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But is the statue of Colin Meads in Te Kuiti historic?? He's still alive, so I reckon not. Road signs with capital letters as big as a hand-span alert drivers heading north & south to where it can be found, and such civic care & attention to worshippers is indeed heart-warming, but I wonder how long it will take for woke activists to get there & do their eliminating…
is that I don't like the wording, good intention though. 'Less create, get a plan to provide' and actually have the word 'DO' in it. No paralysis by analysis. My guru Yoda says 'No try – just Do'. Obviously there has to be a plan, and that could be – Utilise all the present programs that are suitable and have been monitored and show good effect, and if they are keen have them put forward method and priorities and amalgamate them all, and have them carry out training, then compare their success rate, and include the trainees in the process for their opinion as to their success or note, and rejig things.
Get started, refine the practice with the trainees understanding that they are part of the study, and they will feel proud and put their best in. Only a year would see a huge change in attitudes throughout the actual working people at the coalface (new word needed for that). The workers are carrying the country forward and supporting the oldies, the young ones deserve our respect and support.
So Do That, Greens and prove your wokeness where it is crucial. (And to keep our irony level up for mental health, here is a collection of random opinions about what 'woke' means from the Urban Dictionary.) https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=woke
Ah hah. Well I register my vote for Do and make it fit for purpose, and include the trainers and trainees and listen to them and work out quickly a practical way forward that they will all trial, and report on. Then they will all Own the project, which means that they will all feel that it includes their own ideas and wishes, and that they have 'Skin in the game'.
Kate Raworth, the British economist who invented "doughnut economics", spoke via Zoom to a candidates' debate in Freemans Bay last week.
Raworth's doughnut is a ring that describes the relationship between our standards of living and our use of the world's resources. Inside the ring – in the doughnut hole – it is not possible to live well; outside the ring, we squander resources and ruin the planet.
We prosper and are in balance with the world when we live within the inner and outer limits of the doughnut. The aim of economics in the 21st century, said Raworth, must be to find a way to get there and stay there. But the Covid crisis has made inequalities worse. "We see it in gender and race, in class and in power." Doughnut economics, said Raworth, offers "a compass for humanity".
She says she doesn't have all the answers. No one does. Reducing our use of resources means reducing growth, and in conventional terms that creates poverty. But Raworth is not put off. "It's never been done before, but we have to work out how to do it. This is a new science, it's not even 10 years old." In fact, Raworth does have some answers. She's consulting to the city of Amsterdam on its post-Covid rebuild, and several other cities, including Los Angeles and Berlin, have also been inspired by her thinking as they plan their rebuild. I'll write more on this soon.
I hope he elucidates. Is her framing just a superficial rehash of sustainability? Or does it actually go beyond that, to provide strategic policy frameworks??
So you haven't noticed Rod Oram doing it recently? You do realise that the academic discipline economists are trained in was originally defined as political economy?? Before they attempted to emulate the divorce from the real world that physicists succeeded in accomplishing.
Not all economists prefer abstract irrelevance. Some are motivated to make the discipline useful. That means outlining political implementation strategies…
Not sure what the relevance is of the history of economics as a discipline other than showing off your expert knowledge of said topic in order to establish your intellectual superiority in this thread. I’m impressed.
Of course, an ascetic of Praxis would describe economic theory as “abstract irrelevance”; you failed to apply both/and logic, again.
"Is there any room to move in Ardern's point-blank rejection of both the Greens' wealth tax and a capital gains tax?"
Good article in other ways, but pity Wilson didn't answer that question. Is there a way now that Labour can agree to some kind of capital gains taxation? Or have they locked themselves, and us, out?
Ditto any kind of wealth tax, let alone the Green's.
"Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has moved to try to kill off National's claims she would bow to the Green Party's wish for a wealth tax by saying she would not implement a wealth tax as long as she is Prime Minister.
It is a step further than she has gone before – her previous comments on it related to the next term."
There’s very little wriggle room here, which is a pity because I doubt that the wider NZ political scene will be better disposed to the introduction of a significantly more progressive tax system again in my lifetime. A lost opportunity, IMHO.
Faith is like melting snow on rocks forming a little trickle that turns into a mountain stream, small, chaotic, disappearing between and underneath rocks. But it gains volume and strength and becomes a steady flow and then a giant river that can transport ships when it nears the sea. Have faith 🙂
Internal polling must say that the contested chunk of 'centre' voters with mortgages don't like it. And I bet the finance industry has been leaning on pollies too.
Could be strategy – clear point of difference between the Green and Labour parties? Hopefully the Greens will be in parliament and continue to advocate for a wealth tax. Careful fine-tuning may get the number of NZers in favour up to a clear majority – in this poll 53% of decided voters were is favour of a larger increase in tax paid by wealthy NZers than Labour is proposing.
Uncertainties include whether the climate for change will be any more favourable in three years' time, and whether Labour will continue to act as a handbrake in order to secure a third term.
"But perhaps the Greens have actually hit the jackpot.
The Newshub-Reid Research poll asked voters if Labour should have gone further in taxing the wealthiest New Zealanders.
Opinion was split, but more voters – 48.7 percent – said yes while 43 percent said no and 8 percent didn't know.
A majority of Labour's own voters – nearly 60 percent – wanted them to go further, while a third of National voters think so too."
Probably polling (going for the "govern alone" target), but it might also be a caucus/party-stalwart issue as well. Stamping hard on the idea certainly made JuCo's obseesion with it look stupid.
DTB's idea of a referendum to clear the way is a good 'un, but I also wonder if there are similar tax moves that haven't been ruled out, e.g. shifting the bright line on home investments and suchlike. Greens can leverage them in negotiations, circumstances permitting.
But Tova's announcement of the Reid Research poll this morning shows a widening gap and the fear-mongering has obviously become contagious amongst the hitherto undecided. Gangsters will be delighted that the nation’s conservatives still want to preserve their monopoly of the market…
Thinking about change needed re cannabis et al. 50 shades of grey!
Oh, oh we are being asked what we think. (We don't, we just react.)
It's so hard to read through all the stuff about cannabis – it's so dangerous, and it will have so many consequences if we agree to a change. (We mustn't have change.)
