The second in the series of the The Green Party mining our future community tour hui is to be held tonight, 7pm, Monday, 16 April, 2012
Green Party MPs Catherine Delahunty and Gareth Hughes invite you to discuss the Government’s broad “drill it, mine it” agenda for Aotearoa – what’s happening, what does it mean to our environment and communities and how do we stop it.
Where – The Hamilton Trade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street, Hamilton
Hamilton and the Waikato Region was the Ground Zero for the anti-nuclear movement.
No Nuclear Ship was ever going to visit Hamilton. Yet National MP for Hamilton West Mike Minogue and National MP for Raglan Marilyn Waring swayed by the power of the mass protest movement moved their votes to the opposition upsetting the government’s majority.
Likewise the anti climate change struggle Hamilton and the Waikato Region could be again ground zero, being the North Island centre of both dairying and coal mining.
With the Greens at record highs in the polls the subjects being discussed here may well end up in government policy. So make sure you have your say.
Mike Minogue and National MP for Raglan Marilyn Waring swayed by the power of the mass protest movement moved their votes to the opposition upsetting the government’s majority.
It’s a depressing exercise to compare the calibre of National Party MPs in 1984 with this year’s crop.
The National Party MPs are much more tightly controlled now, and I can’t see any National MP with the intellect or the integrity or the courage of Waring or Minogue—or Ian Shearer for that matter.
Doug Graham was a disappointment on 60 Minutes last night. Failed to acknowledge that some crimes do not require criminal intent, such is their gravitas. Failed to accept rsponsibility for Lombard’s failure and instead blamed the GFC and property market collapse (he doesn’t seem to realise that not all financiers failed – only those with useless business models). Kept saying that he didn’t “steal” the money, despite theft not being the charge.
As a former Minister of Justice he showed scant and shallow understanding of the justice system and its centuries of establishment. Which led me directly to a view that arises all too frequently – most all politicians, including Ministers, are bloody average people of average ability and should not be in the positions they are.
There’s nothing quite as pathetic as a “poor-me” from one of our ruling class caught-out but still dripping with privilege, and expecting much more sympathy, (and the best judicial redress money can buy) than the victims of his crimes misunderstanding.
I did notice that he said that he was capable and would pay the $100k, but that would almost wipe him out financially. Made me laugh as I wonder how his trusts are coping and the pension and other benefits he has acquired over the many years as a politician, I bet they are also protected. Also that he had lost $2m re the shares, did he pay $2m or were they valued at $2m and under what ownership were they held in ?
The interview came accross to further reinforce the disconnect that pollys have with the voter/worker.
Ditto freedom – though several years ago I was renting out my late parents’ [modest] house in the Thames area as there had been a few burglaries in the area and we were only able to holiday there once a year due to work commitments. I left the property in the hands of a ‘property manager’ at a Real Estate firm. The non-pakeha family renting the property decided to completely trash the house when my family made the decision to sell up as we decided to retire in the Auckland area and they were given notice to quit. I still remember walking in to what was once a very livable home and simply broke down when I saw the damage. I also vented my spleen at the Property Manager at the time – I felt he was just so incompetent, though I realise they can’t be on hand all the time. The house eventually sold way below its value and some lucky person/s purchased a very cheap property – which has now been totally renovated and restored. I am very aware that a ‘white’ tenant could have inflicted the same damage, but I am still of the opinion that the present criteria for renting properties must remain in place.
Freedom, that is indeed a shameful poll. If you don’t want to feel further ashamed to be a kiwi, don’t read the comments posted on Stuff.co.nz articles – thats my advice! I’ve felt genuine disgust at some of the racist, sexist and generally retarded comments people have made there. I often feel we are going backwards down to the road towards tolerance understanding and compassion. It feels like our society is becoming more divided, elitist and impoverished. (well, we know we are more financially impoverished but I think we are increasingly becoming socially impoverished) Just my observations over the last few years.
I voted, ‘No’ of course, then watched the results display, and was deeply depressed…
When my son was 9, we were homeless for a while, and I was flat hunting. One couple turned me down repeatedly because I was a “South African” (I am not, but they’d decided my accent was south African, and I therefore was a liar.) When I saw the place, and compared what they wanted to charge for it with what it was, I decided not to make an issue of it anyway… 😀
But the person who made me angry was the middle class ‘lady’ who refused to entertain my application because of my son. “Kids wreck places” she said. I pointed out that her ‘no kids’ deal was illegal, and she just sneered “So, sue me!” knowing that I couldn’t.
