On top or alongside that perhaps everyone at work or out engaging today could make sure that the trivialising of abuse that is behind the politicking in the past week is challenged. The whole basic issue of anyone who is demeaned in anyway at the hands of others has taken second place to a lot of self-interest, and self-interest is why most of the abuse and intimidation happens in the first place. Please try not to be afraid to step up and speak out even if it is just to call out people minimalising abusive behaviour or treating it as a "joke".
I know you have had more than your fair share of police bullying and harassment in the past Treetop. It doesn't matter how long ago it may have happened the effects never fully leave you.
I expect this past week as brought back unpleasant memories for a lot of people – most of whom will be women.
It has been rife within the Public Service for years and it's always the same: management just deny, deny, deny as if all these hordes of victims are liars.
Edit
Police management of harassment and denigrating behaviour from managers – inadequate and not well thought through. But it reflects two things – one, the whole attitude to ordinary people and citizens from the powerful and their fellow travellers in society, and, two, the way that the police live in a world of their own 'untouched by human hands' because they are to be free of political interference, like Treasury.
It isn't working policy-wonks! The police coming forward to Radionz anonymously say that the managers end up judging their own behaviour, the complainant can’t get improvement and things might get worse after airing problems. Further up management don’t want to know, human resources don’t know how to deal with people, only CVs and assessments like passing a wof for the job. There needs to be respect for what is involved in being a good human. I bet a lot of those with power to change things have not started on the beat and worked up. They are either dainty things from uni or power and position hungry types from generic management.
The citizens in a democracy, should be having a say in what police and army do and are run. We citizens are supposed to have a voice and should be able to be involved in guiding performance. And it is a black mark against representative democracy that has turned out to be a method where those who manage to get wealthy and comfortable treat government as a personal service agency. The poor do not have agency in this type of agency – we need participatory democracy where people get out of their comfy chairs, and the park benches, go and discuss with politicians what is going wrong, and what can be done, and what difficulties politicians and leaders face in advancing better systems, and the unintended consequences there will be and the faults that can arise. We have all been too lazy to be bothered to take care of our nation's political system and ensure that it is fair and fit for purpose. I don't know if it's too late to make the changes needed at this late stage in our slide down, but I am thinking, trying, and supporting groups working for good.
And police, men and women, need to be within the community fold, helping us and we helping them to be better, but also working with them so they are happier, safer and we all will become good at preventing the vulnerable poor from being crime-bound. The wealthy and complacent who commit crime are a different problem.
Most of the inept ones I had the misfortune to encounter are now gone. It is the ones who still do not get it, that need to be weeded out and held to account.
My comment was about the affect it is having within the police service on staff.
Who do you think would be effective to address the damage which is occurring and what is required to prevent it occurring within the police service?
Someone who wants to have a good system suitable for a properly functioning government service that respects the citizens and their own people, and wants to bring out the best in both. So would that be the State Services Commission? I have no idea. Is there anyone out there who has authority, principles and a vision for better?
Police need looking after with consideration, I don't think they are being respected themselves, and no doubt losing many of good character who get worn down with the task and the treatment. It wouldn't be good that only the gnarly ones are left, who are hard and twisted enough to last in the system and then grasp their way to the top jobs and perpetuate the problem.
And while we are at it we need a better overview system too – the police complaints authority should not be complacent and submissive to however police choose to interpret their instructions and meet their targets.
Strong union is necessary. yes, but more than that as this isn't a simple matter of pay and conditions for a worker. These people are at the heart of our nation, and if they are not treated well, and don't treat us well and fairly, then we end up having little or no heart; essentially they reflect back to us the sort of society we are. Dishevelled figures at present I feel.
I will put links to what comments re police that i heard this morning. They were people who spoke about what they knew.
7.10 am. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713400/police-staff-say-complaints-system-fuels-bullyingMore Police officers and non sworn staff have come forward saying their Speak Up complaints system isn't working and its fueling widespread bullying in the organisation.Last week, RNZ reported the concerns of 21 police officers and non-sworn staff members who said bullying was rife within the police.Since then more have come forward, including current and former HR employees who say the department is failing to properly deal with issue of bullying.
8.10am https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713413/police-confused-about-how-to-deal-with-bullying-complaints Senior managers have been confused by the police's Speak Up complaints system, which it says could be leading to bad experiences for complainants.RNZ has talked to more than 50 current or former staff who have experienced bullying in the police. The police's deputy chief executive in charge or people and capability, Kaye Ryan, told our reporter Ben Strang the Speak Up process is being reviewed.
A two way street, public need to have the confidence in the police to do their job. Police need to have confidence in the work place so they are not distracted from doing their job.
"It has been rife within the Public Service for years and it's always the same"
It has that @ Anne!!!!.
However, I'd suggest that since the age of managerialism, the CEO as el supremo running little feifdoms based on business buzz and ideology, and everything running along those lines, the "deny deny deny" has become normalised and industrialised.
The age of the Master and Mistress of the Universe where protection of egos becomes the norm; where even when the new age of measurements (such as the KPI) actually mean fuck all, and even when they're not met – there is no consequence, other than perhaps a sideways shuffle.
We could start picking various Munsteries and Departments as examples of where things have turned to total shite, but I suspect there are word limits and "TLDR"'s to think of.
But just as an example, KPI's not met: abnormally HUGE staff turnover; admissions that the "restructure didn't go as well as intended"; racists and homophobes that have to be "managed" out of the place; and very much more, never affect the God – who often has not only created the organisational kulcha, but who will use any and all means to protect it.
I could of course be talking about any number of Ministries/Departments/SOE's/COE's/Qango's before we even start on local gummint.
In some ways, when I reference the black humour department in my mind, and recall some of the specific encounters I've witnessed or been a part of, I find a lot of this quite amusing – funny as a fart in a lift in fact. A lot of it is the ultimate in muppetry – especially when many of them seem to see the solution lays in carrying on doing the same old shit (equipped with a new set of buzzwords and management theory), and expecting a different outcome. (Ain't gunna happin goan forwid – not even if we start recycling some of the buzz from the early years of the new-found neoliberal religion – such as……maybe 'kaizen' – that's due for a comeback surely!).
With the Federal election in Canada underway the polls are coming thick and fast (and compared to us they do lots and lots of polling).
