we are advised byour engineers.
So we are seeing jacinda’s offer to communities needing help as a positive Patricia. “lets do this”.
Yep. And hopefully the money saved from corporate welfare (perhaps all the stuff that isn’t dressed up as ‘PPP’s ) will more than cover it.
Once that Soimun no-Brudges vanity projek the Tauranga Expressway is paid off (the four lane thing that never sees traffic in one direction having vehicles parallel to each other in both lanes, even during peak hours) could have its tolls contribute to more sensible options (going forward).
…. and then we have the Auckland East-West link. (and Judith Collins desperately trying to defend it in parliament today pulling out her best she-devil, would-be crusher, desperately trying to be sensible persona).
Ekshully @CG, now I think about it, it’d have been a fucking sight cheaper to have provided a kind of roll-on roll-off link between Murapara and (port of) Tauranga using rail than that elephant (no disrespect to elephants) that’s dressed up as a road ‘highway’. Do you know how many tunnels on that line there are that might need lowering? I can’t find any
An interesting and nuanced take on the 2016 Dem primary. Among other things, it makes a solid argument that Sanders was actually the biggest beneficiary of the cleared Democrat field.
Because the fewer competitors there are trying to get your attention, the easier it is to grab a big chunk of it. If more solid competitors like Biden and Warren had also been in the race, then Sanders would have been relegated to the ineffectual fringe grumpy role he’s had his entire career.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/14/16640082/donna-brazile-warren-bernie-sanders-democratic-primary-rigged
Good article. Interesting to read the Clinton rigged it lines being pulled apart and given actual context rather than just a clintonhate vibe.
You don’t understand the last 40 years. Biden is the flake , not Sanders. ‘Mr Vice-President’. You don’t understand the people v. the powerful. Our great grandfathers’ generation it was a flora of the guts we couldn’t deny.
It’s like I fell asleep and woke up in a different country.
Kim Hill and John Campbell. What a dream start to the day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=291ET6Py6H8
‘Daunting’ Antarctic sea ice plummet could be tipping point.
‘A dramatic drop in the amount of sea ice around Antarctica has scientists wondering if the continent has hit a tipping point.
There has been a record 30 percent decrease in the total amount of sea ice, and this summer it’s disappearing from the Ross Sea at a rate not seen in more than 30 years.
The rapidly changing conditions are having a major impact on this year’s scientific research at Scott Base, with scientists describing the changes as “unusual”, “unprecedented” and “daunting”.
One of the affected scientists is Antarctic oceanographer Dr Natalie Robinson, who studies sea ice and what lies beneath it.
“We had about 200km of sea ice to play with last year, but this year we’re down to about 25-30km, so it’s certainly a very different ball game,” she told Newshub.’
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/11/daunting-antarctic-sea-ice-plummet-could-be-tipping-point.html
yes Ed ageed,
Kim & John are a wonderful duo I have always had a deep respect for kim going back years as she has been an enduring soul who presents a simply delightful presentation of every item covered.
long live Kim Hill, she should be made Radio NZ Production Manager ( and paid suitablly for this) and begin to teach all other presenters on public media the art of being neutral in presentation of issues, without bias!!!!!!
As Kim & John are the only ones we hear that possess “neutrality without bias.”
We hope they do cover this Antartica melting ice cap to the south of us as we will be dramatically affected by this within five years everywhere in our low lying global regions.
That and the northwest passage is pretty much never frozen over to prevent shipping anymore.
Both ends are ‘burning’ in relative terms.
Kim Hill is a living treasure !
A daily reminder at the moment of what New Zealand could be.
If I were the government, I’d deal with the neoliberal reserve bank.
This is meddling by the banking and finance industries and they need to be reminded who is boss.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/343835/govt-reserve-bank-clash-over-kiwibuild-numbers.
Yes Ed, they are part of the “grumpy neo-liberal crowd” who have their snouts in the housing trough and do not want competition of any kind. Banks have grown fat on interest on inflated loans.
The fact that the government will back developments by buying the smaller units and townhouses up to 20% of builds, to help meet demand, helps secures developer’s futures.
Further, the freeing up of land assures no bottle necks, and the proposed fast tracking of pre-approved basic designs should speed up council approvals.
These are co-operative ventures, not destructive ones competing for fewer homes as they are for differing parts of the market, and ensure continuity. Great!!
100% Patricia,
The greedies can’t get used of loosing control can they?
We ask these ‘greedies’;
“How much is enough”?
“Yes Ed, they are part of the “grumpy neo-liberal crowd” who have their snouts in the housing trough and do not want competition of any kind. Banks have grown fat on interest on inflated loans.”
Do really not understand who, and what, the Reserve Bank is and what they do?
They don’t loan money to people to buy houses.
Actually they once used to, many, many years ago. They apparently would make loans to their staff. That was back in the sad old days when wages were low, tax rates were enormously high and perks were not taxed.
