Out of the ‘stories that should of been done pre election file’ tv3 have had the guy who runs one of the big property websites in Asia saying NZ is high on investors hit list because of our lack of capital gains and controls on foreign ownership.
This government primarily works for the wealthy, with a few good social policies from previous Labour government kept for political cunning expediency. We the people that vote such a government in are really dumb. It isn’t the fault of the rich foreign property buyers.
They don’t need to when Len brown came on straight after and rabbited on about how many low cost house’s were being built (how under 500k is classed as low cost has me buggered) and how many consents have been issued.
“Children suffer: Welfare’s outdated ideas on relationships”
Excerpt:
“New Zealand’s social security framework is based on outdated ideas of the nature of relationships and too often fails to protect the needs of children in the 21st century, says Child Poverty Action Group.”
“There are major inconsistencies in the use of relationship in the welfare system. It is difficult to justify a policy that pays less to a couple than to two individuals who share accommodation and costs. ”
“The report finds that tests for the degree of financial interdependence and emotional commitment, needed for the relationship to be treated as ‘in the nature of marriage’, are subjective and inconsistent. There is often a degree of surveillance that is far from open and transparent. Moreover the appeal processes for anyone accused of being in a relationship are very unsatisfactory. A sole parent may even be given a prison sentence with scant regard to the impact on her children.
SSJ makes a good point about someone flatting having the same costs as someone in a relationship.
I’d like to point out that section 20C of the Social Securities Act, Sole Parent Support: split custody (this is when one or more of the children from a relationship live with one parent, and the others live with the other parent) only provides benefit support to one parent.
In working terms this ususally means the person who applied first, not necessarily the most in need, and can fail children who are caught in the middle of two bewildered parents who didn’t realise this was the case or who are using the benefit system to get back at an ex partner and the children who chose to live with them. Nasty stuff.
These federal reserve outfits have the most power of all. They direct the things that happen in the world and hence they know better than any what is likely to occur next.
In about 6 months time the first review is due to get underway of NZ’s Security and Intelligence Agencies. One aspect that I hope is looked into is the extent that citizens who are concerned about the environment are being subjected to surveillance, in their search for what Mr Finlayson has called “Eco-terrorism”. He was being questioned on TV One’s Q&A program a week ago, then in regard to unwarranted surveillance.
From what he said, it seems to be the call of whoever is doing the surveillance do decide whether those under surveillance are wanting to protest against something, or may “cross the line into eco-terrorism.”
So their new increased powers dont appear to have worked… On the other hand the last time the ozzie police brandished a plastic ceremonial sword as proof of terrorism in oz, without telling anyone it was plastic…
Sometimes its best to wait 24 hours to find some real facts… Sometimes 24 days.
So Phil Goff, I guess on behalf of the Labour Party, says yesterday in the SST that we should stop people going to fight for organisations like ISIS that commit crimes against humanity.
How does Phil Goff square that away with joining the US when the US also commits crimes against humanity?
And, is Dick Cheney the biggest joke on the planet?
“we need someone from the far left to make it a balance against crusher”
“what about Goff?”
“oh thats a better idea, get someone kinda sorta on the left but on the far right of Labour and who wants to be auckland mayor then we dont upset the advertisers, hell they may increase”
We know the US (or it’s proxies) runs operations all over the planet to destabilise regimes they don’t like or are inconvenient. This is a matter of historical fact.
What makes anyone think NZ is somehow immune? I can think of at least one local example within the last decade.
Exactly. Not to mention that the US (and their Saudi allies) stoked up Islamic fundamentalism in the first place as a counter to secular, progressive forces in the Arab world and in Afghanistan.
After the Cold War, the fundamentalists struck out on their own, biting the hand that fed them. Still, by doing so, they provided successive US administrations with a new enemy against which to try to cohere fragmenting American society and the west in general under US leadership. Not that it’s working out all that well for the US ruling elite. . .
PS: When I said “Exactly” in the email above, it was in response to this from VTO: “How does Phil Goff square that away with joining the US when the US also commits crimes against humanity?” Forgot to quote VTO.
John Minto good on Morning Report on where to now for the Mana Party
…personally I am sorry the Internet part or Party has been dropped for now…I think Mana will be the poorer for it…especially as an Internet Party is being established in the USA… Minto says he has no regrets as regards the Internet Party coalition..it was a risk worth taking ( imo it certainly focused issues for intelligent New Zealanders)
MInto, always a clear and concise communicator , gave good reasons as to why Internet/Mana did not make it into Parliament
…Labour Party and other parties in cahoots with Nactional ganged up on Hone, found Int/Mana party and all it stood for it too threatening
….and a concerted msm attack on Dotcom….SHAME! ( I hope the msm attacks can be catalogued for future historians and generations to see exposed)
5 weeks out from the Election Internet/mana was doing very well indeed and could have had 3-4 seats in parliament
Yip sure was. Minto would be better forming another party, Mana is a dead duck. Hone has got Warner Bro’s millions stashed away where they can’t get it, and will spend up on himself.
@ Skinny
I am not sure why your remark wouldn’t be actionable as slander against Hone. What Warners millions and are you peeved because you stood for election and couldn’t get enough funding for promotion of your cause? Or what? You remind me of the end of a hippotomus I once saw – while it did its business it flapped its little tail and spread it all around (in your case you do it with your little tale.)
pu…thanks…OK you are right ( this time)…I got the wrong link and stupid old David Slack “spouting simplistic shit”…why Suzie Ferguson would want to interview David Slack on Internet /mana Party I do NOT know ….( maybe to obfuscate and muddy the waters!!!?…maybe they didnt like what Minto said earlier…too hard hitting for Morning Report !?)..David Slack wanted to start a David Party for Christs sakes ….pleeeeze! ( it starts with Minto though)
“an Internet Party is being established in the USA”
Couldn’t buy NZ voters so lets try with the yanks.
“it was a risk worth taking”
Really?
“Labour Party and other parties in cahoots with Nactional ganged up on Hone, found Int/Mana party and all it stood for it too threatening”
1.5% of those who voted must be right. All the other must just be scaredy cats. 🙄
“and a concerted msm attack on Dotcom”
As forecast and quite predictable really, so no point crying about it. If a dunce like me got it right, why did no one in mana?
“5 weeks out from the Election Internet/mana was doing very well indeed and could have had 3-4 seats in parliament”
That’s what happens when you count chickens before they hatch like one does with millions of dollars of donations.
The joint campaign was a bit of a disaster with mixed messages and puffed up little shit episodes. It was bound to end in tears and did.
the best thing about Internet /Mana is that it gave those at the bottom of the heap a Party with a sophisticated futurist look..they were winners and tech savvy and concerned with democracy and internet freedom… and it was a foil / counter to corporate controlled culture with a permanent underclass
…it gave lie to the Nact myth that those at the bottom of the heap are no- hopers
…and a socialist type party is dead and in the past history
….Int/Mana was ahead of its time and ahead of the game
….as it is now the under-thirties ( the intelligent, dynamic and beautiful) who John key Nact and corporate right wing govts around the world are now making the new underclass …with huge tertiary loans, insecure and poorly paid work and no hope of ever owning a home … i see Mana combined with an Internet Party as the way of the future
….Dotcom and Mana are to be congratulated for trying….and next TIME your time will have come !
Dan Carlin had some very interesting talking points about CIA Torture & the related political lines given, especially the way Obama was elected to change the excesses of the Bush administration, and then proceeded to double down on them. See Common Sense 285 – Torturing our values http://www.dancarlin.com/common-sense-home-landing-page/
If you haven’t listened to his podcast before, you’re in for a treat, Carlin is easily one of the best political commentators on the left (the real left) in the USA. He is incisive, cuts through the noise, analyses situations and compares them to the historical context.
It looks like iwi are going to charge people to enter 90 mile beach. Coupled with the recent locking out of hunters out of the Ureweras it is another reason why the left should oppose the handing over of conservation land to iwi because they WILL restrict access.