Racism is wrong, it’s stupid, several levels of stupid, and if racism is now embraced as legitimate because profit would be easier if it was, then a whole new depth of moronic expression has been discovered. Once a person either gets over the ethical dilemma of being a landlord, though, or maybe just never realises it exists, I guess they’re pretty much ready to swallow anything.
Racism is wrong. As people like to feel different, so, when a group see many of their own falling behind they can easily be persuaded by themselves to believe racism is prevalent, targeting them. Often talking up traditions that maybe be antithetical to their own success. (i.e. religion is prevalent in poorer areas). Success often become second nature to liberal minded people, whereas conservatism is often swept away by changing times. Suburbs are designed to be anti-communal, and so naturally bring in widely different renters some of whom are already failures. So the dilemma is to screen out those who have impossible world views based around their own victim-hood. It means calling references, it means meeting your potential renters, in means having a mate who can find out if there are gang connected individuals connections. But on a society level it means targeting communities that have been left out by progress.
The Herald is at it again with cheerleader Audrey inserting a statement of personal opinion, unattributed in the middle of quotes from Blinglish.
“We’re spending considerable money on it. But every time we make those decisions, we have to find the money somewhere else.”
Labour wanted to spend the money but not take responsibility for where it came from.
Asked if there would be room for a rethink, Mr English said: “If the economy picks up and we get back to surplus sooner, then of course there’s room for discussion about all those things that people want us to have more of – but fundamentally we need a growing economy with less debt.”
This is not only poor journalism it is a blatant attempt to push the National party line. I didn’t see an ‘opinion’ disclaimer at the top of the article, yet it clearly belongs there – Perhaps everyone knows who Audrey is batting for anyway but that does not excuse the practice.
This is not the first time from this journalist and others in that paper who have chronic pathological habits of blurring lines between reporting, providing opinion, and indulging in partisan politicking.
I chose, sometime ago, to reallocate money away from buying that paper and instead to engage in more useful purchases like buying toilet paper.
I wonder if the debate and publicity about the proposed legislation over the “Beast of Blenheim” is an unscrupulous action by the Government to fear and crime bubbling along in Public minds? The experts seem to be saying that the existing law covers such problem criminals.
The cynic in me says the Nats thinking goes like this….
1. Lets allow social conditions to get so bad that ordinary people will have to resort to crime…
2. Lets then add to the crime reports with statements that create a sense of paranoia….
3. Lets then be seen to tale a hard line (“lori’norda”) approach…
4. Lets get the very same people affected by our social policies to vote for us to protect us from the crims…
National standards is anti-democratic, as kids learn quite naturally, and education will happen with or without teachers, with or without good teachers. Teachers cannot be held accountable for child outcomes, only an anti-democratic argument could justify such a absurdity. National seek on the one hand undermine mainstream teaching, and on the other hand pass over education to extreme teaching cults via charter schools. Its counter to democracy to have the mandated government despoil the mainstream majority educational system and hand over (often the children of the poor) to indoctrination in charter schools. The profit motive is not the only measure of success, in fact to argue that profits will be aided by forcing the majority of children to rote learning at the expense of free learning is preposterous.
“On Saturday in the Mail, our City Editor Alex Brummer revealed the price we’re all paying in higher bills for having sold off half our companies to foreign owners. Here, in the second extract from his devastating new book, he warns that with so much of our vital utility companies in foreign hands, we are now at the mercy of conglomerates that could bring Britain to a shuddering halt .
After reading the Archdruid last week ( http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/ ) I have to laugh at the Brits…they handed over their empire and sovereignty to the US in 1940s as the price for winning the war. Now they as a US imperial vassal are becoming energy dependent on Russia with the associated economic implications.
Its all the more amusing geo-politically when you consider that the neo lib drive to privatise was first driven hard by the US corporates to capture more profit from the US economic dependents. Now the “loser” of the Cold War has got Europe (and by association the USA) over the barrel. Is this a sure sign of the decline of the US Empire?
