Makes me wonder if Trump will enable more firebrands on the left as well.
Like Louisiana firebrand New Dealer Huey Long, sometimes it’s better to burn out
than to fade away.
I have no doubt the Chumpanzee’s antics have helped elect the likes of Ocasio-Cortez, That’s one of the very few bright spots of the current political moment.
But in terms of making lasting changes for the better, are the firebrands more successful or does it work better to be a bit quieter and more thoughtful and willing to round off the edges to account for the other side’s biggest concerns? Seems to me there’s plenty of examples to bolster and refute both sides of that question.
I’m just starting to think about President Trump’s legacy.
Not in any of his policies, but in his communicative capacity, his strength in resonating messages, his willingness to break rules both social and legal, his smashing of institutions. He’s pushed what is possible.
The inflated shape of Trump in the American mind has expanded big and will pop, but its space will be there for a long, long time.
For sure he’s going to have an outsized effect on the shape of politics to come. But it’s still an open question whether it will be a long term spreading the boundaries to allow what was previously unacceptable, or a backlash because he’s proven the rules and norms have value and it causes real problems when they get trashed.
Probably a mix of both, depending on which area we’re looking at. For instance, it would be a good thing if Americans got over their prurient hangups about their pollies’ sex lives, while also becoming less accepting of the powerful abusing their power for their sexual gratification. I’d be astonished if he doesn’t provoke a backlash round of rulemaking towards increased financial transparency and avoidance of financial conflicts of interest, and I can’t see any downside to that happening.
I’m hoping for more, but there’s a few areas that will come up post-Trump family trials.
I think there will be a vetting requirement to release tax affairs.
Also in vetting, if we can remember that Democrat VP Eagleton who failed to disclose mental health issues, I suspect full banking records will need releasing in vetting.
I’m looking to see whether the 1974 Supreme Court’s Nixon ruling on the tapes still overrides “executive privilege”. A general hard testing of executive privilege is coming up soon. General tests on privilege will get looked at.
The citizen-inreach of the intelligence community is going to get a smacking. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was an outgrowth of the committee’s investigations, and it created the special FISA court to authorize surveillance operations when driven by national security concerns.
Also a protocol that the intelligence community should STFU about Presidential Candidates three months out unless they have ball-clenching evidential proof of treachery.
Maybe something on further limiting paid lobbyists who also claim legal privilege. After Watergate, most law schools in the United States required courses about professional responsibility, and the American Bar Association rewrote its responsibility code.
There will be a legacy of language. Words and sayings from Watergate are part of the common language of America, from President Nixon’s famous “I am not a crook” statement to President Ford’s declaration that “our national nightmare is over.” But nothing has been more prevalent that the use of suffix “gate” to indicate a scandal.
If I were feeling adventurous, if he goes down in sufficient flames, we should see regulation of the Google and Facebook and Baidu networks, in just the same way that public US broadcasting was regulated in the early 1950s. Unregulated communications networks are killing democracy by degrading it, and none moreso than there in the US. Would need a united Senate and President to overcome First Amendment issues, but it has to be done, and arguably it’s the Trump Presidency that’s caused the need.
Excellent article by Alison Mau.
Looks at how we value lives differently.
“No-one is talking. Nothing can be reported. When, at the Auckland vigil for Grace Millane on Wednesday night, I stood on stage and read out the names of all the 2018 victims, I could only refer to her as “the unnamed woman killed in Flat Bush”
In contrast to the crowd, the waiata and the public sorrow for Grace, there were no candles, and no floral tributes laid in that South Auckland cul-de-sac.”
That has got to be the stupidest article I’ve seen in a long time.
Why on earth would Alison Mau expect every other case to get identical public profile as every other? Such a stupid case of ‘butwhatabout….’
No young woman in the last decade has forced as much national self-reflection as Grace. The Prime Minister had to defend us to the entire world media. It’s very likely judges will reflect hard about the average tariffs for this kind of case, because they must reflect society.
It is precisely because of this self-reflection that so many other cases will get stronger scrutiny, and the public debate will be raised higher. A great thing Alison surely?
Mau is a ghoulish ambulance-chaser going after yet another grisly death.
Little is just as stupid as Mau – and one of them copy-pasted from the other.
Not all deaths will be treated BY THE MEDIA the same. They might want to hold up a hand mirror to themselves.
We’ve had multiple social media platforms that have got better over years and years of such stories:
– smoking
– domestic violence
– mental health
– child poverty
– drink driving
They work.
Just takes lots of sustained community effort that makes the likes of Mau and Little remember what they constantly forget.
Poor Grace, it is her death that has woken Rip van Winkle (an old European fable) in NZ that has spent so much time asleep when it comes to deaths of women, and children also, and violence also against the vulnerable whoever they are.
Some are too far into their privilege to see the truth from Mau …
There’s truth in that statement. A double standard has been operating here and I’m as guilty of it as anyone. To be fair, part of the angst is because Grace Millane was a visitor to this country, but nevertheless we don’t mourn the loss of all the other women who have died as a result of sexual violence to anything like the same degree.
But if this particular death results in a change of direction in NZ, then something truly worthwhile will have been achieved. However the jury will be out on that one for some time to come.
How is her death going to change the direction of NZ?
The whole thing was a ghoulish media driven affair done purely for clicks, eyeballs and egos.
She’ll be forgotten within a couple of months once the media move onto their next cause célèbre.
I’d rate the NZ media as some of the worst in the world, no better than paparazzi.
And some of the commenters on news and views are pretty bad, but not good enough to be the worst in the world, though they will no doubt keep trying, and may yet succeed!
We know that it’s not a competition – it is a tally of shame. Our violence is appalling towards women. We have to stop it. The terrible death of grace may help some see what is right in front of their face – in their living room or mirror – I bloody hope so.
Well I actually agree with Ad. Aside from which for whatever reason there was huge suppression around the south Auckland homicide, I have to ask myself why wasn’t Alison mau respecting that? It’s unusual, but I am sure the police/courts have their reasons.