Well, it is about time for some entity to ‘control’ access to 90 Mile (Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē).
It takes a hammering daily from large tourist buses travelling at 100kmh, the drivers know the conditions well and it is hammer down. You just have to be on the beach to feel it. It is about reasonable access and use.
I wonder why Tuhoe want to restrict Hunters from killing game on their historic territory, and land that they hold pretty sacred, their sanctuary, the place they retreated when the colonial army came to slaughter them for not rolling over and coming to the table.
Tuhoe never signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Their land was systematically stolen from them. They still hold the Ureweras to be their land. How is it any different from a hunter coming on to your land and shooting your ducks? Restricting hunting hardly seems like the crime of the century.
Context is important here. But on another note, I totally disagree with Maori, or anyone for that matter restricting access to beaches, or charging members of the public to use their tracks to the beach. It’s important though, that everyone treats their land with respect, afaik the Iwi just want to charge commercial operators, the same guys who drive big buses across their land, it’s not a big ask for commercial operators who are making money off of bringing tourists across private owned land to be asked to pay a small fee for entry.
Thanks for context. Makes a big difference to discussion.
There was an interesting piece on Native Affairs this year about the charge for commercial operators for taking tourists through the “hole in the rock”.
Of course, the operators continued the line that although it was private land “above”, the “hole” was not owned by anyone and therefore no fees needed to be paid.
…if this is true, then tourist operators should be able to set up large flying foxes across the volcanic cones of Auckland, – taking money from those who want to do close flyovers of the residences of the 1%.
I have no doubt the framing of public access and private property would be entirely different to that which is trotted out whenever iwi land is involved.
Are they looking at charging people, or charging cars? Particularly with tourist companies making money from trips up and down the beach, why shouldn’t the locals get something?
As for Tuhoe, I read what they’d decided at the time and agreed with them. It isn’t so much a lockout, but a reorganisation of licensing.
Of course if you want Kiwi not Iwi, move to Epsom and your vote will be counted.
In the wake of the OECD report there has been some discussion on tax and GST. While tax havens have been around for some time, there has certainly been a big growth of them in recent years – part of the process where capital can move freely (and hide) while workers are locked into national frontiers (and can’t hide for long from the immigration police).
OMG, Mathew Hooten (on Nine to Noon) is suggesting to break Fonterra into TWO organisations to COMPETE? Why does RNZ continue to have this very silly man on. I don’t even know where to start.
He can have a go at Fonterra, but not for that reason…Fonterra has critical mass, which is its major strength. Maybe he should put his free market ideology aside and challenge whether Fonterra’s “GDT” system is losing NZ dairy farmers value???
well I dont think Fonterra is doing that good a job for dairy farmers…they should have another co-op that sells to Russia…so agree with Possum Hooton on this
Terrorists holding hostages in Sydney coffee shop outlines exactly why we should completely stay out of The Middle Eastern Wars. Make that call John Key show some leadership before we stuff a similar fate here in New Zealand.
IMO, John Key and National would use such an incident to increase surveillance on the populace. In other words, he’d see such an incident as an opportunity rather than the failure on his and National’s part that it would be.
We don’t actually know yet who the guy holding people hostage is. It’s a very strange sort of terrorist act. They usually commit random acts of violence, designed to shock and scare people. Hours of a hostage situation is more like an armed robbery gone wrong. We might know in about 30 years.
But here is the thing. Overall, an individual journalist may be doing a great job. An individual’s stories may be fair, balanced, insightful. But the impression given by a publication as a whole may not be. Where are those stories placed? What is the overall “tone” of a publication? In short, editorial choices can do plenty to undermine the content of a story.
I hope those who railed at the ethics of hager publishing and maybe profitting from, stolen emails are now railing at fairfax and apn for using some of those hacks to sell newspapers and online ads
Good journalism awards from Bruce Jesson Foundation..
Bruce Jesson Awards:
Max Rashbrooke & Chloe Winter
The Bruce Jesson Foundation recently announced its 2014 Journalism Awards:
The Senior Journalism Award of $4000 for a proposed work of “critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing that will contribute to public debate in NZ on an important issue or issues” was awarded to Max Rashbrooke for an e-book on wealth inequality in NZ;
About – http://www.maxrashbrooke.org.nz/about-me/ http://www.bwb.co.nz/books/the-inequality-debate ebook $14.99
Inequality: A NZ Crisis ebook $39.99
The Emerging Journalism Award of $1000 for “outstanding published work of critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing by NZ print journalism students which will contribute to public debate in New Zealand on an important issue or issues” was awarded to Chloe Winter of Massey University, Wellington, for her article “War against killers we face at work”, published in the Herald on Sunday on 3 November 2013. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11150665
The 2014 Bruce Jesson Lecture Mike Joy – Paradise Squandered; New Zealand’s Environmental Asset Stripping
Posted on 10 October 2014 by bjf_admin
New Zealand’s lakes, rivers and most of our groundwater are in a critical state. Decades of misguided regulation and a free-for-all on diffuse pollution have encouraged agricultural intensification and driven our increasing reliance on imported feed and fertiliser.
The inevitable consequences have been devastating environmental impacts as well as increasing economic and biosecurity risks.
The solutions are many but require a paradigm shift; a move away from dependence on imported feed and fertiliser to keeping nutrients on farm and adding value to products, and strong leadership to move away from short-term thinking that accepts the massive ecological debt we are running up.
‘David Bain’s legal team has been in confidential discussions with the Minister of Justice over his bid for compensation.’…hope Adams has got the steel to stand up to the Bain industry.
The Committee of Disobedient Women has intercepted an email from Dr Emma Eejut, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Massey University to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Jan Thomas. Dear Jan, Thank you for your courageous move. I think 10 pages of blether** should tie any of the students game enough to try holding ...
That's the only response to the findings of the Ombudsman's investigation into LGOIMA practices at the Christchurch City Council:My investigation identified serious concerns about the Council’s leadership and culture, and its commitment to openness and transparency. In particular, Council staff raised concerns with me about various methods employed by some ...
NZ First seems to be nakedly trying to enrich itself from public office:A powerful New Zealand First figure helped establish a forestry company that then pushed for money from two key funding streams controlled by a New Zealand First Minister. An RNZ investigation has found Brian Henry, lawyer for Winston ...
Behrouz Boochani is an award winning author and journalist. He is also a refugee, who for the past six years has been detained in Australia's offshore gulag on Manus Island, and in Papua New Guinea. But last night, with the cooperation of the WORD Christchurch festival and Amnesty International, he ...
Different Strokes: If a multicultural immigration policy imposes no obligation on immigrant communities to acknowledge and ultimately embrace their host nation’s most cherished traditions and values, then how is that nation to prevent itself from being reduced to a collection of inward-looking and self-replicating ethnic and cultural enclaves?THE COALITION GOVERNMENT’S ...
Protective Zone: Reading the rules and guidelines released by Massey University, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that its governing body considers the whole concept of free speech a disruptive threat to the orderly imparting of orthodox academic knowledge.IN TRUE ORWELLIAN fashion, Massey University has announced its commitment to ...
Farmers held a hate-march on Parliament today, complete with MAGA hats, gun-nut signs, and gendered insults. While supposedly about a grab-bag of issues - including, weirdly, mental health - it was clear that the protest was about one thing, and one thing only: climate change. And specifically, forestry "destroying" rural ...
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security released their annual report today, and I've been busy reading through it. In amongst the usual review of what they've been doing all year, there's a few interesting bits. For example, a discussion on "agency retention and disposal of information", which points out that ...
Recently more than 150 post-graduate students and young scientists presented an open letter to the Green Party via The Spinoff, encouraging them to reconsider their position on genetic modification. Their target is tackling climate change issues.[1] Can any party continue to be dismissive about genetic modification (GM) contributing to ...
by Deirdre O’Neill Under Thatcher and then Blair and continuing up until our contemporary moment, the working class has seen its culture slowly and progressively destroyed. The change from an industrial society to a service society produced a marked shift in focus from the working class as the backbone of ...