“British icon? Most London buses are run by a Spanish company”
“Sell off: Boots is owned by Italians, and headquartered in Switzerland”
“Deregulation: Former Tory Chancellor Geoffrey Howe made it easier for foreigners to snap up British companies”
“Stripped: The private equity firms who bought Debenhams left the chain a shadow of its former self”
“Apathy: No-one seemed to notice – or care – when ICI was snapped up by the Dutch”
“Paying the price: ICI’s subsequent breakup resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs”
“‘Global economy’: David Cameron refuses to erect ‘trade barriers’
“Red lines: Former French President Jacques Chirac stood up for ‘strategic’ companies”
“Upper hand: Barclays CEO Bob Diamond has threatened to move the bank’s headquarters to New York”
Privatisation has without a doubt made the ordinary English person poorer. It has done so here.
FIFY
A good example of that is Telecom. Previously all the surplus that Telecom brought in, to the tune of hundred of millions of dollars per year, would have been re-invested in the network. Now, with privatisation, that surplus is now taken out and given to the owners as dividends and we’re having to cough up taxpayer money to upgrade the network. On top of that we’re also now having to pay for additional competing networks.
All this extra expense has brought us no benefit whatsoever and that means that we’re poorer.
WTF. That is a classic delaying (but LOOK “I am doing something”) tactic. Why would anyone threatening a defamation suit because they are SURE of their ground want to first look at the oppositions evidence before putting it in front of the court? Ummm because they are unsure about their ground..
For that matter, why would anyone threatened by such a suit give up their defence when it is quite clear that the other sides uncertainty is their best defence. Of course you give the Private Eye’s answer.
I thought that Collins was meant to have been a lawyer?
Trevor has banned me from his twitter account (because he thought I gave Slater too much of a hard time), but as long as I’m signed out, I can still view his tweets 🙂
Perhaps Judith Collins has had to look around for a lawyer that will represent her? Although a lawyer cannot decline to take a case because the merits of the matter are questionable, they can easily make another excuse like; “I don’t have the time”.
It could even be that Collins made instructions that required the lawyer to breach a professional obligation in some way or indicated that she wasn’t willing to pay the lawyers fees.
What I’m really going to enjoy though is Collins trying to argue that Little and Mallard have caused people to shun or avoid her. I especially look forward to her presenting evidence of their statements causing people to hate, ridicule or be contemptible. Come on people… let’s make sure she has heaps of evidence to present.
On an unrelated matter, a recent piece written by Jonathan Fenby about the opaque world of top-level Chinese politics and the serious trust deficit had him quoting a common saying there:
“only believe something when the government denies it.”
And on an utterly unrelated matter that bears no direct relevance here, the government is energetically making disproportionately strong denial of direct discussions with the Chinese:
But she did send out more (are you going to apologise or not) letters to RNZ MALLARD and LITTLE. Nice to see they treated these missives with the same disdain as the originals were.
Monday 16 April 2012
On the continuing decline of The Panel
Today Jim Mora’s guests on The Panel are Nevil Gibson (a right wing journalist) and Elly Jones (a right wing journalist).
So we can expect to hear nothing particularly interesting, yet again.
These are the guests that have appeared on The Panel over the last two weeks:
Monday April 2: Gary McCormick, Josie Pagani
Tuesday April 3: Karl DuFresne, Stephen Franks
Wednesday April 4: Simon Pound, Chris Trotter
Thursday April 5: Peter Elliott, Finlay McDonald
Tuesday April 10: Tony Doe, Gordon McLauchlan
Wednesday April 11: Jane Clifton, Julia Hartley Moore
Thursday April 12: Michele Boag, Brian Edwards
Friday April 13: David Farrar, Neil Miller
What was that about a “liberal” slant on National Radio?
Boag, Farrar, and Clifton are as even handed as the day is long. No problem there. And where was that other denizen of neutrality, Hooten? He is the only other one who deserves more air time, much more air time.
The dignity of work, but not the dignity of a pay cheque! Good job he’s going to get caned by Obama in the election, eh. The shame of it is that Romney represents the liberal face of the Republican Party and has been derided by the right as being too soft. Funny old world.
The shame of it is that Romney represents the liberal face of the Republican Party and has been derided by the right as being too soft. Funny old world.
