Christ on a bike. The Greens and Labour and NZF have discussions and government policy comes out of that. That then ties all three parties to a line – that might be expressed by saying “Our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says”
It’s really not that hard, is it?
Not saying it’s good and not saying it’s healthy. I think coalitions are dog breakfast affairs and reckon we’d be far better served having a Fixed Term Parliament Act that did away with the need for coalitions.
But in the meantime, the Greens put forward their priorities in discussions and they get however far with them and then toe the agreed line afterwards.
“The Greens and Labour and NZF have discussions and government policy comes out of that. That then ties all three parties to a line – that might be expressed by saying ‘Our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says'”
In that regard, the thing is, with the Greens being merely a support partner, they don’t have to tow the party line. As shown by their opposing position on the TPP.
Therefore, if Government policy fails to live up to Green Party principle, should they really be spouting such a line (our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says)? And won’t doing so risk costing them support?
Well, I’m not sure where the different lines would run in terms of when they are expected to be more than merely a support partner in terms of public perception (in areas where they have ministerial positions?).
And sure, given the nature of coalitions, the smaller always winds up orbiting the larger. So NZF and the Greens will be being constantly eclipsed by NZ Labour.
Like I’ve been saying on and off for quite some time now, we’d be much better served having a Fixed Term Parliament Act that gave full voice and agency to smaller parties.
Prime Minister Ardern was weak on this herself even in late December.
She was clear that there is no process for differing from the Cabinet line – neither the media nor the public are ready for major dissent., managed or unmanaged. TBH neither would I be if it happened too often.
I think the left broadly will remain patient with Coalition dissent if they really roll out the goods consistently.
Actually this lot are far less racist than the last lot, so bit of a fail their Puckish Rouge.
Only real problem I’m seeing is the slowness of some tory mp’s in setting up electoral offices.
Did anyone tell Denise Lee she won the election months ago, and part of her job is to have an electorate office. Or do we have another local body politician transfer to being an MP who is going to do bugger all?
No like she cost the city of Auckland more money in a by election or anything….
I see Iceland has passed a law where companies are required to prove that there is equal pay for equal work to deal with the gender gap.
We could either talk about the gender gap for the next 20 years or just pass a similar law. It’s 2018 after all.
Should have no problem getting it passed – after all many deny it is an issue so they can see it as redundant legislation. And what better way to improve our economic performance
The bit that seems ironic to me is, if the NZ government bought that farm there would be great screams and outrage from the right about NATIONALISATION. But it is OK then for a foreign government to buy it, no doubt for the benefit of the people of that country.
Also not a worry, for the benefit of the people of that country they are planning to go ahead and pollute this country further by increasing the herd size by 400 cows.
All future land and asset sales should be bought by companies created by the NZ government,
“The bit that seems ironic to me is” that if this had happened in August last year it would have been reported immediately and the Labour, Green and New Zealand First parties would have been spraying bile all over the place.
Didn’t they promise that this was going to STOP?
No New Zealand land would be allowed to be sold to those bloody foreigners.
Now look how quiet they all are. Nothing to see here. Time to move on. Their only real complaint is going to be why this was announced at all.
Here is a scandal. …. Tiwai smelter toxic waste “stockpiled” around southland … “sold” to another company, went bust recievers walked away, tip of an iceburg it is thought.
Issue of rail transportation to lower the climate change emissions and make our truck gridlocked roads safer with far less truck accidents and deaths.
Just released today by our NGO to the Labour lead government today.
Public COMMUNITY letter;
16th January. 2018.
Dear Ministers, – IMPORTANT This was a social blog sent today for your consideration ahead of your first 100 days summary coming soon.
Labour Government in their last term in 2008 bought the rail back for us all to run an efficient rail service and to reduce truck freight and lower climate change affects while making the roads safer with less truck gridlocked roads and make our air quality cleaner ion our cities.
“Earlier, Robertson said the Government had identified a number of capital pressures that had built up over a significant number of years and it was looking at ways to fund urban infrastructure in Auckland, which would include rail, roading and housing infrastructure.” (QUOTE)
Bernard Hickey WHO is the Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro and writes about politics and economics from the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Wellington
Grant Robinson said;
“We have made it clear we are looking at a variety of funding instruments there — infrastructure bonds, partnership with the private sector to develop the transport and housing infrastructure that is required to allow us to make that growth sustainable,” he said.
“We are looking at some innovative financing mechanisms in those areas.”
So we call now on the new Labour coalition now since we are reaching our first 100 days we do need the Labour lead government to reopen all regional rail systems to begin making their safety and climate change policies realty to work for our health and welfare and our environment please!!!!!!
Use the evidence in the new found EY (Ernest Young) rail report on the ‘Value of rail in NZ’ as your evidence to complete the move back to rail now as we need this urgently.
We have seen or heard nothing about this very important study since that time when it was released by Labour to the press, so the time is now clearly to use this report national party had hidden to use to justify the funding of regional rail services urgently needed now.
She is, shes thought provoking but also writes in an entertaining and accessible manner.
But the whole thing with Hollywood is just a giant joke, how many of the same actors that are now talking (both male and female) knew all about whats going on but kept quiet
But look at who they go after, or rather who they don’t and ask yourself how is that Woody Allen is still adored and gets all the big names in his movies even though the allegations against him have a lot more substance than most
When an industry is run by predators who require silence, it’s hardly surprising that the people who work in it are those who can tolerate its conditions.
After all, this is how “free trade” is practised, eh: you remain silent about human rights abuses, and human rights abusers will buy your export goods.
This and that. There is safety in numbers, but also danger.
Safety for women to come forward, too many for the powerful in the industry to example for it, so they have to accept change.
But also risk, women will share their various Me Too stories and men will fear being named. So come forward the she for he brigade who do not want to see injustice to men/a man.
In most cases it is not a matter of allegation and investigation for a court case (even where it was a criminal matter it is time expired or difficult evidence wise). More a matter of unjust impact on the careers of accused men, an irony as for near a century women’s careers (and some younger males) have depended on not complaining.
And another irony, for the aging males involved, most would have been retired off years ago, if they were female.
The balanced view is that, Me Too results in women citing all sorts of experiences, but a blanket response to all those named would be unjust.
But I think most of the public realise that. Most of those coming forward realise that, and most of those named realise that.
And given this is America, the usual process will be to confess (to being a participant in an industry with a tradition of sexual harassment and abuse of power
in the workplace), and seek to change (rehab, the industry and personally).
Celebrate the death of the old regime by wearing black … and finance Times Up and take the victory across the workplaces of the world.
Me Too is not a threat to adult behaviour and social relations, sexual harassment and abuse of power, over the objections of a women is not flirting – displays of entitlement end in partner violence and the stalking of exes.
The issue is that before the election Twyford highlighted the issue and condemned then Associate Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro for not of helping Lilley.
But now hes in government he says he can’t get involved due to the conflict of interest
But its ok because but he hopes a solution could be found
given some of the comments of some of the meatless folk on here lately- here is a nice post (wIth citations) from sustainable table about the benefits of raising and slaughtering your own livestock
“No downsides”
Downsides for the cow.
Downsides for the planet.
And , (and this part will appeal to you) downsides for you too. A plant based diet is better for your health.
In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-recognized lecturer, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives.
How not to die by Michael Greger, m.d. – animated summary
That was interesting PR. I thought this bit makes particular sense.
A mixed agricultural economy that uses meat thriftily and integrates arable and livestock farming – with the animals’ manure feeding the soil so that the crops will grow to feed the animals in turn – is efficient, sustainable and protective of the landscape. Moreover, the dependency of domesticated meat species on us would not end just because we stopped killing them. They would not revert to the wild; we would still have to be responsible for their welfare and demise. We could hardly abandon them to “tamelife parks”, as he puts it.