Long, long, long ago though.
No, they loan it out to private banks after the private banks have loaned out so much money that they’re insolvent and need propping up.
Not just to their staff but to the general public to build houses. It was the old Housing Corp loan that many people used to buy/build their first home with minimal interest rate. This was discontinued when the government decided that corporate profit was more important than people.
We could do it again. Done properly it would be far better than what we have now and better than what we had then as well.
Yep, the Housing Corp was awesome. Lent us money to buy a house when we were a shop assistant and a postgrad student – not many couples like that buying a house these days, unless they’ve rich relatives.
What old days when wages were low.?
Another right wing alternative planet.
Another example of the pushback that Labour is going to get when pushing through even then most modest of changes.
Twyford seems to have his finger on the pulse of it, this should provide a boost in developments by virtue of more funding.
Banks won’t lend on a construction, they’ll only lend against a secure asset like the land. Developers usually need to find at least 40% of the cash to fund a development. Since it’s super high risk few will lend them the dosh and those that will charge usurious rates of interest.
If the Govt is minimising the risk, as Twyford claims, then we should see more developments, not less, as more funding taps are turned on for them.
That’s funny Ed.
Less than a week ago the Reserve Bank were being lauded as being the fountain of wisdom, on this site no less.
Are you really advocating that they shouldn’t be allowed to carry out their job which is to give free and frank advice to the country?
Look at all the enthusiasm for them and their opinions just a few days ago.
https://thestandard.org.nz/reserve-bank-predicts-economic-growth-under-new-government/
Alwyn;
“Are you really advocating that they shouldn’t be allowed to carry out their job which is to give free and frank advice to the country?”
That is a big stretch to believe the RB really know what’s in ‘our best interest’, when they have been ‘overseeing’ us buying overseas funds fro forien banks to prop our “emergency funding” for disasters ect’ when other countries were using their RB to print money so now we are paying $6 Billlion annually in ‘interest only” on our huge crown debt now because of this when some of the ’emergency” funding had been printed by our RB instead.
We advocate that the reserve ;bank act; be ammended and go back to as it was when the last time we had to print money.
And the last time was under the first labour Government of Michael Joseph Savage when he and he pulled us out of the spiralling depression then doing it.
Alwyn did you watch parliament yesterday when the $11.7 billion dollar man (S Joyce) asked David Parker if he had the cost figures for the Christchurch re-build?
Parker said he believed it to be around $60 billion, so if true we are really being loaded up with so much overseas bank debt like Greece was, until we may finally go the same way as Greece.
Why do I get the distinct impression that the RBNZ doesn’t understand economics?
The RBNZ would be right if the numbers of builders remained the same. Considering Kiwibuild always planned on better technology and training more builders this obviously isn’t the case and thus they’re wrong.
100% Draco,
The reserve bank are dumb bastards simply.
I did not no my what my name was till my great grandmother died I stayed with the name she preferred to call me . But staying with the name I have has done me no favours as a person can tell I’m Maori and I don’t try and hide that fact.
Good name for the new Kiwi In Rotorua I have a niece with that name and she has excellent parents her father has worked for DOC for 20 od years and her mother is a Teacher her future will be bright we have the same sir name.
Do we really want OUR Warriors franchise or any sports franchise sold to Foreigners as OUR sports stars are one of the reason we have a big influence In OUR worlds Society.
They could have ulterior motives and the only motive we want for OUR sports stars is to win fairly and for them to be good role models for our Moko’s and all the Moko’s around OUR world Ka pai
Yesterday Guyon found a racist thug called Ian who was happy to brutalise the inmates at Manus for 18 months.
Guyon the Tory amplified this guard’s voice to smear Jacinda and Labour. No difficult questions were asked of Ian.
This morning people were allowed to challenge the view of Ian.
Why was such a thug allowed a platform in the first place, RNZ?
I noticed Ian pulled out the old “I’m not racist BUT….” line.
He might consider too that if you treat people the way they have been on Manus, and after the trauma they’ve already suffered, they’re not necessarily all going to be the compliant little beings Ian thinks they should be
And yet Guyon said nothing, asked nothing…..
He just held the amplifier closer for the bigot to spread his smears.
I thought RNZ was better than that – you’d expect it on Murdoch’s press, the Daily Fail or Fox, but our state broadcaster should have higher standards….
You are right Ed,
Guyon Espiner is a died in the wool right wing puppet – trumpet for the Global One world Government elitists.
Guyon should join George Soros as George is always looking for other activists to control.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/12/george-soros-upset-by-anti-semitic-campaign-against-him-in-hungary
Go on Guyon; – call George and bugger off.
Well, it shows RNZ is truly public service, and gives space to diverse political views.
And, public service media needs to do this. Fine if we then get some other interviewers at RNZ coming at the same issue from a different angle.