The two contenders for government are now in a dead heat in CBC’s Poll of Polls. The Liberal Party however has an advantage over the Conservative Party insofar as it’s garnering greater support in Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous (and therefore most vote rich) provinces.
In Ontario they are benefiting from growing voter distaste for the provincial Conservative administration under Premier Doug Ford and in Quebec (as in the rest of the country) the third main party the New Democrats are seeing their centre left support collapsing mostly to the Liberals but also somewhat to the Greens.
Thanks to Trudeau’s broken promise on electoral reform Canada still has FPTP so which ever party can win either Ontario or Quebec is well on the way to claiming an election win. If a party can win both then victory is all but certain.
Interesting. Trudeaumania evaporated: his approval rating is half that of three years ago. Good to see the Greens have climbed back to the 10% they were getting a decade back – wonder why they sank into that trough for so long.
Prior to 2015 the main motivating force for centre left voters in Canada was getting rid of Stephen Harper and the Conservative government in Ottawa. Accordingly Green voters lent their vote to whichever of the two main opposition parties at the time looked most likely to achieve that.
Greens have only ever had one seat in the House of Commons, though recently they added another in a federal by election in BC. If they get the 4 seats in the upcoming election that this CBC poll is suggesting they will have achieved a real breakthrough
I wonder if the new school history curriculum will include other NZ wars alongside the land wars… about 2,500 people were killed in the land wars, about 20,000 killed in the musket wars just a generation prior, and around 1800 were wiped out over a decade or so during the nazi mutunga genocide of moriori. And these were all in the 1800's only…
If the broad history can be taught, at least it gets the ideas in, they become aware of our history being more than a Disney story.
Also they would be given links telling the background stories, and books in the library? or available at the public library, or there should be an educational mobile library for those establishments that have decided that they can't afford books. Each student should be given a choice of one to summarise in say three paragraphs, also to be accompanied by one story that caught their interest, and then these be read out to the class.
Then they would all learn different stories and perspective compounding with pupil numbers. And this without the teacher having to personally present any 'sensitive' material. Just exposing the pupils to the knowledge, and bringing them all to different parts of it would be 100% more awareness than they would have otherwise.
5G information meetings are rolling out. It is indeed something for future thinking citizens to take note of and think about. I hope it does not come to a Tianneman Square situation.
If you mean will people get run over by tanks for attending 5g meetings, I'd doubt it to 99.99%
If you mean something else, you're going to have to write the post again, but much more comprehensible this time as that's just too wtf to attempt to interpret.
Its a meaningless, unintelligent rambling for sure, which was sort of my point, and if you can't explain it anymore than 'gotcha' I'm happy for you to let it die without it drawing further attention.
Since the matter of ‘climate change’ is featuring high in today’s/weekly long climate change informational day all over the NZ media here is our contribution.
CEAC support James Renwick
Monday, 16 September 2019, 9:20 am
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
James Renwick claim that NZ is failing on climate change is valid, and since James has been receiving widespread media coverage that we outline most of it again here now as we gear up for the ‘Global climate change conference’ beginning next week.
…..
Just seeing the statistics Professor Renwick released today (quote) “Carbon dioxide emissions from transport have nearly doubled since 1990” coupled with more use of rail is a no-brainer for all of us to engage in using more rail and less road freight.
[lprent: I am mostly concerned about the length of unquoted copyrighted material you dumped here.
I did a coarse trim it down for you. If you think the haircut is an insult, then
You should have cut it yourself to get rid of the dishevelled Boris look. Don’t be lazy – frame the reasons for looking at the link.
Quote the pasted material because it is hard to distinguish between what you dribble and what the press release said.
Consider whose server you dropped liable material on – and consider me insulted.
Controls on building firms hooray! So that their eyes aren't bigger than their stomachs, the plate-clearing greedies. Goodbye Mr Cresote – I hope (Monty Python).
Bill McKay says the Kiwibuild reset is nothing to get excited about, describing it as more of an apology than a vision of what's next. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.
Oh dear will the brave and comfortably off young things of today be able to pursue their every whim in future? Will the cost-benefit to the planet have to vaguely register? Will saving the planet and a kindly, warm and inclusive society be regarded as a challenge worthy of their youthful insouciance? Can they develop an interest in helping people, their own community, and doing a little local rock climbing or whatever for when they want to do something that makes their feet tingle? Questions with an answer I think I already know.
After a chance meeting in a DOC hut, four young Cantabrians are flying to Tanzania today to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and paraglide off the summit. It's one of the world's most difficult paragliding missions, starting with an eight day hike to what's called the 'roof of Africa'. And it's the first time New Zealanders have attempted the flight. RNZ reporter Katie Todd went to one of their final training sessions.
Spoiler – you are not going to like this. So it would be better not to read it, and if you do, don't write and vent your anger on me at length, or short.
A Dutch critic of euthanasia laws says the practice is putting increasing pressure on doctors and it's changing the way we perceive dying and suffering.From 2005 to 2014 Dr Theo Boer was an ethicist on a regional Euthanasia Review Committee in the Netherlands, examining 4,000 euthanasia cases, and was initially supportive of the legislation. 3m.
It is interesting how people who say they want to protect the rights of others and good behaviour between and to people as I think ethics does, can fall into authoritarian limitation of people's personal right to life and death choices. They go beyond protecting people by not wanting euthanasia to telling them what to think, and ordering them to stay alive when they want to die, and stopping them making a dignified, even serene and happy demise. No you must live as long as we order you to, it lets down the side by wanting to leave early before you wear out. As you came into the world randomly, without request or rights about it, so you must wait to leave randomly.
We cannot conceive ourselves say the men but we have a stake in your body, and the women say you must stick to the rules as women always do, and together they combine to upbraid you; for 'Not enjoying your nice life that we have made for you – eat it all up – and don't leave the table until you do'. And then if you still insist, they would maliciously like to punish you by allowing you to die in the saddest, painful and lingering way so as not to encourage the others to have ideas beyond those who hold the power, and the rigid conditions sacrosanct.
OTOH, there was this interesting Dutch fella on the wireless the other day who used to be all for the 'right to die in your own terms' team but after a while he has had to think again.
Palliative care has advanced so greatly in the past decade that the 'die writhing in agony' scenario no longer universally applies. Dutch fella has seen a shift from the understandable desire to avoid aforesaid agonising end to a person wanting to…well…timetable their death. Like, plan it. Like, they simply have to be in charge literally right up to the bitter end.