But our moral authority to kill animals for food can only be based on our offering them a better deal in life than they would get without our help. The prevailing system of intensive livestock farming is a complete abrogation of that responsibility. It is systematically abusive. Pain is routine, stress almost constant, disease widespread. We should raise and kill animals without cruelty and then do them the respect of eating every last bit of them, from crisp griddled pigs’ ears to slow-braised oxtails.
Perhaps we would buy a beast, as part of a food group or do-operative, and pay a farmer to raise it and kill it for us and take responsibility for our animal and know how it is treated, and how it is killed.
I very much agree with how heavy glossy paper is. The House and Garden mags that float around no doubt bought by women enslaved by capitalism, when gathered to be thrown out eventually for recycling, result in the banana carton being impossible to lift for one ordinary person.
Trouble is that everything has to be glossy these days, we deserve only the best style.
You did not even listen to or read Michael Greger.
I’d advise him not to bother. I only needed to read his appalling diabetes advice to realise he needs quote marks around the word “facts” in Nutrition”Facts”.org.
The Herald, to its credit is running a series of interview with scientists to look at the environmental challenges facing New Zealand (and the world). Yesterday they published the brief Q and A with Professor James Renwick.
In his answers to a few questions, Renwick outlined the severity of the threat facing the planet. It is not looking good…
The Herald
What has driven this (increases in greenhouse gas emissions) and does it tell us New Zealand has been poor at addressing climate change?
Professor James Renwick
The difference between gross and net is explained by cutting down trees, basically.
Our “sinks” of CO2 have decreased as forests have shrunk.
Our sources have grown mostly from transport and industry.
We have one of the highest car-ownership rates in the world and use a lot of fossil fuel to power industrial plant.
Both net and gross numbers tell us that New Zealand has done nothing to address the causes of climate change.
The Herald
What do you make of the oft-made argument that what actions we take here are relatively insignificant, given we contribute just around 0.15 per cent of global emissions and future climate depends on the big polluters. Is this true to any extent?
Professor James Renwick
Of course the global profile of emissions is dominated by the big emitters.
But on a per-capita basis, New Zealand is one of the big emitters. We are in the top 10 globally, per head of population, and there is as much of an onus on us as on the Chinese or the Americans to reduce our emissions.
Plus, there is the “soft power” angle of being a leader, showing others how it’s done, that would benefit us on the international stage.
The Herald
You toured the country recently to speak about climate change. Did the response suggest Kiwis are genuinely concerned about it? I note one survey a few years ago found only half of Kiwis agreed there was a scientific consensus human-driven climate change was actually happening, although more recent studies tell us awareness and acceptance of the science has been growing.
Professor James Renwick
Yes. We had full houses almost everywhere we went and the questions suggested strongly that those who came out to hear us are very interested and very concerned.
But, across the broader population, it’s harder to say. Because there’s been no political leadership, most people probably give it very little thought and are more apathetic than concerned or dismissive.
The Herald
That aside, does New Zealand still have a sceptic problem? Are there still too many Kiwis who reject the scientific consensus?
Professor James Renwick
There are some, but I suspect it’s a minority.
I receive regular emails telling me I have the science wrong, but they come from a very small number of individuals. I’d say the major issue is that most people don’t even think about it.
The Herald
So how hopeful are you, actually, that the world will avert the worst possible effects of climate change? Where do you place your optimism on a scale of one to 10?
Professor James Renwick
I am hopeful we can avoid the real worst-case scenario but I am pessimistic about the 1.5C or even 2C limit.
My gut feeling is that we won’t stop the warming until we are committed to 2.5C or even 3C of temperature rise.
That would lock in loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet, plus most of Greenland and part of the east Antarctic and would commit the globe to 10m or more of sea level rise.
Plus of course a big rise in extreme high temperatures, droughts, floods and crop failures.
Because of the delay time built into the climate system, it’s my feeling that we won’t take decisive action until a lot of change is baked in, so we’ll have a great deal of adapting to do.
On a scale of one to 10 for optimism, I’m about a three.
I would love to be pleasantly surprised.
The challenge for the Herald is follow through. One of John Campbell’s great features that singles him out in the New Zealand media landscape is that he and his team at Campbell Live ( and now Checkpoint) stuck with a story.
James Renwick clearly identified that
the major issue is that most people don’t even think about it (climate change).
The media have a lot to answer for on this.
We cannot control what John Roughan and the editors of the Herald do.
But we can certainly keep this issue prominent and endeavour to do all we can to confrontthe issue Renwick mentions – that
most people probably give it very little thought and are more apathetic than concerned or dismissive.
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s save what is left of life on our planet before it is too late. We have 10 years.
Ed
You have produced some great links and important points here on ts. I appreciate it enormously and I am sure most others do also, so keep on. But just as a health measure note the point in Thought of the Day how laughter is good too. I think you should give yourself one day in three off the computer and do something different or it will grind you down mentally. And you are a valuable fact finder and activist here, so we need you. Do this and conserve your energies physical and mental ready for the next lot of stuff. And remember to put up any good stuff you see will you, and vice versa. We need to keep our fighting spirits up. I hope you will be advised about this.
I was shocked at the image of all the little fish ankle deep on a beach in Chile. A fisherman is standing in and on them and no doubt thinking ruefully of his hungry family.
James Renwick condemns Doug Edmeades.
In my opinion, far too nicely.
There were people who denied the Final solution was going on, despite evidence, from 1942 onwards. Their ‘scepticism’ cost many lives.
Every time an Edmeades delays action by his sowing of doubt, he costs many lives.
Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
As the un-named tobacco executive said decades ago, when faced with hard scientific evidence of the link between smoking and cancer: “Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the ‘body of fact’ that exists in the mind of the general public.”
That tactic has been tried and tested many times, to throw doubt on smoking and cancer, air pollution and acid rain, CFCs and the ozone hole, and more recently fossil fuel burning and climate change.
The excellent book Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway documents in great detail how this has been done and how successful it has been over the years.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air has gone up over 40 per cent since we started burning oil and coal for fuel, the biggest change in the Earth’s atmosphere for over 3 million years.
In his recent op-ed piece Doug Edmeades is clearly looking to sow seeds of doubt, to undermine established science, and to argue that there’s nothing to worry about. He seems to understand the idea that “doubt is our product”…….
How Doug Edmeades thinks that the IPCC says there’s no connection between the two is a mystery to me.
Doug Edmeades’ other ideas (polar bears are doing great, models are no good, and so on) are easily shown to be false with a bit of googling.
None of us want the sorts of disruptions that the changing climate is bringing. But, if we are to get on top of this biggest of problems, we must get our heads around the fact that after thousands of years of stability, things are changing, sea levels are rising, and we must respond.
A pleasant morning watching the sun rising over Singapore this morning from the 21st floor of the hotel (holy vertigo!).
It is a completely different city to the one that I last looked at in 1990. Talking to my dad in Rotorua this morning and he was describing the city state of hovels and open drains that he first saw in 1975 and it is hard to see the downside.
I do like the fact that these days when I have to travel, I can call up without problems, and that I can still stay connected to this site and my servers. It makes a hell of difference.
Pity about the weather during the day. Way too hot and humid for me. It makes me look forward to winter or even summer in Auckland.
Time to finish the coffee, pack up my gear, and venture forth into the open humidity. Debugging software interactions with hardware in the field is a sweaty experience.
They live like battery hens in strange identical white block-like towers with numbers on the side. Singapore reminds me of a JG Ballard novel but without the fun.
If that’s your idea of housing success then I’m not sure what you were aiming for.
Enjoy – its a great place to work or relax for a bit.
The street food can be fantastic.
Having travelled a lot (waaaaay too much for waaaaay too long) as an IT guy I would say Singapore was always one of my favourite countries to be based for a week or two.
James, what a mess of a post, and it was only 5pm!
I think you’d struggle to find support here for any claim your barbecue comment was an innocent celebration.
The reaction you got showed that other commenters viewed it as trolling and that’s what right wing virtue-signalling is; trolling.