If we agree to change, who knows where this thinking business will end. Having done it once, government will be asking us about everything next. (What do we have gummint for and pay them all that money – how dare they ask us to do their jobs.)
We might get drug-deranged people come and live nextdoor, and that would be horrible. (We know how bad that can be from reports from one Standardista about what his elderly parents are suffering.)
Everything will get worse if people aren't under prohibition; it's not good now, so 'they' will get totally out of control. That's what all of us who try to live good lives think, and we don't want to hear any more about differing opinions, it's all greenwash! So there!
"Gangsters will be delighted that the nation’s conservatives still want to preserve their monopoly of the market… " You need to get out more Dennis, P is where the gangs are focused and have been for many years now.
Cannabis isn’t the business it used to be anymore as it's everywhere and anyone can grow it whereas P gives them repeat business.
Police would likely welcome a refocus of scarce resources to combat P so if it doesn’t pass then it’s job done scaremongers, NZMA, Key etc
From the article, "Before legalisation in 2002, the Netherlands had some of the lowest suicide rates in Europe. For a period of 4-5 years after legalisation, that rate continued to fall, in line with what had previously been happening. However, from 2007, the rates started increasing dramatically and, over the next 10 years, increased by a staggering total of 33 per cent."
I found this news chilling, the Netherlands is looking at extending euthanasia to 1-12 year olds. How long until we are considering this?
Can you please make a comparison between NZ and the Netherlands and qualify how long it will take? I think it would be asking too much ask if I were also to ask for your figures showing that euthanasia of 1-12 year olds is cheaper than hospice care but this is a separate issue anyway.
That's a flip, throwaway comment about the very young rates Morrissey. Please don't treat this important issue as an opportunity for a quip, not in a public discourse. How you talk to your friends and family can be a comment in passing, but on here it 'sticks in the throat'.
Then make your case on how the Netherlands compares to NZ. So far, all you have done is a throwaway comment that lacks context and nuance, no critical analysis or any thought from you.
If you think this debate is important and if you want to contribute, you’d better sharpen up!
"In 2018, altogether 1,829 people in the Netherlands took their own lives, which is 88 fewer than in 2017. The number of suicides declined among young people aged 10 to 19 years, from 81 in 2017 to 51 in 2018. The number went up slightly among persons aged 20 to 39 years and among female residents." https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2019/26/fewer-suicide-deaths-in-2018
From 1995 to 2006 the the Netherland’s suicide rate was between 9.5 and 10.7 per 100,000. In 2018 (the most recent year for which data is given in the link), the rate was 10.6 per 100,000.
The decrease in 2018 means the suicide rate is back at the 2012 level of 10.6 per 100,000. In the 1980s the rate was as high as 14.6 per 100,000 (for 1984).
There is a fundamental difference between suicide and euthanasia, which commenters here have completely ignored so far, for some reason. I think it is misleading to put the two in one sentence as if they are somehow similar or equal.
I wasn't trying to conflate the two issues. One can have an impact on another though.
In the article by Dion Howard he says "In the early stages of the End of Life Choice debate in Parliament, I noticed something shocking: the young people I was working with were rehearsing the very-same arguments used by those supporting euthanasia – autonomy, dignity and compassion – and applying them to their own situations."
Then "In my mind, I understand that assisted dying and suicide can, in principle, be distinguished from each other. That point is often made. But my real-life experience, and that of others in the field of mental health support, is that there is a huge potential for what the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention has called “overlap cases”.
All good, nothing personal. Although there is, of course, overlap and points of connection, I personally think we’ll have a better chance at constructive and positive debate if we keep the two separate, at least at the outset.
“I found this news chilling, the Netherlands is looking at extending euthanasia to 1-12 year olds.”
“How long until we are considering this? ”
Well considering under the rules ..those poor children are suffering unbearable pain and are terminally ill…
I hope we are considering it as soon as possible.
But then I don’t form opinions based on listening to my imaginary friend.
It would be good if we could live a life as fully as possible but people have to learn how to appreciate what they have to do that. We had a good life with opportunities for social mobility and advancement but for various reasons we gave up on that.
People can feel they have had a full life and choose to die at an early age if matters deterioratel for them. In fact when someone has gone through a process of personal and family/friends resignation and legal organisation, they are often happier without care for the future. Enjoy the life you have is the answer, and put some money aside to give to refugees in foreign countries – whether economic or fleeing violence.
That helps to give perspective about one's own situation.
I would rather, we as a society, were talking about what a life lived as fully as possible looks like and how to achieve it.
How would someone who is either drugged out of their mind so that they can't do anything or in so much pain that they can't do anything going to live their life fully?
Ideally the pursuit of a meaningful life has begun before being stupified with drugs or in chronic pain.
As a start, learning mastery of the monkey mind. Putting the mind to task and being able to still or calm the mind. Instead of following it on one of its loops on high rotation.
Artificially prolonging a life by hooking someone up to a respirator—yes, it is reasonable to call that torture. Of course nature should be allowed to take its course in those cases. But to kill someone is something else entirely. And why are doctors expected to have to do the killing?
You’re like a bull in a China shop. What do you know about the Hippocratic Oath and euthanasia? Very little, by the sounds of it. Are you familiar with medical ethics? It doesn’t look that way.
A one year old has to do less work than we do, it is only just starting to have an idea of self. Far less of an ego to overcome, still mostly a universal being.
"Or how about if, even if 12 years old, has a mind of a 4 month old and its never going to get any better?"
Better? As good as you are?
"Or has a disease so debilitating that they cannot move by themselves?
Do you think these people are going to be learning simple breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, tai chi? To live a more full life?"
If they do, they will be able to able to discern between pain and suffering.
The police are breeding specially for the genes with the chase impulse in their recruits. It is a closely guarded secret. It is planned that it will be as innate in the traffic police, as it is in dogs chasing cats. (I have heard this through the grapevine.)
How's this for mature, responsible response in transport control!
Hermione McKeich says she was driving in a 100km/h zone between Melling and Petone, north of Wellington city, when the terrifying experience happened without warning.
She told RNZ's David Reid that four men in a small truck laughed as they crashed into her small Mazda, using their vehicle as a weapon against her.