Not wishing to sound all new age and crystal wearing…could it be that we have an allotted lifespan? Does our corporeal self have a time to be born and a time to die? Will this desperate bid to be in charge…to eliminate the natural and the random from our beginnings and endings…see the permanent disconnection of humans from the spiritual?
I don't necessarily disagree with that, but doesn't life saving and life prolonging medical intervention mean we no longer have natural and random endings to our lives?
I don't think anyone has a problem with an emergency Caesarian to save the life of mum and babe…but a planned and timetabled major intervention like this for 'social reasons'? From the 'too posh to push' brigade or from those for whom a particular birthdate is auspicious in some way? As for medical interventions, extreme lifesaving measures…there used to be talk in medical fields around the phenomenon of he some respond and live…yet others getting the same treatment die. Why?
I'd put 'being allowed to exercise a personal choice about when/how to die' in the 'nice to have' category. If I was compos mentis, and it was my choice, then I'd prefer to be allowed to choose.
I might never make such a choice – might not need to, or be able to. But the idea of being allowed to make this personal choice appeals to me, a bit like being allowed, nay encouraged, to be responsible when it comes to putting a do (or do not) resuscitate instruction in place.
If I had to tease out the reasons why, I think fear (and so cowardice?) would be somewhere up there. Maybe needing to be in control also has something to do with it. I’m about as opposite to an ‘adrenalin junkie’ as you could get, so minimising (as opposed to eliminating) risk seems common sense IMHO.
Tracy Watkins performs a typical sleight of hand, contrasting John Key's handling of Richard Worth, a caucus member, with Ardern's handling of issues around party and parliamentary employees. She also lumps Helen Clark in with John Key on that score, despite having contrasting examples in Taito Philip Field, David Benson-Pope and Winston Peters (different from the Worth situation, but she would still need to address that). It's fine if she wants to compare and contrast, but Watkins doesn't do that, she just conflates separate issues. Watkins has been NZ's very worst political journalist for some time, and I've never been able to work out whether she's devious, gullible, thick or a combination of some or all of those.
A run-through of what is to come and a timeline of the various happenings. There is usually a five day debate after the Queen's Address I think called 'The Humble Address'.
A risible Frankenstein's argument from National about the proposed gun register, bolting on a reference to mental health as a wedge for Labour voters, and a reference to criminal to appeal to National's constituency. Interviewers should always ask if politicians have any evidence for what they are suggesting, and if they don't produce any, explicitly describe it as speculation/musings/guesswork (and never refer to it in the headline). After all, that would then be factual reporting, rather than opinion.
Labour abuse allegations investigator brings in computer expert
"One of the people who investigated complaints about a Labour staffer has hired a forensic computer expert to prove he was never told about sexual assault allegations".
Edit
I feel utterly frustrated at the way this sexual assault case continues on. There needs to be a special panel set up to hear this case with detailed records and overseen by a QC or such. The accusations and denials flow back and forth, and it feels too much like an out of control Standard post.
I want something better to settle this matter that is affecting the whole country, and the Coalition government that I support. So get something set up whoever is in charge, and stop this travesty. It is either an inflated story, or it is a very nasty matter, and if so it must be dealt with in a more effective and fairer way that brings everything together in a judicial way so that if there is a prosecution, the evidence is there. Let the discussion be continued in private, though not secret, and then it can be explained when the hearing is finished and everyone involved has given their report. Till then let there be an injunction on speaking to the media or public.
The article doesn't mention any refutation that there was a complainant, just the fact that the mention of a sexual assault was not made in any document provided by the main complainant ("Sarah") to the Labour Party's investigation panel of 3.
Mickey I am sure that the people exist. I meant that Sarah claimed documents were sent to the Council but they don't exist. My guess is that Sarah has increased her complaint to sexual assault in order to get greater response. It is supremely unlikely that the Council members would flat out lie.
Edit
MickeyB has quoted Ardern is to meet with complainants. End of first chapter.
I hope this is a short story, not a continuing series. Let’s do what is right, and what our PM wants. The old men in the background,grooming the public, are not adding to their lustre as this trails on in such a disgraceful way.
The waters are certainly getting muddier by the day. I agree with you there's little to be gained by the Labour Council members lying and they’re not lying – of that I am sure. But on the other hand something untoward was occurring. You don't get 7 people laying formal complaints and another 3 or 4 who are said to have unofficially complained.
Maybe Anne, there is a group of individuals who were concerned about bad behaviour such as they believed that each had been bullied, perhaps including Sarah. The group thinking can reinforce the strength of the claims but Sarah didn't think to claim sexual assault which, had she brought that to the Council, would have tripped the "We are not equipped to deal with such events." The later recent increase of Sarah's serious complaint tripped the shambles which now exist.
But someone is not being truthful. Will we ever find out? Paula will muddy the water as she did tonight on the News TV1
Might be a bit of murky, even Dirty Politics in all this – something about Paula "Zip it, sweetie" Bennett as a victims' champion just doesn't ring true.
Maybe the Nats have learned something from Key, English, Joyce, Coleman, Barclay, Ross et al., and moved on from their Dirty Politics escapades. If they can refrain from their usual vomitous do-nothing (self-enrichment excepted) behaviour when they regain control of parliament then we'll know for sure, but I wouldn't put another flag referendum past them – leopards and spots!
It's never been a consciousness of her outer looks which I found troubling, but rather a lack of self-awareness of her effect on others and a deficiency of empathy.
In own words, "I've grabbed opportunities and I've made the most of them, and that has been the key to the many successes I've had."
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has returned to the Beehive and described a sexual assault allegation saga engulfing the Labour Party as a "disgraceful orgy of speculation and innuendo".
Is he currently living in a camper van? Ooh, don't tell the tabloid journos. They'll have a collective heart-attack and all drop dead with coronaries. On second thoughts do tell them.
I am certain that Winston Peters would have demanded to be told "what was going on" and would have refrained from saying anything unless he was certain he was basing his reaction on fact. Why would he do otherwise? The National Party will be even further from his considerations than they already were.
Aotearoa economy is doing great sailing into the headwinds created by larger economy's.
Greta is a incredibly intelligent individual Rangatahi who is educating the Papatuanuku about the REAL threat climate change is to our Papatuanuku future society Kia kaha Greta keep up the excellent mahi.