It can’t be all liberal/left.
I was amused to hear a security guard pontificate on immigration and human psychology, too.
From where do they get these experts?
I’m putting this out there to protect my sibling and there Moko future .
To the largest forestry management company in New Zealand the first letter in there name is P F.
Can you make sure that my sibling get the best deal possible for there forestry estate harvest as they no nothing about forestry But I no a lot about this subject and I don’t want to use the Thunder .
Because my sister is so stubborn she won’t admit she need my help just about but not quite . So I just use my wisdom to guide them in the right direction and they are listening to my lectures as my children put it I am there only wise protector who has there best interest at hart and I will not be happy if I see them being ripped off.
As I no that some people see the innocent people as $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ .P.S I was going to run and build a house on there estate but this action would not have been good for my Moko’s future and It’s there future that matters the most to me. Yes I could have challenged the estate but I don’t like being negtive on people especially with them so close to my Hart and I don’t like pissing money on Lawyers
Kia kaha
Ten Reasons We Got Rid of National
No. 10: Boors and louts like these
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/gerry-brownlee-deeply-embarrassed-by-airport-security-breach-6135096
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11673027
http://tvnz.co.nz/content/910849/2556418.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/patrick-gower-bill-english-in-shutdown-mode-over-todd-barclay-texts.html
If wealth is pushed to the top, society collapses
If wealth is pushed to the bottom, society prospers
Why is this so hard to understand?
Why is it so hard to action?
VTO That was brilliant. thanks for that.
+100
Some people don’t want to understand that as they like to think that they’re special and that’s why they’re rich and everyone else is poor.
Now, that’s a very good question. Why do our governments always kowtow to the rich and what they want and don’t listen to everyone else?
It’s because money has got power and they have a lot of money.
Money has power because We give the power to money it would be toilet paper if we did not worship money over everything else in OUR WORLD SOCIETY Ka Pai
The changes to paid parental leave has given Hosking a chance to show what an arse he is.
“National were never fans of expanding paid parental leave” he says so that means he can declare that Labour are “telling us how to live our lives and how to raise our kids.”
Hoskings seems increasingly weird. Perhaps he should have a chat with J Kirwin and seek help.
Enjoy his teeth. And , given he grew up in the welfare state like me , I have no polite reluctance in hacking his ankles with the most forceful blows. Vive us.
See if you can watch this appalling performance by New York’s
moronic governor Andrew Cuomo without screaming at your screen.
Imagine if, in the 1950s, New York Governor Averell Harriman had attacked the Montgomery bus boycott, or if Governor Rockefeller in the ’70s had attacked the anti-apartheid movement. They didn’t, of course, which makes them morally and ethically very different to the intellectual pygmy that currently sits in Albany….
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201711140214-0025544
Freedom to bear arms Morrissey. Solid.
Freedom of free speech. Ummm. Not really.
Cuomo is a shameless and cynical supporter of Israel’s depradations in the Occupied Territories. That’s far away, though, and it’s easy enough for him to shout his support for it. Back in New York, however, it’s not so easy to advocate killing and brutality. After one of Cuomo’s thugs killed Eric Garner in 2014, some people tried to make him do something….
http://www.andralemarie.com/Home-Blog/2014/12/Jay-Z-Takes-a-Political-Stand-Against-Police-Brutality-Urges-Governor-Cuomo-to-Reform-The-Justice-System-in-New-York
Give the poor guy a break.
He’s a Democrat and they really aren’t very smart.
As Will Rogers put it so well.
“I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat”.
Cuomo is pretty good evidence of that statement.
Truly? Trump isn’t a Democrat, and neither are any of his voters or the various morons he’s appointed to key positions. Are you sure you’re attacking the right party? (And this from the guy who today announced that he didn’t know what the Reserve Banks does and yet a few minute later thought his comments on their activities should carry some weight…)
Thanks alwyn, your point is a very good one. Because the Democratic Party is dominated by the likes of the Cuomo and Clinton families, we can look forward to indefinite Republican Party rule in the United States
“indefinite Republican Party rule in the United States”
Now I am really getting scared. I don’t think very much of the leading lights in the Democratic Party but the Republicans are generally even more ‘barking at the moon’ types.
I will confess my personal choice, if I had been able to vote in the US, would have been Republican Governor Kasich of Ohio but he is definitely an odd one amount among his party. The rest of the people who ran for President were pretty flaky and Trump was the worst. He could end up getting us into a war.
Even Hillary would have been much, much better.
Dance all around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjggnZmsCY
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Anyone wonder if Jacinda is loosing weight? The pace that she has adopted since becoming the Leader and PM must be taking a toll. Take care Jacinda.
Yes, Ianmac, jacinda has lost weight.
I noticed this too.
Jacinda; – while you stress stop & be kind to your body to please.