I have had a small experience of reporting bad behaviour and it being belittled. My complaint was followed up, but the perp had some excuse and the matter was just dismissed.
Well, yes. I'm a Driver and Cyclist. Some of the fwits on our roads are mind boggling. Biking…Ive had them come so close the Campervan side mirror nearly hit me, cars "purposely" similar…Anyway it certainly makes you Situationally Aware. Re reporting…was it *555?
And an FYI (for The Interested) I support our NZ Police. They have an, at times difficult/hazardous job. I honestly feel that some of the pursuit chases they have engaged in were unnecessary/dangerous.
A kind and thoughtful man in Nelson developed a springy device that a cyclist could fit on the hub or the seat, can't remember. It stuck out to the legal width of spacing for cyclist's safety. I think it had a little yellow flag drawing attention to that outer line. They didn't sell, it was withdrawn. But maybe it needs to be recalled as judging distance is hard for drivers.
Ah yea that would work. But sadly, maybe only for the kind and thoughtful Driver? I was talking to some German/Swiss/Dutch Cyclists (pre Covid) and they said they had never struck so many seemingly angry/aggressive Drivers. They had the Hi Vis gear and Vis flags on upright flexi poles. One of the guys , sick of being passed so close, did like you said and mounted it off to right. He said some morons were actually going past trying to grab it !?
Oh and re your link with lady being rammed? Far out…they were prob P'd up. She def shouldnt been chasin them. Slack Police, aye..
We have always had hoons but I think a prolonged period of teaching not to be concerned about others, just be an individual and go for it, has meant many young males (and females) in NZ have become anti-social and angry 'white trash'. There isn't a better term for them. These people come from families where there isn't a lot of philosophical thought! Nor religion, of a kind that promotes kind thought and good sharing community. And when there are insufficient jobs that go on a regular basis, there is opportunity to get drugged or liquored up and amuse themselves. And then when there is testing for drugs before you can get a job, there is a really vicious circle.
The Vicious Cycle: Why the Poor Get Poorer
A vicious cycle (also known as a vicious circle) is when a chain of negative events reinforce themselves. The situation spirals in a downward loop, becoming increasingly worse with time.
Yea I would agree re hoons….they were probably racing horses back from the pub in the day….
And re "a prolonged period of teaching not to be concerned about others"? Could we call that the neolib nineties?
Gonna take a LONG time to heal us. Hope our New Govt takes on it board.
Re the Cycle thing…talking to Dutch (born on a bike : ) and other Euro/Scandinavian Cyclists, its just a whole different mindset. In Holland if a car has an incident with a cyclist the onus is on the Driver to prove they weren't in the wrong. Aside from that they look more…
"The authority believes that the circumstances of this pursuit highlight the assistance pursuit controllers would gain from the greater use of technology to give access to accurate and comprehensive "real time" location and speed data," it said.
More cameras and RADAR connected to an AI to estimate route and best place to apprehend the criminals would be the only way for this to work. Such will, inevitably, result in people whinging about the excessive use of surveillance by the police.
The IPCA has come out with a statement about the use of more technology so as to help prevent these kinds of pursuit and death happening again.
But, as we've seen time and time again on here, almost everyone complains about the use of technology by the police to catch criminals. Calling it Orwellian and excessive and that the police shouldn't be able to watch everyone's every move despite the fact that its public information.
Thing is, I suspect that the statement by the IPCA is actually propaganda to help sell the idea of the police having more cameras and RADAR.
Yea I wasnt focusing too much on the IPCA…as they are well known for "nothing to see here,move along".
It probably is more to do with Andrew Becroft calling it…
Commissioner Becroft said if it's known young people are more likely to be killed or harm others as a result of a police pursuit, then the policy of chasing them should change.
He referenced a previous report from NZ Police which showed that between 2014 and 2017, police pursuits resulted in 22 deaths, five of which were of children under the age of 18.
"It's good that Police have been working on a culture change and training recruits in the dangers involved with chasing young drivers," he said on Friday.
I used to be on "another political site" where the majority were in favour of chasing and indeed if it led to the young kids death then "good". Even when the poor buggers were burnt to death….Fuck those kind of ghouls…..
The Show Trial of Julian Assange carries on, virtually ignored by New Zealand's government and media
The Israeli-American human rights activist Miko Peled says early in this video: "What I find terribly troubling is the fact that so few journalists are actually standing up for him."
Hopefully, after the election, Jacinda Ardern will find the courage to speak out about this obscene persecution.
True. But does Andrew Little have to be so craven as he was the other day when backing the Trump regime's demand to make phone data available to the likes of Mike Pompeo and his cronies?
…The Department of Internal Affairs requested information from the council in August following rising tensions between elected members, and at times, with staff…
It followed feedback from many of the 450 businesses the chamber represents and concerns also raised by the Department that several high profile capital projects – including the multi-million dollar city block development – were testing the capacity of the council to provide strong, unified leadership.
The Chamber believed there was a vacuum in leadership around the council table and many councillors didn't understand their governance role, he said…
How does the Department of Internal Affairs itself shape up? I can't remember what recent reports on their behaviour and usefulness have shown.
But it is inevitable that there will be disputes up and down the country as government entities bow to private interests. Bureaucracy has a lot of power and publicly elected councillors may say something is an 'operational matter' or be neutered by other interests, apart from any ineptness they show themselves. The civil servants/bureaucracy may just concentrate on efficiencies and projects that local governments in similar areas have introduced as modern, whatever those at the receiving end think. Then there is the high level of salary to the CEO and top managers and recruitment of overseas or neo-lib-soaked 'change agents' ushering in new approaches like weather bombs before moving away to their next target.
The Newshub-Reid Research poll asked voters if Labour should have gone further in taxing the wealthiest New Zealanders. Opinion was split, but more voters – 48.7 percent – said yes while 43 percent said no and 8 percent didn't know.
A majority of Labour's own voters – nearly 60 percent – wanted them to go further, while a third of National voters think so too.
But here's a surprise: a quarter of the Greens' supporters think the wealthy should not be taxed further.