Bees play a very important role in our society we have to stop using agricultural chemicals on our farms we need to become the Organic farmers all over the Papatuanuku.
Tyrone Great to see Massey students winning a competition to New York to show their building low cost air quality sensors kia kaha.
Lloyd the black peet saga gives me a in sight on their society's view that can be found throughout Western society.
Kate Shepherd house being brought by Heritage NZ is cool she made a great contribution to the good changes Aotearoa
16000 electric cars is a heck of a lot of carbon emissions not being blown into our environment.
The tide is changing fast to A Papatuanuku that puts our the wellbeing of other into our plans like our future decendints. Humans have changed our environment for centuries build a whare we are changing the environment inside the whare to a warmer dryer environment so we can slow global warming we just have to do it for the future.
That's the way dumping your gas gussling car for electric scooter.
Eco Maori got this a few years ago I tau toko all people who champion mitigating human cause climate change. It makes me proud to see all the tamariki stepping up to the challenge letting everyone know that inaction on climate change is not good enough. Words are cheap action is not. It will give me a sore face when I see the MASSIVE CROWDs protesting to the Papatuanuku leaders to change the way of the Papatuanuku to become carbon neutral ASAP on Friday 20 of September 2019 KIA KAHA.
Scientists set out how to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
Strong civil society movements are needed to ramp up pace of change, says study
Greenhouse gas emissions could be halved in the next decade if a small number of current technologies and behavioural trends are ramped up and adopted more widely, researchers have found, saying strong civil society movements are needed to drive such change.
Solar and wind power, now cheaper than fossil fuels in many regions, must be scaled up rapidly to replace coal-fired generation, and this alone could halve emissions from electricity generation by 2030, according to the Exponential Roadmap report from an international group of countries
If the rapid uptake of electric vehicles in some parts of the world could be sustained, the vehicles could make up 90% of the market by 2030, vastly reducing emissions from transport, it said.
Avoiding deforestation and improving land management could reduce emissions by the equivalent of about 9bn tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2030, according to the report, but contradictory subsidies, poor planning and vested interests could stop this from happening.
The way to any transition will be the growing social movements that are pressing for urgent action on climate breakdown. By driving behavioural change, such as moving away from the overconsumption of meat and putting pressure on governments and companies, civil movements have the power to drive the transformation needed in the next decade, say the report’s authors.
Christiana Figueres, a former top climate official at the UN, said: “I see all evidence that social and economic tipping points are aligning. We can now say the next decade has the potential to see the fastest economic transition in history. Ka kite Ano link below.
I agree that our youth should get the OK to vote as its there future we are making a mess of at the minute.
The Tongan Prime Minister tangi today he will be missed by Te tangata.
I think it's good that South Africa government going to protect their Wahine from being disrespect by men Mana Wahine that's the way stand up for your rights to a happy health life.
Ngāti Hinerangi wanting to captilize on the Hobbit phenomenon that's the way tangata whenua have to chase all opertunaties to build a moanga for Te mokopuna.
Wai New Zealand conference it awesome that more thought research and respect is being given to the way we interact with our Taonga Wai.
The deaf have a taki with the services they get from the tellco company's because they don't use their talking minutes that's the way if they don't no there is a problem with some tangata then they can not fix it kia kaha.
350 climate change Rangatahi that is the way let every one know you are not happy with the mess being made of your future
Kupe scholarships Ka pai to Wahine for getting the scholarship and chasing a higher education Mana Wahine
Stay native looks like a winner to Eco Maori we have to look after each other in our Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Papatuanuku AWSOME. NO one else is going to look after Maori but Maori.
Pu Rakau is great getting Te tamariki to be invative industrial and learning math and sciences kia kaha tamariki.
Ka kite Ano
Its great the government's retirement fund is performing well I hope they are moving their investment away from high carbon footprint industry.
Cool that money is being invested into research on why tabco is so addictive Hope they find something to help smokers Quit.
I remember just before a election national had a huge civil construction company hiring heaps of people with false jobs. I know I went for the jobs got to Wellington and it turned out to be a micky mouse club no real mahi being transferred from different jobs sights WHAT A JOKE it was just a skeem to get people off the dole just before the 2014 elections.
The reason there are more people on unemployment system is because national made it so HARD to get social security that many people could not jump through all the HOOPs to get on their social security system that's a fact. Hence all the people living under the BRIDGE. Our economy is not tanking you are just talking it down
Our Coalition Government is a legitimate government they got the seats and popularity to prove it.
Most business people are national supporters so when national jumps up and down putting down our economy they listen to their views or deliberately put out data to show they have low confidence.
Te tangata Te tangata Te tangata William is correct its about Te tangata no just putea.
Those idiots who started those fires in Australia need to be jailed we can't have fools causing so much damage just for their own wellbeing how selfish.
The Rugby Papatuanuku Cup will be A awesome event we will be watching the games using solar power for our device.
Not just dog need aroha all creatures need Tangata aroha .
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This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
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Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
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Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
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The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
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56 police staff who cannot be their best selves when it comes to serving the public because of how managers handle a personal grievance complaint.
No one goes to work to be bullied or harassed and then be dismissed or blamed for the sick behaviour of work staff.
Senior managers appear to be confused about the process.
On top or alongside that perhaps everyone at work or out engaging today could make sure that the trivialising of abuse that is behind the politicking in the past week is challenged. The whole basic issue of anyone who is demeaned in anyway at the hands of others has taken second place to a lot of self-interest, and self-interest is why most of the abuse and intimidation happens in the first place. Please try not to be afraid to step up and speak out even if it is just to call out people minimalising abusive behaviour or treating it as a "joke".
I know you have had more than your fair share of police bullying and harassment in the past Treetop. It doesn't matter how long ago it may have happened the effects never fully leave you.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/398841/bullying-in-the-police-victims-say-speak-up-complaints-system-lets-them-down
I expect this past week as brought back unpleasant memories for a lot of people – most of whom will be women.
It has been rife within the Public Service for years and it's always the same:
management just deny, deny, deny as if all these hordes of victims are liars.
Edit
Police management of harassment and denigrating behaviour from managers – inadequate and not well thought through. But it reflects two things – one, the whole attitude to ordinary people and citizens from the powerful and their fellow travellers in society, and, two, the way that the police live in a world of their own 'untouched by human hands' because they are to be free of political interference, like Treasury.