Get a daily massage to mobilise the toxins & take a hyrotherapy bath every day as i do, by adding backing soda, and other times use hyrogen peroxide (H2O2) (about a half of a honey pot filled or more of H2O2.
The hydrogen peroxide forces oxygen (like a hypobaric chamber in reverse) into your body and this energises the body, while it destroys all the free radical cells we take in our polluted environment every day, which can cause toxicity and more extreme symtoms.
“Lets do this.” ilovejacinda.
“The hydrogen peroxide forces oxygen (like a hypobaric chamber in reverse) into your body and this energises the body, while it destroys all the free radical cells we take in our polluted environment every day,..”
Um no it really doesn’t..
To be fair, having a massage doesn’t “mobilise toxins” either, so at least they’re consistent.
Yes, she has lost weight and it shows in her face. I’m sure her partner Clarke will be preparing nourishing meals for when she returns. She’s had a frenetic two and a bit months. Amazing to think what has happened in such a short space of time. I’m still pinching myself for confirmation it is all true. 🙂
I am still pinching myself also. Jacinda is certainly looking a bit thinner, particularly in her face – but it is hardly surprising with not just the frenetic pace of the political side of her life, but losing both her beloved grandmother and her adored cat in the midst of it all. But Clarke is on to it and has the fish as part of healthy food in hand …
https://twitter.com/NZClarke/status/930591243461042176
Yep. But at the same time I’ve been wondering whether Mr Creosote is expanding.
I’m pretty sure Ms Adern will cope, I’m not so sure about Brownlee.
Stress is a killer. Look at the state of Obama’s body by the time he left the White House.
This is good news. Will reverse some of the sly pro-developer anti-landscape rules the previous government slipped through under the radar of most people.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98853157/david-parker-plans-to-reverse-nick-smiths-resource-consent-nonnotification-law
Nick Smith and his cronies have a lot to answer for.
For lprent – This is starting them very young on the world of coding. https://kano.me/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s6VmMr5DFU&ab_channel=LinusTechTips
coool 😉 i want one
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98887491/opposition-making-a-sport-out-of-question-time
Not sure about Jane Cliftons political allegiances but surely even the most one-eyed, dyed-in-the-wool leftie can’t be impressed by how the new government is going
After 9 years of lies and evasion under a weak and biased Speaker this looks pretty good to me.
I would have thought you would have been applauding Labour’s pragmatism on CRPTPTPPC or whatever it is, Pukish
I think its a good move by Labour/NZFirst because we need to trade, simple as that. But I’m not a leftie, I didn’t vote for a party that was protesting the TPPA, I voted for a party that supported the TPPA
I will agree that Trev (and Tolley…TnT perhaps?) have made a good start as speaker and deputy speaker and long may it continue
Clifton’s column didn’t read “unimpressed” to me; she notes that the “keepers” are keeping mum while their bosses are away; very wise, I’d have thought, and that Trevor Mallard has the measure of even the slimiest of the Nats, citing Bridges attempt at humour/smarminess; Clifton notes that no Nat dared try him on his Hurrumph ruling. I reckon you’re wrong in your claim that no one is impressed by the Government’s performance, very wrong indeed. As an aside, isn’t it wonderful not to have to be be exposed to Key’s snide, immature schoolyard taunts and put-downs. What a pill he was! What a joy too, listening to Trevor Mallard bring respect back to the Speaker’s role. We suffered some appalling years with Carter plonked onto that seat.
“she notes that the “keepers” are keeping mum while their bosses are away; very wise, I’d have thought”
Yes better to be thought a fool etc etc
(Nope, no irony there at all)
“while their bosses are away”.
Are you sure? I doubt that Heather Simpson, who I gather is back in the PM’s office, was off on the jaunt overseas with Ardern.
She will certainly have been cracking the whip over the Cabinet members. Trevor started off quite well on day 1. After that though I’ll bet he got called in and fed the riot act. He’ll now turn into a fawning wimp like Margaret Wilson. Nobody would dare offend H2 twice.
probably bending over backwards trying to show she is objective:
Jane Clifton and Trevor Mallard wed (2014).
Very sad isn’t it?
Jane Clifton has certainly had appalling taste in men during her life.
Shame, as her columns are most interesting and would indicate that she is an intelligent woman.
You haven’t noticed? She’s an agreer and supporter of 1984. After all it’s been good for the top 10 %. That is to say, as a thinker, she’s consciously repudiated the 90 %. No problem except for her being a NZer. I admire her quickness , where I failed as a journalist, but few of the middle class pooped up by their unprivileged parents had enough imagination for their parents circumstances.
Next month the company will promote a New Zealand webpage for agents and property developers who want to raise their profile and advertise properties in China before the change.
“This campaign is really trying to assist those Chinese buyers who do have a real need to invest in New Zealand, whether because their children are studying in New Zealand or their families and relatives already live there and they’re potentially looking to migrate there in the future.”