I'm not one. I'd like to see a journo interview the Greens co-leaders about that though. See how they handle the news that a quarter of the Greens support base disagrees with the principle underlying the wealth tax policy. My guess is that they would carefully explain that GP policy research didn't discover that fact. They may then add that some deep thought may be required post-election…
Yep. All good pc-drones know minorities must be included in democratic process. Why oh why did they make the elementary mistake of not discovering such a huge minority before designing the policy?? That's what they'll be bemoaning now. Shock horror, reach for the smelling salts…
Relax Dennis – don't have a binary! The key follow-up question for that 25% minority is: "Would you swallow this 'progressive wealth tax rat' and party vote Green anyway?" Maybe the Green party drones did their research after all, but forgot to inform you of the results you – can't think why
There's a big difference between agreeing that the wealthy should bear a greater taxation burden and agreeing with the proposed wealth tax.
I'd like to know how much, if any, focus group work was done on the wealth tax policy outside their own circle. A lot of un-necessary discussion has happened that shouldn't have happened in the last week of a campaign. Although the Green Party's polling went up in the final polls, whether that was because of the tax policy or despite it probably can't be answered.
I don't think the poll was on the WT, but Labour taxing wealthy people more.
That we're having this conversation at all is a credit to the Greens, no matter what kind of solutions we end up with for social security, and the housing crisis. Now we can have a wide ranging public conversation about fairness and how to create it.
Desperate headline from Tova. The only knife edge is Labour getting a majority of seats – 61. The Greens are on 6.3% and 8 seats, so Labour has mates. No path to victory for National and ACT. Labour clearly the winner.
Now a trust to preserve and maintain this is something I could contribute to. Does make me wonder though how many writers retreats there are around New Zealand?
I'd rather a trust own it than the state because future governments can't be "trust"ed to not sell it off for a later profit – just like Waikato University is doing so.
Chancellor Neil Quigley told Stuff it would be selling the home, used by many creatives and academics as a holiday home and a writers’ retreat.
The only thing stopping it from going on the open market, would be if the King family bought the house back.
But the property’s price tag is now in the millions and serious maintenance is required. Daughter Rachael King said she needs some assistance to preserve the site.
Headline still on site as having been put there an hour ago. Page missing, so been pulled. Sounds to me like the filthy yarn has been doing the rounds again. Also the accompanying photo of Jacinda looks suspicious. Think its been tampered with or it isn’t Jacinda.
I loved Newshub's description of the final poll tonight as a 'nailbiter'. The only nailbiting thing was whether Labour can govern alone (which the Reid Research Newhub poll suggests they could, just, with 61 seats) or whether it's an arrangement with the Greens. Labour 46, Nat 31, Act 7, Green 6 is very consistent with CB's last couple of polls. Tova says tomorrow night is going to be incredibly exciting – but it won't be really, at least not in the sense of a cliffhanger. Just a few stories around the edges of the main narrative. Obviously she wants viewers to tune in.
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Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
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But is the statue of Colin Meads in Te Kuiti historic?? He's still alive, so I reckon not. Road signs with capital letters as big as a hand-span alert drivers heading north & south to where it can be found, and such civic care & attention to worshippers is indeed heart-warming, but I wonder how long it will take for woke activists to get there & do their eliminating…
"But is the statue of Colin Meads in Te Kuiti historic?? He's still alive, so I reckon not
'
Colin Meads died 3 years ago – sheesh
Oops, obviously I missed that news!
Brilliant self-elimination!
Shoelaces a challenge.
Watch out for those bold assertions Dennis – too many wrong ones and we will stop paying attention to you!
My comment on the Greens favoured policy:
Create a plan to provide training for new clean energy jobs.
is that I don't like the wording, good intention though. 'Less create, get a plan to provide' and actually have the word 'DO' in it. No paralysis by analysis. My guru Yoda says 'No try – just Do'. Obviously there has to be a plan, and that could be – Utilise all the present programs that are suitable and have been monitored and show good effect, and if they are keen have them put forward method and priorities and amalgamate them all, and have them carry out training, then compare their success rate, and include the trainees in the process for their opinion as to their success or note, and rejig things.
Get started, refine the practice with the trainees understanding that they are part of the study, and they will feel proud and put their best in. Only a year would see a huge change in attitudes throughout the actual working people at the coalface (new word needed for that). The workers are carrying the country forward and supporting the oldies, the young ones deserve our respect and support.
So Do That, Greens and prove your wokeness where it is crucial. (And to keep our irony level up for mental health, here is a collection of random opinions about what 'woke' means from the Urban Dictionary.) https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=woke
actually have the word 'DO' in it. No paralysis by analysis
I wrote Greens policy on exactly that basis. I saw standard leftist language as defective, so set out to declare intent for exactly that reason.
Needless to say, subsequent Green policy writers reverted to type. Not quite as blatant with the weasel words as Labour, mind you!
Ah hah. Well I register my vote for Do and make it fit for purpose, and include the trainers and trainees and listen to them and work out quickly a practical way forward that they will all trial, and report on. Then they will all Own the project, which means that they will all feel that it includes their own ideas and wishes, and that they have 'Skin in the game'.
Simon Wilson asks
I hope he elucidates. Is her framing just a superficial rehash of sustainability? Or does it actually go beyond that, to provide strategic policy frameworks??
Both/and logic applies!
And most people have heard of her work by now, rendering such basic questions stale and pointless.
They haven't been answered in this forum, have they? You could prove that you're not just full of hot air if you provided the answers, eh?
Sealion away, good man.
Never heard of that, but found a few insights here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/03/07/sealioning-is-a-common-trolling-tactic-on-social-media-what-is-it/#197a2d467a41
Couldn't discern any from those competing meanings that applied to me, so I guess you're one of them people who misreads others on social media…
Has been deployed here more than a few times – sound familiar? http://wondermark.com/1k62/
No-one has all the answers Dennis, but the concept is attractive. "Mmm, donuts."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut_(economic_model)
She’s an economist and you’re demanding her to provide “strategic policy frameworks” for whom? For the doughnut-loving National Party of New Zealand?
Has she considered fashioning a donut from mackerel? Ocean-faring mammals need to know.