Some stories just do resonate more with people. Look at the Thai boys trapped in the cave. Or the young woman on the Gold Coast who fell off the balcony (?maori). I am sure maus research on how some ethnicities receive less public sympathy is true. But for god sake bringing it up in the context of graces recent murder I find in poor taste.
Can’t we stick to the point, which is to use good research to figure out what might work in reducing homicide and violence towards all people
There are many terrible acts out there
We have to reluctantly accept that some acts will attract varying media attention depending what others captures the news and public sentiment.
It is what results follow these, better one captures the public than none. And all these deaths are a shock and we need to do better.
We can only hope that changes do arise from this.
And hopefully something similar from this 😢 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12176781
Driving the Mercedes was 19-year-old Rouxle Le Roux, who had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day.
When Kraatskow crossed the intersection, riding a small bike and wearing headphones but no helmet, the Mercedes ploughed through the crossing, sending him across the bonnet and into the air. He landed some distance away and died at the scene.
Where is the source of that fact bwaghorn. I thought that no wall was built till Trump started it, and there had been no agreement to make the money available before him.
There have been bits and pieces of wall getting built for decades. I can even remember bits of wall at the border in the early 70s at Tijuana. So I wouldn’t find it in the slightest bit surprising if the rate of wall-building is higher under Obama than Adolf Twitler.
The difference is up till now the building has generally been in response to specific problem areas, whereas the Grab’em’fuhrer made a mindless throwaway comment at an early rally, liked the reaction so he kept repeating to get the same reaction, and now he feels like he needs to be seen to be doing something about it.
James you don’t know why Morriston has done this!
Bennelong has the highest number of Jewish voters of any electorate in Australia the Liberal Party lost the by election now are pandering to get it back and play into the anti Muslim White supremacist vote at the same time.
On RadioNZ this morning
7.11 Meg De Ronde: the problem with ‘tough guy’ world leaders
Meg De Ronde, Campaigns Director for Amnesty International New Zealand
You’re right Ad so we need to be reminded of what we did have, and get highly motivated to save what we can from the remainder and work out methods to prevent it continuing or to limit its progress. Also we need to get powered up to organise systems to comfort and support those affected who have lost greatly at the hands of these apparently unstoppable forces.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve found myself agreeing with Mark Richardson and Bill Ralston.
(RNZ Media Watch on the media, name suppression and Grace Millane )
And I guess Martin Devlin and the other ZB talkback hacks must be really disappointed
In order to gloat, label and reaffirm their prejudices @ mm
Or as @ Wayne would have it, in the interests of “open and public” justice.
Being the exceptional ‘entrepreneur’ I am, I’m thinking of starting a business manufacturing stocks – they’re the shape of the future
but I’m now even more convinced that name suppression should be automatic until after a verdict is delivered. And if you listen to that Mediawatch thing, Martin Devlin had already jumped/hoped to a conclusion (as I say – In order to re-affirm, and even justify his prejudices).
And while we’re feigning outrage at Google for emailing the defendant’s name as it ‘trended’, Google algorithms would never have received the necessary ‘inputs’ had not Brit journalists on the ground published (in the NZ legal definition) the name.
Net result: Someone who is possibly guilty has a good argument as to the fairness or not of his trial.
So much for that ‘open and public’ justice @ Wayne speaks of.
Oh, btw….. for a good many of them, it tells them what it’s not – specially if you’re a Devlin.
It’s not a Hiriwini, or Khan or a Singh or a Wong or a Kwese. PANIC – what is it? Can’t quite remember, it’s a Smith-Jones? no… it’s a Ferguson-Llewellyn (with a single ‘s’ doncha know)?, no…. ummmm I think it begins with a ‘K’ (and one of those English sounding names)
Thank Christ ‘D’ is nowhere near a ‘K’ in the alphabet eh?
Whoar that could have been a near miss
Are you planning a new sort of stock exchange? For petty crooks, con artists, fraudsters I have been thinking recently that a day in the stocks followed by a week in prison, rest of sentence suspended while a re-education class is attended would be a cheap and effective way of dealing with these minor predators.
Hadn’t thought of that @ grey but as a true entrpreneur, I’m always looking for ways to monetise an idea (it doesn’t necessarily have to be my own idea either).
I did have another idea though that I thought lprent could assist with (because he’s renown for his efficient programming skills – almost to the point of obsession) .
We develop an ‘app’/application. The Police (or other prosecutors) simply provide the various inputs, and it’s sent to some sort of social media platform.
We give it a week or so and count the number of ‘thumbs up’ and ‘thumbs down’ records received.
We then determine guilt or otherwise, and depending on a set criteria, we deliver judgment.
What’s not to like? We can do away with all that expense of a judiciary and the legal profession, and we get “open and public” justice. Very efficient and effective.
Of course, anyone charged is automatically placed on remand in the stocks in an open warehouse where the public can walk by and decide on a kind of pre-guilt or pre-innocence and choose what kind of food to throw
Rotten tomatoes to you OWT. But peddle the idea to the Insensitive Sentencing Untrustworthies, they’ll be onto you like a starving dog.
Having experienced my friend’s frustration dealing with a serial fraudster who plays the the law like a kid playing hopskotch, andI think it would add to our enjoyment of life in all its glory if we could see some of these non-violent scumbags face to face, at a distance of course, for their safety.
The group for this type of punishment would include roaming non-tradesmen skimming vulnerable people, and ones who sell themselves as worthy and are not (a relation has had an 8 week renovation job extend to 18 weeks and encountered rudeness and being patronised when she phones Mr High and Mighty lead tradesman, and has had to endure two rainstorms while the roof was being repaired and the tarpaulin blew away, soaking the rooms below). And I am sure others can top these.
This brings to mind a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song about who would not be missed. I’ll brighten my day and that of anyone who has a list and needs a lift. I’d love to go to the proms in London one day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Jv_HJM9RE
BM that’s because many people left moved out because of the earthquakes especially retired or those about to retire. Many moved to Wanaka now theirs a bubble their.