They’re all barking, however. I am always happy that I am not an American, but for the past wee while, their forthcoming elections have been the main reason. Who could I vote for? No one. Obama has failed to stop Bush’s wars, in fact he hasn’t even tried, and all the Republicans are bat-shit crazy…
Programs like Renters promote discrimination by focusing on ethnic minorities; they also disproportionately put the blame on tenants, when there are many terrible landlords in New Zealand who never get named and shamed…
Just been alerted to the brilliant commentary of FAMILIES COMMISSIONER CARL DAVIDSON on the PAID PARENTAL LEAVE debate in the Herald this morning. Astonishing the insight and dodgy logics this Paula Bennett appointed stooge is capable of!
Previously, the Families Commission had supported PPL extension…
“But Mr Davidson, appointed that year by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, told the Weekend Herald that the commission’s 2007 proposal should now be seen as “the gold standard”, which had to change because of the worldwide economic recession.
He said paid parental leave encouraged people to start families, which was socially and economically desirable but had certain limits.
“We don’t want to get too carried away of course because that argument could be extended to infinity.
“I mean, wouldn’t it be great if none of us had to go to work and we could just stay at home and raise our kids and get paid for it?
“That’s not realistic and there’s a whole lot of people in work who have to juggle the demands of work and the demands of parenting.”
Mr Davidson also questioned the argument, previously made by his own organisation, that New Zealand’s 14 weeks of paid leave, capped at $458.82 a week before tax, is one of the least generous systems in the developed world.
“When you compare them to other countries, for instance the United States, actually our state-supplied parental leave system is a very generous one.
“And I’m not seeing lots of Americans flocking here to take advantage of our paid parental leave.”
where to start? Carl starts with the pro-family revelation that starting families is socially and economically beneficial, but suggests that even the virtues of family had certain limits: “but we dont want to get carried away because that argument could be extended to infinity”. So Carl could any argument (though arguing for infinite family size is perhaps NOT one you could really extend in that way), but only by people who are ridiculous, or who are in fact prepared to extend arguments to infinity, as Carl himself does in the very next line: “”I mean, wouldn’t it be great if none of us had to go to work and we could just stay at home and raise our kids and get paid for it?”
Having made an absurd argument, he then demolishes it, but in doing so stumbles across the very reason for PPL in the first place….
“That’s not realistic and there’s a whole lot of people in work who have to juggle the demands of work and the demands of parenting.” Yes Carl: that’s the people you have PPL for!!
Having demolished the PPL argument by his brilliant ad absurdism which equates PPL with infinite indolence, breeding and benefit dependence, he proceeds to make the argument stronger with a ridiculous comparison between NZ and US PPL rates.
Now, America is pretty much the only country in the OECD not to have Paid parental leave, so yes, by comparison, what we have does look good. The fact that we are near the bottom of OECD rankings ourselves is not so great: perhaps this is why we dont have flocks of American mothers coming here to raise their infant children. Or, Carl, there might be other reasons, such as you dont get PPL unless you are a permanent resident, etc etc etc… Cant wait for more from this man!!
Yeah this is what the Right Wing have done in the US. Populated institutions with names such as “Centre for Global Warming Policy” full of people who are nothing but idealogical haters, wreckers and apologists for the wealthy elite.
Yes I read that this morning. Presumably Davidson is the only person in the Families Commission so like Peter Dunne in a caucus of one, he can say whatever he likes or in this case whatever Paula Bennett wants him to say. Is Davidson the only member of FC?
My self flagellation for today was in reading a rather large post (1040 words) by deluded rightwing stalwart Karl du Fresne, who waffled on with some of the worst parochial rubbish I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading…
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One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground PictureMany Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
The second in the series of the The Green Party mining our future community tour hui is to be held tonight, 7pm, Monday, 16 April, 2012
Green Party MPs Catherine Delahunty and Gareth Hughes invite you to discuss the Government’s broad “drill it, mine it” agenda for Aotearoa – what’s happening, what does it mean to our environment and communities and how do we stop it.
Where – The Hamilton Trade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street, Hamilton
Hamilton and the Waikato Region was the Ground Zero for the anti-nuclear movement.
No Nuclear Ship was ever going to visit Hamilton. Yet National MP for Hamilton West Mike Minogue and National MP for Raglan Marilyn Waring swayed by the power of the mass protest movement moved their votes to the opposition upsetting the government’s majority.
Likewise the anti climate change struggle Hamilton and the Waikato Region could be again ground zero, being the North Island centre of both dairying and coal mining.