So you haven't noticed Rod Oram doing it recently? You do realise that the academic discipline economists are trained in was originally defined as political economy?? Before they attempted to emulate the divorce from the real world that physicists succeeded in accomplishing.
Not all economists prefer abstract irrelevance. Some are motivated to make the discipline useful. That means outlining political implementation strategies…
From Drowsy M. Kram’s link @ 2.1.1.1.2:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut_(economic_model)#Real_World_Economies_in_the_Doughnut_Perspective
Not sure what the relevance is of the history of economics as a discipline other than showing off your expert knowledge of said topic in order to establish your intellectual superiority in this thread. I’m impressed.
Of course, an ascetic of Praxis would describe economic theory as “abstract irrelevance”; you failed to apply both/and logic, again.
So many bigly words, so little meaning.
"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."
Yeah, sorry about that. When in Rome, eat pizza.
"Is there any room to move in Ardern's point-blank rejection of both the Greens' wealth tax and a capital gains tax?"
Good article in other ways, but pity Wilson didn't answer that question. Is there a way now that Labour can agree to some kind of capital gains taxation? Or have they locked themselves, and us, out?
Ardern has locked the Labour party out of supporting a CGT while she's leader:
Ditto any kind of wealth tax, let alone the Green's.
There’s very little wriggle room here, which is a pity because I doubt that the wider NZ political scene will be better disposed to the introduction of a significantly more progressive tax system again in my lifetime. A lost opportunity, IMHO.
Don’t look down on detail, look up at the bigger picture and the endless sky. Don’t lose faith.
My faith is weak – I'm clinging to hope and a misquote.
Faith is like melting snow on rocks forming a little trickle that turns into a mountain stream, small, chaotic, disappearing between and underneath rocks. But it gains volume and strength and becomes a steady flow and then a giant river that can transport ships when it nears the sea. Have faith 🙂
But has the public spoken on a CGT or just the rich?
I don't seem to recall a referendum on it and that would be the only way to know.
Internal polling must say that the contested chunk of 'centre' voters with mortgages don't like it. And I bet the finance industry has been leaning on pollies too.
That's what I'm thinking but that's just a small portion of the country and not everyone.
Perhaps the Greens, after the election, should push for a referendum on it at the next election. Then we'd have the public speaking on it.
"Internal polling must say that the contested chunk of 'centre' voters with mortgages don't like it."
Would be interesting to see how much that changes if the tax was explained properly, both who it would affect and what it would fund.
There was a poll out today saying that 50% of NZers were in favour of a wealth tax.
Labour know which side their bread is buttered on though. For now at least.
A well-led public conversation would help, yes.
yep. She's ruled out a "GCT" and a "wealth tax", but is there any way that Labour can come back from this?
Don't know why she went that step further on the WT. Maybe their internal polling had them worried?
Could be strategy – clear point of difference between the Green and Labour parties? Hopefully the Greens will be in parliament and continue to advocate for a wealth tax. Careful fine-tuning may get the number of NZers in favour up to a clear majority – in this poll 53% of decided voters were is favour of a larger increase in tax paid by wealthy NZers than Labour is proposing.
Uncertainties include whether the climate for change will be any more favourable in three years' time, and whether Labour will continue to act as a handbrake in order to secure a third term.
Probably polling (going for the "govern alone" target), but it might also be a caucus/party-stalwart issue as well. Stamping hard on the idea certainly made JuCo's obseesion with it look stupid.
DTB's idea of a referendum to clear the way is a good 'un, but I also wonder if there are similar tax moves that haven't been ruled out, e.g. shifting the bright line on home investments and suchlike. Greens can leverage them in negotiations, circumstances permitting.
huge amount of wriggle room. its done all the time. very similar policy, with a couple of tweaks, call it something else and tadah!.
Chris Trotter's advocacy for yes in the cannabis referendum comes out of a fictional tv character – used to provide plausible deniability, no doubt.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/10/fitz-on-cannabis.html
But Tova's announcement of the Reid Research poll this morning shows a widening gap and the fear-mongering has obviously become contagious amongst the hitherto undecided. Gangsters will be delighted that the nation’s conservatives still want to preserve their monopoly of the market…
"bugger"
Thinking about change needed re cannabis et al. 50 shades of grey!
Oh, oh we are being asked what we think. (We don't, we just react.)
It's so hard to read through all the stuff about cannabis – it's so dangerous, and it will have so many consequences if we agree to a change. (We mustn't have change.)
If we agree to change, who knows where this thinking business will end. Having done it once, government will be asking us about everything next. (What do we have gummint for and pay them all that money – how dare they ask us to do their jobs.)
We might get drug-deranged people come and live nextdoor, and that would be horrible. (We know how bad that can be from reports from one Standardista about what his elderly parents are suffering.)
Everything will get worse if people aren't under prohibition; it's not good now, so 'they' will get totally out of control. That's what all of us who try to live good lives think, and we don't want to hear any more about differing opinions, it's all greenwash! So there!
"Gangsters will be delighted that the nation’s conservatives still want to preserve their monopoly of the market… " You need to get out more Dennis, P is where the gangs are focused and have been for many years now.
Cannabis isn’t the business it used to be anymore as it's everywhere and anyone can grow it whereas P gives them repeat business.
Police would likely welcome a refocus of scarce resources to combat P so if it doesn’t pass then it’s job done scaremongers, NZMA, Key etc
Dennis what was the Reid Research poll released by Tova this morning?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/10/nz-election-2020-new-poll-shows-increased-support-for-no-vote-in-cannabis-referendum.html
I'm expecting the main poll to headline their news tonight…
that's very disappointing.
Ian, they use different topics from the same poll (yesterday's) to seed multiple stories.
Sorry, I stand corrected. Poll from overnight, not yesterday.
In regards the euthanasia referendum this article touched on an issue that adds to the reservations I have with what is proposed:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/euthanasia-debate/123070527/would-legal-assisted-dying-add-to-our-dire-suicide-figures
From the article, "Before legalisation in 2002, the Netherlands had some of the lowest suicide rates in Europe. For a period of 4-5 years after legalisation, that rate continued to fall, in line with what had previously been happening. However, from 2007, the rates started increasing dramatically and, over the next 10 years, increased by a staggering total of 33 per cent."