With new builds exempt from the new ban, Jane Lu said interest from China in the New Zealand market would remain strong.
“We do believe, of course, with the new policy change it will … push the overseas Chinese buyers into the new development sector.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/343811/foreign-buyers-set-for-rush-to-beat-cutoff.
So Labour’s so-called ban on offshore investors is expected to drive them towards new developments, which will create a ripple effect keeping upward pressure on housing costs.
If you’ve got the bandwidth and the screen this goes up to 4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fYKMCCPh28
RNZ: Clare Curran says the government won’t be selling off TVNZ.
Response to OIA docments showing TVNZ’s declining revenue:
Sounds like typical National. Run it into the ground in preparation for selling it on the cheap to their donors.
A whole lot of people fell for yet another round of anti-Assange/Don Trump Jnr smears yesterday, this time fired up by The Atlantic and then repeated all around the world.
Firstly, Assange openly tweeted about communicating with Don Jnr way back in July
https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/884853347815235584
Secondly, the Atlantic appears to have deliberately misrepresented the material between Assange and Don Jnr by multiple selective edits and omissions.
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/the-atlantic-commits-malpractice-selectively-edits-to-smear-wikileaks-65ecd7c2468f
The damage has been done CV, and this was just yet another grain of sand put atop an increasingly large heap (and Assange is in the company of many, many others who’ve been buried in such a way).
Picking up on and arguing against every instance of it happening won’t lead anywhere…not even if you eventually win every argument.
People think (or choose to believe) that that which is heaping the grains of sand is a force of good – that, though perhaps flawed, it’s essentially benevolent.
That belief runs deep and it’s that that needs challenged. Picking up on particular singular causes and running with them breathlessly can, for a number of reasons, be counter productive.
It’s a tricky one to navigate.
The main reason I commented about it yesterday is because of the reputation of Wikileaks (don’t actually care that much about Assange one way or the other). In that sense I think these things are worth bring into discussion and seeing what happens. Wikileaks appears to be increasingly less reliable and I don’t think that’s all down to a pile of sand grains.
When you say “less reliable”, what do you mean?
From memory, there have been accusations that information being made public ought not to have been made public.
But, as far as I know, there has never been any suggestion that information coming through Wikileaks (and they are basically, though not wholly, a conduit for information) has been false.
For anyone more interested in the big picture of the forest, rather than examining the vein patterns on leaves, here’s something to consider.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/14/politics/trump-jr-wikileaks-russia/index.html
The old saying is “follow the money”. So what are the money trails that might lead Putin to supporting Comrade Combover? Here’s some possibilities…
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/14/opinions/why-does-vladimir-putin-hate-me-browder-opinion/index.html
Here’s what David Farrar’s website is saying about the Prime Minister today.
Farrar’s Ferals at their very, very best. (/sarc btw)
What rips my undies is that our State Broadcaster, the otherwise relatively tolerable Natrad, insists on having Farrar as a regular guest.
My tinfoilhatwearingnutbar alter ego kinda figured that it was part of some nefarious deal with Those Who Will Not Be Mentioned in order to maintain their pathetic level of funding.
Farrar’s actually worse than that other right wing commentator they have on from time to time…
There’s a level of endorsement from Farrar for comments like that because they are unmoderated. He might claim the views of his commenters don’t represent his but by leaving them up he is accepting of that kind of language towards the PM.
Not really – using your logic it would mean that “the standard” (or its owners / moderators) have a level of endorsement for post that they leave up (assuming you are being even handed in your application of moral outrage)
Remember when a poster on here said that Ashburton WINZ murder should be held up as a hero ?
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-02092014/#comment-878213
As this is a moderated blog – and that the comment was left up – would you be saying that there is a level of endorsement from the people that run this website?
No – of course not. What that poster (as well as the Rick Prick” posted above) is disgusting and the people making those comments should be ashamed of themselves.
Regardless of political leanings – there is no need for that level of comment.
I dont post on kiwiblog – but if I did I would be downticking Rick Pricks comment to get it hidden.
But it needs to be seen for what it is – the view (all be it a poor one) of a commentor and its not the blog stating it.
[Farrar is well known for allowing content that wouldn’t be acceptable here. e.g. the comment that Muttonbird quotes would almost certainly get moderated here. That’s because we don’t tolerate misogyny.
Read the bit in the policy that says “What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others” and consider what it is like for many women to have to be around men that call women stupid fucking bitches or align themselves with rape culture advocates. And what it is like for those women to be in spaces where that is passively endorsed.
Farrar sets the standard at his blog. There is a standard at The Standard too, so I’m pointing out that we have active moderation here to inhibit bigots of many kinds because they’re basically antisocial and bad for political discussions as well as being generally harmful to society – weka]
James, James, James.
To support your argument you pull out a comment from years ago which, if we actually go and have a look, provoked a shit ton of opprobrium for the original commentator and led to a very interesting and thought provoking debate.