Since 2013, the Australian government has detained refugees without trial in Pacific gulags, where they are abused, tortured, and driven to suicide. The policy is not just an abuse of human rights and possible crime against humanity; it has also had a corrosive effect on the states Australia uses as ...
It seems fair to say that we currently live in a problematic political moment in world history. Democracies are in decline and dictatorships are on the rise. Primordial, sectarian and post-modern divisions have re-emerged, are on the rise or have been accentuated by political evolutions of the moment such as ...
Last month, Greenpeace head Russel Norman surrendered his speaking slot at an EPA conference to student climate activist Sorcha Carr, who told the EPA exactly what she thought of them. It was a bold move, which confronted both regulators and polluters (or, as the EPA calls them, "stakeholders") with the ...
The core principle supposedly underlying New Zealand's electoral finance regime is transparency: parties can accept large donations from rich people wanting to buy policy, but only if they tell the public they've been bought. Most parties abide by this, so we know that TOP was wholly-owned by Gareth Morgan, and ...
Today is a Member's Day, probably the second-to-last one of the year, and its a big one, with the Third Reading of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. last Member's Day it was reported back from committee, after MPs voted narrowly to make it subject to a (rules TBA) ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThe growth of the human population over the last 70 ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...
by Don Franks In 1957, E M Forster wrote, of his greatest work: “The India described in ‘A Passage to India’ no longer exists either politically or socially. Change had begun even at the time the book was published ( 1924) and during the following quarter of a century it ...
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff@DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...
Now the Zero Carbon Bill is law, what's next? Obviously, the ETS changes currently before select committee are going to be the next battleground. But we're also going to get a good idea of where we're going, and if the progress the Zero Carbon Act promises is good enough, during ...
Grant PearceThe effects of the current Australian bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland (and also again in California) are devastating and far-reaching. To date, the fires have resulted in several lives being lost and many homes and properties destroyed. Here in New Zealand, the impacts have been only ...
A passing comment in a post the other day about the labour force participation rates of older people prompted me to pull down the fuller data and see what we could see about various participation rates over the decades since the HLFS began in 1986. As it happens, the ...
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...
"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Tom MooreTraditionally a food source and cutting tool, freshwater mussels/kākahi are now widely valued as water filters that help clean our waterbodies and maintain ecosystem health throughout Aotearoa. The improvement they provide in water quality can make it easier for other animals to live in streams and rivers, as ...
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…Installation complete: this was nothing ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is back in the House today for its second reading. While this isn't the final stage, its still effectively D-Day for the bill. Because today, at around 5pm, is when we're going to find out if it has a majority, whether National will support it or ...
Winston Peters is in court today, suing a bunch of former Minister and civil servants over their pre-election leak of his superannuation repayment. He's characterised the leak as malicious, and said that it is repugnant that his information was passed on to Ministers to use for political advantage. And he's ...
Murray CoxDo I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called ...
Transformative Politics: The idea is to turn each recipient into an unwitting accomplice in their own transformation. From interested observer to hyped-up activist, sharing our messages promiscuously with ‘friends’. You’ll be part of an ever-expanding circulatory system, Jennifer, for the ideas that will win us the election.”JENNIFER SKITTERED her chair ...
The boycott is a fundamental tool of protest. By choosing who we buy from, we can send a message, and hopefully change corporate behaviour. Historically, boycotts have been effective, for example over apartheid in South Africa and Israel, in forcing divestment from Myanmar, and in ending bus segregation in the ...
Jan Rivers spoke at the Abortion Legislation Select Committee in favour of the bill, but in opposition to calls from other submitters to exchange the word ‘woman’ for ‘person’ throughout the bill. Jan is a supporter of the feminist group Speak Up For Women and has recently written an excellent ...
I checked my traffic stats:I was intrigued by 'monica29' - who was this very dedicated individual? I clicked on the link, to be greeted with ...Ho, hum.Spreadin' the word, spreadin' the word. Doesn't matter who hears it, as long as it gets out there. ...
There have been three polls since the election was announced, and I will shamelessly steal YouGov / UK Polling Report's Anthony Wells' summary of them:Survation – CON 34%, LAB 26%, LDEM 19%, BREX 12%, GRN 1% Ipsos MORI – CON 41%, LAB 24%, LDEM 20%, BREX 7%, GRN 3% YouGov ...
The following article is translated from Lutte Ouvrière, the weekly newspaper of the organisation usually known by the same name in France. When, for the second time this year, Chilean President Piñera announced an increase in the price of Metro tickets from 800 to 830 pesos, students in the high ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters met with Korea Racing Authority Chairperson Nak Soon Kim in Seoul today to discuss closer cooperation between the New Zealand and Korean horse racing industries. As part of the visit to the Seoul Racecourse, Mr Peters witnessed ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10 million to establish Otago as the centre of New Zealand’s creative digital industry over the next ten years, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The initiative will bring us closer to the vision of ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)’s skills and employment programme will help young Otago people into long-term forestry careers, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Ara Mahi will invest $63,000 in the 2020 school year to support eight 17 and 18 ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will support local plans to revitalise and stimulate economic development opportunities in Otago, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The four Regional Economic Development Ministers have approved an in-principle investment of $19.9 million towards the region’s ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is pleased to have received the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report on the Coalition Government’s Mycoplasma bovis eradication efforts, which shows significant progress in the fight against the disease. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, says the report’s findings ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon David Parker, Minister for Trade and Export Growth The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otago’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced today. Almost $20 million ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, discussed in Seoul today opportunities to work more closely in the Pacific and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Peters and Minister Kang confirmed New Zealand and the ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development The three marae in the historic Parihaka Pa complex in Taranaki have been upgraded to high speed broadband with the support of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Connecting the ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark will today launch the Advancing Pacific Partnerships 2019 Defence Assessment during a speech at Te Papa. The Assessment outlines how Defence will partner with our Pacific Island neighbours and invest in Pacific regional security architecture. The Plan aligns with the Coalition ...
A new Provincial Growth Fund investment could create about 80 new jobs in Gisborne over the next two years, turning a local small business into a “beacon of employment” in the process. Regional Economic Development Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau said the PGF’s Te Ara Mahi funding stream would provide $1.6m ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
The Government welcomes PHARMAC’s decision to fund a vaccine to protect young people from meningococcal disease from 1 December this year. “Meningococcal disease is a serious threat which people at higher risk should be protected from,” says Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter. “The combined pharmaceutical budget was increased by ...
Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a ...
The Government has fixed an issue affecting how Immigration New Zealand has processed visa applications for culturally arranged marriages, which will now see a consistent process applied which ensures people with legitimate arranged marriages can visit New Zealand while also preventing any rorting of the system. Earlier this year Immigration ...
The Royal Commission into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques will report back on 30 April 2020 to give it more time to hear submissions and consider information, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Royal Commission was originally scheduled to report back to Government by 10 December 2019. “There has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities. Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. ...
The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today. 168 community conservation projects throughout New Zealand are benefiting from $8 million in government grants, including $500,000 ...
Controls on assault rifles and semi-automatic firearms are to be broadened to include some types of pistols, under changes to a bill currently making its way through Parliament. Police Minister Stuart Nash has tabled a Supplementary Order Paper to the Arms Legislation Bill, which is currently before a Select Committee ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark will travel to Singapore today to conduct a counterpart visit and to co-chair the third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting with his counterpart, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. “Singapore is one of our most important defence partners in the region, and our ...
Nelson’s Salisbury School is to be rebuilt, creating a modern and suitable learning environment for students at the residential special school, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The school for girls aged 8-15, in Richmond, was earmarked for closure by National until the process ...
The panel undertaking a comprehensive review of the Resource Management Act has identified the main issues to be addressed and options for reform and is calling for feedback to inform its final report. In July the Government announced the comprehensive review of the resource management system, including the RMA - ...