I found this news chilling, the Netherlands is looking at extending euthanasia to 1-12 year olds. How long until we are considering this?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54538288
the Netherlands is looking at extending euthanasia to 1-12 year olds. How long until we are considering this?
It won't be long. It's cheaper than actually providing hospice care.
Can you please make a comparison between NZ and the Netherlands and qualify how long it will take? I think it would be asking too much ask if I were also to ask for your figures showing that euthanasia of 1-12 year olds is cheaper than hospice care but this is a separate issue anyway.
That's a flip, throwaway comment about the very young rates Morrissey. Please don't treat this important issue as an opportunity for a quip, not in a public discourse. How you talk to your friends and family can be a comment in passing, but on here it 'sticks in the throat'.
Actually, I take with extreme seriousness the issue of people advocating for the "euthanising" of anyone, including young people.
Or do you trust the assurances about "safeguards" by that renowned moral philosopher David Seymour?
Then make your case on how the Netherlands compares to NZ. So far, all you have done is a throwaway comment that lacks context and nuance, no critical analysis or any thought from you.
If you think this debate is important and if you want to contribute, you’d better sharpen up!
From 1995 to 2006 the the Netherland’s suicide rate was between 9.5 and 10.7 per 100,000. In 2018 (the most recent year for which data is given in the link), the rate was 10.6 per 100,000.
The decrease in 2018 means the suicide rate is back at the 2012 level of 10.6 per 100,000. In the 1980s the rate was as high as 14.6 per 100,000 (for 1984).
Thank you.
There is a fundamental difference between suicide and euthanasia, which commenters here have completely ignored so far, for some reason. I think it is misleading to put the two in one sentence as if they are somehow similar or equal.
I wasn't trying to conflate the two issues. One can have an impact on another though.
In the article by Dion Howard he says "In the early stages of the End of Life Choice debate in Parliament, I noticed something shocking: the young people I was working with were rehearsing the very-same arguments used by those supporting euthanasia – autonomy, dignity and compassion – and applying them to their own situations."
Then "In my mind, I understand that assisted dying and suicide can, in principle, be distinguished from each other. That point is often made. But my real-life experience, and that of others in the field of mental health support, is that there is a huge potential for what the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention has called “overlap cases”.
All good, nothing personal. Although there is, of course, overlap and points of connection, I personally think we’ll have a better chance at constructive and positive debate if we keep the two separate, at least at the outset.
“I found this news chilling, the Netherlands is looking at extending euthanasia to 1-12 year olds.”
“How long until we are considering this? ”
Well considering under the rules ..those poor children are suffering unbearable pain and are terminally ill…
I hope we are considering it as soon as possible.
But then I don’t form opinions based on listening to my imaginary friend.
Imaginary friend? Big assumptions there, outofbed.
The line between suicide and euthanasia isn't blurred for you at all?
I would rather, we as a society, were talking about what a life lived as fully as possible looks like and how to achieve it.
It would be good if we could live a life as fully as possible but people have to learn how to appreciate what they have to do that. We had a good life with opportunities for social mobility and advancement but for various reasons we gave up on that.
People can feel they have had a full life and choose to die at an early age if matters deterioratel for them. In fact when someone has gone through a process of personal and family/friends resignation and legal organisation, they are often happier without care for the future. Enjoy the life you have is the answer, and put some money aside to give to refugees in foreign countries – whether economic or fleeing violence.
That helps to give perspective about one's own situation.
"It would be good if we could live a life as fully as possible but people have to learn how to appreciate what they have to do that. "
Showing gratitude is a great step in the right direction.
How would someone who is either drugged out of their mind so that they can't do anything or in so much pain that they can't do anything going to live their life fully?
Ideally the pursuit of a meaningful life has begun before being stupified with drugs or in chronic pain.
As a start, learning mastery of the monkey mind. Putting the mind to task and being able to still or calm the mind. Instead of following it on one of its loops on high rotation.
Sorry, missed the how part- simple breathing excercises, meditation, yoga, tai chi.
And if that person is less than a year old?
Or how about if, even if 12 years old, has a mind of a 4 month old and its never going to get any better?
Or has a disease so debilitating that they cannot move by themselves?
Do you think these people are going to be learning simple breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, tai chi? To live a more full life?
At what point do we call keeping them alive torture?
Artificially prolonging a life by hooking someone up to a respirator—yes, it is reasonable to call that torture. Of course nature should be allowed to take its course in those cases. But to kill someone is something else entirely. And why are doctors expected to have to do the killing?
Under the conditions I listed – no its not. Keeping them alive is enacting torture upon them.
Because they're the ones qualified to diagnose and to properly use the drugs needed to enact a painless death.
Allowing someone to die is very different to "enacting a painless death", which is a euphemism for killing that person.
And, as I am sure you know, doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, which forbids them killing a patient.
You’re like a bull in a China shop. What do you know about the Hippocratic Oath and euthanasia? Very little, by the sounds of it. Are you familiar with medical ethics? It doesn’t look that way.
A one year old has to do less work than we do, it is only just starting to have an idea of self. Far less of an ego to overcome, still mostly a universal being.
"Or how about if, even if 12 years old, has a mind of a 4 month old and its never going to get any better?"
Better? As good as you are?
"Or has a disease so debilitating that they cannot move by themselves?
Do you think these people are going to be learning simple breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, tai chi? To live a more full life?"
If they do, they will be able to able to discern between pain and suffering.
/facepalm
You really don't get it do you?
The ones I describe are never, ever going to have a fulfilling life because their life is torture.
And you want to continue torturing them.
I reckon I get it ok.
If you believe that having impaired thinking or movement is "torture", you are closer to eugenics attitudes than you may be comfortable acknowledging.
Please own your own idea of what fulfilment is rather than projecting it onto others.
I hope we are considering it as soon as possible.
???? What would you use? Poison? Gas?
Until you’re able to lift your game beyond your current puerile level, I think it might be better if you refrain from commenting and just listen.
