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.
A couple of months ago now I wrote a post about the new set of discount rates government agencies are supposed to use in undertaking cost-benefit analysis, whether for new spending projects or for regulatory initiatives. The new, radically altered, framework had come into effect from 1 October last year, ...
Huawei dominates Indonesia’s telecommunication network infrastructure. It won over Indonesia mainly through cost competitiveness and by generating favour through capacity-building programs and strategic relationships with the government, and telecommunication operators. But Huawei’s dominance poses risks. ...
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The Herald had another announcement today about a new solar farm being officially opened - this time the 63MW Lauriston solar farm in Canterbury. It is of course briefly "NZ’s biggest solar farm", but it will soon be overtaken by Kōwhai park at Christchurch airport (168MW) and Tauhei (202MW), both ...
I woke this morning to the shock news that Tory Whanau was no longer contesting the Wellington mayoralty, having stepped aside to leave the field clear for Andrew Little. Its like a perverse reversal of Little's 2017 decision to step aside for Jacinda - the stale, pale past rudely shoving ...
In a pre-Budget speech this morning the Minister of Finance announced that this year’s operating allowance – the net amount available for new initiatives – was being reduced from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion (speech here, RNZ story here). Operating allowance numbers in isolation don’t mean a great deal (what ...
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The Australian Defence Force isn’t doing enough to adopt cheap drones. It needs to be training with these tools today, at every echelon, which it cannot do if it continues to drag its feet. Cheap drones ...
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We need more than two Australians who are well-known in Washington. We do have two who are remarkably well-known, but they alone aren’t enough in a political scene that’s increasingly influenced by personal connections and ...
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An official briefing to the Health Minister warns “demand for acute services has outstripped hospital capacity”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThe key long stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, April 28 are: There’s a nationwide shortage of 500 hospital beds and 200,000 ...
We should have been thinking about the seabed, not so much the cables. When a Chinese research vessel was spotted near Australia’s southern coast in late March, opposition leader Peter Dutton warned the ship was ...
Now that the formalities of saying goodbye to Pope Francis are over, the process of selecting his successor can begin in earnest. Framing the choice in terms of “liberal v conservative” is somewhat misleading, given that all members of the College of Cardinals uphold the core Catholic doctrines – which ...
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In the 1980s and early 1990s when I wrote about Argentine and South American authoritarianism, I borrowed the phrase “cultura del miedo” (culture of fear) from Juan Corradi, Guillermo O’Donnell, Norberto Lechner and others to characterise the social anomaly that exists in a country ruled by a state terror regime ...
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Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data ...
The budget runup is far from easy.Budget 2025 day is Thursday 22 May. About a month earlier in a normal year, the macroeconomic forecasts would be completed (the fiscal ones would still be tidying up) and the main policy decisions would have been made (but there would still be a ...
On 25 April 2021, I published an internal all-staff Anzac Day message. I did so as the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for Australia’s civil defence, and its resilience in ...
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The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.With the National Party’s ...
Nicola Willis, National’s supposed Finance Minister, has delivered another policy failure with the Family Boost scheme, a childcare rebate that was big on promises but has been very small on delivery. Only 56,000 families have signed up, a far cry from the 130,000 Willis personally championed in National’s campaign. This ...
This article was first published on 7 February 2025. In January, I crossed the milestone of 24 years of service in two militaries—the British and Australian armies. It is fair to say that I am ...
He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningI will remember him.My mate Keith died yesterday, peacefully in the early hours. My dear friend in Rotorua, whom I’ve been ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on news New Zealand abstained from a vote on a global shipping levy on climate emissions and downgraded the importance ...
Hi,In case you missed it, New Zealand icon Lorde has a new single out. It’s called “What Was That”, and has a very low key music video that was filmed around her impromptu performance in New York’s Washington Square Park. When police shut down the initial popup, one of my ...
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...
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In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...
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The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Nicola Willis announced that funding for almost every Government department will be frozen in this year’s budget, costing jobs, making access to public services harder, and fuelling an exodus of nurses, teachers, and other public servants. ...
The Government’s Budget looks set to usher in a new age of austerity. This morning, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis said new spending would be limited to $1.4 billion, cut back from the original intended $2.4 billion, which itself was already $100 million below what Treasury said was needed to ...
The Green Party has renewed its call for the Government to ban the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone products, as the CTU launches a petition for the implementation of a full ban. ...
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
A recent Herald report has some people saying the police college fitness exam is too easy. Hayden Donnell put their theories to the test. Plenty of searing questions have been asked over Michael Morrah’s recent Herald report revealing recruits who failed their fitness tests were admitted to police college. Labour ...
Alex Casey tells the origin story of Tākaro ā Poi, the Margaret Mahy Family Playground. It’s a crisp Tuesday morning in central Ōtautahi and about 100 people of all ages are crawling all over Tākaro ā Poi, the Margaret Mahy Family Playground. A little boy in a “Team Spidey” T-shirt ...
Dame Noeline Taurua (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua) is a legend of New Zealand netball. She played 34 test matches for the Silver Ferns before a serious knee injury ended her playing career. The affable and successful Ferns coach is a key voice in supporting the revised NetballSmart warm-up. The NetballSmart team ...