It isn't working policy-wonks! The police coming forward to Radionz anonymously say that the managers end up judging their own behaviour, the complainant can’t get improvement and things might get worse after airing problems. Further up management don’t want to know, human resources don’t know how to deal with people, only CVs and assessments like passing a wof for the job. There needs to be respect for what is involved in being a good human. I bet a lot of those with power to change things have not started on the beat and worked up. They are either dainty things from uni or power and position hungry types from generic management.
The citizens in a democracy, should be having a say in what police and army do and are run. We citizens are supposed to have a voice and should be able to be involved in guiding performance. And it is a black mark against representative democracy that has turned out to be a method where those who manage to get wealthy and comfortable treat government as a personal service agency. The poor do not have agency in this type of agency – we need participatory democracy where people get out of their comfy chairs, and the park benches, go and discuss with politicians what is going wrong, and what can be done, and what difficulties politicians and leaders face in advancing better systems, and the unintended consequences there will be and the faults that can arise. We have all been too lazy to be bothered to take care of our nation's political system and ensure that it is fair and fit for purpose. I don't know if it's too late to make the changes needed at this late stage in our slide down, but I am thinking, trying, and supporting groups working for good.
And police, men and women, need to be within the community fold, helping us and we helping them to be better, but also working with them so they are happier, safer and we all will become good at preventing the vulnerable poor from being crime-bound. The wealthy and complacent who commit crime are a different problem.
What sort of budget is required for the complainants of intimidation and all forms of harassment within the police?
People who know what they are suppose to do and a proper budget is required in any work place.
Most of the inept ones I had the misfortune to encounter are now gone. It is the ones who still do not get it, that need to be weeded out and held to account.
My comment was about the affect it is having within the police service on staff.
Who do you think would be effective to address the damage which is occurring and what is required to prevent it occurring within the police service?
Someone who wants to have a good system suitable for a properly functioning government service that respects the citizens and their own people, and wants to bring out the best in both. So would that be the State Services Commission? I have no idea. Is there anyone out there who has authority, principles and a vision for better?
Police need looking after with consideration, I don't think they are being respected themselves, and no doubt losing many of good character who get worn down with the task and the treatment. It wouldn't be good that only the gnarly ones are left, who are hard and twisted enough to last in the system and then grasp their way to the top jobs and perpetuate the problem.
And while we are at it we need a better overview system too – the police complaints authority should not be complacent and submissive to however police choose to interpret their instructions and meet their targets.
I'd like to hear from Greg O Connor how many have been in contact with him?
Same as the current police president.
Maybe a strong union delegate with the right skills is the answer.
Strong union is necessary. yes, but more than that as this isn't a simple matter of pay and conditions for a worker. These people are at the heart of our nation, and if they are not treated well, and don't treat us well and fairly, then we end up having little or no heart; essentially they reflect back to us the sort of society we are. Dishevelled figures at present I feel.
I will put links to what comments re police that i heard this morning. They were people who spoke about what they knew.
7.10 am. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713400/police-staff-say-complaints-system-fuels-bullying More Police officers and non sworn staff have come forward saying their Speak Up complaints system isn't working and its fueling widespread bullying in the organisation.Last week, RNZ reported the concerns of 21 police officers and non-sworn staff members who said bullying was rife within the police.Since then more have come forward, including current and former HR employees who say the department is failing to properly deal with issue of bullying.
8.10am https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713413/police-confused-about-how-to-deal-with-bullying-complaints Senior managers have been confused by the police's Speak Up complaints system, which it says could be leading to bad experiences for complainants.RNZ has talked to more than 50 current or former staff who have experienced bullying in the police. The police's deputy chief executive in charge or people and capability, Kaye Ryan, told our reporter Ben Strang the Speak Up process is being reviewed.
A two way street, public need to have the confidence in the police to do their job. Police need to have confidence in the work place so they are not distracted from doing their job.
"It has been rife within the Public Service for years and it's always the same"
It has that @ Anne!!!!.
However, I'd suggest that since the age of managerialism, the CEO as el supremo running little feifdoms based on business buzz and ideology, and everything running along those lines, the "deny deny deny" has become normalised and industrialised.
The age of the Master and Mistress of the Universe where protection of egos becomes the norm; where even when the new age of measurements (such as the KPI) actually mean fuck all, and even when they're not met – there is no consequence, other than perhaps a sideways shuffle.
We could start picking various Munsteries and Departments as examples of where things have turned to total shite, but I suspect there are word limits and "TLDR"'s to think of.
But just as an example, KPI's not met: abnormally HUGE staff turnover; admissions that the "restructure didn't go as well as intended"; racists and homophobes that have to be "managed" out of the place; and very much more, never affect the God – who often has not only created the organisational kulcha, but who will use any and all means to protect it.
I could of course be talking about any number of Ministries/Departments/SOE's/COE's/Qango's before we even start on local gummint.
In some ways, when I reference the black humour department in my mind, and recall some of the specific encounters I've witnessed or been a part of, I find a lot of this quite amusing – funny as a fart in a lift in fact. A lot of it is the ultimate in muppetry – especially when many of them seem to see the solution lays in carrying on doing the same old shit (equipped with a new set of buzzwords and management theory), and expecting a different outcome. (Ain't gunna happin goan forwid – not even if we start recycling some of the buzz from the early years of the new-found neoliberal religion – such as……maybe 'kaizen' – that's due for a comeback surely!).
With the Federal election in Canada underway the polls are coming thick and fast (and compared to us they do lots and lots of polling).
The two contenders for government are now in a dead heat in CBC’s Poll of Polls. The Liberal Party however has an advantage over the Conservative Party insofar as it’s garnering greater support in Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous (and therefore most vote rich) provinces.
In Ontario they are benefiting from growing voter distaste for the provincial Conservative administration under Premier Doug Ford and in Quebec (as in the rest of the country) the third main party the New Democrats are seeing their centre left support collapsing mostly to the Liberals but also somewhat to the Greens.
Thanks to Trudeau’s broken promise on electoral reform Canada still has FPTP so which ever party can win either Ontario or Quebec is well on the way to claiming an election win. If a party can win both then victory is all but certain.
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
Interesting. Trudeaumania evaporated: his approval rating is half that of three years ago. Good to see the Greens have climbed back to the 10% they were getting a decade back – wonder why they sank into that trough for so long.