The debate was…nuanced…which is not a characteristic of Farrar’s little cesspit dwellers.
Rosemary – you are missing the point of my post.
But hey – there are plenty of other post on here calling National MP’s names, picking on their appearance or weight.
My point was commenters do not speak for the site – its a basic concept.
No, but the owners and authors of the site do have a responsibility for the comments. So death threats and threats of violence are usually removed. Stuff that is grossly sexist or racist likewise. I’ve moderated people for fat phobia. You probably don’t see the stuff that gets removed.
Farrar doesn’t care because he wants a reactionary blog that foments hatred. So that’s what he gets.
There are two moderation notes in this thread for you, one requires a response.
I am curious about this comment though, and if you can come up with any examples other than the Tully comment. I’m guessing not. It doesn’t surprise me that people who vote for a party that had a leader for 8 years that supported rape culture can’t tell the difference between KB and here. But there is a difference. I think you are focussed on the things you don’t like, but that’s not how it works. It’s about creating spaces that are safer and more attractive to a range of people. Farrar obviously wants misogynists and that’s what KB gets.
“There’s a level of endorsement from Farrar for comments like that….”
We can only assume that the comments he fails to moderate are actually from real individuals. If I were on a mission to promulgate a certain narrative then using such a site would be an ideal way of spreading the word under the guise of vigorous and open debate.
The site certainly attracts those with a propensity to hate speech.
Who knew there were so many of them with enough time on their hands…?
I stand with you solidly Rosemary;
David Farrar must go, and we understand the revamp of the public broadcaster Radio NZ will rout these National Party lobbyists such as Farrar, Hooten, and any other biased National puppets, because the public broadcaster was abused and used by national for nine years and manipulated by the chief National Propagangist Steven Joyce as his propaganda platform illegally.
So we welcome the removal of these propagandists from our public funded media.
This can’t happen fast enough.
No – thats not what his website is saying about the prime minister – its what a commenter said about her. (for the record – I think the comment made is disgusting)
Just like some of the filth that has been put on this site by commentators is not being said my the standard.
Where can I find this filth that has been put on this site by commentators?.
edit: oh, and I think you’ll find millsy has often been roundly condemned for his obnoxious posts.
For joe90.
Try having a look at this one as an example.
https://thestandard.org.nz/al-jazeera-on-nz-homeless-watch-it-and-weep/#comment-1216824
I would normally list a few of the comments from it but I really don’t think you should have such utter rubbish as this pushed into your face.
If you have a strong stomach you can follow the link though.
Oh do fuck off .
You know full well that since the day the woman won the leadership, the demented fucks have been throwing truly vile misogynist insults, targeting everything from her looks, her health, her private life, her body shape through to her choice of attire and hair style, and smearing her character, honesty, motivations and intelligence, surpassing any thing they threw at Clark.
I’m no shrinking violet and I like putting the needle in but this shit is truly nauseating 4chan/gamergate style hate speech that’s arrived, fresh from the fetid swamp that is US political discourse.
And Farrar publishes it, so fuck him too.
Did you read my link?
Are you really going to say that the sort of comment I linked to doesn’t count as filth?
Do you really think that Key should have been burnt to death or that Bolger should be shot? Fair comment do you say?
Would you really hold the administrators of this site responsible for comments like the one I pointed to?
I certainly wouldn’t, just as I wouldn’t hold Farrar responsible for the crap some people post on Kiwiblog about Ardern or Clark.
It is, unfortunately an innate fact of life on the Internet.
Your whataboutism doesn’t wash because occasional unhinged comments by unhinged folk ain’t the same as day in day out, page after page of vile4chan/gamergate style hate speech authored by multiple contributors, specifically targeting women.
And yes, I want publishers to be responsible for the crap some people post on their sites. A day or so ago over at the sewer there was an actionable comment, that still stands, and one day Farrar or some other publisher will be called to account and required to turn over their visitor logs stats. The sooner the better, I reckon.
“occasional unhinged comments by unhinged folk”.
What was occasional about these sort of comments?
Just search for “Key treason” and see how many hits you get.
Or just look at anything by “Wild Katipo”.
I found 879 hits when I searched on ‘alwyn foolish’ does that help?
That is an amazing number, really it is.
I tried it in the search panel on this blog.
I didn’t find nearly as many as that and I discovered that in every case it was me using the word, usually about people like you. I didn’t see a single case where someone had used it to describe me.
I shall have to expand my vocabulary. Perhaps I should stop describing you as “foolish” for a while and simply call you an idiot.
Would you prefer that?
☺ good you tried it out i thought you would – just trying to help you with the moaner you were on – no need for that level of abuse mate pull your head in.
Alwyn cool it please;
We are all trying to help a new government succeed making NZ a kinder, gentler, society after the nine cruel toxic years of a National party hate campaign.