Award-winning Kiwi documentary maker Bryn Evans has been kidnapped twice, been caught in firefights, told the story of the Taliban’s cricket team, and introduced some hip-hop dancing pensioners to the world. Most recently he was the man behind the documentary about Scott Dixon, called Born Racer. He talks about the transition from photos to film and why he’s chosen Berlin as the place to hang out.
Fun and frolic from Paris early 1900s, you feel that you are there. It looks a good place to be – perhaps we should have stayed in the horse-drawn days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjDclfAFRB4
Thanks Grey (10) … being an old francophile from way back, I thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂 Loved the mobile platform/people mover. No doubt that would have been state of the art technology way back then.
Certainly a lot has been done to improve the quality of the film. And the sound was pretty good too.
glad you liked it i thought it was a marvel – the sound is so good. did you notice that they used paired grey horses for the fire units? they were very showy and dramatic.
Because she traveled safely through South America on her OE.
Grace got to Auckland, and within 2 days was Killed by some alleged cowardly Kiwi bastard. Just two days.
That Bastard will no doubt pull out every sore finger and every bit of family scrapping and every bit “of poor me” to kid the Judge and jury that he is a down trodden lovely, lonely victim and not a Murderer.
Whereas, the ONLY victim was Grace Millane (and her Family). They had no smarty Lawyer or dodgy Barrister. Or softy judge. Or tearful Jury – picked by the Barrister. None whatever. Grace had no one to save Her. No Lawyer. No Barrister.
The murderer, with nifty Lawyer and greasy Barrister who’s fees will be paid by the NZ Worker, will be searching under every leaf to declare “The alleged Murderer a poor very low intelligence person who enjoyed having a good time day and night. Especially when it came to that fullfilling game called Sex and Murder. A person who must not be named.”
Oh yes. And very likely not to be held to account. For such is the strange ease of getting free of any serious charge within New Zealand Law.
I am not sure about the “wonderful” other 18 +2 Femme Murders this year, but certainly a number of those who were murdered were known to the Victim.
The message is: Women should not trust any NZ male who knows them. Get well away from them. Go to any lengths to remove those men from your life.
NZ males adore violence and sex. Unlike other civilised places. The games they play are full of violence. They are also cowardly. To make matters worse, they are often drug and gang centered too. But they know how to Kill. Oh Yes. !
Hey Observer
Restrain yourself. You are sounding so law and order then you can come up with this: Whereas, the ONLY victim was Grace Millane (and her Family). They had no smarty Lawyer or dodgy Barrister. Or softy judge. Or tearful Jury – picked by the Barrister. None whatever. Grace had no one to save Her. No Lawyer. No Barrister.
The murderer, with nifty Lawyer and greasy Barrister who’s fees will be paid by the NZ Worker,
The lawyers, the courts, the police are all paid for by us as part of a law-based society. That’s something to be cherished. Otherwise we get people like yourself all riled up and looking for someone to hang, at worst any likely person you can pin the crime on will do.
Our system at present has not been sufficient to bring up men with good standards of behaviour at all times, or discourage men who are through and through shits, but that is not the lawyers fault, it is the way that all of us allow society to proceed. And we get an example from the screen, films and television are laced with sex, crims and cunning and most find that enticing to watch. For instance, Godfather has been a great success as good cinema – all about the Mafia.
We enable drunkenness which is at the base of much of our criminality and enables men and women to become untrustworthy liars. So don’t vent your spleen on the justice system when bad results result from all this twisted-mind behaviour going from theory to practice. Even police have been affected by the dominant sexual ideas that swirl in many people’s heads. It is a virus in society that breaks out openly regularly, and always treated as a rare occurrence instead of a hidden chronic weakness.
Australia overtook Qatar to become the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas last month following a $200bn decade-long investment to ship the fuel to Asia. But the export boom has come at a cost.
The country is now facing a looming domestic gas shortage in its most populous states, leading prices to skyrocket and concerns over security of supply to increase.
When local resources are exported then locals find that they can no longer afford to live.
Putin says “if it is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it”…
… Putin noted that “rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest”. But he is particularly concerned with drug themes prevalent in rap, saying “this is a path to the degradation of the nation.” He said “drug propaganda” is worse than cursing.
It’s got nothing to do with the cheap heroin that Putin’s oligarch mates are bringing into the country from central Asia, combine with 30 years of ‘reforms’ that have led to the highest rates of of intravenous drug abuse in the world.
At the time of the election earlier this year I pointed out that it was a total fiasco and that the Minister responsible should take responsibility for the only real job he has.
He should have.
Arranged for a repeat of the Census.
Sacked the head of the Statistics Dept.
Sacked the person responsible for the Census.
Announced that “The buck stops here” and resigned as Minister.
Instead he, like a number of his apologists on this blog said that everything was sweet and that they could still produce accurate results.
Now, when it is too late to run it again we are seeing that my comments were accurate and that the integrity of all our statistics is at doubt and that even the election organisation will be suspect.
It isn’t really to late for you Shaw.
Resign. NOW. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/109363944/election-2020-at-risk-of-being-compromised-due-to-census-delays
However, I am not enchanted with the way Murdered Victims are flung from the Court House.
Victims of Murder go without Lawyers, without Barristers and without Support of any kind. While the Murderer gets the blubber of scheming Lawyers and Precedents.
Personally, I would put Lawyers and Barristers on traffic offences and keep them out of the way of serious crime.
For is it not true that the Police and Forensics know what crime has taken place in matters of Murder. They have been on site. Not stuck in chambers.
All I can see is the Barrister playing cynically with a Corpse. And favouring yet another “nice boy” with a cozy detention of some limited kind.
Greywarshark, why are NZ men allowed so much support and leeway in their crimes ? Name suppression; Previous crimes suppressed; nil real Punishment. But Comfortable incarceration – if any at all .