An important safety valve has been added to New Zealand’s criminal justice system with the third reading of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill today. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “We’ve seen how our justice system can very occasionally get things spectacularly wrong, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles New independent disputes panels for parents and students Management of school property ...
The Government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system is a watershed moment in education and an opportunity to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today. “Last year through Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation, Māori teachers, parents, ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi ...
Infrastructure Minister is welcoming the first of many updated project pipelines from the newly established New Zealand Infrastructure Commission today. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, has released an expanded pipeline of major capital projects – another crucial step towards delivering better infrastructure outcomes. “The first iteration of the ...
Tougher gun laws designed to improve public safety through firearms prohibition orders are proposed in a new document released for public input. Police Minister Stuart Nash says firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would give new powers to Police to ensure high-risk individuals come nowhere near firearms. “We have already prohibited the ...
Andy Coupe has been confirmed as TVNZ’s new Board Chair. “Mr Coupe has strong commercial and capital markets experience and TVNZ has benefited from his technical knowledge of business and finance, as well as his extensive governance experience,” the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Kris Faafoi said. Andy ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today officially opened a separated pathway, following the completion of the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge, which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along Hutt Road. The $6.8m Hutt Road project provides a separated path for cycling and pedestrians, the replacement of informal parking ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of career diplomat Si’alei van Toor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “I’m pleased to appoint Ms van Toor to this position. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having previously served as Senior Trade Adviser to the ...
The Treasury’s 2019 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on Wednesday December 11, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Coalition Government will publish the 2020 Budget Policy Statement at the same time, outlining the priorities for Budget 2020. Further details on arrangements for the release will ...
A new initiative to better support small businesses through hands-on mentoring and advice has been launched by the Minister for Small Business. The first event in the Kiwi Business Boost series of regional workshops and online tools has been launched in Wairoa by Stuart Nash. “The Business Boost initiative combines ...
The latest Quarterly Connectivity Report shows that more and more New Zealanders are moving to Ultra-fast Broadband (UFB), with Rolleston having the highest uptake at 74 per cent, as at the end of September. “This means that nearly three quarters of Rolleston’s households and businesses have moved to ultra-fast services. ...
The passing of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill will help ensure a safe planet for our kids and grandkids, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said today. The landmark legislation which provides a framework to support New Zealanders to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects ...
The review of Oranga Tamariki practice around the planned uplift of a Hastings baby in May shows significant failings by the Ministry and that the planned and funded changes to shift from a child crisis service to a proper care and protection service need to be accelerated, Children’s Minister Tracey ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow. Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December. “I want to ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Bede Corry as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of a senior diplomat to this important role underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the United Kingdom,” said Mr Peters. “The United ...
An innovative approach to boosting the number of frontline Police has seen 20 new officers graduate from one of the uncommon training wings in Auckland. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 20 constables today means that 1,765 new Police officers have been deployed since the coalition government took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Crisp discusses the the week in politics the government’s response to the bush fires as well as the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action. They also talk about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The proposed acquisition of infant formula producer Bellamy’s Australia Ltd by China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited has been given approval by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Strict, legally enforceable conditions, have been set by the treasurer, which ...
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is condemning the All Saints Day evening raid on 31 October. With the arrest of over 60 union organisers, human rights defenders and activists in the Philippines province of Negros. The 16th of November is an international ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Assistant professor, University of Canberra What’s happening? Suddenly, at the level of central banks, Australia is regarded as an investment risk. On Wednesday Martin Flodén, the deputy governor of Sweden’s central bank, announced that because Australia and Canada were “not ...
SPECIAL REPORT: By Philip Cass in Brisbane Opening session – Day OneThe problems of operating in the Pacific and the impact of online news and the emergence of ‘citizen journalists’ were common concerns for all delegates to this week’s Melanesian Media Freedom Forum.The forum, held at Griffith ...
Standoff between protesters and the police at Yeung Uk Road, Hong Kong. Image by Studio Incendo – 20190825 Tsuen Wan March. CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81751531.The recent surge in social protests world-wide is quantitatively and qualitatively different than in previous ages. The advent of individualised mass communications technologies and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is going to start asking internet service providers to block certain offshore gambling websites. The decision follows former New South Wales premier ...
The Zero Carbon Act (ZCA) is over a week old, but it’s still being heavily debated and analysed. After all, depending on who you listen to, it’s the most significant new law of the year, of this Government, or even of some people’s lifetime. And it deals with a giant ...
Green MP and refugee Golriz Ghahraman was there last night when the former Manus Island detainee and acclaimed writer arrived in New Zealand.Last night, quietly and without fanfare a small group made up of human rights activists, literary folk, and just two journalists, came together at Auckland Airport to welcome ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra D’urso, Researcher, The Australian Centre, University of Melbourne To perform an exit is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, exiting a situation can be almost impossible for some. Exit Strategies is a new production by indie performer and theatre ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niro Kandasamy, Tutor, University of Melbourne Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Saturday comes at a critical time for the country. The government has been in turmoil since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked the prime minister last year and replaced him with former strongman ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation If you have kids, chances are you’ve worried about their presence on social media. Who are they talking to? What are they posting? Are they being bullied? Do they spend too much time on it? ...
New Zealand Police has won a prestigious World Class Policing Award for its ‘more street than station approach’ Mobility programme, which has saved millions of hours of officers’ time. ...
SEA-Unite SkyCity workers are expected to strike this weekend after 50 called in sick with symptoms linked to smoke inhalation from the convention centre fire. ...
In a powerful rebuff to critics who question whether the prime minister is willing to use her political capital, this morning she powerfully demonstrated her commitment to New Zealand culture.For two years, my professional life has been devoted to winning respect for the lowbrow, beaten-up, off-brand artefacts that truly define ...
MPs and staffers will likely begin moving out of their Bowen House offices over the next six months, so the building can undergo earthquake strengthening work. ...
The party that sold off the BNZ, NZ Rail, Petrocorp, Postbank, the Shipping Corporation, Air New Zealand, the State Insurance Office, the Tourist Hotel Corporation and a host of other New Zealand assets is at it again – with the assistance of its coalition ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trent Penman, Associate professor, University of Melbourne As sure as night follows day, this week’s bushfires prompted inevitable debate about whether fire authorities should have carried out more hazard reduction burning, and whether opposition from conservationists prevented this. There are two key ...
A new poem by writer and performer Freya Daly Sadgrove.TURDUCKEN I blow my body around like the huge clump of brown hairthat I once saw blowing up Cuba StreetI follow its movements with interestI put a video of it on the internet my favourite bragis that a groundskeeper ...
PHARMAC has backed down on a controversial drug brand switch affecting patients with epilepsy and mental health conditions after three people died following the change. ...
Tara Ward reviews Goodnight Kiwi, a new series that features well-known New Zealanders reading bedtime stories to kids. It’s strange to think that New Zealand television wasn’t always the 24-hour, infomercial-tastic extravangza that it is today. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, our televisions used to go dark every night at ...
FIRST Union members at Countdown have ratified a new agreement that will set their supermarket team on a path towards a living wage, and significantly raise the pay of 15,000 workers across the country. ...
13 moments that prove the music awards are so much > than all other award showsBENEE cleaned up, every performance was somewhere between an eight and a ten, there was an unfeasible quantity of award presenter awkwardness and many nights ended very late. The music awards are over 50 and ...
While the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Commission are examining whether New Zealand laws properly balance the issues of freedom of speech and hate speech (whatever that might be), taxpayers are helping to finance Chinese propaganda. Hateful propaganda, we suggest. The Screen Production Grant has handed a $243,000 subsidy to a ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Media Peter Thompson (Stuff): A new model for public media – but have the old ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (Viking Penguin $35)“Olive struggles to figure herself out, and has an urgent ...
After more than seven months of trying to end a tenancy to protect neighbours, a Rotorua property manager has finally received approval from the High Court to end the tenancy. ...
We agree with the Ombudsman Peter Boshier in his new report on councils QUOTE ; “leaders, officials lack of action to "ensure an approach is adopted that is consistent with openness and transparency" Un-quote. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1911/S00186/chief-ombudsman-new-report-wakeup-call-for-council-leaders.htm ...