Dear old Landfall, New Zealand’s most distinguished literary periodical founded in 1947, reaches a significant milestone later this year when it publishes its 250th issue. The occasion merits a fond retrospective of the journal which has published everybody who is anybody in New Zealand letters, and held fast to a ...
For years now, over several terms of different governments, New Zealand’s system of trust against corruption and undue influence has been tested.A revolving door of pressure groups, MPs turning into lobbyists as soon as they leave Parliament, cabinet ministers blabbing secrets to donors, dodgy fundraising, failures to declare or be ...
Analysis: Major parties used to easily dismiss the rare politician who stood alone in parliament. These MPs could be written off as isolated idealists, and the press could condescend to them as noble, naïve and unlikely to succeed.In November 1930, when independent country MP Harold Glowrey chose to sit on ...
Cabinet has agreed to introduce legislation that would remove voting rights from those sentenced to prison for up to three years, in a move that the Supreme Court has already said breaches human rights law.The move, signed off on in April, essentially reverses legislation passed by the Labour-led coalition government ...
Analysis: In today’s fast-paced urban centres, many people are more familiar with supermarket shelves than with soil, seasons, or seeds. Living in modern cities has created a significant disconnect between people and the origins of their food. For generations now, food production has been something that happens “somewhere else” – ...
Amid broader economic uncertainty, the global art market contracted in 2024, recording an estimated $57.5 billion in sales – a 12 percent decline in total value from its 2022 peak.The findings, published last month in theArt Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2025 reflect the cooling of a market no ...
30 April 1975. Saigon Fell, Vietnam Rose. The story of Vietnam after the US fled the country is not a fairy tale, it is not a one-dimensional parable of resurrection, of liberation from oppression, of joy for all — but there is a great deal to celebrate. After over a ...
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 Labor leads by between 52–48 and 53–47 in four new national polls from Resolve, Essential, Morgan and DemosAU. While Labor’s vote slumped ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor will be encouraged by the Liberals’ victory in Canada’s election, undoubtedly much helped by US President Donald Trump. Trump’s extraordinary attack on the United States’ northern ally, with his repeated suggestion Canada should ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls, who is visiting New Caledonia this week for the third time in two months, has once again called on all parties to live up to their responsibilities in order to make a new political agreement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday. The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. ...
By Anish Chand in Suva Filipo Tarakinikini has been appointed as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel. This has been stated on two official X, formerly Twitter, handle posts overnight. “#Fiji is determined to deepen its relations with #Israel as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel, HE Ambassador @AFTarakinikini prepares to present his credentials ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University India and Pakistan are once again at a standoff over Kashmir. A terror attack last week in the disputed region that ...
We are sending send a strong message to those in power that we demand a better deal for working people, and an end to the attack on unions. We will also be calling on the Government to deliver pay equity and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Federico Tartarini, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture Design and Planning, University of Sydney New Africa, Shutterstock Many Australians struggle to keep themselves cool affordably and effectively, particularly with rising electricity prices. This is becoming a major health concern, especially for our ...
Led by the seven-metre-long Taxpayers' Union Karaka Nama (Debt Clock), the hīkoi highlights the Government's borrowing from our tamariki and mokopuna. ...
Wellington's deputy mayor is "absolutely gutted" by Tory Whanau's decision to not run for the mayoralty, but another councillor believes it is an opportunity for a fresh start. ...
Wellington's deputy mayor is "absolutely gutted" by Tory Whanau's decision to not run for the mayoralty, but another councillor believes it is an opportunity for a fresh start. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney is projected to have pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Any doubts that Australia’s growing housing challenges would be a major focus of the federal election campaign have been dispelled over recent weeks. Both ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ti Wi / Unsplash Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ti Wi / Unsplash Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and ...
Queenstown resident Ben Hildred just spent 100 days doing more uphill cycling than almost anyone else could imagine. He talks to Shanti Mathias about its psychological impact. Ben Hildred swings his leg over his bike, parks it, orders a kombucha and sits down opposite me at Bespoke, a Queenstown cafe. ...
Queenstown resident Ben Hildred just spent 100 days doing more uphill cycling than almost anyone else could imagine. He talks to Shanti Mathias about its psychological impact. Ben Hildred swings his leg over his bike, parks it, orders a kombucha and sits down opposite me at Bespoke, a Queenstown cafe. ...
Lawyers for Wellington City Council say councillors were given multiple options, and deny staff pushed them towards demolishing the City to Sea Bridge. ...
Lawyers for Wellington City Council say councillors were given multiple options, and deny staff pushed them towards demolishing the City to Sea Bridge. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Crosby, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University The Oscars have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explicitly said, for the first time, films using generative AI tools will not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Crosby, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University The Oscars have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explicitly said, for the first time, films using generative AI tools will not ...
$1.3bn in operating allowance isn’t enough to pay for cost pressures in health alone ($1.55bn). There is no money for cost pressures in education and other public services, or proposed defence spending. This is a Budget that will be built on cuts ...
Shane Jones says if the $2 million study proves it viable, it could turn Northland into a major power-exporting region and reduce prices nationally. ...
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!
‘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.
[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/
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
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.