A lot of commenters here don’t have large family units to celebrate with (you probably haven’t noticed). Others enjoy their lives with their families without feeling the need to broadcast it, so why do you? My guess is you’re overcompensating.
Along with your virtue-signalling there’s a typical self-righteousness, a lack of awareness, and a lack of empathy.
In RWNJ culture it is normal to blather on about your trips around the world and all the hassles you are experiencing with your property portfolio. NZ is a two tier society and the wealthy are insulated/ignorant of the extreme privation that their behaviour has caused to the rest of NZ
What behaviour from the wealthy has caused this extreme privation to NZ and for that matter who are these wealthy you point the stick at and what is the extreme privation that the rest of NZ are suffering ?
Maybe you should pay attention to the news instead of ignoring the uncomfortable bits about homelessness, suicide, unemployment, pollution, exploitation
Good grief how pathetic, NZ discourse appears to be going down the USA route of knee jerk agreement/disagreement with anyone deemed to belong to the other team.
Yes, knock off 10 degrees and halve the humidity and it would be a lovely city/country!
(Although I’d happily say the same for Wellington right now…)
I’m really not sure how anyone can live in those equatorial countries- I still remember the 2 day Singapore stopover 14 years ago and being physically ill from the heat, spending most of the time indoors and keeping the hotel air conditioning set to 15C!
This really is frustrating. The full power of the state thrown at peaceful protesters who attempted to stop the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair.
I shall quote extensively from Martin Bradbury’s article today as it supports what I have been saying for quite a while on this site.
The spectre at the feast during the negotiations for the new Government last year was the deep seated belief that a serious economic collapse was coming.
It shaped the way Winston Peters approached the negotiations ands it’s the reason the agreement between him and Jacinda will never be released.
Almost everywhere now, alarm bells are ringing that the correction is coming.
The stratospheric asset markets pumped up by quantitate easing to try and fight off the 2007-2008 global financial recession are all starting to shake and shudder under the enormous weight of debt created wealth the current economic system must now try and carry……..
The reverberations will swamp us, and may already be impacting our real estate market and the sudden ratcheting up of a trade war between China and America could become a reality within weeks…
Looking to the future, if we go on with attitudes as are presently displayed, it seems to me that eventually we will become like the people in John Christopher’s the Tripods.
They were taken over by an overwhelming invasion and were encouraged to believe it was to their advantage to continue their lives as before, except just do what they were told. Life wouldn’t be difficult, but they needed to be calm and limit their emotions and to assist this they would have a ‘chip’ to limit their minds which was called a cap.
John Christopher wrote three adventure books for young adults around this idea, the first called The White Mountains. The trilogy were called The Tripods which were the metallic aliens in ships on three long movable legs. A TV series was made about it, very dramatic and aimed at teenagers and the young. But Christopher had thought about the way that reality would show in this scenario. I think the summary below expresses our situation well.
Like most of Christopher’s books for young readers, The White Mountains dramatizes painful truths about human nature and raises important questions about what makes life worth living.
Christopher believes that human beings are inevitably flawed, and that technological achievement is a mixed blessing in the hands of fallible people. Still, he holds out hope that strong individuals, bound together by a desire to protect freedom of thought and free will, may yet save humanity from its own worst impulses. http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-white-mountains/#gsc.tab=0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods
I looked at the various headings for The Tripods and it seems that the film rights were gained by someone about 2009 and then it didn’t go ahead. Then rumoured that it would 2011-12 and then something about it in 2015. But I couldn’t find more and thought I’d better stop.
It may have been a problem getting two personable young actors as leads, it may have been that it started off in the TV version in a quaint village with horse and carts and later one of the boys ends up in France with a Count’s friendship, but then he finds that the daughter who was nice, and the Count have both been capped and he decides to steer clear.
So there are problems for USA citizens who hardly know where some of their states are, if they have part film in France. And the romance line is fractured. And there are two friends so they need two young men. The future is uncertain, and ambiguous. The idea of the boys’ homeland being overtaken by aliens might be too scary for the survivalists in the USA.
I think they need to sell it to Disney, they can do dramatic darker stories than Princessy ones, or perhaps sell it for automation or comic-book treatment. There was a good one out on DVD recently drawn well, called Kubo and the Two Strings which took my fancy and this could be good like that one.
It’s apparently sort of a limbo where scripts/treatments/rights get flipped around, redrafted, never get just enough cash to start casting and filming, but get just enough interest that people keep trying to push it.
Jacinda is poised to handle the next coming GFC it seems as her words of wisdom are plain here.
November 8th 2017 – we received this email;
With the opening of Parliament today, the Government began our legislative agenda. This is where the real change begins.
I want the way this Government runs to be different.
It will be a Government of transformation.
We’ll put people right at the heart of our agenda.
Every decision will be assessed on its impact on people and at every turn, our Government will be guided by kindness and compassion.
As well as our values, we laid out our policy plans for the term today.
They’re firmly focused on making New Zealanders’ lives even better.
We will fix the housing crisis, build up our education system, ensure everyone can get the healthcare they need, take action on climate change, develop our regions and raise everyone’s incomes.
The GOP tax cut secured, the Pentagon campaign for a major increase in defence spending begins. The imperial regime of mammon and fortresses knows the importance of timing.
A debased (4T in QE) currency, a large budget deficit and growing debt, rising inequality at home (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid they cannot sustain), a coming trade with China but dependent on China for bond sales.
Struggling to cope in conventional capability (in both the European and East Asian theatres), because of the vast spend up modernisation of the Russian and Chinese forces (who are constantly exposing this to them. And then there is the whole nuclear arsenal renewal thing … .
This is what the end of an imperial power looks like.
Of course the arrogant bluster of the sociopathic bully distracts from this reality, showing why Trump is just the man for the job. A buffoon fronting another round of tax cuts and increased Pentagon spending, and why not when it worked for Reagan.
What was the relative size of the USA economy to Russia and China then, compared to now?
Of course there is soft power – something Trump squanders every time he tweets.
I try not to get all maudlin and crap on about the latest doomycult news, but the idea that Russia has been making consistent advances in nuclear weapons, and the Pentagon wants funding to catch up with them, is just so OH PUH-Leeeze.
I some how ended up watch this last night on the Australian ABC’s Foreign Correspondent were I was working on my reply to Ad’s thread on Climate Change and the NZDF before I head back into Hospital again for a possible Biopsy on Monday.
With the hard right in the US arming up and bearing firearms in open as they can do in a number of states for self protection. It appears that members of the hard left are taking up arms and bearing firearms in the open as well.
My neoliberal neighbour has done what everyone does and underestimated ECO Maori . You and the red head Idiot from Tokoroa have told everyone lies about me and told them you where going to LOCK UP that Maori yes they are racist bigots Im untouchable NOW sandflies. You are using all the tricks you can dream up to make me lose both my JOBS who cares about that Maoris Mokos future he can go on the dole and set a good example to his mokos of where a Maori should be broke .Well get stuffed I have done nothing wrong Im not giving in to your intimidation Im not leaving any job . You people are breaking the LAW breaching my rights everyone knows about this fact.
Nobby spends all his time trying to come up with a sceem to lock me up I found something in my wallet that i did not put there he sits in his garage with all the hardware and software to be able to hack my computer to stop me posting but you can’t stop me from posting using my Phone. Every time you get burned
you blame me your mates siren dont phase me nor do your hoddy m8 you have contracted to use againsts me. All your bullshit just slips off my back like water off a ducks back don’t blame me for your shit bigots. I’v done nothing wrong or I would be in jail with all the lying accusations you have made against me.
Ana to kai
Yes the sandflys are still dreaming that I’m going to wake up and turn into a idiot sorry not going to happen. They had 2 cops who looked like the chief of police pointing a speed camera at me on lakes boulevard Tauranga that article about the house being built in tauranga must have pissed them off well to me the people wellbeing comes first. They are pouring on there dum ass intimidation tactics today the can kiss my_______ LOL Ana to kai
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The StrategistBy Alfin Febrian Basundoro and Jascha Ramba Santoso
So New Zealand is about to spend $12 billion on our defence forces over the next four years – with $9 million of it being new money that is not being spent on pressing needs here at home. Somehow this lavish spend-up on Defence is “affordable,” says PM Christopher Luxon, ...