Māori food systems are rich with potential, and whānau-based food producers across the country are looking to traditional ways to ensure their communities thrive in the future. Alice Neville reports from the Eat New Zealand Food Hui.In recent years there has been much talk – in food business, hospitality, tourism ...
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) commends the Government’s proposal to take school zoning responsibilities out of the hands of school boards and principals and instead have these taken up by a new Education Service Agency. ...
SINGAPORE, Nov 15, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - Global BioLife Inc, the U.S. subsidiary of Singapore eDevelopment Ltd (SeD), will present its 3F Antimicrobial Fragrance as a new method to prevent and treat Tuberculosis at the ASM Biothreats Conference, ...
The National Party is calling for the Auditor General to investigate a bid for tax payer money made by a forestry company set up by a senior New Zealand First figure; and an award-winning author detained on Manus Island by Australia for six years has touched down in Auckland ...
Responding to news that the Screen Production Grant handed a $243,000 subsidy to a propaganda film produced by Chinese state-owned enterprises, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Louis Houlbrooke says: “Taxpayers have all been made complicit ...
The campaign to take more colour coded bins into the regions has been developed by The Packaging Forum which promotes recycling under the Government’s Love NZ brand and The Auckland Litter Prevention Steering Group which manages the Be a Tidy Kiwi ...
Shane Jones calls protesting farmers 'rednecks' following rowdy march on Parliament; and top council staff 'manipulated' reports to hide bad news from councillors and public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie Bradby, Professor of Physics, Australian National University There’s a lot of uncertainty in a research career. Most funding – and most jobs – are doled out by the project, or in chunks of a few years at a time. Recently, however, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney The Australian government has indicated that “diaspora communities” are crucial to Australia’s public diplomacy mission to promote the country abroad. It has also identified online and social media as essential ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University For many parents whose teenage children are completing Year 12, this time of year means mixed emotions. Parents might feel proud, exhausted and excited. And as young people start heading to schoolies and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heiko Timmers, Associate Professor of Physics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Much is made of the “next generation” of nuclear reactors in the debate over nuclear power in Australia. They are touted as safer than older reactors, and suitable for helping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fran Gale, Senior Lecturer, Social Work and Community Welfare, School of Social Science and Psychology, Western Sydney University Children are too rarely asked their perspectives on public spaces. Traditionally, adults make choices for children, particularly about how they live and play. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW What do a billionaire, a former vice president, and a US democratic socialist have to do with Australia’s nearly three-decade run of economic growth? More than you might think. The race for the Democratic Party’s 2020 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lydia Edwards, Fashion historian, Edith Cowan University Eyebrows can turn a smile into a leer, a grumpy pout into a come hither beckoning, and sad, downturned lips into a comedic grimace. So, it’s little wonder these communicative markers of facial punctuation have ...
The rules around use of parliamentary TV are set to be liberalised and MPs will no longer have to give permissions for clips of them to be used in political advertising. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When five former fire chiefs held a news conference on Thursday to urge the federal government to take more action on climate change, it was a challenging moment for Scott Morrison. Those who fronted the ...
A powerful New Zealand First figure helped establish a forestry company that then pushed for money from two key funding streams controlled by a New Zealand First Minister. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Farmers square off with Shane Jones at parliament, tax rebates for Chinese propaganda film criticised, and ructions over future shape of public media.Now first of all, I just want to make it clear rednecks isn’t the term I’d use. But it was ...
'Policing' is increasingly falling to private security and citizen-led initiatives. Yet the wages and the training don't match the responsibility. So what can we do? ...
The biggest shakeup in the country’s broadcasting history looks to be looming as the Government gets serious about its options for strengthening public service broadcasting. ...
Support for the Zero Carbon Bill shows our action on climate will have to disrupt the status quo, writes Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton. That will mean new opportunities - and costs. ...
Football Ferns captain Ali Riley is making the most of her opportunity to play for German giants Bayern Munich, harbouring a dream to represent NZ at her fifth World Cup ...
Yesterday, Stuff reported that the 2017 Chinese-made propaganda blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 was partially made in New Zealand. Sam Brooks watched it and – spoiler alert – found it weird as hell.About halfway through Wolf Warrior 2 on Netflix, the unnamed leader of a revolution in an unnamed African country marches up ...
Rather than get distracted by the stadium debate, we need to urgently acknowledge that unlocking this land now for future integration into the CBD is critical for Auckland’s future, aruges Paul Winstanley.Don’t be fooled. This is not just another story about the waterfront stadium. Well, not really. Like the mayor ...
The Period Poverty Solution Petition: The Health and Wellbeing Implications was presented by the Positive Periods campaign team, of which The Period Place is a part of, at a cross-party breakfast, thanks to Louisa Wall MP and Joanne Hayes MP in Parliament ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on the Great Kiwi Bake Off, it’s all about weird biscuits. Savoury biscuits. Mushroomy biscuits. Biscuits about cross fit. Who had the best biscuit art of them all? Why is Trev ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Australia continues to experience unprecedented destruction from bushfires. Now is the time to harness our technological tools, and find innovative ways to help alleviate the problem, and also prevent future disaster. ...
The KickStart Breakfast programme will tomorrow celebrate 10-years as the only national breakfast programme of its kind in Aotearoa, serving more than 30 million breakfasts since 2009. ...
This is a rare public edition of The Bulletin World Weekly, an exclusive newsletter for The Spinoff Members that gets delivered every Thursday afternoon. Today’s edition focuses on the aftermath of Bolivian president Evo Morales being forced from office. Earlier in the week, the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, was forced out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tregear, Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne Review: Platform Papers 61: Criticism, Performance and the Need for Conversation, by Alison Croggon (Currency Press) “Pay no attention to what the critics say”, quipped the composer Jean Sibelius in 1937, because “there has ...
The recent decision to allow massive amounts of Otago’s Lindis River to be extracted for irrigation and intensive farming has been labelled environmental vandalism by a national angling organization. ...
Alex Casey goes on a journey to find out all there is to know about what a “normal” vulva looks like. Spoiler alert: there are many, many versions of normal. The funniest and most embarrassing thing anyone has ever said to me in my whole life happened during my very first ...
A political communications analyst says voters may be overwhelmed by the prospect of two referendums and a general election at the same time next year. ...
Open mike 15/12/2014 
Open mike is your post.