With the Greens at record highs in the polls the subjects being discussed here may well end up in government policy. So make sure you have your say.
Mike Minogue and National MP for Raglan Marilyn Waring swayed by the power of the mass protest movement moved their votes to the opposition upsetting the government’s majority.
It’s a depressing exercise to compare the calibre of National Party MPs in 1984 with this year’s crop.
The National Party MPs are much more tightly controlled now, and I can’t see any National MP with the intellect or the integrity or the courage of Waring or Minogue—or Ian Shearer for that matter.
Should NZ recognise Azawad as an independent state?
http://www.readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/from-samoa-to-azawad.html
Doug Graham was a disappointment on 60 Minutes last night. Failed to acknowledge that some crimes do not require criminal intent, such is their gravitas. Failed to accept rsponsibility for Lombard’s failure and instead blamed the GFC and property market collapse (he doesn’t seem to realise that not all financiers failed – only those with useless business models). Kept saying that he didn’t “steal” the money, despite theft not being the charge.
As a former Minister of Justice he showed scant and shallow understanding of the justice system and its centuries of establishment. Which led me directly to a view that arises all too frequently – most all politicians, including Ministers, are bloody average people of average ability and should not be in the positions they are.
Useless. Disappointing. What a victim.
There’s nothing quite as pathetic as a “poor-me” from one of our ruling class caught-out but still dripping with privilege, and expecting much more sympathy, (and the best judicial redress money can buy) than the victims of his crimes misunderstanding.
Scratch-out tags on the word “crimes” above didn’t come through.
I did notice that he said that he was capable and would pay the $100k, but that would almost wipe him out financially. Made me laugh as I wonder how his trusts are coping and the pension and other benefits he has acquired over the many years as a politician, I bet they are also protected. Also that he had lost $2m re the shares, did he pay $2m or were they valued at $2m and under what ownership were they held in ?
The interview came accross to further reinforce the disconnect that pollys have with the voter/worker.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10799189
The poll on this rental discussion makes me personally ashamed to be a kiwi.
At time of posting, it showed 59 % saying yes to rascism
Ditto freedom – though several years ago I was renting out my late parents’ [modest] house in the Thames area as there had been a few burglaries in the area and we were only able to holiday there once a year due to work commitments. I left the property in the hands of a ‘property manager’ at a Real Estate firm. The non-pakeha family renting the property decided to completely trash the house when my family made the decision to sell up as we decided to retire in the Auckland area and they were given notice to quit. I still remember walking in to what was once a very livable home and simply broke down when I saw the damage. I also vented my spleen at the Property Manager at the time – I felt he was just so incompetent, though I realise they can’t be on hand all the time. The house eventually sold way below its value and some lucky person/s purchased a very cheap property – which has now been totally renovated and restored. I am very aware that a ‘white’ tenant could have inflicted the same damage, but I am still of the opinion that the present criteria for renting properties must remain in place.
Freedom, that is indeed a shameful poll. If you don’t want to feel further ashamed to be a kiwi, don’t read the comments posted on Stuff.co.nz articles – thats my advice! I’ve felt genuine disgust at some of the racist, sexist and generally retarded comments people have made there. I often feel we are going backwards down to the road towards tolerance understanding and compassion. It feels like our society is becoming more divided, elitist and impoverished. (well, we know we are more financially impoverished but I think we are increasingly becoming socially impoverished) Just my observations over the last few years.
The inevitable result of neo-liberalism. When everyone competes with everyone else the result must be the break up of society.
I voted, ‘No’ of course, then watched the results display, and was deeply depressed…
When my son was 9, we were homeless for a while, and I was flat hunting. One couple turned me down repeatedly because I was a “South African” (I am not, but they’d decided my accent was south African, and I therefore was a liar.) When I saw the place, and compared what they wanted to charge for it with what it was, I decided not to make an issue of it anyway… 😀
But the person who made me angry was the middle class ‘lady’ who refused to entertain my application because of my son. “Kids wreck places” she said. I pointed out that her ‘no kids’ deal was illegal, and she just sneered “So, sue me!” knowing that I couldn’t.