"Fatal police pursuit should not have been started: IPCA"
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fatal-police-pursuit-should-not-have-been-started-ipca
Well theres a first. How many of these Police pursuits (often through busy streets) are necessary/safe? Some think otherwise…
The police are breeding specially for the genes with the chase impulse in their recruits. It is a closely guarded secret. It is planned that it will be as innate in the traffic police, as it is in dogs chasing cats. (I have heard this through the grapevine.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428474/woman-rammed-repeatedly-on-motorway-shocked-by-police-response
How's this for mature, responsible response in transport control!
Hermione McKeich says she was driving in a 100km/h zone between Melling and Petone, north of Wellington city, when the terrifying experience happened without warning.
She told RNZ's David Reid that four men in a small truck laughed as they crashed into her small Mazda, using their vehicle as a weapon against her.
I have had a small experience of reporting bad behaviour and it being belittled. My complaint was followed up, but the perp had some excuse and the matter was just dismissed.
Well, yes. I'm a Driver and Cyclist. Some of the fwits on our roads are mind boggling. Biking…Ive had them come so close the Campervan side mirror nearly hit me, cars "purposely" similar…Anyway it certainly makes you Situationally Aware. Re reporting…was it *555?
And an FYI (for The Interested) I support our NZ Police. They have an, at times difficult/hazardous job. I honestly feel that some of the pursuit chases they have engaged in were unnecessary/dangerous.
A kind and thoughtful man in Nelson developed a springy device that a cyclist could fit on the hub or the seat, can't remember. It stuck out to the legal width of spacing for cyclist's safety. I think it had a little yellow flag drawing attention to that outer line. They didn't sell, it was withdrawn. But maybe it needs to be recalled as judging distance is hard for drivers.
Ah yea that would work. But sadly, maybe only for the kind and thoughtful Driver? I was talking to some German/Swiss/Dutch Cyclists (pre Covid) and they said they had never struck so many seemingly angry/aggressive Drivers. They had the Hi Vis gear and Vis flags on upright flexi poles. One of the guys , sick of being passed so close, did like you said and mounted it off to right. He said some morons were actually going past trying to grab it !?
Oh and re your link with lady being rammed? Far out…they were prob P'd up. She def shouldnt been chasin them. Slack Police, aye..
We have always had hoons but I think a prolonged period of teaching not to be concerned about others, just be an individual and go for it, has meant many young males (and females) in NZ have become anti-social and angry 'white trash'. There isn't a better term for them. These people come from families where there isn't a lot of philosophical thought! Nor religion, of a kind that promotes kind thought and good sharing community. And when there are insufficient jobs that go on a regular basis, there is opportunity to get drugged or liquored up and amuse themselves. And then when there is testing for drugs before you can get a job, there is a really vicious circle.
The Vicious Cycle: Why the Poor Get Poorer
A vicious cycle (also known as a vicious circle) is when a chain of negative events reinforce themselves. The situation spirals in a downward loop, becoming increasingly worse with time.
https://www.jumpstartyourdreamlife.com/vicious-and-virtuous-cycles/
Yea I would agree re hoons….they were probably racing horses back from the pub in the day….
And re "a prolonged period of teaching not to be concerned about others"? Could we call that the neolib nineties?
Gonna take a LONG time to heal us. Hope our New Govt takes on it board.
Re the Cycle thing…talking to Dutch (born on a bike : ) and other Euro/Scandinavian Cyclists, its just a whole different mindset. In Holland if a car has an incident with a cyclist the onus is on the Driver to prove they weren't in the wrong. Aside from that they look more…
Can't say that I've ever seen religion promoting that. War seems to be more of what religions cause instead.
It's just possible the vehicle owner has a 'glittering future' and is therefore immune to prosecution.
If a driver finds it hard to judge distance then they probably shouldn't be driving.
Thanks for the advice Mr Perfect.
Someone with such poor eyesight shouldn't be driving as it endangers others.
More cameras and RADAR connected to an AI to estimate route and best place to apprehend the criminals would be the only way for this to work. Such will, inevitably, result in people whinging about the excessive use of surveillance by the police.
Ah what? Is this a dig?
The IPCA has come out with a statement about the use of more technology so as to help prevent these kinds of pursuit and death happening again.
But, as we've seen time and time again on here, almost everyone complains about the use of technology by the police to catch criminals. Calling it Orwellian and excessive and that the police shouldn't be able to watch everyone's every move despite the fact that its public information.
Thing is, I suspect that the statement by the IPCA is actually propaganda to help sell the idea of the police having more cameras and RADAR.
Yea I wasnt focusing too much on the IPCA…as they are well known for "nothing to see here,move along".
It probably is more to do with Andrew Becroft calling it…
Commissioner Becroft said if it's known young people are more likely to be killed or harm others as a result of a police pursuit, then the policy of chasing them should change.
He referenced a previous report from NZ Police which showed that between 2014 and 2017, police pursuits resulted in 22 deaths, five of which were of children under the age of 18.
"It's good that Police have been working on a culture change and training recruits in the dangers involved with chasing young drivers," he said on Friday.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/10/children-s-commissioner-calls-for-police-pursuits-of-young-drivers-to-stop.html
I used to be on "another political site" where the majority were in favour of chasing and indeed if it led to the young kids death then "good". Even when the poor buggers were burnt to death….Fuck those kind of ghouls…..
Vox pop
The reasons for voting choice are many and often bizarre
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018768610/election-2020-any-regrets-from-people-voting-early
We really don't know how lucky we are.
https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1316576818938421249
The Show Trial of Julian Assange carries on, virtually ignored by New Zealand's government and media
The Israeli-American human rights activist Miko Peled says early in this video: "What I find terribly troubling is the fact that so few journalists are actually standing up for him."
Hopefully, after the election, Jacinda Ardern will find the courage to speak out about this obscene persecution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNskcUR-L3s&feature=emb_logo
You expect the NZ Government to comment on individual court cases overseas?
Of course. She's supposed to show leadership, and integrity.
Do you think New Zealand was wrong to speak out against the apartheid regime in South Africa?
Your man aint no Mandela.
Your man aint [sic] no Mandela.
There are of course many similarities. Mandela was also reviled, ridiculed, and labeled a "terrorist" by the U.S. and U.K. regimes.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36296551
Thank you.