You simplify things too much Observer. You no doubt are a very good guy? but even so, you are busy scheming how to get round a case being properly examined in a Court of law under the controlled conditions of it, the conventions of it, and the precedents of the past, all set down to avoid highs and lows in the treatment of crime so all are treated in the same way. The law can be an ass but it is better than the alternative. Also it has been said “Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law” Oliver Goldsmith, which seems to be fairly true to the poor, anyway most of the time. However not having law produces conditions that the song Strange Fruit laments.
We reap what we sow when it comes to murder. You are angry about the murders you hear about, and every one is sad to some extent usually, whether woman or man. But the punishment after being dealt with by the law is usually meted out properly. Your emotion against the law process does not make any woman or man safer after their death.
If you turned your concern into getting values and respect and self-respect taught in schools, and to parents, and how to be compassionate as well as righteous taught to everybody, crime would be reduced. And the better and more honestly respect is carried out and role-modelled by all adults, then the more good results would follow.
Billie Holliday sang about something that really happened; a rule by emotion-fired, immoral men posturing as moralistic. I despise that sort of attitude and I hope that you don’t encourage others to think in the way you have expressed; that is the start of a posse, a lynch mob.
Billie Holiday Lyrics
“Strange Fruit”
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
Hot contender for the stupidest climate denial argument of all time.
/
DeFazio on climate: "This is the existential threat to the future of the planet."Insanity.For comparison, the atmosphere Venus is 96.5% CO2 — and the planet is still there.In contrast, Earth's atmosphere is only ~0.04% CO2. https://t.co/SvScU32iZG via @politico— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) December 15, 2018
Peter De Fazio? Old white man. Should be very wise at his age. Has been a career politician 1987-2018, over 30 years.
I’m against having politicians making a career of it. Three terms tops. They can work hard while they are there, and then make room for a new trier. If they don’t work hard they will only get two terms, maybe only one. It should be something to be proud of, serving and being honoured by your fellow citizens – not a gravy train.
Peter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for Oregon’s 4th congressional district, serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg, Coos Bay, Florence, and part of Corvallis. Wikipedia
Born: 27 May 1947 (age 71 years), Needham, Massachusetts, United States
More evidence our capitalist system is overshooting the planet’s environmental limits.
Now crayfish populations are collapsing.
We choose capitalism or a liveable planet.
Sadly the greedy rich want the former.
“A conservation group is calling for a total fishing ban for crayfish in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty as the population “collapses towards extinction”.
Forest & Bird is calling for the wider Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty crayfishing area (known as CRA2) to be closed for three years to allow the species to start recovering.
“The wider Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty crayfish population has undergone a significant decline,” Forest & Bird marine conservation advocate Katrina Goddard said.
“Without an urgent end to fishing pressure, crayfish could become functionally extinct throughout the entire area within a few years.”
“US troops now control a third of Syria. They are there on an indefinite basis. I hate to be so annoyingly quaint, but Congress hasn’t authorized this. Permanent war has become normalized. Boring even.”
The Government, through the Presidencies of Bush, Obama and Trump have all taken action based on a 2001 resolution that allowed them to do almost anything.
It is argued whether the Syrian situation is covered but it was passed way back in the time just after 9/11 and it was as broad as hell.
Whether you think it is still valid and covers the present situation depends on your political views.
I’m sure you remember the old song
“You say potayto and I say potahto,
You say tomayto and I say tomahto”
Well that is about the way the debate on this goes.
I did actually know in advance that NZ Men do not like being told they should not Murder Women.
That is why very few men took any notice of the Murder of Grace Millane. She was after all, just a female. Women gathered together in huge numbers. Not men.
NZ men know that the Lawyers and Barristers will give the male muderer every possible consideration. There is no doubt about that.
But just for the record, I wish guys like you could say a good word for Women – now and then. Nothing dramatic Greywarshark.
I mean, there is every possibility that you may have had a woman as a mother.
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
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The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
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Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
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Why you should have a moment of sympathy for Jabba the Drumpf. A very brief and mild one that should already have come and gone, but nevertheless …
https://www.salon.com/2018/12/15/all-donald-trump-wanted-was-to-be-president-and-just-look-how-it-turned-out/
Makes me wonder if Trump will enable more firebrands on the left as well.
Like Louisiana firebrand New Dealer Huey Long, sometimes it’s better to burn out
than to fade away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBKFEZY59j8
I have no doubt the Chumpanzee’s antics have helped elect the likes of Ocasio-Cortez, That’s one of the very few bright spots of the current political moment.
But in terms of making lasting changes for the better, are the firebrands more successful or does it work better to be a bit quieter and more thoughtful and willing to round off the edges to account for the other side’s biggest concerns? Seems to me there’s plenty of examples to bolster and refute both sides of that question.
I’m just starting to think about President Trump’s legacy.
Not in any of his policies, but in his communicative capacity, his strength in resonating messages, his willingness to break rules both social and legal, his smashing of institutions. He’s pushed what is possible.
The inflated shape of Trump in the American mind has expanded big and will pop, but its space will be there for a long, long time.
For sure he’s going to have an outsized effect on the shape of politics to come. But it’s still an open question whether it will be a long term spreading the boundaries to allow what was previously unacceptable, or a backlash because he’s proven the rules and norms have value and it causes real problems when they get trashed.
Probably a mix of both, depending on which area we’re looking at. For instance, it would be a good thing if Americans got over their prurient hangups about their pollies’ sex lives, while also becoming less accepting of the powerful abusing their power for their sexual gratification. I’d be astonished if he doesn’t provoke a backlash round of rulemaking towards increased financial transparency and avoidance of financial conflicts of interest, and I can’t see any downside to that happening.
I’m hoping for more, but there’s a few areas that will come up post-Trump family trials.
I think there will be a vetting requirement to release tax affairs.
Also in vetting, if we can remember that Democrat VP Eagleton who failed to disclose mental health issues, I suspect full banking records will need releasing in vetting.
I’m looking to see whether the 1974 Supreme Court’s Nixon ruling on the tapes still overrides “executive privilege”. A general hard testing of executive privilege is coming up soon. General tests on privilege will get looked at.