Donald Trump’s philosophy about the United States’ place in the world is historically selfish and will impoverish his country’s spirit. While he claimed last week to be ‘liberating’ Americans from the exploiters and freeloaders who’ve ...
China’s crackdown on cyber-scam centres on the Thailand-Myanmar border may cause a shift away from Mandarin, towards English-speaking victims. Scammers also used the 28 March earthquake to scam international victims. Australia, with its proven capabilities ...
At the 2005 election campaign, the National Party colluded with a weirdo cult, the Exclusive Brethren, to run a secret hate campaign against the Greens. It was the first really big example of the rich using dark money to interfere in our democracy. And unfortunately, it seems that they're trying ...
Many of you will know that in collaboration with the University of Queensland we created and ran the massive open online course (MOOC) "Denial101x - Making sense of climate science denial" on the edX platform. Within nine years - between April 2015 and February 2024 - we offered 15 runs ...
How will the US assault on trade affect geopolitical relations within Asia? Will nations turn to China and seek protection by trading with each other? The happy snaps a week ago of the trade ministers ...
I mentioned this on Friday - but thought it deserved some emphasis.Auckland Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan has responded to Countering Hate Speech Aotearoa, saying police have cleared Brian Tamaki of all incitement charges relating to the Te Atatu library rainbow event assault.Hassan writes:..There is currently insufficient evidence to ...
With the report of the recent intelligence review by Heather Smith and Richard Maude finally released, critics could look on and wonder: why all the fuss? After all, while the list of recommendations is substantial, ...
Well, I don't know if I'm readyTo be the man I have to beI'll take a breath, I'll take her by my sideWe stand in awe, we've created lifeWith arms wide open under the sunlightWelcome to this place, I'll show you everythingSongwriters: Scott A. Stapp / Mark T. Tremonti.Today is ...
Staff at Kāinga Ora are expecting details of another round of job cuts, with the Green Party claiming more than 500 jobs are set to go. The New Zealand Defence Force has made it easier for people to apply for a job in a bid to get more boots on ...
Australia’s agriculture sector and food system have prospered under a global rules-based system influenced by Western liberal values. But the assumptions, policy approaches and economic frameworks that have traditionally supported Australia’s food security are no ...
Following Trump’s tariff announcement, US stock values fell by the most ever in value terms (US$6.6 trillion). Photo: Getty ImagesLong story shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning:Donald Trump just detonated a neutron bomb under the globalised economy, but this time the Fed isn’t cutting interest rates to rescue ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 30, 2025 thru Sat, April 5, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
This is a longer read.Summary:Trump’s tariffs are reckless, disastrous and hurt the poorest countries deeply. It will stoke inflation, and may cause another recession. Funds/investments around the world have tanked.Trump’s actions emulate the anti-economic logic of another right wing libertarian politician - Liz Truss. She had her political career cut ...
We are all suckers for hope.He’s just being provocative, people will say, he wouldn’t really go that far. They wouldn’t really go that far.Germany in the 1920s and 30s was one of the world’s most educated, culturally sophisticated, and scientifically advanced societies.It had a strong democratic constitution with extensive civil ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Mars warming? Mars’ climate varies due to completely different reasons than Earth’s, and available data indicates no temperature trends comparable to Earth’s ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
I was interested in David Seymour's public presentation of the Justice Select Committee's report after the submissions to the Treaty Principles Bill.I noted the arguments he presented and fact checked him. I welcome corrections and additions to what I have written but want to keep the responses concise.The Treaty of ...
Well, he runs around with every racist in townHe spent all our money playing his pointless gameHe put us out; it was awful how he triedTables turn, and now his turn to cryWith apologies to writers Bobby Womack and Shirley Womack.Eight per cent, asshole, that’s all you got.Smiling?Let me re-phrase…Eight ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The S&P 500 fell another 5.6% this morning after China retaliated with tariffs of 34% on all US imports, and the Fed warned of stagflation without rate cut relief.Delays for heart surgeries and scans are costing lives, specialists have told Stuff’s Nicholas Jones.Meanwhile, ...
When the US Navy’s Great White Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1908, it was an unmistakeable signal of imperial might, a flexing of America’s newfound naval muscle. More than a century later, the Chinese ...
While there have been decades of complaints – from all sides – about the workings of the Resource Management Act (RMA), replacing is proving difficult. The Coalition Government is making another attempt.To help answer the question, I am going to use the economic lens of the Coase Theorem, set out ...
2027 may still not be the year of war it’s been prophesised as, but we only have two years left to prepare. Regardless, any war this decade in the Indo-Pacific will be fought with the ...
Australia must do more to empower communities of colour in its response to climate change. In late February, the Multicultural Leadership Initiative hosted its Our Common Future summits in Sydney and Melbourne. These summits focused ...
Questions 1. In his godawful decree, what tariff rate was imposed by Trump upon the EU?a. 10% same as New Zealandb. 20%, along with a sneer about themc. 40%, along with an outright lie about France d. 69% except for the town Melania comes from2. The justice select committee has ...
Yesterday the Trump regime in America began a global trade war, imposing punitive tariffs in an effort to extort political and economic concessions from other countries and US companies and constituencies. Trump's tariffs will make kiwis nearly a billion dollars poorer every year, but Luxon has decided to do nothing ...
Here’s 7 updates from this morning’s news:90% of submissions opposed the TPBNZ’s EV market tanked by Coalition policies, down ~70% year on yearTrump showFossil fuel money driving conservative policiesSimeon Brown won’t say that abortion is healthcarePhil Goff stands by comments and makes a case for speaking upBrian Tamaki cleared of ...
It’s the 9 month mark for Mountain Tūī !Thanks to you all, the publication now has over 3200 subscribers, 30 recommendations from Substack writers, and averages over 120,000 views a month. A very small number in the scheme of things, but enough for me to feel satisfied.I’m been proud of ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on National's racist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, and recommended by majority that it not proceed. So hopefully it will now rapidly go to second reading and be voted down. As for submissions, it turns out that around 380,000 people submitted on ...
We need to treat disinformation as we deal with insurgencies, preventing the spreaders of lies from entrenching themselves in the host population through capture of infrastructure—in this case, the social media outlets. Combining targeted action ...
After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Donald Trump has shocked the global economy and markets with the biggest tariffs since the Smoot Hawley Act of 1930, which worsened the Great Depression.Global stocks slumped 4-5% overnight and key US bond yields briefly fell below 4% as investors fear a recession ...
Hi,I’ve been imagining a scenario where I am walking along the pavement in the United States. It’s dusk, I am off to get a dirty burrito from my favourite place, and I see three men in hoodies approaching.Anther two men appear from around a corner, and this whole thing feels ...
Since the announcement in September 2021 that Australia intended to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with Britain and the United States, the plan has received significant media attention, scepticism and criticism. There are four major ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and Elaine Monaghan on the week in geopolitics and climate, including Donald Trump’s tariff shock yesterday; and,Labour’s Disarmament and Associate ...
I'm gonna try real goodSwear that I'm gonna try from now on and for the rest of my lifeI'm gonna power on, I'm gonna enjoy the highsAnd the lows will come and goAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreams never dieSongwriters: Ben Reed.These are Stranger Days than ...
With the execution of global reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump has issued his ‘declaration of economic independence for America’. The immediate direct effect on the Australian economy will likely be small, with more risk ...
The StrategistBy Jacqueline Gibson, Nerida King and Ned Talbot
AUKUS governments began 25 years ago trying to draw in a greater range of possible defence suppliers beyond the traditional big contractors. It is an important objective, and some progress has been made, but governments ...