I have no more questions.
Always a pleasure, Mr. Cognito.
Not while participating in 5-eyes.
Uncle Sam will sanction dissenters.
True. But does Andrew Little have to be so craven as he was the other day when backing the Trump regime's demand to make phone data available to the likes of Mike Pompeo and his cronies?
The NZ government often comments on international goings on , particularly if prompted by our 5Eyes partners
Its a human rights issue, and our govt has often issued "statements" on that matter though admittedly only when supporting US/UK stances
I thought my question was quite specific and clear. Obviously, my bad 🙁
There will always be more answers than questions..
Indeed, but very few answers to questions 🙁
It's what we get with international men of mystery.
The answer of course is "No"
None of us expects the government to comment on this individual overseas court case.
If it were to comment on this case, we know that such comment will have been dictated to it by the prosecuting country.
Your answer is almost correct except for the fact that some of us expect so, apparently 😉
Good move, good news.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428477/success-of-rangatahi-courts-applauded-by-judges-and-minister
Critique of local Council not good, but may be good news if there is the right sort of improvement.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428478/southland-businesses-concerned-about-invercargill-council
…The Department of Internal Affairs requested information from the council in August following rising tensions between elected members, and at times, with staff…
It followed feedback from many of the 450 businesses the chamber represents and concerns also raised by the Department that several high profile capital projects – including the multi-million dollar city block development – were testing the capacity of the council to provide strong, unified leadership.
The Chamber believed there was a vacuum in leadership around the council table and many councillors didn't understand their governance role, he said…
How does the Department of Internal Affairs itself shape up? I can't remember what recent reports on their behaviour and usefulness have shown.
But it is inevitable that there will be disputes up and down the country as government entities bow to private interests. Bureaucracy has a lot of power and publicly elected councillors may say something is an 'operational matter' or be neutered by other interests, apart from any ineptness they show themselves. The civil servants/bureaucracy may just concentrate on efficiencies and projects that local governments in similar areas have introduced as modern, whatever those at the receiving end think. Then there is the high level of salary to the CEO and top managers and recruitment of overseas or neo-lib-soaked 'change agents' ushering in new approaches like weather bombs before moving away to their next target.
Assange is just the last of a long line of heroes targeted by the U.K.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/margaret-thatcher-branded-anc-terrorist-while-urging-nelson-mandela-s-release-8994191.html
https://www.ellsberg.net/public-accuracy-press-release/
Looking like almost 2 million will have voted before the election day proper.
https://elections.nz/stats-and-research/2020-general-election-advance-voting-statistics/
National Party caucus on Monday?
https://twitter.com/glitttermp4/status/1316250576188039168
Still laughing
Me too. That little pink thing is so purposeful, lol.
Her name is Nicola.
lol.
I'm not one. I'd like to see a journo interview the Greens co-leaders about that though. See how they handle the news that a quarter of the Greens support base disagrees with the principle underlying the wealth tax policy. My guess is that they would carefully explain that GP policy research didn't discover that fact. They may then add that some deep thought may be required post-election…
Oh noes, only three-quarters of Green supporters back the policy! That goose needs chasing..
Yep. All good pc-drones know minorities must be included in democratic process. Why oh why did they make the elementary mistake of not discovering such a huge minority before designing the policy?? That's what they'll be bemoaning now. Shock horror, reach for the smelling salts…
Relax Dennis – don't have a binary! The key follow-up question for that 25% minority is: "Would you swallow this 'progressive wealth tax rat' and party vote Green anyway?" Maybe the Green party drones did their research after all, but forgot to inform you of the results you – can't think why
😀
GP policy gets developed by active members. As I'm sure you know 😉
Out of the 60 people the poll spoke to who vote Green, 15 were oppose to taxing wealthy people more? What's the margin of error on that?
And what was the actual question?
So many people don't understand who the WT would affect and how. Betting the ratios change over time as it gets explained properly in the MSM.
There's a big difference between agreeing that the wealthy should bear a greater taxation burden and agreeing with the proposed wealth tax.
I'd like to know how much, if any, focus group work was done on the wealth tax policy outside their own circle. A lot of un-necessary discussion has happened that shouldn't have happened in the last week of a campaign. Although the Green Party's polling went up in the final polls, whether that was because of the tax policy or despite it probably can't be answered.
I don't think the poll was on the WT, but Labour taxing wealthy people more.
That we're having this conversation at all is a credit to the Greens, no matter what kind of solutions we end up with for social security, and the housing crisis. Now we can have a wide ranging public conversation about fairness and how to create it.
Please keep up, the poll question was quite specific.
This is another example of intellectual overreach.
”Nat-hub’s” Tova has been hawking a “nail biter” poll for 6pm tonight that “puts the election on a knife edge”…
Desperate headline from Tova. The only knife edge is Labour getting a majority of seats – 61. The Greens are on 6.3% and 8 seats, so Labour has mates. No path to victory for National and ACT. Labour clearly the winner.
Now a trust to preserve and maintain this is something I could contribute to. Does make me wonder though how many writers retreats there are around New Zealand?
I'd rather a trust own it than the state because future governments can't be "trust"ed to not sell it off for a later profit – just like Waikato University is doing so.
This is an interesting headline:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/nz-election-2020-jacinda-ardern-addresses-nasty-nanny-rumours-like-a-pro.html\ (my bold)
Headline still on site as having been put there an hour ago. Page missing, so been pulled. Sounds to me like the filthy yarn has been doing the rounds again. Also the accompanying photo of Jacinda looks suspicious. Think its been tampered with or it isn’t Jacinda.
Dirty politics?
I loved Newshub's description of the final poll tonight as a 'nailbiter'. The only nailbiting thing was whether Labour can govern alone (which the Reid Research Newhub poll suggests they could, just, with 61 seats) or whether it's an arrangement with the Greens. Labour 46, Nat 31, Act 7, Green 6 is very consistent with CB's last couple of polls. Tova says tomorrow night is going to be incredibly exciting – but it won't be really, at least not in the sense of a cliffhanger. Just a few stories around the edges of the main narrative. Obviously she wants viewers to tune in.