The citizen-inreach of the intelligence community is going to get a smacking. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was an outgrowth of the committee’s investigations, and it created the special FISA court to authorize surveillance operations when driven by national security concerns.
Also a protocol that the intelligence community should STFU about Presidential Candidates three months out unless they have ball-clenching evidential proof of treachery.
Maybe something on further limiting paid lobbyists who also claim legal privilege. After Watergate, most law schools in the United States required courses about professional responsibility, and the American Bar Association rewrote its responsibility code.
There will be a legacy of language. Words and sayings from Watergate are part of the common language of America, from President Nixon’s famous “I am not a crook” statement to President Ford’s declaration that “our national nightmare is over.” But nothing has been more prevalent that the use of suffix “gate” to indicate a scandal.
If I were feeling adventurous, if he goes down in sufficient flames, we should see regulation of the Google and Facebook and Baidu networks, in just the same way that public US broadcasting was regulated in the early 1950s. Unregulated communications networks are killing democracy by degrading it, and none moreso than there in the US. Would need a united Senate and President to overcome First Amendment issues, but it has to be done, and arguably it’s the Trump Presidency that’s caused the need.
Goodnight, and Good Luck.
Excellent article by Alison Mau.
Looks at how we value lives differently.
“No-one is talking. Nothing can be reported. When, at the Auckland vigil for Grace Millane on Wednesday night, I stood on stage and read out the names of all the 2018 victims, I could only refer to her as “the unnamed woman killed in Flat Bush”
In contrast to the crowd, the waiata and the public sorrow for Grace, there were no candles, and no floral tributes laid in that South Auckland cul-de-sac.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/109365685/ali-mau-why-we-grieve-for-grace-millane-and-not-others
That has got to be the stupidest article I’ve seen in a long time.
Why on earth would Alison Mau expect every other case to get identical public profile as every other? Such a stupid case of ‘butwhatabout….’
No young woman in the last decade has forced as much national self-reflection as Grace. The Prime Minister had to defend us to the entire world media. It’s very likely judges will reflect hard about the average tariffs for this kind of case, because they must reflect society.
It is precisely because of this self-reflection that so many other cases will get stronger scrutiny, and the public debate will be raised higher. A great thing Alison surely?
Mau is a ghoulish ambulance-chaser going after yet another grisly death.
She should hold her breath for the trials.
Little writes pretty much the same…..
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12176421
Little is just as stupid as Mau – and one of them copy-pasted from the other.
Not all deaths will be treated BY THE MEDIA the same. They might want to hold up a hand mirror to themselves.
We’ve had multiple social media platforms that have got better over years and years of such stories:
– smoking
– domestic violence
– mental health
– child poverty
– drink driving
They work.
Just takes lots of sustained community effort that makes the likes of Mau and Little remember what they constantly forget.
Yeah blame mau and little – that will make change and things safer won’t it?
You seem very out of touch on this issue.
Poor Grace, it is her death that has woken Rip van Winkle (an old European fable) in NZ that has spent so much time asleep when it comes to deaths of women, and children also, and violence also against the vulnerable whoever they are.
Yes even the normal ignorers can’t ignore anymore because of that young woman’s death.
The putrid dressing has been noticed and needs changed before being ignored again.
I hope a catalyst for change is found and that change occurs.
Try reducing the hate buddy. You don’t get it – we hear you already.
Good article ed thanks.
Some are too far into their priviledge to see the truth from Mau – they never would anyway cos it disturbs their leafy suburb thinking.
Some are too far into their privilege to see the truth from Mau …
There’s truth in that statement. A double standard has been operating here and I’m as guilty of it as anyone. To be fair, part of the angst is because Grace Millane was a visitor to this country, but nevertheless we don’t mourn the loss of all the other women who have died as a result of sexual violence to anything like the same degree.
But if this particular death results in a change of direction in NZ, then something truly worthwhile will have been achieved. However the jury will be out on that one for some time to come.
How is her death going to change the direction of NZ?
The whole thing was a ghoulish media driven affair done purely for clicks, eyeballs and egos.
She’ll be forgotten within a couple of months once the media move onto their next cause célèbre.
I’d rate the NZ media as some of the worst in the world, no better than paparazzi.
And some of the commenters on news and views are pretty bad, but not good enough to be the worst in the world, though they will no doubt keep trying, and may yet succeed!
Boring Media fake news
Yes Anne.
We know that it’s not a competition – it is a tally of shame. Our violence is appalling towards women. We have to stop it. The terrible death of grace may help some see what is right in front of their face – in their living room or mirror – I bloody hope so.
Well I actually agree with Ad. Aside from which for whatever reason there was huge suppression around the south Auckland homicide, I have to ask myself why wasn’t Alison mau respecting that? It’s unusual, but I am sure the police/courts have their reasons.
Some stories just do resonate more with people. Look at the Thai boys trapped in the cave. Or the young woman on the Gold Coast who fell off the balcony (?maori). I am sure maus research on how some ethnicities receive less public sympathy is true. But for god sake bringing it up in the context of graces recent murder I find in poor taste.
Can’t we stick to the point, which is to use good research to figure out what might work in reducing homicide and violence towards all people
There are many terrible acts out there
We have to reluctantly accept that some acts will attract varying media attention depending what others captures the news and public sentiment.
It is what results follow these, better one captures the public than none. And all these deaths are a shock and we need to do better.
We can only hope that changes do arise from this.
And hopefully something similar from this 😢
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12176781
Driving the Mercedes was 19-year-old Rouxle Le Roux, who had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day.
When Kraatskow crossed the intersection, riding a small bike and wearing headphones but no helmet, the Mercedes ploughed through the crossing, sending him across the bonnet and into the air. He landed some distance away and died at the scene.
Fun fact .
Obama built more Mexico wall than trump has to date .
Where is the source of that fact bwaghorn. I thought that no wall was built till Trump started it, and there had been no agreement to make the money available before him.