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/leadermeter/index.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/historical-federal-polling-data-1.4171977
Prior to 2015 the main motivating force for centre left voters in Canada was getting rid of Stephen Harper and the Conservative government in Ottawa. Accordingly Green voters lent their vote to whichever of the two main opposition parties at the time looked most likely to achieve that.
Greens have only ever had one seat in the House of Commons, though recently they added another in a federal by election in BC. If they get the 4 seats in the upcoming election that this CBC poll is suggesting they will have achieved a real breakthrough
Greens never got "10% of the Canadian vote a decade back" it was more 4-7%
The New Democrats get well over 2 mill and they are to the left of the centre left Liberals
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Canadian_federal_general_elections.svg/800px-Canadian_federal_general_elections.svg.png
On thse sort of graphs of of party votes – bright green is Social Credit and they peaked in the late 50s/
Good news about reefs and clever and committed people doing work for them and the planet and us.
https://billingsgazette.com/ap/international/rescue-of-coral-reefs-shows-nature-can-heal/article_af0b1e8e-14c1-56af-8d52-30cab5479376.html
Thanks for that. An excellent example of how to integrate environmentalism with resilience design of a local economy!
OOh thanks DF. I thought so too, and put a link-heavy comment in Sunday's How to Get There for those who like to chew on the hard caramels in the box!
I wonder if the new school history curriculum will include other NZ wars alongside the land wars… about 2,500 people were killed in the land wars, about 20,000 killed in the musket wars just a generation prior, and around 1800 were wiped out over a decade or so during the nazi mutunga genocide of moriori. And these were all in the 1800's only…
I suspect not
If the broad history can be taught, at least it gets the ideas in, they become aware of our history being more than a Disney story.
Also they would be given links telling the background stories, and books in the library? or available at the public library, or there should be an educational mobile library for those establishments that have decided that they can't afford books. Each student should be given a choice of one to summarise in say three paragraphs, also to be accompanied by one story that caught their interest, and then these be read out to the class.
Then they would all learn different stories and perspective compounding with pupil numbers. And this without the teacher having to personally present any 'sensitive' material. Just exposing the pupils to the knowledge, and bringing them all to different parts of it would be 100% more awareness than they would have otherwise.
5G information meetings are rolling out. It is indeed something for future thinking citizens to take note of and think about. I hope it does not come to a Tianneman Square situation.
If you mean will people get run over by tanks for attending 5g meetings, I'd doubt it to 99.99%
If you mean something else, you're going to have to write the post again, but much more comprehensible this time as that's just too wtf to attempt to interpret.
It's a stray thought that I put out there to pull you in; like an angler fish. Gotcha!
Its a meaningless, unintelligent rambling for sure, which was sort of my point, and if you can't explain it anymore than 'gotcha' I'm happy for you to let it die without it drawing further attention.
Since the matter of ‘climate change’ is featuring high in today’s/weekly long climate change informational day all over the NZ media here is our contribution.
Enjoy but leave insults out please.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1909/S00208/ceac-support-james-renwick.htm
Just seeing the statistics Professor Renwick released today (quote) “Carbon dioxide emissions from transport have nearly doubled since 1990” coupled with more use of rail is a no-brainer for all of us to engage in using more rail and less road freight.
[lprent: I am mostly concerned about the length of unquoted copyrighted material you dumped here.
I did a coarse trim it down for you. If you think the haircut is an insult, then
]
Controls on building firms hooray! So that their eyes aren't bigger than their stomachs, the plate-clearing greedies. Goodbye Mr Cresote – I hope (Monty Python).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713405/new-self-imposed-minimums-for-builders-could-limit-collapses
But Kiwibuild? A little better now thanks, not coughing so much. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018713441/bill-mckay-kiwibuild-reset-and-what-s-next
Bill McKay says the Kiwibuild reset is nothing to get excited about, describing it as more of an apology than a vision of what's next. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.
Oh dear will the brave and comfortably off young things of today be able to pursue their every whim in future? Will the cost-benefit to the planet have to vaguely register? Will saving the planet and a kindly, warm and inclusive society be regarded as a challenge worthy of their youthful insouciance? Can they develop an interest in helping people, their own community, and doing a little local rock climbing or whatever for when they want to do something that makes their feet tingle? Questions with an answer I think I already know.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713426/four-young-cantabrians-to-paraglide-off-mt-kilimanjaro-summit
After a chance meeting in a DOC hut, four young Cantabrians are flying to Tanzania today to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and paraglide off the summit. It's one of the world's most difficult paragliding missions, starting with an eight day hike to what's called the 'roof of Africa'. And it's the first time New Zealanders have attempted the flight. RNZ reporter Katie Todd went to one of their final training sessions.
Spoiler – you are not going to like this. So it would be better not to read it, and if you do, don't write and vent your anger on me at length, or short.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018713420/euthanasia-critic-says-the-practice-puts-strain-on-doctors
A Dutch critic of euthanasia laws says the practice is putting increasing pressure on doctors and it's changing the way we perceive dying and suffering.From 2005 to 2014 Dr Theo Boer was an ethicist on a regional Euthanasia Review Committee in the Netherlands, examining 4,000 euthanasia cases, and was initially supportive of the legislation. 3m.
It is interesting how people who say they want to protect the rights of others and good behaviour between and to people as I think ethics does, can fall into authoritarian limitation of people's personal right to life and death choices. They go beyond protecting people by not wanting euthanasia to telling them what to think, and ordering them to stay alive when they want to die, and stopping them making a dignified, even serene and happy demise. No you must live as long as we order you to, it lets down the side by wanting to leave early before you wear out. As you came into the world randomly, without request or rights about it, so you must wait to leave randomly.
We cannot conceive ourselves say the men but we have a stake in your body, and the women say you must stick to the rules as women always do, and together they combine to upbraid you; for 'Not enjoying your nice life that we have made for you – eat it all up – and don't leave the table until you do'. And then if you still insist, they would maliciously like to punish you by allowing you to die in the saddest, painful and lingering way so as not to encourage the others to have ideas beyond those who hold the power, and the rigid conditions sacrosanct.
OTOH, there was this interesting Dutch fella on the wireless the other day who used to be all for the 'right to die in your own terms' team but after a while he has had to think again.