I approach fresh Trump news reluctantly. It never holds the remotest promise of pleasure. I had the very, very least of expectations for his Rumble in the Jungle, his Thriller in Manila, his Liberation Day.God May 1945 is becoming the bitterest of jokes isn’t it?Whatever. Liberation Day he declared it ...
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
With the former Labour leader ‘80%’ certain to throw his hat in the ring for the capital’s top job, Tory Whanau’s life just got a lot harder, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.A political heavyweight returns? ...
“We will hold banners, toiere (sing) waiata, and chant to draw attention to the far right ideology of the Tesla CEO and to encourage potential Tesla customers away from a product with fascist ties," says PAFC spokesperson Michelle Ducat. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Winston Peters turns a venerable 80 on April 11, but he showed no sign of retiring as New Zealand’s archetypal populist during his recent ...
A scary look inside the inboxes of two recent politicians. Damon has worked as a social media content creator for the Green Party and helps create content for Wellington mayor Tory Whanau. This piece is written in his own capacity as a private citizen. Opinions do not represent the Wellington ...
In a selection of anonymous quotes, a group of female parliamentarians from across the political spectrum give an insight into what they deal with. A study published today has called for urgent action in response to harassment of female MPs in New Zealand. The researchers from the department of psychological ...
A recent High Court ruling has raised alarm bells about the long-term integrity of Treaty settlements – and concern over how a little-known clause in the Fisheries Act could cost iwi millions. In 1992, the Crown and Māori reached what was meant to be a “full and final” settlement over ...
Consumers just aren’t feeling it. It’s been clear enough in the anecdote. But, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen an unsettling sputtering in a broadening suite of retail spending indicators as well.It started with a sharp and unexpected drop in Westpac’s consumer confidence index for the March quarter. ...
Comment: When the US launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen last month, it signalled the continuation of a strategy that has failed for more than 20 years to weaken the Houthi rebels. While bombing Houthi assets in Yemen will reduce the group’s ability to attack ships in the Red Sea, such ...
Three Te Pāti Māori MPs have two weeks to end their deadlock with the Privileges Committee over their refusal to front up at a hearing into their haka last November, or they’ll face serious consquences.They can’t be sacked or imprisoned – The Privileges Committee tried to imprison someone once but ...
Analysis: Researching my book The Science of the Māori Lunar Calendar has deepened my appreciation of Mātauranga Māori and its importance to the lives of New Zealanders past and present. Not long ago, Māori knowledge was largely disregarded by the scientific community and treated as little more than myth and ...
The bus heading south from Cork airport left twenty minutes before my plane arrived, on time, from London. The next one was not due for another two hours. From all the stereotypes I had inherited, this seemed very Irish. As did the moniker “Emerald Isle”. Flying in, the June landscape ...
Temepara Bailey and Leana de Bruin can read each other’s minds. They can glance across the netball court and communicate with a simple nod. They finish each other’s sentences.Their relationship has built over 25 years to ‘best mate’ status, and it’s about to take on a new dimension as they ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaitlyn DeGhetto, Associate Professor of Management, University of Dayton To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The election’s first debate, on Sky News on Tuesday night, was disappointingly dull. Viewers who’d been following the campaign would have learned little. There was minimal spontaneity. Among the 100 undecided voters in the room, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Node Leader in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, Flinders University A coral ‘rope’ nursery in the MaldivesLuca Saponari/University of Milan, CC BY-ND Coral ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have faced off in the first leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election. The debate, hosted by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland Fizkes/Shutterstock In the pre-industrial era, people often lived and worked in the same building. This removed the need to travel to work. The separation of home and work occurred much ...
The plan would ensure that Aotearoa meets its climate obligations and guarantees a just transition for the workers and communities who will bear the brunt of the climate crisis and technological change. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney mooremedia/Shutterstock The Labor government has announced it would invest A$1 billion in mental health if re-elected to provide more Australians – particularly young ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fergus Edwards, Lecturer in English, University of Tasmania Amazon MGM Studios Last One Laughing is a battle royale for stand-ups. Ten comedians, one room, surrounded by cameras. Laugh once and they’re warned. Laugh again, and they’re out. Last comic left wins. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia Centre for Ageing Better/Unsplash Many of us turn to Sudoku, Wordle or brain-training apps to sharpen our minds. But research is increasingly showing one of the best ways ...
The coalition government is scrapping the 30-day rule that automatically signs an employee up to the collective agreement when they sign on to a new job. ...
Greenpeace says that the Federated Farmers list of Greenpeace protests is far from comprehensive and omits dozens of examples of direct action that have played a key role in bringing about positive change in Aotearoa and beyond. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina McCabe, PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Canterbury Shutterstock/synthetick If left unaddressed, many environmental changes in Aotearoa New Zealand could threaten livelihoods, health, quality of life and infrastructure for generations to come, according to the latest update on the ...
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific journalist Pasifika comedy troupe Naked Samoans is facing a backlash from some members of the Pacific community over its promotional poster. In the image, which has now been taken down, the Naked Samoans depicted themselves as the 12 disciples surrounding Jesus, a parody of The ...
“Our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says.”
Holding this position, can the Greens maintain their principles and distinctiveness, thus hold and grow their support?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/100569330/greens-risk-losing-ground-in-2020-as-labour-takes-their-share-of-votes
Why am I not surprised that you’re peddling a right-winger’s view of the Greens on this thread?
A right-winger’s view?
I’m merely asking a question.
Moreover, out of interest, can you tell us what exactly is it you think is the right-wing view being peddled here?
Christ on a bike. The Greens and Labour and NZF have discussions and government policy comes out of that. That then ties all three parties to a line – that might be expressed by saying “Our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says”
It’s really not that hard, is it?
Not saying it’s good and not saying it’s healthy. I think coalitions are dog breakfast affairs and reckon we’d be far better served having a Fixed Term Parliament Act that did away with the need for coalitions.
But in the meantime, the Greens put forward their priorities in discussions and they get however far with them and then toe the agreed line afterwards.
“The Greens and Labour and NZF have discussions and government policy comes out of that. That then ties all three parties to a line – that might be expressed by saying ‘Our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says'”
In that regard, the thing is, with the Greens being merely a support partner, they don’t have to tow the party line. As shown by their opposing position on the TPP.
Therefore, if Government policy fails to live up to Green Party principle, should they really be spouting such a line (our policy is what the Government’s policy is. So now we’re in Government, we need to do what Government policy says)? And won’t doing so risk costing them support?
Well, I’m not sure where the different lines would run in terms of when they are expected to be more than merely a support partner in terms of public perception (in areas where they have ministerial positions?).
And sure, given the nature of coalitions, the smaller always winds up orbiting the larger. So NZF and the Greens will be being constantly eclipsed by NZ Labour.
Like I’ve been saying on and off for quite some time now, we’d be much better served having a Fixed Term Parliament Act that gave full voice and agency to smaller parties.
Prime Minister Ardern was weak on this herself even in late December.
She was clear that there is no process for differing from the Cabinet line – neither the media nor the public are ready for major dissent., managed or unmanaged. TBH neither would I be if it happened too often.
I think the left broadly will remain patient with Coalition dissent if they really roll out the goods consistently.
For some reason this seems appropriate:
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss
Showing your age there Puckish.
Some things never go out of fashion
“Some things never go out of fashion”
PR – Like a lying foreign agent like john key?
Actually this lot are far less racist than the last lot, so bit of a fail their Puckish Rouge.
Only real problem I’m seeing is the slowness of some tory mp’s in setting up electoral offices.
Did anyone tell Denise Lee she won the election months ago, and part of her job is to have an electorate office. Or do we have another local body politician transfer to being an MP who is going to do bugger all?
No like she cost the city of Auckland more money in a by election or anything….
Someone with a chinese sounding name might disagree with you on that point
And your mate Denise?
?
PR you are simply wasting our time so find another branch to perch on and shit.
Quote, quote, quote of the week.
Thanks for the giggle cleangreen.
I see Iceland has passed a law where companies are required to prove that there is equal pay for equal work to deal with the gender gap.