It’s funny – I actually went to KB and couldn’t find muttonbird’s quote. I did find piles of similarly disgusting comments in the most likely threads, though.
Whereas I’m actually surprised the comment you found slipped through the mods’ radar, and it’s most definitely an exception to the norm.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/11/public_polls_october_2017.html#comment-2076508
Strictly speaking it was late last night rather than today. Endorsed at a rate of 7 to 1 by Farrar’s friends.
cheers.
I was looking through the ones re: nz and refugees – that was bad enough…
“Would you really hold the administrators of this site responsible for comments like the one I pointed to?
I certainly wouldn’t, just as I wouldn’t hold Farrar responsible for the crap some people post on Kiwiblog about Ardern or Clark.”
We remove stuff like that all the time. Pay attention. And yes, admin and the authors here take it seriously and actively moderate. Stop trying to be an apologist for Farrar’s really shitty politics.
I’m going to edit the Bolger comment now. The Key one can stand, it’s a metaphor.
“the demented fucks have been throwing truly vile misogynist insults, targeting everything from her looks, her health, her private life, her body shape through to her choice of attire and hair style, and smearing her character, honesty, motivations and intelligence, ”
And you think that commenters on here havn’t done the same about Paula Bennett or Judith Collins?
again – Im simply pointing out that people who make comments do not speak for the website – is that a hard concept for you to grasp?
edit: And as a “righty” – I’m pretty confident that you will not find comments like that about Jacinda from myself.
[I’d like to see some examples of comments on TS about Bennett or Collins that are similar to ones at KB. Three examples, with quotes and links, thanks – weka]
Yuck you James there is no comparison and you know it. You’re such a dirty appologist for bullshit.
+ 1 Joe – you nailed it. Filthy scum over there.
There have been some very rude comments about National MP’s for years – not hard to find them.
and indeed – Millsy was – Im not arguing that. What I was pointing out is that the commenter is making the statements and its not what the blog is saying or endorsing.
The worst I seen is my own. that Bennett, and her enablers should go to jail for serial child abuse.
Justified. given the number of car dwelling families with kids suffering from the diseases of poverty..
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/13/conservative-governments-kill-people-health-disability-benefits-prisons
Irrefutable……oops…..such an easy mistake to make.
//
This is the irrefutable evidence that there is no struggle against terrorism as the whole global community believes. The US are actually covering the ISIS combat units to recover their combat capabilities, redeploy, and use them to promote the American interests in the Middle East.
https://www.facebook.com/mod.mil.rus/posts/2007062896203123
“At the same time, the refusal of the US command to strike November 9 against the columns of terrorists IGIL (the outdated name of the IG-TASS commentary) retreating in the Bu-Kemal area is an objective fact recorded in the transcripts of the talks, and therefore well-known to the American side, just like and the active counteraction by the US aircraft of the air force of the Russian Air Force, which was ready to destroy the IGIL terrorists, regrouping for new attacks on government forces in the Bu-Kemal area, “the military department said.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense spread the message that the US refused to strike at the IG militants on the Syrian-Iraqi border, and published photographs of the column of terrorists. However, Internet users noticed that the screenshots are screenshots made from the computer game AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron.
https://translate.google.co.nz/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/4728484&prev=search
I s’pose the video game screenshots looked more plausible than their satellite photo of a fighter jet did.
Egg all over the shop.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2017/11/14/russian-ministry-defence-publishes-screenshots-computer-games-evidence-us-collusion-isis/
Yeah i laughed about that one – just shows truth is stranger, weirder, and funnier than fiction.
On the degradation of citizens to consumers, via The New Yorker.
The background: Keurig temporarily withdrew advertising from Sean Hannity’s show after he voiced support for paedophile Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore. In protest, other Moore supporters posted videos of themselves destroying their Keurig coffee machines. Also, Nazi website The Daily Stormer proclaimed Papa John’s the “official pizza of the alt. right,” for some obscure reason related to NFL protests.
how moored our notions of civic engagement have become to our sense of ourselves as consumers, and how easy that fact is to aggravate and exploit…. In his Keurig video, Snoop Bailey is selling something, too.Before he busts up his coffeemaker, he touts the qualities of the golf club he’s using, and then later instructs his viewers to buy a competing brand of coffee, one that’s owned by military veterans. What looks at first like a strange act of suburban rage is really just another commercial.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/keurig-papa-johns-and-the-politicization-of-american-junk
Simon Wilson writes a nice long article wanting a kind of radical centrism for New
Zealand:
“A radical centre in New Zealand would not be Macronist, because we are not France. It would have its own guiding principles, and they might look something like this:
-T he economy and the environment are one.
– Long-term planning is fundamental to the purpose of government.
– Fiscal surpluses are invaluable for that long-term planning.
– The state doesn’t need to do everything.