There have been bits and pieces of wall getting built for decades. I can even remember bits of wall at the border in the early 70s at Tijuana. So I wouldn’t find it in the slightest bit surprising if the rate of wall-building is higher under Obama than Adolf Twitler.
The difference is up till now the building has generally been in response to specific problem areas, whereas the Grab’em’fuhrer made a mindless throwaway comment at an early rally, liked the reaction so he kept repeating to get the same reaction, and now he feels like he needs to be seen to be doing something about it.
Thanks Andre
Like your inspired nicknames.
On sky news this am . Bush had the biggest amount of kms.
B Waghorm States building walls is not Obama building walls fake news their is 700km of wall on the border non of it built by Obama. Facts please.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/12/australia-says-west-jerusalem-is-israel-s-capital-following-the-us.html
Our Aussie friends say Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. “A step in the right direction “
In the right direction to what . ?
Did they say where the Palestinian capital is?
East Jerusalem.
Netanyahu just needs to be in jail.
James you don’t know why Morriston has done this!
Bennelong has the highest number of Jewish voters of any electorate in Australia the Liberal Party lost the by election now are pandering to get it back and play into the anti Muslim White supremacist vote at the same time.
On RadioNZ this morning
7.11 Meg De Ronde: the problem with ‘tough guy’ world leaders
Meg De Ronde, Campaigns Director for Amnesty International New Zealand
Amnesty International warns the actions of “tough guy” world leaders pushing misogynistic, xenophobic and homophobic policies has placed freedoms and rights that were won long ago in fresh jeopardy. Meg De Ronde, campaigns director for Amnesty International NZ, talks about the issue, raised in Amnesty’s Human Rights report for 2018.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018675805/meg-de-ronde-the-problem-with-tough-guy-world-leaders
We’ve forgotten what we had – so we have to lose some of it.
You’re right Ad so we need to be reminded of what we did have, and get highly motivated to save what we can from the remainder and work out methods to prevent it continuing or to limit its progress. Also we need to get powered up to organise systems to comfort and support those affected who have lost greatly at the hands of these apparently unstoppable forces.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve found myself agreeing with Mark Richardson and Bill Ralston.
(RNZ Media Watch on the media, name suppression and Grace Millane )
And I guess Martin Devlin and the other ZB talkback hacks must be really disappointed
Link: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018675612/heart-breaking-news-and-suppression-frustration
A stopped clock is right once a day!
It’s okay, just know that they’re still prats.
Why is knowing this name so important – what possible reason do people want to know his name for – I just don’t get it.
In order to gloat, label and reaffirm their prejudices @ mm
Or as @ Wayne would have it, in the interests of “open and public” justice.
Being the exceptional ‘entrepreneur’ I am, I’m thinking of starting a business manufacturing stocks – they’re the shape of the future
The name tells 99.99% of the people who hear it absolutely nothing.
Well I’m not sure if you read this from OM the other day ( and the discussion that followed) :
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13-12-2018/#comment-1561693
but I’m now even more convinced that name suppression should be automatic until after a verdict is delivered. And if you listen to that Mediawatch thing, Martin Devlin had already jumped/hoped to a conclusion (as I say – In order to re-affirm, and even justify his prejudices).
And while we’re feigning outrage at Google for emailing the defendant’s name as it ‘trended’, Google algorithms would never have received the necessary ‘inputs’ had not Brit journalists on the ground published (in the NZ legal definition) the name.
Net result: Someone who is possibly guilty has a good argument as to the fairness or not of his trial.
So much for that ‘open and public’ justice @ Wayne speaks of.
But you know – yea/nah, next
I like ‘village’ detective stories. In these any crime is always attributed to an outsider, a visitor or a tramp; not one of us!
Oh, btw….. for a good many of them, it tells them what it’s not – specially if you’re a Devlin.
It’s not a Hiriwini, or Khan or a Singh or a Wong or a Kwese. PANIC – what is it? Can’t quite remember, it’s a Smith-Jones? no… it’s a Ferguson-Llewellyn (with a single ‘s’ doncha know)?, no…. ummmm I think it begins with a ‘K’ (and one of those English sounding names)
Thank Christ ‘D’ is nowhere near a ‘K’ in the alphabet eh?
Whoar that could have been a near miss
Are you planning a new sort of stock exchange? For petty crooks, con artists, fraudsters I have been thinking recently that a day in the stocks followed by a week in prison, rest of sentence suspended while a re-education class is attended would be a cheap and effective way of dealing with these minor predators.
Hadn’t thought of that @ grey but as a true entrpreneur, I’m always looking for ways to monetise an idea (it doesn’t necessarily have to be my own idea either).
I did have another idea though that I thought lprent could assist with (because he’s renown for his efficient programming skills – almost to the point of obsession) .
We develop an ‘app’/application. The Police (or other prosecutors) simply provide the various inputs, and it’s sent to some sort of social media platform.
We give it a week or so and count the number of ‘thumbs up’ and ‘thumbs down’ records received.
We then determine guilt or otherwise, and depending on a set criteria, we deliver judgment.
What’s not to like? We can do away with all that expense of a judiciary and the legal profession, and we get “open and public” justice. Very efficient and effective.
Of course, anyone charged is automatically placed on remand in the stocks in an open warehouse where the public can walk by and decide on a kind of pre-guilt or pre-innocence and choose what kind of food to throw
Rotten tomatoes to you OWT. But peddle the idea to the Insensitive Sentencing Untrustworthies, they’ll be onto you like a starving dog.
Having experienced my friend’s frustration dealing with a serial fraudster who plays the the law like a kid playing hopskotch, andI think it would add to our enjoyment of life in all its glory if we could see some of these non-violent scumbags face to face, at a distance of course, for their safety.
The group for this type of punishment would include roaming non-tradesmen skimming vulnerable people, and ones who sell themselves as worthy and are not (a relation has had an 8 week renovation job extend to 18 weeks and encountered rudeness and being patronised when she phones Mr High and Mighty lead tradesman, and has had to endure two rainstorms while the roof was being repaired and the tarpaulin blew away, soaking the rooms below). And I am sure others can top these.