The Committee of Disobedient Women has intercepted an email from Dr Emma Eejut, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Massey University to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Jan Thomas. Dear Jan, Thank you for your courageous move. I think 10 pages of blether** should tie any of the students game enough to try holding ...5 hours ago
That's the only response to the findings of the Ombudsman's investigation into LGOIMA practices at the Christchurch City Council:My investigation identified serious concerns about the Council’s leadership and culture, and its commitment to openness and transparency. In particular, Council staff raised concerns with me about various methods employed by some ...9 hours ago
Different Strokes: If a multicultural immigration policy imposes no obligation on immigrant communities to acknowledge and ultimately embrace their host nation’s most cherished traditions and values, then how is that nation to prevent itself from being reduced to a collection of inward-looking and self-replicating ethnic and cultural enclaves?THE COALITION GOVERNMENT’S ...13 hours ago
Recently more than 150 post-graduate students and young scientists presented an open letter to the Green Party via The Spinoff, encouraging them to reconsider their position on genetic modification. Their target is tackling climate change issues.[1] Can any party continue to be dismissive about genetic modification (GM) contributing to ...2 days ago
It seems fair to say that we currently live in a problematic political moment in world history. Democracies are in decline and dictatorships are on the rise. Primordial, sectarian and post-modern divisions have re-emerged, are on the rise or have been accentuated by political evolutions of the moment such as ...2 days ago
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...3 days ago
4 days ago
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ... 5 days ago
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…
Installation complete: this was nothing ... 1 week ago
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...2 days ago
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...1 week ago
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...8 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Crisp discusses the the week in politics the government’s response to the bush fires as well as the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action. They also talk about ...2 hours ago
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is condemning the All Saints Day evening raid on 31 October. With the arrest of over 60 union organisers, human rights defenders and activists in the Philippines province of Negros. The 16th of November is an international ...3 hours ago
Green MP and refugee Golriz Ghahraman was there last night when the former Manus Island detainee and acclaimed writer arrived in New Zealand.Last night, quietly and without fanfare a small group made up of human rights activists, literary folk, and just two journalists, came together at Auckland Airport to welcome ...6 hours ago
MPs and staffers will likely begin moving out of their Bowen House offices over the next six months, so the building can undergo earthquake strengthening work. ...8 hours ago
Phil Goff warns of further city centre chaos as City Rail Link project enters stage three. ...9 hours ago
PHARMAC has backed down on a controversial drug brand switch affecting patients with epilepsy and mental health conditions after three people died following the change. ...10 hours ago
While the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Commission are examining whether New Zealand laws properly balance the issues of freedom of speech and hate speech (whatever that might be), taxpayers are helping to finance Chinese propaganda. Hateful propaganda, we suggest. The Screen Production Grant has handed a $243,000 subsidy to a ...11 hours ago
The National Party is calling for the Auditor General to investigate a bid for tax payer money made by a forestry company set up by a senior New Zealand First figure; and an award-winning author detained on Manus Island by Australia for six years has touched down in Auckland ...14 hours ago
Shane Jones calls protesting farmers 'rednecks' following rowdy march on Parliament; and top council staff 'manipulated' reports to hide bad news from councillors and public. ...14 hours ago
The rules around use of parliamentary TV are set to be liberalised and MPs will no longer have to give permissions for clips of them to be used in political advertising. ...15 hours ago
A widening of the definition of "culturally arranged marriage" means this week's change for Immigration NZ is greater than originally thought. ...15 hours ago
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias. ...16 hours ago
The Tall Ferns reward their first home crowd in four years with a massive victory over the Philippines on their road to Tokyo 2020. ...17 hours ago
'Policing' is increasingly falling to private security and citizen-led initiatives. Yet the wages and the training don't match the responsibility. So what can we do? ...17 hours ago
The biggest shakeup in the country’s broadcasting history looks to be looming as the Government gets serious about its options for strengthening public service broadcasting. ...17 hours ago
Support for the Zero Carbon Bill shows our action on climate will have to disrupt the status quo, writes Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton. That will mean new opportunities - and costs. ...17 hours ago
Football Ferns captain Ali Riley is making the most of her opportunity to play for German giants Bayern Munich, harbouring a dream to represent NZ at her fifth World Cup ...17 hours ago
Chloe Swarbrick's 'OK Boomer' aside in Parliament has a serious message behind it ...18 hours ago
The dairy farmers who celebrated an historic court victory against the ANZ Bank earlier this year, have learned the fight isn’t over yet. ...18 hours ago
National has proved it can’t be trusted on our climate or other environmental challenges. ...1 day ago
In an over-stretched funding environment an more DHB-affiliated charities are plugging the holes. ...1 day ago
It is economic necessity, not moral imperative, driving the Asian superpower's climate action - but others will benefit nonetheless. ...1 day ago
The space sector has contributed almost $1.7 billion to New Zealand's economy in the past financial year. ...1 day ago
Out of the ‘stories that should of been done pre election file’ tv3 have had the guy who runs one of the big property websites in Asia saying NZ is high on investors hit list because of our lack of capital gains and controls on foreign ownership.
yes – out of the horse’s mouth. How is this going to be spun do you think?
This government primarily works for the wealthy, with a few good social policies from previous Labour government kept for political cunning expediency. We the people that vote such a government in are really dumb. It isn’t the fault of the rich foreign property buyers.
“..We the people that vote such a government in are really dumb..”
+ 1..
..as in really really fucken ‘dumb’..
You gotta ask…what will wake them up?
dunno..the fucken idiots vote time and time again for the bastards who are screwing them/the planet over..
..hard to see/get past such bone-headed stupidity..
..and yes..politicians are lying bastards..
..the media are complicit clowns..
..and the people are really really fucken dumb..
..’tis an unholy trifecta..
..and i dunno what ‘will wake them up’..
They don’t need to when Len brown came on straight after and rabbited on about how many low cost house’s were being built (how under 500k is classed as low cost has me buggered) and how many consents have been issued.
Hi b waghorn. I hope you received this reply I left you on yesterday’s Open Mike
“Children suffer: Welfare’s outdated ideas on relationships”
Excerpt:
“New Zealand’s social security framework is based on outdated ideas of the nature of relationships and too often fails to protect the needs of children in the 21st century, says Child Poverty Action Group.”
“There are major inconsistencies in the use of relationship in the welfare system. It is difficult to justify a policy that pays less to a couple than to two individuals who share accommodation and costs. ”
“The report finds that tests for the degree of financial interdependence and emotional commitment, needed for the relationship to be treated as ‘in the nature of marriage’, are subjective and inconsistent. There is often a degree of surveillance that is far from open and transparent. Moreover the appeal processes for anyone accused of being in a relationship are very unsatisfactory. A sole parent may even be given a prison sentence with scant regard to the impact on her children.
Susan St John says, “it is worrying to see how often sole mothers face both imprisonment and a lifetime of repayments.” ” http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1412/S00165/children-suffer-welfares-outdated-ideas-on-relationships.htm
SSJ makes a good point about someone flatting having the same costs as someone in a relationship.
I’d like to point out that section 20C of the Social Securities Act, Sole Parent Support: split custody (this is when one or more of the children from a relationship live with one parent, and the others live with the other parent) only provides benefit support to one parent.
In working terms this ususally means the person who applied first, not necessarily the most in need, and can fail children who are caught in the middle of two bewildered parents who didn’t realise this was the case or who are using the benefit system to get back at an ex partner and the children who chose to live with them. Nasty stuff.
mr sellout on the tpp..and the minister for doing nothing about climatechange..groser..
..on the telly spinning for all his worth..
.denying the fact that groser/nz was on the side of the villains in peru..
..lining up with the other big-polluters to argue against them having to cut their polluting at all..
..lying/spinning bastard…
Grose can release our Pledge before christmas then, to prove he is on the side of the angels
Bricking over the lower windows of the Fed + survival kits ordered. Something catastrophic about to happen in the US?
http://www.brotherjohnf.com/archives/356927
They’re pulling up the drawbridge …….
These federal reserve outfits have the most power of all. They direct the things that happen in the world and hence they know better than any what is likely to occur next.
and john key is our ‘man from the fed’..
..and him becoming prime minister..
..must rank as one of their most successful placements/trojan-horse-operations..ever..
the editor from metro doing a mea culpa over slagging little as a possible/viable leader for labour..
..i wd like to note that i went on the record at the same time as that metro-slagging…supporting little for the role..
..purely on the grounds that we had not yet seen what he had to offer..
..whereas with robertson and parker…we already had..
In about 6 months time the first review is due to get underway of NZ’s Security and Intelligence Agencies. One aspect that I hope is looked into is the extent that citizens who are concerned about the environment are being subjected to surveillance, in their search for what Mr Finlayson has called “Eco-terrorism”. He was being questioned on TV One’s Q&A program a week ago, then in regard to unwarranted surveillance.
From what he said, it seems to be the call of whoever is doing the surveillance do decide whether those under surveillance are wanting to protest against something, or may “cross the line into eco-terrorism.”
Corin repeatedly asked, “Who draws the line?”
And each time, he failed to give a clear answer.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1412/S00095/definition-of-foreign-fighters-is-tolerably-clear.htm
Thanks for this. A law passed with no definition for the key parts…
Breaking news
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-30473983
So their new increased powers dont appear to have worked… On the other hand the last time the ozzie police brandished a plastic ceremonial sword as proof of terrorism in oz, without telling anyone it was plastic…
Sometimes its best to wait 24 hours to find some real facts… Sometimes 24 days.
i was wondering if anyone else who watched the final of the nation yesterday..