We could either talk about the gender gap for the next 20 years or just pass a similar law. It’s 2018 after all.
Should have no problem getting it passed – after all many deny it is an issue so they can see it as redundant legislation. And what better way to improve our economic performance
Is this in our best interest? Or is it another step towards us becoming tenants in our own land?
The sale of a Canterbury dairy farm for more than $17 million to a company owned by the Canadian government has been approved by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/100543602/canterbury-farm-sold-for-17m-to-canadian-government-approved-by-overseas-investment-office
The short answer is to stop foreign land sales and wind up the OIO. It has not credibly served the public interest.
The bit that seems ironic to me is, if the NZ government bought that farm there would be great screams and outrage from the right about NATIONALISATION. But it is OK then for a foreign government to buy it, no doubt for the benefit of the people of that country.
Also not a worry, for the benefit of the people of that country they are planning to go ahead and pollute this country further by increasing the herd size by 400 cows.
All future land and asset sales should be bought by companies created by the NZ government,
“The bit that seems ironic to me is” that if this had happened in August last year it would have been reported immediately and the Labour, Green and New Zealand First parties would have been spraying bile all over the place.
Didn’t they promise that this was going to STOP?
No New Zealand land would be allowed to be sold to those bloody foreigners.
Now look how quiet they all are. Nothing to see here. Time to move on. Their only real complaint is going to be why this was announced at all.
It’s on the road to NZers becoming serfs – as planned by the capitalists.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018628288
Here is a scandal. …. Tiwai smelter toxic waste “stockpiled” around southland … “sold” to another company, went bust recievers walked away, tip of an iceburg it is thought.
Sounds like par for the course. Capitalists never take responsibility for their actions and always lump the costs upon society.
Issue of rail transportation to lower the climate change emissions and make our truck gridlocked roads safer with far less truck accidents and deaths.
Just released today by our NGO to the Labour lead government today.
Public COMMUNITY letter;
16th January. 2018.
Dear Ministers, – IMPORTANT This was a social blog sent today for your consideration ahead of your first 100 days summary coming soon.
Labour Government in their last term in 2008 bought the rail back for us all to run an efficient rail service and to reduce truck freight and lower climate change affects while making the roads safer with less truck gridlocked roads and make our air quality cleaner ion our cities.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/12/14/68554/analysis-debt-anchor-dragging-labour-into-ppps
“Earlier, Robertson said the Government had identified a number of capital pressures that had built up over a significant number of years and it was looking at ways to fund urban infrastructure in Auckland, which would include rail, roading and housing infrastructure.” (QUOTE)
Bernard Hickey WHO is the Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro and writes about politics and economics from the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Wellington
Grant Robinson said;
“We have made it clear we are looking at a variety of funding instruments there — infrastructure bonds, partnership with the private sector to develop the transport and housing infrastructure that is required to allow us to make that growth sustainable,” he said.
“We are looking at some innovative financing mechanisms in those areas.”
So we call now on the new Labour coalition now since we are reaching our first 100 days we do need the Labour lead government to reopen all regional rail systems to begin making their safety and climate change policies realty to work for our health and welfare and our environment please!!!!!!
Use the evidence in the new found EY (Ernest Young) rail report on the ‘Value of rail in NZ’ as your evidence to complete the move back to rail now as we need this urgently.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99257012/rail-has-saved-new-zealand-15b-a-year-study-shows
We have seen or heard nothing about this very important study since that time when it was released by Labour to the press, so the time is now clearly to use this report national party had hidden to use to justify the funding of regional rail services urgently needed now.
Pretty interesting set of Twitter feeds around Margaret Attwood’s reasonably mild critique of #MeToo:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/15/margaret-atwood-feminist-backlash-metoo
Personally she is one of my favourite all time authors with a grand dystopian mind, so I found it important to see where she positions herself.
I just find it very hard to take anything seriously most actors have to say on this or others things tbh
Hollywood Studio District: last liberal enclave of the world.
http://www.hsdnc.org/
Actors?
Just finished Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Good book.
She is, shes thought provoking but also writes in an entertaining and accessible manner.
But the whole thing with Hollywood is just a giant joke, how many of the same actors that are now talking (both male and female) knew all about whats going on but kept quiet
But look at who they go after, or rather who they don’t and ask yourself how is that Woody Allen is still adored and gets all the big names in his movies even though the allegations against him have a lot more substance than most
https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/an-open-letter-from-dylan-farrow/
Or how Roman Polanski still has supporters that want him back in Hollywood and charges dropped
http://www.indiewire.com/2009/09/over-100-in-film-community-sign-polanski-petition-55821/
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/23/roman-polanski-marianne-barnard-allegations
When an industry is run by predators who require silence, it’s hardly surprising that the people who work in it are those who can tolerate its conditions.
After all, this is how “free trade” is practised, eh: you remain silent about human rights abuses, and human rights abusers will buy your export goods.
But a lot of them are also standing up in support of #metoo
Given the opportunity, of course some of them took it, only to be sneered at as a “giant joke”.
By their actions they are known
Hollywood is run by corporate money & greed.
They (actors) are now simply just ‘stool pigeons’ for the corporate propaganda machinery..
https://pics.me.me/or-hard-young-rex-the-moment-you-realise-oprah-didnt-bring-30109510.png
Here’s the link to her full piece in The Globe and Mail for those who prefer source material over interpretations.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/am-i-a-bad-feminist/article37591823/
This and that. There is safety in numbers, but also danger.
Safety for women to come forward, too many for the powerful in the industry to example for it, so they have to accept change.
But also risk, women will share their various Me Too stories and men will fear being named. So come forward the she for he brigade who do not want to see injustice to men/a man.
In most cases it is not a matter of allegation and investigation for a court case (even where it was a criminal matter it is time expired or difficult evidence wise). More a matter of unjust impact on the careers of accused men, an irony as for near a century women’s careers (and some younger males) have depended on not complaining.
And another irony, for the aging males involved, most would have been retired off years ago, if they were female.
The balanced view is that, Me Too results in women citing all sorts of experiences, but a blanket response to all those named would be unjust.
But I think most of the public realise that. Most of those coming forward realise that, and most of those named realise that.
And given this is America, the usual process will be to confess (to being a participant in an industry with a tradition of sexual harassment and abuse of power
in the workplace), and seek to change (rehab, the industry and personally).
Celebrate the death of the old regime by wearing black … and finance Times Up and take the victory across the workplaces of the world.
Me Too is not a threat to adult behaviour and social relations, sexual harassment and abuse of power, over the objections of a women is not flirting – displays of entitlement end in partner violence and the stalking of exes.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/99337178/resident-says-mp-phil-twyford-used-him-for-preelection-publicity-stunt
Well thats a tad embarrassing
Yes, imagine being so ignorant of governance that you don’t understand Ministerial conflicts of interest.
The issue is that before the election Twyford highlighted the issue and condemned then Associate Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro for not of helping Lilley.
But now hes in government he says he can’t get involved due to the conflict of interest
But its ok because but he hopes a solution could be found
Ngaro was too busy threatening people.
100% OAB.
Just biased reporting, really – although the reporter gave all sides of the argument the headline is a right-wing shocker
Jan, 7.2 exactly what we would expect from a right wing rag. They know most read headlines only.
Exactly!
given some of the comments of some of the meatless folk on here lately- here is a nice post (wIth citations) from sustainable table about the benefits of raising and slaughtering your own livestock
http://www.sustainabletable.org/248/sustainable-livestock-husbandry
No downsides – and you don’t have to become a boring repetitive vegan to do some good for the environment.
Your problem is you lack imagination.
Vegans eat healthy and interesting food.
https://www.thekitchn.com/17-of-the-most-delicious-vegan-recipes-we-know-231625
“No downsides”
Downsides for the cow.
Downsides for the planet.
And , (and this part will appeal to you) downsides for you too. A plant based diet is better for your health.