Palliative care has advanced so greatly in the past decade that the 'die writhing in agony' scenario no longer universally applies. Dutch fella has seen a shift from the understandable desire to avoid aforesaid agonising end to a person wanting to…well…timetable their death. Like, plan it. Like, they simply have to be in charge literally right up to the bitter end.
Not wishing to sound all new age and crystal wearing…could it be that we have an allotted lifespan? Does our corporeal self have a time to be born and a time to die? Will this desperate bid to be in charge…to eliminate the natural and the random from our beginnings and endings…see the permanent disconnection of humans from the spiritual?
I don't necessarily disagree with that, but doesn't life saving and life prolonging medical intervention mean we no longer have natural and random endings to our lives?
I don't think anyone has a problem with an emergency Caesarian to save the life of mum and babe…but a planned and timetabled major intervention like this for 'social reasons'? From the 'too posh to push' brigade or from those for whom a particular birthdate is auspicious in some way? As for medical interventions, extreme lifesaving measures…there used to be talk in medical fields around the phenomenon of he some respond and live…yet others getting the same treatment die. Why?
I'd put 'being allowed to exercise a personal choice about when/how to die' in the 'nice to have' category. If I was compos mentis, and it was my choice, then I'd prefer to be allowed to choose.
I might never make such a choice – might not need to, or be able to. But the idea of being allowed to make this personal choice appeals to me, a bit like being allowed, nay encouraged, to be responsible when it comes to putting a do (or do not) resuscitate instruction in place.
If I had to tease out the reasons why, I think fear (and so cowardice?) would be somewhere up there. Maybe needing to be in control also has something to do with it. I’m about as opposite to an ‘adrenalin junkie’ as you could get, so minimising (as opposed to eliminating) risk seems common sense IMHO.
Tracy Watkins performs a typical sleight of hand, contrasting John Key's handling of Richard Worth, a caucus member, with Ardern's handling of issues around party and parliamentary employees. She also lumps Helen Clark in with John Key on that score, despite having contrasting examples in Taito Philip Field, David Benson-Pope and Winston Peters (different from the Worth situation, but she would still need to address that). It's fine if she wants to compare and contrast, but Watkins doesn't do that, she just conflates separate issues. Watkins has been NZ's very worst political journalist for some time, and I've never been able to work out whether she's devious, gullible, thick or a combination of some or all of those.
Tracy Watkins is a National Party Puppet. Fixed it for you.
No, my peripheral question concerned whether she's a puppet or a conscious shill.
Listen to the beginning of the bulletin. Interesting!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018713479
Come on give us a clue what it's about? First guess – Toss up for either Simon or Paula – or is it Judith?
Brexit. Queen's Speech: What is it and why is it important?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32816450
A run-through of what is to come and a timeline of the various happenings. There is usually a five day debate after the Queen's Address I think called 'The Humble Address'.
A risible Frankenstein's argument from National about the proposed gun register, bolting on a reference to mental health as a wedge for Labour voters, and a reference to criminal to appeal to National's constituency. Interviewers should always ask if politicians have any evidence for what they are suggesting, and if they don't produce any, explicitly describe it as speculation/musings/guesswork (and never refer to it in the headline). After all, that would then be factual reporting, rather than opinion.
Stop Press National Radio at 5pm.
Credibility of main complainant at stake.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint
Labour abuse allegations investigator brings in computer expert
"One of the people who investigated complaints about a Labour staffer has hired a forensic computer expert to prove he was never told about sexual assault allegations".
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/398894/labour-abuse-allegations-investigator-brings-in-computer-expert
Edit
I feel utterly frustrated at the way this sexual assault case continues on. There needs to be a special panel set up to hear this case with detailed records and overseen by a QC or such. The accusations and denials flow back and forth, and it feels too much like an out of control Standard post.
I want something better to settle this matter that is affecting the whole country, and the Coalition government that I support. So get something set up whoever is in charge, and stop this travesty. It is either an inflated story, or it is a very nasty matter, and if so it must be dealt with in a more effective and fairer way that brings everything together in a judicial way so that if there is a prosecution, the evidence is there. Let the discussion be continued in private, though not secret, and then it can be explained when the hearing is finished and everyone involved has given their report. Till then let there be an injunction on speaking to the media or public.
If Sarah laid a complaint the issue could be explored by experts but so far…
So Three members of the Committee have now refuted the Complainant's story. As has the defendant of the alleged sexual offender.
And documents "sent" by the complainant Sarah appear to not exist. Therefore the Spinoff story is in serious doubt.
Paula will call cover-up whitewash, denial etc ad nauseum.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115833369/labour-scandal-party-to-conduct-two-separate-inquiries-into-sexual-assault-allegations-response
"Ardern announced that she would meet with the complainant's in the ongoing scandal"
"The PM said the terms of reference for the Dew inquiry were now finalized but the complainant's did not wish for them to be released to the public"
These people clearly exist Ian.
The article doesn't mention any refutation that there was a complainant, just the fact that the mention of a sexual assault was not made in any document provided by the main complainant ("Sarah") to the Labour Party's investigation panel of 3.
Mickey I am sure that the people exist. I meant that Sarah claimed documents were sent to the Council but they don't exist. My guess is that Sarah has increased her complaint to sexual assault in order to get greater response. It is supremely unlikely that the Council members would flat out lie.
Edit
MickeyB has quoted Ardern is to meet with complainants. End of first chapter.
I hope this is a short story, not a continuing series. Let’s do what is right, and what our PM wants. The old men in the background,grooming the public, are not adding to their lustre as this trails on in such a disgraceful way.
But what will you say Grey, if the sexual assault complaint does not exist? The saga largely depends on it doesn't it?
The waters are certainly getting muddier by the day. I agree with you there's little to be gained by the Labour Council members lying and they’re not lying – of that I am sure. But on the other hand something untoward was occurring. You don't get 7 people laying formal complaints and another 3 or 4 who are said to have unofficially complained.
What a strange tale it's becoming.
Maybe Anne, there is a group of individuals who were concerned about bad behaviour such as they believed that each had been bullied, perhaps including Sarah. The group thinking can reinforce the strength of the claims but Sarah didn't think to claim sexual assault which, had she brought that to the Council, would have tripped the "We are not equipped to deal with such events." The later recent increase of Sarah's serious complaint tripped the shambles which now exist.