– Government exists to safeguard and enhance the values of society and the rights of citizens, not to cut taxes.
– Low inflation is a foundational tool for creating opportunity for all.
– A developed economy should be a high-wage economy.
– Poverty and all its bitter handmaidens can be defeated, and they must be. Not sometime, when we can, if we can; but as a result of policies we put in place right now.”
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/14-11-2017/new-radicals-the-challenge-for-nz-politics-in-the-time-of-corbyn-and-trump/
Blah, blah, utopian wet dream and we don’t know what Simon means when he makes certain statements:
A developed economy should be a high-wage economy. Behind that large poster there is embedded poverty and people’s smarts twisted on how to screw a life out
of the crusts that have been thrown to them. Perhaps his standard will be reached by letting them die in the cold. Take out the no-wage then the low-wage and you get a nice self-satisfied bunch of strivers.
Perhaps they will all be like Alex the conniving finance dealer in the Peattie & Taylor cartoons. The look of things is important and that his peers can see that he can afford the best. He tells his wife off for buying expensive silk alluring underwear.
Don’t worry dear she says, no-one but you will see it. ‘That’s what’s bothering me’
he replies.
Poverty isn’t so dreadful, some people might like to live simply, but there need to be options to earn enough for it, plus a basic pension. What we need is everyone who is receiving government help being asked to do a few hours put-in, and that is all rich and poor. And this be regarded well as being good citizens by all and they receive a thank you certificate at year end.
Interesting
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa/98896894/possible-military-coup-in-zimbabwe-as-tanks-roll-towards-robert-mugabes-capital
Chiwenga finally got bored waiting for him to die.
Such a shame. If Mugabe had been half the man Mandela was, Zimbabwe would be flourishing.
Wonder if any of the leaders that supported Mugabe will say anything, hindsight and all that
“Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggie’ while you look for a rock.”
I forget who said that.
Yes, it is a shame that Mugabe didn’t live up to his promises as I think Southern Africa might in a better state than it is atm. But then again depending one’s POV some say our Commonwealth leaders at time backed the wrong horse on the day.
Before Malcolm Frasier die, a lot of the Australian reporters ask him about the ongoing Zimbabwe issues and it was always met with a silent answer and some cases he walked away in silence.
I’m actually half way though this book after I had read Ian Smiths book and so far this book been quite interesting.
https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Rhodesian-War-Paul-L-Moorcraft-Peter-McLaughlin/9781473860735rick
These two are next on the reading list. Apart from the usual Military Books on RLI, RAR, Grey Scouts, RR and RRAF etc.
https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Struggle-Continues-David-Coltart/9781431423187
https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Zimbabwe-Philip-Barclay/9781408805206
Yes, this is a very interesting move by the Zimbabwean Chief of Army and I wonder if he has the whole backing of the Army and Airforce? And the other is question is, has Mugabe still got the support of his infamous 5th Brigade and his Presidential Guard? If Mugabe still has the support from these two units, it could lead a very bloody coup for either side.
On the International Front:
What’s China’s position on this as China has been propping up the Mugabe regime of late? And what is the Commonwealth position on this?
Lot of people running for cover on this…or rewriting of history
It times like this I wish I had access to British, Australian and New Zealand Government archives on the Rhodesian/ Zimbabwe problem on who knew what etc and like what you said there could be “Lot of people running for cover on this…or rewriting of history”
This is from the ABC News Website:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/zimbabwe-cracks-are-showing-between-robert-mugabe-and-the-army/9153120
😆
Apparently this chart explains why the Department of Justice is corrupt because it’s not still investigating Hillary and Uranium One. Put together and shown to congress and the world by Louie Gohmert, one of the ever-helpful Republican caucus.
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/14/16652876/louie-gohmert-conspiracy-chart
I’m having a bit of trouble grasping what I’m supposed to take away from it. Anyone here want to help with some interpretive assistance?
Fast and furious was not such a great movie unless you like cars and this led to executive privilege with prejudice and thus clintion is bbbbbbad to the bone.
What a load of BS pay 2 parents to look after children you no that would cost to much and there are other more urgent problems that need resources to fix the stuff ups of the last 9 years who’s chain is bull pulling. Kia Kaha
eco Maori – I think you will find in the proposal from National that they share the parental allowance – so there is no additional cost – just flexibility should both parents want to be there.
so no BS – no additional cost
Paula Bennett lost her composure today and even the deputy speaker Anne Tollley had to pulll her up for inappropriate behaviour. Then Paula said wildly “I just got carried away”
Search on the parlaimametary site, speaking time, around 3.20pm today please.
It was so offensive that I had to turn off the sound.
National appear to be finding it very hard to live now without all that previous power they had to abuse the public any time they freely wanted.
Very sad performance today.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20171115_20171115_08
Scroll down for Bennett’s content in her speech.
It was the way she said it all, that was offensive, as she was wildly ranting on wildly.