How not to die by Michael Greger, m.d. – animated summary
Wrong again.
You can eat meat without harming health.
The cows were already here – so no downside for the planet.
The cow leads a healthy happy life – no downside for the cow / or chicken / or sheep etc.
You did not even listen to or read Michael Greger.
It is amazing how set in their ways people can become.
You should read this book, it changed how i view things and it might do the same for you https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/jun/19/highereducation.houseandgarden
Thanks for the link – looks like a good book. Ill order off Amazon this afternoon.
That was interesting PR. I thought this bit makes particular sense.
A mixed agricultural economy that uses meat thriftily and integrates arable and livestock farming – with the animals’ manure feeding the soil so that the crops will grow to feed the animals in turn – is efficient, sustainable and protective of the landscape. Moreover, the dependency of domesticated meat species on us would not end just because we stopped killing them. They would not revert to the wild; we would still have to be responsible for their welfare and demise. We could hardly abandon them to “tamelife parks”, as he puts it.
But our moral authority to kill animals for food can only be based on our offering them a better deal in life than they would get without our help. The prevailing system of intensive livestock farming is a complete abrogation of that responsibility. It is systematically abusive. Pain is routine, stress almost constant, disease widespread. We should raise and kill animals without cruelty and then do them the respect of eating every last bit of them, from crisp griddled pigs’ ears to slow-braised oxtails.
Perhaps we would buy a beast, as part of a food group or do-operative, and pay a farmer to raise it and kill it for us and take responsibility for our animal and know how it is treated, and how it is killed.
I very much agree with how heavy glossy paper is. The House and Garden mags that float around no doubt bought by women enslaved by capitalism, when gathered to be thrown out eventually for recycling, result in the banana carton being impossible to lift for one ordinary person.
Trouble is that everything has to be glossy these days, we deserve only the best style.
I’ll be looking at a beast myself later this year (in partnership with my sister in law) and animal welfare is top of my list
“It is amazing how set in their ways people can become”
I assume you are trying to be ironic.
Give this cynical shit a bloody rest James as you have simply overdone the ‘meat’ issue, as t has become so ‘overcooked’ (literately)
Howabout you talk about ‘real public affairs issues’ can you!!!
And suggest some positive outcomes issues as we guide the new government to make our lives better can you.
You did not even listen to or read Michael Greger.
I’d advise him not to bother. I only needed to read his appalling diabetes advice to realise he needs quote marks around the word “facts” in Nutrition”Facts”.org.
Being deaded is a bit of a downside jimbo. Do you limit your gnawing to the bones of the ones that die of old age?
Did Bill English refer to Māori as “someone else’s language” this morning? Heard a rumour.
Yep
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/bill-english-numbers-man-but-not-in-m-ori.html
I have posted about it
https://thestandard.org.nz/ko-te-reo-te-mauri-o-te-mana-maori/
The Herald, to its credit is running a series of interview with scientists to look at the environmental challenges facing New Zealand (and the world). Yesterday they published the brief Q and A with Professor James Renwick.
In his answers to a few questions, Renwick outlined the severity of the threat facing the planet. It is not looking good…
The Big Read: Climate change – the best and worst for NZ
The challenge for the Herald is follow through. One of John Campbell’s great features that singles him out in the New Zealand media landscape is that he and his team at Campbell Live ( and now Checkpoint) stuck with a story.
James Renwick clearly identified that
The media have a lot to answer for on this.
We cannot control what John Roughan and the editors of the Herald do.
But we can certainly keep this issue prominent and endeavour to do all we can to confrontthe issue Renwick mentions – that
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s save what is left of life on our planet before it is too late. We have 10 years.
I found the article at:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11962099
Thank you
I tried to put links in the comments cleanly on FAQ and must have made a mistake.
Ed
You have produced some great links and important points here on ts. I appreciate it enormously and I am sure most others do also, so keep on. But just as a health measure note the point in Thought of the Day how laughter is good too. I think you should give yourself one day in three off the computer and do something different or it will grind you down mentally. And you are a valuable fact finder and activist here, so we need you. Do this and conserve your energies physical and mental ready for the next lot of stuff. And remember to put up any good stuff you see will you, and vice versa. We need to keep our fighting spirits up. I hope you will be advised about this.
And while I think of it I will just put up something again that we need to keep thinking about, which you yourself might have originally put up here.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/04/oceans-suffocating-dead-zones-oxygen-starved
Oceans suffocating as huge dead zones quadruple since 1950, scientists warn.
I was shocked at the image of all the little fish ankle deep on a beach in Chile. A fisherman is standing in and on them and no doubt thinking ruefully of his hungry family.
James Renwick condemns Doug Edmeades.
In my opinion, far too nicely.
There were people who denied the Final solution was going on, despite evidence, from 1942 onwards. Their ‘scepticism’ cost many lives.
Every time an Edmeades delays action by his sowing of doubt, he costs many lives.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/
Climate change and climate sceptics
Edmeades trashing his own credibility again. Looks like there’s a gap in the NZ soil science market
Rachel Stewart on Twitter
Pithy as ever.
“Doug Edmeades: Why I’m a global warming sceptic.
I already know the two answers to that. He loves money, and is a moron. “
Very good review of Wolff’s book on Trump’s madhouse.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/01/14/in-review-fire-and-fury-inside-trumps-madhouse/
A pleasant morning watching the sun rising over Singapore this morning from the 21st floor of the hotel (holy vertigo!).
It is a completely different city to the one that I last looked at in 1990. Talking to my dad in Rotorua this morning and he was describing the city state of hovels and open drains that he first saw in 1975 and it is hard to see the downside.
I do like the fact that these days when I have to travel, I can call up without problems, and that I can still stay connected to this site and my servers. It makes a hell of difference.
Pity about the weather during the day. Way too hot and humid for me. It makes me look forward to winter or even summer in Auckland.
Time to finish the coffee, pack up my gear, and venture forth into the open humidity. Debugging software interactions with hardware in the field is a sweaty experience.
I think Jacinda Adern would describe Singapore as classic example of failed capitalism, especially in the area of housing.
Always wanted to visit Singapore, seems like an interesting place and this must be one helluva meal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/singapore/articles/singapore-street-food-stalls-get-michelin-star/
They live like battery hens in strange identical white block-like towers with numbers on the side. Singapore reminds me of a JG Ballard novel but without the fun.
If that’s your idea of housing success then I’m not sure what you were aiming for.
Enjoy – its a great place to work or relax for a bit.
The street food can be fantastic.
Having travelled a lot (waaaaay too much for waaaaay too long) as an IT guy I would say Singapore was always one of my favourite countries to be based for a week or two.
I meant to comment on this sort of behaviour last time you showed it. The need to promote ones own ‘success’ is virtue signalling for the right wing.
The barbecue gloating incident was another example.
You see – you call it virtue signalling – I call it commenting on a thread on ones own experiences.
And the BBQ – ‘gloating’ fuck your life must be miserable if you find someone commenting that they are having a BBQ with friends or family.
I hope you still have the former, but would not shock me if you were lacking in the later based on your miserable attitude to everything.
And portly.
James, what a mess of a post, and it was only 5pm!
I think you’d struggle to find support here for any claim your barbecue comment was an innocent celebration.
The reaction you got showed that other commenters viewed it as trolling and that’s what right wing virtue-signalling is; trolling.
A lot of commenters here don’t have large family units to celebrate with (you probably haven’t noticed). Others enjoy their lives with their families without feeling the need to broadcast it, so why do you? My guess is you’re overcompensating.
Along with your virtue-signalling there’s a typical self-righteousness, a lack of awareness, and a lack of empathy.
In RWNJ culture it is normal to blather on about your trips around the world and all the hassles you are experiencing with your property portfolio. NZ is a two tier society and the wealthy are insulated/ignorant of the extreme privation that their behaviour has caused to the rest of NZ
What behaviour from the wealthy has caused this extreme privation to NZ and for that matter who are these wealthy you point the stick at and what is the extreme privation that the rest of NZ are suffering ?