But someone is not being truthful. Will we ever find out? Paula will muddy the water as she did tonight on the News TV1
Might be a bit of murky, even Dirty Politics in all this – something about Paula "Zip it, sweetie" Bennett as a victims' champion just doesn't ring true.
Maybe the Nats have learned something from Key, English, Joyce, Coleman, Barclay, Ross et al., and moved on from their Dirty Politics escapades. If they can refrain from their usual vomitous do-nothing (self-enrichment excepted) behaviour when they regain control of parliament then we'll know for sure, but I wouldn't put another flag referendum past them – leopards and spots!
Hear Hear!
https://www.traillite.co.nz/motorhomes-for-sale/benimar/benimar-mileo/
Is he currently living in a camper van? Ooh, don't tell the tabloid journos. They'll have a collective heart-attack and all drop dead with coronaries. On second thoughts do tell them.
I am certain that Winston Peters would have demanded to be told "what was going on" and would have refrained from saying anything unless he was certain he was basing his reaction on fact. Why would he do otherwise? The National Party will be even further from his considerations than they already were.
OOps!
I meant:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12268181
Kia Ora The Am Show
Aotearoa economy is doing great sailing into the headwinds created by larger economy's.
Greta is a incredibly intelligent individual Rangatahi who is educating the Papatuanuku about the REAL threat climate change is to our Papatuanuku future society Kia kaha Greta keep up the excellent mahi.
Bees play a very important role in our society we have to stop using agricultural chemicals on our farms we need to become the Organic farmers all over the Papatuanuku.
Tyrone Great to see Massey students winning a competition to New York to show their building low cost air quality sensors kia kaha.
Lloyd the black peet saga gives me a in sight on their society's view that can be found throughout Western society.
Kate Shepherd house being brought by Heritage NZ is cool she made a great contribution to the good changes Aotearoa
16000 electric cars is a heck of a lot of carbon emissions not being blown into our environment.
The tide is changing fast to A Papatuanuku that puts our the wellbeing of other into our plans like our future decendints. Humans have changed our environment for centuries build a whare we are changing the environment inside the whare to a warmer dryer environment so we can slow global warming we just have to do it for the future.
That's the way dumping your gas gussling car for electric scooter.
Ka kite Ano
Eco Maori got this a few years ago I tau toko all people who champion mitigating human cause climate change. It makes me proud to see all the tamariki stepping up to the challenge letting everyone know that inaction on climate change is not good enough. Words are cheap action is not. It will give me a sore face when I see the MASSIVE CROWDs protesting to the Papatuanuku leaders to change the way of the Papatuanuku to become carbon neutral ASAP on Friday 20 of September 2019 KIA KAHA.
Scientists set out how to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
Strong civil society movements are needed to ramp up pace of change, says study
Greenhouse gas emissions could be halved in the next decade if a small number of current technologies and behavioural trends are ramped up and adopted more widely, researchers have found, saying strong civil society movements are needed to drive such change.
Solar and wind power, now cheaper than fossil fuels in many regions, must be scaled up rapidly to replace coal-fired generation, and this alone could halve emissions from electricity generation by 2030, according to the Exponential Roadmap report from an international group of countries
If the rapid uptake of electric vehicles in some parts of the world could be sustained, the vehicles could make up 90% of the market by 2030, vastly reducing emissions from transport, it said.
Avoiding deforestation and improving land management could reduce emissions by the equivalent of about 9bn tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2030, according to the report, but contradictory subsidies, poor planning and vested interests could stop this from happening.
The way to any transition will be the growing social movements that are pressing for urgent action on climate breakdown. By driving behavioural change, such as moving away from the overconsumption of meat and putting pressure on governments and companies, civil movements have the power to drive the transformation needed in the next decade, say the report’s authors.
Christiana Figueres, a former top climate official at the UN, said: “I see all evidence that social and economic tipping points are aligning. We can now say the next decade has the potential to see the fastest economic transition in history. Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/19/power-halve-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2030-climate-scientists
Kia Ora Newshub.
I agree that our youth should get the OK to vote as its there future we are making a mess of at the minute.
The Tongan Prime Minister tangi today he will be missed by Te tangata.
I think it's good that South Africa government going to protect their Wahine from being disrespect by men Mana Wahine that's the way stand up for your rights to a happy health life.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Ngāti Hinerangi wanting to captilize on the Hobbit phenomenon that's the way tangata whenua have to chase all opertunaties to build a moanga for Te mokopuna.
Wai New Zealand conference it awesome that more thought research and respect is being given to the way we interact with our Taonga Wai.
The deaf have a taki with the services they get from the tellco company's because they don't use their talking minutes that's the way if they don't no there is a problem with some tangata then they can not fix it kia kaha.
350 climate change Rangatahi that is the way let every one know you are not happy with the mess being made of your future
Kupe scholarships Ka pai to Wahine for getting the scholarship and chasing a higher education Mana Wahine
Stay native looks like a winner to Eco Maori we have to look after each other in our Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Papatuanuku AWSOME. NO one else is going to look after Maori but Maori.
Pu Rakau is great getting Te tamariki to be invative industrial and learning math and sciences kia kaha tamariki.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Its great the government's retirement fund is performing well I hope they are moving their investment away from high carbon footprint industry.
Cool that money is being invested into research on why tabco is so addictive Hope they find something to help smokers Quit.
I remember just before a election national had a huge civil construction company hiring heaps of people with false jobs. I know I went for the jobs got to Wellington and it turned out to be a micky mouse club no real mahi being transferred from different jobs sights WHAT A JOKE it was just a skeem to get people off the dole just before the 2014 elections.
The reason there are more people on unemployment system is because national made it so HARD to get social security that many people could not jump through all the HOOPs to get on their social security system that's a fact. Hence all the people living under the BRIDGE. Our economy is not tanking you are just talking it down
Our Coalition Government is a legitimate government they got the seats and popularity to prove it.
Most business people are national supporters so when national jumps up and down putting down our economy they listen to their views or deliberately put out data to show they have low confidence.
Te tangata Te tangata Te tangata William is correct its about Te tangata no just putea.
Those idiots who started those fires in Australia need to be jailed we can't have fools causing so much damage just for their own wellbeing how selfish.
The Rugby Papatuanuku Cup will be A awesome event we will be watching the games using solar power for our device.
Not just dog need aroha all creatures need Tangata aroha .
Ka kite Ano