This brings to mind a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song about who would not be missed. I’ll brighten my day and that of anyone who has a list and needs a lift. I’d love to go to the proms in London one day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Jv_HJM9RE
So that we know who it ISN’T marty.
It just seems like weird behaviour to me. I’ve seen it in a few things, this excessive compulsion to know – arrogant western thinking imo.
Shorten goes big on housing.
Take a bow Mr Twyford; they’re learning.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/labor-promises-a-6-6-billion-housing-boom-to-bring-down-rents-20181215-p50mi9.html
Like Tywford, Shorten wants to use taxpayer payer money to keep the property bubble inflated instead of letting the market correct itself.
No doubt the stupid will think it’s a great idea.
Haa ha market correct itself!!do you believe that shit .
Have a look at the Christchurch property market.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/107971093/is-christchurch-the-only-new-zealand-city-with-too-many-houses
Rents are still pretty high in CHC.
So the many many huge variables in the ch ch market due to the earthquakes had nothing to do with that ?
BM that’s because many people left moved out because of the earthquakes especially retired or those about to retire. Many moved to Wanaka now theirs a bubble their.
You do understand that the market is a means to restrict use of scarce resources right?
That when combined with the profit motive the first thing that the profiteers do is ensure low availability so as to drive the price up?
Leaving it to ‘the market’ will just make things worse.
It is the beginning of the end…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjUvfZj-Fm0
Another sparking NZr. Radionz 10am ish.
Award-winning Kiwi documentary maker Bryn Evans has been kidnapped twice, been caught in firefights, told the story of the Taliban’s cricket team, and introduced some hip-hop dancing pensioners to the world. Most recently he was the man behind the documentary about Scott Dixon, called Born Racer. He talks about the transition from photos to film and why he’s chosen Berlin as the place to hang out.
Fun and frolic from Paris early 1900s, you feel that you are there. It looks a good place to be – perhaps we should have stayed in the horse-drawn days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjDclfAFRB4
Thanks Grey (10) … being an old francophile from way back, I thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂 Loved the mobile platform/people mover. No doubt that would have been state of the art technology way back then.
Certainly a lot has been done to improve the quality of the film. And the sound was pretty good too.
glad you liked it i thought it was a marvel – the sound is so good. did you notice that they used paired grey horses for the fire units? they were very showy and dramatic.
How about that mobile platform mover for Central Auckland to the Airport?
A great film grey! And how clever to adjust the frames per second to get such smooth action.
Why is Grace a Standout ?
Because she traveled safely through South America on her OE.
Grace got to Auckland, and within 2 days was Killed by some alleged cowardly Kiwi bastard. Just two days.
That Bastard will no doubt pull out every sore finger and every bit of family scrapping and every bit “of poor me” to kid the Judge and jury that he is a down trodden lovely, lonely victim and not a Murderer.
Whereas, the ONLY victim was Grace Millane (and her Family). They had no smarty Lawyer or dodgy Barrister. Or softy judge. Or tearful Jury – picked by the Barrister. None whatever. Grace had no one to save Her. No Lawyer. No Barrister.
The murderer, with nifty Lawyer and greasy Barrister who’s fees will be paid by the NZ Worker, will be searching under every leaf to declare “The alleged Murderer a poor very low intelligence person who enjoyed having a good time day and night. Especially when it came to that fullfilling game called Sex and Murder. A person who must not be named.”
Oh yes. And very likely not to be held to account. For such is the strange ease of getting free of any serious charge within New Zealand Law.
I am not sure about the “wonderful” other 18 +2 Femme Murders this year, but certainly a number of those who were murdered were known to the Victim.
The message is: Women should not trust any NZ male who knows them. Get well away from them. Go to any lengths to remove those men from your life.
NZ males adore violence and sex. Unlike other civilised places. The games they play are full of violence. They are also cowardly. To make matters worse, they are often drug and gang centered too. But they know how to Kill. Oh Yes. !
Hey Observer
Restrain yourself. You are sounding so law and order then you can come up with this:
Whereas, the ONLY victim was Grace Millane (and her Family). They had no smarty Lawyer or dodgy Barrister. Or softy judge. Or tearful Jury – picked by the Barrister. None whatever. Grace had no one to save Her. No Lawyer. No Barrister.
The murderer, with nifty Lawyer and greasy Barrister who’s fees will be paid by the NZ Worker,
The lawyers, the courts, the police are all paid for by us as part of a law-based society. That’s something to be cherished. Otherwise we get people like yourself all riled up and looking for someone to hang, at worst any likely person you can pin the crime on will do.
Our system at present has not been sufficient to bring up men with good standards of behaviour at all times, or discourage men who are through and through shits, but that is not the lawyers fault, it is the way that all of us allow society to proceed. And we get an example from the screen, films and television are laced with sex, crims and cunning and most find that enticing to watch. For instance, Godfather has been a great success as good cinema – all about the Mafia.
We enable drunkenness which is at the base of much of our criminality and enables men and women to become untrustworthy liars. So don’t vent your spleen on the justice system when bad results result from all this twisted-mind behaviour going from theory to practice. Even police have been affected by the dominant sexual ideas that swirl in many people’s heads. It is a virus in society that breaks out openly regularly, and always treated as a rare occurrence instead of a hidden chronic weakness.
Australia’s LNG export surge fuels domestic supply concerns
When local resources are exported then locals find that they can no longer afford to live.
We’ve seen this happen here as well.
Vlad getting on one – wonder why?
https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/109388425/president-vladimir-putin-says-rap-should-be-controlled-in-russia-not-banned
Maybe because it’s effective against fascist dictators
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&fbclid=IwAR2ZxDfSRs5hCWl9O2AdxVYlnYZv4Gu1kqQq7DPGMZW8FKoKYi9L6wSj_9c&v=VZvzvLiGUtw
It’s got nothing to do with the cheap heroin that Putin’s oligarch mates are bringing into the country from central Asia, combine with 30 years of ‘reforms’ that have led to the highest rates of of intravenous drug abuse in the world.
fo’ shizzle, my pizzle. Pu-tan clan ain’t nuttin to fuck wi’
At the time of the election earlier this year I pointed out that it was a total fiasco and that the Minister responsible should take responsibility for the only real job he has.