Maybe you should pay attention to the news instead of ignoring the uncomfortable bits about homelessness, suicide, unemployment, pollution, exploitation
I didn’t have a problem with his post, in fact i was a envious because it sounded like a good time is had by all
That’s because you are a fellow RWNJ and to you his virtue-signalling was like a mating call.
Yup no major envy going on here at all
Good grief how pathetic, NZ discourse appears to be going down the USA route of knee jerk agreement/disagreement with anyone deemed to belong to the other team.
Muttonbird
Oh no, not more RWNJays.
Very good
You quite elderly then jimbo.
Yes, knock off 10 degrees and halve the humidity and it would be a lovely city/country!
(Although I’d happily say the same for Wellington right now…)
I’m really not sure how anyone can live in those equatorial countries- I still remember the 2 day Singapore stopover 14 years ago and being physically ill from the heat, spending most of the time indoors and keeping the hotel air conditioning set to 15C!
This really is frustrating. The full power of the state thrown at peaceful protesters who attempted to stop the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair.
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/first-46-activists-trial-protesting-government-backed-dsei-arms-fair-found-guilty/12/01/
More court cases to come.
Time to stand up for peace.
I shall quote extensively from Martin Bradbury’s article today as it supports what I have been saying for quite a while on this site.
Read the whole article here.
Buckle up. This is going to be a rough ride.
All the canaries in the minefield are dead – the looming economic correction
Gold prices are turning up, but they’re nowhere near recent highs. If a bust is in the wings it’s probably a wee way off.
Looking to the future, if we go on with attitudes as are presently displayed, it seems to me that eventually we will become like the people in John Christopher’s the Tripods.
They were taken over by an overwhelming invasion and were encouraged to believe it was to their advantage to continue their lives as before, except just do what they were told. Life wouldn’t be difficult, but they needed to be calm and limit their emotions and to assist this they would have a ‘chip’ to limit their minds which was called a cap.
John Christopher wrote three adventure books for young adults around this idea, the first called The White Mountains. The trilogy were called The Tripods which were the metallic aliens in ships on three long movable legs. A TV series was made about it, very dramatic and aimed at teenagers and the young. But Christopher had thought about the way that reality would show in this scenario. I think the summary below expresses our situation well.
Like most of Christopher’s books for young readers, The White Mountains dramatizes painful truths about human nature and raises important questions about what makes life worth living.
Christopher believes that human beings are inevitably flawed, and that technological achievement is a mixed blessing in the hands of fallible people. Still, he holds out hope that strong individuals, bound together by a desire to protect freedom of thought and free will, may yet save humanity from its own worst impulses.
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-white-mountains/#gsc.tab=0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods
I always wondered why, considering the adaptions coming out these days, The Tripods wasn’t made for the big screen
I looked at the various headings for The Tripods and it seems that the film rights were gained by someone about 2009 and then it didn’t go ahead. Then rumoured that it would 2011-12 and then something about it in 2015. But I couldn’t find more and thought I’d better stop.
It may have been a problem getting two personable young actors as leads, it may have been that it started off in the TV version in a quaint village with horse and carts and later one of the boys ends up in France with a Count’s friendship, but then he finds that the daughter who was nice, and the Count have both been capped and he decides to steer clear.
So there are problems for USA citizens who hardly know where some of their states are, if they have part film in France. And the romance line is fractured. And there are two friends so they need two young men. The future is uncertain, and ambiguous. The idea of the boys’ homeland being overtaken by aliens might be too scary for the survivalists in the USA.
I think they need to sell it to Disney, they can do dramatic darker stories than Princessy ones, or perhaps sell it for automation or comic-book treatment. There was a good one out on DVD recently drawn well, called Kubo and the Two Strings which took my fancy and this could be good like that one.
“development hell”.
It’s apparently sort of a limbo where scripts/treatments/rights get flipped around, redrafted, never get just enough cash to start casting and filming, but get just enough interest that people keep trying to push it.
I can vaguely recall the series so time to watch it again.
https://archive.org/details/TheTripodscomplete
Jacinda is poised to handle the next coming GFC it seems as her words of wisdom are plain here.
November 8th 2017 – we received this email;
With the opening of Parliament today, the Government began our legislative agenda. This is where the real change begins.
I want the way this Government runs to be different.
It will be a Government of transformation.
We’ll put people right at the heart of our agenda.
Every decision will be assessed on its impact on people and at every turn, our Government will be guided by kindness and compassion.
As well as our values, we laid out our policy plans for the term today.
They’re firmly focused on making New Zealanders’ lives even better.
We will fix the housing crisis, build up our education system, ensure everyone can get the healthcare they need, take action on climate change, develop our regions and raise everyone’s incomes.
The GOP tax cut secured, the Pentagon campaign for a major increase in defence spending begins. The imperial regime of mammon and fortresses knows the importance of timing.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11976004
A debased (4T in QE) currency, a large budget deficit and growing debt, rising inequality at home (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid they cannot sustain), a coming trade with China but dependent on China for bond sales.
Struggling to cope in conventional capability (in both the European and East Asian theatres), because of the vast spend up modernisation of the Russian and Chinese forces (who are constantly exposing this to them. And then there is the whole nuclear arsenal renewal thing … .
This is what the end of an imperial power looks like.
Of course the arrogant bluster of the sociopathic bully distracts from this reality, showing why Trump is just the man for the job. A buffoon fronting another round of tax cuts and increased Pentagon spending, and why not when it worked for Reagan.
What was the relative size of the USA economy to Russia and China then, compared to now?
Of course there is soft power – something Trump squanders every time he tweets.
I try not to get all maudlin and crap on about the latest doomycult news, but the idea that Russia has been making consistent advances in nuclear weapons, and the Pentagon wants funding to catch up with them, is just so OH PUH-Leeeze.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11976004
It doesn’t surprise me, it’s just a minor maudlin moment.
OK I’m fine now.
As you were.
Yep, that’s the shit that’ll kill us all.
I some how ended up watch this last night on the Australian ABC’s Foreign Correspondent were I was working on my reply to Ad’s thread on Climate Change and the NZDF before I head back into Hospital again for a possible Biopsy on Monday.
With the hard right in the US arming up and bearing firearms in open as they can do in a number of states for self protection. It appears that members of the hard left are taking up arms and bearing firearms in the open as well.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-15/redneck-revolt-and-the-hard-lefts-call-to-arms/9303758
“If Oprah’s the best we’ve got, this is the end of politics.”
Pye is brilliant.
My neoliberal neighbour has done what everyone does and underestimated ECO Maori . You and the red head Idiot from Tokoroa have told everyone lies about me and told them you where going to LOCK UP that Maori yes they are racist bigots Im untouchable NOW sandflies. You are using all the tricks you can dream up to make me lose both my JOBS who cares about that Maoris Mokos future he can go on the dole and set a good example to his mokos of where a Maori should be broke .Well get stuffed I have done nothing wrong Im not giving in to your intimidation Im not leaving any job . You people are breaking the LAW breaching my rights everyone knows about this fact.
Nobby spends all his time trying to come up with a sceem to lock me up I found something in my wallet that i did not put there he sits in his garage with all the hardware and software to be able to hack my computer to stop me posting but you can’t stop me from posting using my Phone. Every time you get burned
you blame me your mates siren dont phase me nor do your hoddy m8 you have contracted to use againsts me. All your bullshit just slips off my back like water off a ducks back don’t blame me for your shit bigots. I’v done nothing wrong or I would be in jail with all the lying accusations you have made against me.
Ana to kai
Yes the sandflys are still dreaming that I’m going to wake up and turn into a idiot sorry not going to happen. They had 2 cops who looked like the chief of police pointing a speed camera at me on lakes boulevard Tauranga that article about the house being built in tauranga must have pissed them off well to me the people wellbeing comes first. They are pouring on there dum ass intimidation tactics today the can kiss my_______ LOL Ana to kai