..also suffered from spontaneous gastric-reflux every time ‘squeeg’ gower referrred/spoke to those two rightwing trouts nash and marks..
..as ‘stuey’..and ‘ronnie’..
..i know i did..
that gushing–yeah yeah yeah–we’re teamsters! we know how it really is…
yeah..the ‘in-crowd’ feel of the whole thing was also nausea-inducing..
..it’s all just a game..
..and we are the ones who are being ‘played’..
So Phil Goff, I guess on behalf of the Labour Party, says yesterday in the SST that we should stop people going to fight for organisations like ISIS that commit crimes against humanity.
How does Phil Goff square that away with joining the US when the US also commits crimes against humanity?
And, is Dick Cheney the biggest joke on the planet?
phil goff has us standing alongside the torturers..
..phil goff was a major driver for us to go to afgnanistan to be spear-carriers for the americans..
..our troops captured afghanis..
..and handed them over to be tortured..
..we help the drones with their targeting..(of innocent men/women/children..at a rate of 28 innocents killed for every ‘terrorist’..)
..how the fuck can phil goff come within a bulls roar of taking the/any high moral ground on this..?
..his hands are stained with the blood of the tortured..
..and of the bombed/killed innocents…
Gof, like Collins, is writing on behalf of Goff.
The SST seems to get their brief mixed up
“we need someone from the far left to make it a balance against crusher”
“what about Goff?”
“oh thats a better idea, get someone kinda sorta on the left but on the far right of Labour and who wants to be auckland mayor then we dont upset the advertisers, hell they may increase”
There are some boundaries NZ politicians are not allowed to step over.
Why? What would happen?
We know the US (or it’s proxies) runs operations all over the planet to destabilise regimes they don’t like or are inconvenient. This is a matter of historical fact.
What makes anyone think NZ is somehow immune? I can think of at least one local example within the last decade.
Gough Whitlam in the 70s was unseated
What’s that I can’t recall anything local……. although my memory sure isn’t what it used to be.
Hmmm. That brings up the very simple and age old dilemma so aptly illustrated by Shakespeare’s “to be or not to be”.
Do we turn a blind eye to suffering and accept the stolen treasures?
Or do we stand up for what is right despite the fact it may lead to our own detriment?
Do we remain like our dirty stained Aussie ‘cousins’? Or do we become a happy and good Cuba?
It is no wonder the USA is so hated by so many and is on such a steep downward trajectory on every front in the eyes of the rest.
Exactly. Not to mention that the US (and their Saudi allies) stoked up Islamic fundamentalism in the first place as a counter to secular, progressive forces in the Arab world and in Afghanistan.
After the Cold War, the fundamentalists struck out on their own, biting the hand that fed them. Still, by doing so, they provided successive US administrations with a new enemy against which to try to cohere fragmenting American society and the west in general under US leadership. Not that it’s working out all that well for the US ruling elite. . .
Phil
Here’s a thing about the US and Bin Laden that first appeared in the bulletin produced by the old Middle East Information and Solidarity Collective in Christchurch over a decade ago: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/how-the-west-created-osama-bin-laden/
Phil
PS: When I said “Exactly” in the email above, it was in response to this from VTO: “How does Phil Goff square that away with joining the US when the US also commits crimes against humanity?” Forgot to quote VTO.
John Minto good on Morning Report on where to now for the Mana Party
…personally I am sorry the Internet part or Party has been dropped for now…I think Mana will be the poorer for it…especially as an Internet Party is being established in the USA… Minto says he has no regrets as regards the Internet Party coalition..it was a risk worth taking ( imo it certainly focused issues for intelligent New Zealanders)
MInto, always a clear and concise communicator , gave good reasons as to why Internet/Mana did not make it into Parliament
…Labour Party and other parties in cahoots with Nactional ganged up on Hone, found Int/Mana party and all it stood for it too threatening
….and a concerted msm attack on Dotcom….SHAME! ( I hope the msm attacks can be catalogued for future historians and generations to see exposed)
5 weeks out from the Election Internet/mana was doing very well indeed and could have had 3-4 seats in parliament
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20161080/back-to-the-drawing-board-for-mana-movement-and-internet-party
it’s not minto..it’s um! um! ah! ah! david slack..
..and he’s um! um! ah! ah! spouting simplistic shit…
minto gets a line in the intro..it is 90% slack..
..did you listen to it..?
I really wish that Hone, Laila, Minto and Sykes were in parliament this term.
@ Clem…+100…and we would probably have a Labour led coalition ( Labour sure as hell fucked that one up!)
btw…there is something funny going on with the sequence of comments..it is not working …LPrent…where are you?…help)
it happened this morning too with icebergs comment suddenly appearing before vto on the sorry thread
Yeah, they got screwed, and as a consequence NZ got screwed.
Yip sure was. Minto would be better forming another party, Mana is a dead duck. Hone has got Warner Bro’s millions stashed away where they can’t get it, and will spend up on himself.
“..Hone has got Warner Bro’s millions stashed away ..”
..could you expand on that..?
this is a reply to skinny..above..comment sequencing is on the blink..
@ Skinny
I am not sure why your remark wouldn’t be actionable as slander against Hone. What Warners millions and are you peeved because you stood for election and couldn’t get enough funding for promotion of your cause? Or what? You remind me of the end of a hippotomus I once saw – while it did its business it flapped its little tail and spread it all around (in your case you do it with your little tale.)
I wish you’d keep your racist crap stashed away.
@ pu ….see my reply above at 9.1.1…i got the wrong link. here is the correct link
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20161066/internet-mana-alliance-formally-dissolved
pu…thanks…OK you are right ( this time)…I got the wrong link and stupid old David Slack “spouting simplistic shit”…why Suzie Ferguson would want to interview David Slack on Internet /mana Party I do NOT know ….( maybe to obfuscate and muddy the waters!!!?…maybe they didnt like what Minto said earlier…too hard hitting for Morning Report !?)..David Slack wanted to start a David Party for Christs sakes ….pleeeeze! ( it starts with Minto though)
here is the correct link
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20161066/internet-mana-alliance-formally-dissolved
“I think Mana will be the poorer for it”
And Laila Harre
“an Internet Party is being established in the USA”
Couldn’t buy NZ voters so lets try with the yanks.
“it was a risk worth taking”
Really?
“Labour Party and other parties in cahoots with Nactional ganged up on Hone, found Int/Mana party and all it stood for it too threatening”
1.5% of those who voted must be right. All the other must just be scaredy cats. 🙄
“and a concerted msm attack on Dotcom”
As forecast and quite predictable really, so no point crying about it. If a dunce like me got it right, why did no one in mana?
“5 weeks out from the Election Internet/mana was doing very well indeed and could have had 3-4 seats in parliament”
That’s what happens when you count chickens before they hatch like one does with millions of dollars of donations.
The joint campaign was a bit of a disaster with mixed messages and puffed up little shit episodes. It was bound to end in tears and did.
zzzzz…feel tired and sleepy
Probably because all that brain power you exerted on thinking up a load of old bull has worn you out. 😉
gone to sleep…did you speak in my dream?…inwhich case i will have to go into a deeper more profound level of sleep….zzzzz
Good reply, but try again after a nap if you want me to take you seriously.
I dont like using this analogy, but the Internet-Mana party has been officially strangled at birth, now that it has been de-registered.
Thank you, politcal establishment, with special mention to the mistakes made by several people on IM’s part.
And meanwhile the Chinese contine to buy the National party and noone bats an eyelid.
that was the real big lie they got away with..(one of them..)
..that dotcom was ‘money influencing politics’..
..whereas national are owned lock stock and barrel by ..’money’..
..and have always been that way..