He should have.
Arranged for a repeat of the Census.
Sacked the head of the Statistics Dept.
Sacked the person responsible for the Census.
Announced that “The buck stops here” and resigned as Minister.
Instead he, like a number of his apologists on this blog said that everything was sweet and that they could still produce accurate results.
Now, when it is too late to run it again we are seeing that my comments were accurate and that the integrity of all our statistics is at doubt and that even the election organisation will be suspect.
It isn’t really to late for you Shaw.
Resign. NOW.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/109363944/election-2020-at-risk-of-being-compromised-due-to-census-delays
The public sacked the people responsible for this shambles in the 2017 general election.
I value your words Greywarshark
However, I am not enchanted with the way Murdered Victims are flung from the Court House.
Victims of Murder go without Lawyers, without Barristers and without Support of any kind. While the Murderer gets the blubber of scheming Lawyers and Precedents.
Personally, I would put Lawyers and Barristers on traffic offences and keep them out of the way of serious crime.
For is it not true that the Police and Forensics know what crime has taken place in matters of Murder. They have been on site. Not stuck in chambers.
All I can see is the Barrister playing cynically with a Corpse. And favouring yet another “nice boy” with a cozy detention of some limited kind.
Greywarshark, why are NZ men allowed so much support and leeway in their crimes ? Name suppression; Previous crimes suppressed; nil real Punishment. But Comfortable incarceration – if any at all .
You simplify things too much Observer. You no doubt are a very good guy? but even so, you are busy scheming how to get round a case being properly examined in a Court of law under the controlled conditions of it, the conventions of it, and the precedents of the past, all set down to avoid highs and lows in the treatment of crime so all are treated in the same way. The law can be an ass but it is better than the alternative. Also it has been said “Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law” Oliver Goldsmith, which seems to be fairly true to the poor, anyway most of the time. However not having law produces conditions that the song Strange Fruit laments.
We reap what we sow when it comes to murder. You are angry about the murders you hear about, and every one is sad to some extent usually, whether woman or man. But the punishment after being dealt with by the law is usually meted out properly. Your emotion against the law process does not make any woman or man safer after their death.
If you turned your concern into getting values and respect and self-respect taught in schools, and to parents, and how to be compassionate as well as righteous taught to everybody, crime would be reduced. And the better and more honestly respect is carried out and role-modelled by all adults, then the more good results would follow.
Billie Holliday sang about something that really happened; a rule by emotion-fired, immoral men posturing as moralistic. I despise that sort of attitude and I hope that you don’t encourage others to think in the way you have expressed; that is the start of a posse, a lynch mob.
Billie Holiday Lyrics
“Strange Fruit”
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
Writer(s): LEWIS ALLAN
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/strangefruit.html
Hot contender for the stupidest climate denial argument of all time.
/
https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1073757414770524162
Peter De Fazio? Old white man. Should be very wise at his age. Has been a career politician 1987-2018, over 30 years.
I’m against having politicians making a career of it. Three terms tops. They can work hard while they are there, and then make room for a new trier. If they don’t work hard they will only get two terms, maybe only one. It should be something to be proud of, serving and being honoured by your fellow citizens – not a gravy train.
Peter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for Oregon’s 4th congressional district, serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg, Coos Bay, Florence, and part of Corvallis. Wikipedia
Born: 27 May 1947 (age 71 years), Needham, Massachusetts, United States
It’s fun to laugh at Milloy’s idiocy, and then you realise that he was a science advisor to Trump’s EPA transition team.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-epa-air-pollution-cpac-dd95c2fbcd7b/
https://www.desmogblog.com/steve-milloy
More evidence our capitalist system is overshooting the planet’s environmental limits.
Now crayfish populations are collapsing.
We choose capitalism or a liveable planet.
Sadly the greedy rich want the former.
“A conservation group is calling for a total fishing ban for crayfish in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty as the population “collapses towards extinction”.
Forest & Bird is calling for the wider Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty crayfishing area (known as CRA2) to be closed for three years to allow the species to start recovering.
“The wider Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty crayfish population has undergone a significant decline,” Forest & Bird marine conservation advocate Katrina Goddard said.
“Without an urgent end to fishing pressure, crayfish could become functionally extinct throughout the entire area within a few years.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12177804
John Glaser makes a pertinent observation.
“US troops now control a third of Syria. They are there on an indefinite basis. I hate to be so annoyingly quaint, but Congress hasn’t authorized this. Permanent war has become normalized. Boring even.”
https://t.co/pKmYP7Wxbb?amp=1
So they should withdraw and leave the Kurds and their allies to Assad and Erdogan to do what they will?
The President should ask Congress for authority.
Otherwise, another illegal war, joe.
The Government, through the Presidencies of Bush, Obama and Trump have all taken action based on a 2001 resolution that allowed them to do almost anything.
It is argued whether the Syrian situation is covered but it was passed way back in the time just after 9/11 and it was as broad as hell.
Whether you think it is still valid and covers the present situation depends on your political views.
I’m sure you remember the old song
“You say potayto and I say potahto,
You say tomayto and I say tomahto”
Well that is about the way the debate on this goes.
What have we become?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/109391875/nzs-longest-serving-inmate-will-do-some-more-time
Hi Greywarshark
Thanks for your advice. You are a good man.
I did actually know in advance that NZ Men do not like being told they should not Murder Women.
That is why very few men took any notice of the Murder of Grace Millane. She was after all, just a female. Women gathered together in huge numbers. Not men.
NZ men know that the Lawyers and Barristers will give the male muderer every possible consideration. There is no doubt about that.
But just for the record, I wish guys like you could say a good word for Women – now and then. Nothing dramatic Greywarshark.
I mean, there is every possibility that you may have had a woman as a mother.