..key must deserve an acting award for pushing that one..and being able to still maintain a straight face..
the best thing about Internet /Mana is that it gave those at the bottom of the heap a Party with a sophisticated futurist look..they were winners and tech savvy and concerned with democracy and internet freedom… and it was a foil / counter to corporate controlled culture with a permanent underclass
…it gave lie to the Nact myth that those at the bottom of the heap are no- hopers
…and a socialist type party is dead and in the past history
….Int/Mana was ahead of its time and ahead of the game
….as it is now the under-thirties ( the intelligent, dynamic and beautiful) who John key Nact and corporate right wing govts around the world are now making the new underclass …with huge tertiary loans, insecure and poorly paid work and no hope of ever owning a home … i see Mana combined with an Internet Party as the way of the future
….Dotcom and Mana are to be congratulated for trying….and next TIME your time will have come !
Dan Carlin had some very interesting talking points about CIA Torture & the related political lines given, especially the way Obama was elected to change the excesses of the Bush administration, and then proceeded to double down on them. See Common Sense 285 – Torturing our values
http://www.dancarlin.com/common-sense-home-landing-page/
If you haven’t listened to his podcast before, you’re in for a treat, Carlin is easily one of the best political commentators on the left (the real left) in the USA. He is incisive, cuts through the noise, analyses situations and compares them to the historical context.
It looks like iwi are going to charge people to enter 90 mile beach. Coupled with the recent locking out of hunters out of the Ureweras it is another reason why the left should oppose the handing over of conservation land to iwi because they WILL restrict access.
Well, it is about time for some entity to ‘control’ access to 90 Mile (Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē).
It takes a hammering daily from large tourist buses travelling at 100kmh, the drivers know the conditions well and it is hammer down. You just have to be on the beach to feel it. It is about reasonable access and use.
It about shitting on the kiwi tradition of a day at the beach.
Beaches should be publicly owned and free for the public according to our egalitarian soceity.
But not for cars.
Yes, this is something that cuts across party lines
I wonder why Tuhoe want to restrict Hunters from killing game on their historic territory, and land that they hold pretty sacred, their sanctuary, the place they retreated when the colonial army came to slaughter them for not rolling over and coming to the table.
Tuhoe never signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Their land was systematically stolen from them. They still hold the Ureweras to be their land. How is it any different from a hunter coming on to your land and shooting your ducks? Restricting hunting hardly seems like the crime of the century.
Context is important here. But on another note, I totally disagree with Maori, or anyone for that matter restricting access to beaches, or charging members of the public to use their tracks to the beach. It’s important though, that everyone treats their land with respect, afaik the Iwi just want to charge commercial operators, the same guys who drive big buses across their land, it’s not a big ask for commercial operators who are making money off of bringing tourists across private owned land to be asked to pay a small fee for entry.
Thanks for context. Makes a big difference to discussion.
There was an interesting piece on Native Affairs this year about the charge for commercial operators for taking tourists through the “hole in the rock”.
Of course, the operators continued the line that although it was private land “above”, the “hole” was not owned by anyone and therefore no fees needed to be paid.
…if this is true, then tourist operators should be able to set up large flying foxes across the volcanic cones of Auckland, – taking money from those who want to do close flyovers of the residences of the 1%.
I have no doubt the framing of public access and private property would be entirely different to that which is trotted out whenever iwi land is involved.
Spot on Molly. Well said.
+1
Of course, the real analogy would be tunnels dug under the private property, maybe with glass ceilings? Yuck.
Are they looking at charging people, or charging cars? Particularly with tourist companies making money from trips up and down the beach, why shouldn’t the locals get something?
As for Tuhoe, I read what they’d decided at the time and agreed with them. It isn’t so much a lockout, but a reorganisation of licensing.
Of course if you want Kiwi not Iwi, move to Epsom and your vote will be counted.
In the wake of the OECD report there has been some discussion on tax and GST. While tax havens have been around for some time, there has certainly been a big growth of them in recent years – part of the process where capital can move freely (and hide) while workers are locked into national frontiers (and can’t hide for long from the immigration police).
Anyway, here’s an interesting article on tax havens: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/tax-havens-natural-and-inescapable-product-of-capitalism/
And here’s an article on the roles of direct and indirect tax under capitalism and why capitalists like indirect tax: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/understanding-gst-and-tax-policy/
Phil
OMG, Mathew Hooten (on Nine to Noon) is suggesting to break Fonterra into TWO organisations to COMPETE? Why does RNZ continue to have this very silly man on. I don’t even know where to start.
He can have a go at Fonterra, but not for that reason…Fonterra has critical mass, which is its major strength. Maybe he should put his free market ideology aside and challenge whether Fonterra’s “GDT” system is losing NZ dairy farmers value???
What he should be suggesting is the NZs beef and lamb producers get together and create something like Fonterra
But too many egos involved for that to happen I guess…
Yep….agree. Ruth Richardson also put her spanner in the works….looking after herself.
well I dont think Fonterra is doing that good a job for dairy farmers…they should have another co-op that sells to Russia…so agree with Possum Hooton on this
Terrorists holding hostages in Sydney coffee shop outlines exactly why we should completely stay out of The Middle Eastern Wars. Make that call John Key show some leadership before we stuff a similar fate here in New Zealand.
IMO, John Key and National would use such an incident to increase surveillance on the populace. In other words, he’d see such an incident as an opportunity rather than the failure on his and National’s part that it would be.
Yep, justification for the spy bill will be the predictable spin line.
Won’t be long until the cries of False Flag are heard
Without proof that would be a bit silly, but then even if it were a black flag op, it’s not like you’ll get access to the truth, is it?
+100 Skinny
We don’t actually know yet who the guy holding people hostage is. It’s a very strange sort of terrorist act. They usually commit random acts of violence, designed to shock and scare people. Hours of a hostage situation is more like an armed robbery gone wrong. We might know in about 30 years.
Civil liberties going to zero in 3…2…1
The 4th Estate and Dirty Politics.
Raises some interesting questions about our MSM.
I hope those who railed at the ethics of hager publishing and maybe profitting from, stolen emails are now railing at fairfax and apn for using some of those hacks to sell newspapers and online ads
Good journalism awards from Bruce Jesson Foundation..
Bruce Jesson Awards:
Max Rashbrooke & Chloe Winter
The Bruce Jesson Foundation recently announced its 2014 Journalism Awards:
The Senior Journalism Award of $4000 for a proposed work of “critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing that will contribute to public debate in NZ on an important issue or issues” was awarded to Max Rashbrooke for an e-book on wealth inequality in NZ;
About – http://www.maxrashbrooke.org.nz/about-me/
http://www.bwb.co.nz/books/the-inequality-debate ebook $14.99
Inequality: A NZ Crisis ebook $39.99
The Emerging Journalism Award of $1000 for “outstanding published work of critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing by NZ print journalism students which will contribute to public debate in New Zealand on an important issue or issues” was awarded to Chloe Winter of Massey University, Wellington, for her article “War against killers we face at work”, published in the Herald on Sunday on 3 November 2013.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11150665
For Mike Joy’s speech (and other annual ones from people of renown)
go here http://www.brucejesson.com/?page_id=349
The 2014 Bruce Jesson Lecture Mike Joy – Paradise Squandered; New Zealand’s Environmental Asset Stripping
Posted on 10 October 2014 by bjf_admin
New Zealand’s lakes, rivers and most of our groundwater are in a critical state. Decades of misguided regulation and a free-for-all on diffuse pollution have encouraged agricultural intensification and driven our increasing reliance on imported feed and fertiliser.
The inevitable consequences have been devastating environmental impacts as well as increasing economic and biosecurity risks.
The solutions are many but require a paradigm shift; a move away from dependence on imported feed and fertiliser to keeping nutrients on farm and adding value to products, and strong leadership to move away from short-term thinking that accepts the massive ecological debt we are running up.
‘David Bain’s legal team has been in confidential discussions with the Minister of Justice over his bid for compensation.’…hope Adams has got the steel to stand up to the Bain industry.
When did household income peak in the USA? For many counties, it was at least 15 years ago…
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-14/when-income-peaked-americans-best-days-are-behind-them