Racism is wrong, it’s stupid, several levels of stupid, and if racism is now embraced as legitimate because profit would be easier if it was, then a whole new depth of moronic expression has been discovered. Once a person either gets over the ethical dilemma of being a landlord, though, or maybe just never realises it exists, I guess they’re pretty much ready to swallow anything.
Racism is wrong. As people like to feel different, so, when a group see many of their own falling behind they can easily be persuaded by themselves to believe racism is prevalent, targeting them. Often talking up traditions that maybe be antithetical to their own success. (i.e. religion is prevalent in poorer areas). Success often become second nature to liberal minded people, whereas conservatism is often swept away by changing times. Suburbs are designed to be anti-communal, and so naturally bring in widely different renters some of whom are already failures. So the dilemma is to screen out those who have impossible world views based around their own victim-hood. It means calling references, it means meeting your potential renters, in means having a mate who can find out if there are gang connected individuals connections. But on a society level it means targeting communities that have been left out by progress.
You’ll find that the people saying yes to that are people who believe thoroughly in property rights. And they won’t believe that they’re being racist.
But the very same people will cry racism when others object to productive farmland being sold to offshore interests.
The Herald is at it again with cheerleader Audrey inserting a statement of personal opinion, unattributed in the middle of quotes from Blinglish.
This is not only poor journalism it is a blatant attempt to push the National party line. I didn’t see an ‘opinion’ disclaimer at the top of the article, yet it clearly belongs there – Perhaps everyone knows who Audrey is batting for anyway but that does not excuse the practice.
This is not the first time from this journalist and others in that paper who have chronic pathological habits of blurring lines between reporting, providing opinion, and indulging in partisan politicking.
I chose, sometime ago, to reallocate money away from buying that paper and instead to engage in more useful purchases like buying toilet paper.
I wonder if the debate and publicity about the proposed legislation over the “Beast of Blenheim” is an unscrupulous action by the Government to fear and crime bubbling along in Public minds? The experts seem to be saying that the existing law covers such problem criminals.
The cynic in me says the Nats thinking goes like this….
1. Lets allow social conditions to get so bad that ordinary people will have to resort to crime…
2. Lets then add to the crime reports with statements that create a sense of paranoia….
3. Lets then be seen to tale a hard line (“lori’norda”) approach…
4. Lets get the very same people affected by our social policies to vote for us to protect us from the crims…
National standards is anti-democratic, as kids learn quite naturally, and education will happen with or without teachers, with or without good teachers. Teachers cannot be held accountable for child outcomes, only an anti-democratic argument could justify such a absurdity. National seek on the one hand undermine mainstream teaching, and on the other hand pass over education to extreme teaching cults via charter schools. Its counter to democracy to have the mandated government despoil the mainstream majority educational system and hand over (often the children of the poor) to indoctrination in charter schools. The profit motive is not the only measure of success, in fact to argue that profits will be aided by forcing the majority of children to rote learning at the expense of free learning is preposterous.
The British are regretting privatising so much of their economy because the People are paying for it:
“Britain for sale: How long before a foreign power turns out Britain’s lights?”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2130221/Britain-sale-How-long-foreign-power-turns-Britains-lights.html#ixzz1s9luqdcS
“On Saturday in the Mail, our City Editor Alex Brummer revealed the price we’re all paying in higher bills for having sold off half our companies to foreign owners. Here, in the second extract from his devastating new book, he warns that with so much of our vital utility companies in foreign hands, we are now at the mercy of conglomerates that could bring Britain to a shuddering halt .
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2130221/Britain-sale-How-long-foreign-power-turns-Britains-lights.html#ixzz1s9mCpCjK
Privatisation has without a doubt made the ordinary English person poorer. It will here as well.
After reading the Archdruid last week ( http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/ ) I have to laugh at the Brits…they handed over their empire and sovereignty to the US in 1940s as the price for winning the war. Now they as a US imperial vassal are becoming energy dependent on Russia with the associated economic implications.
Its all the more amusing geo-politically when you consider that the neo lib drive to privatise was first driven hard by the US corporates to capture more profit from the US economic dependents. Now the “loser” of the Cold War has got Europe (and by association the USA) over the barrel. Is this a sure sign of the decline of the US Empire?
Further details of the first part of the above article:
“UK for sale: Uniquely in the world, Britain has sold more than half its companies to foreigners. And we are all paying the price”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2129507/Britain-sale-Uniquely-world-Britain-sold-half-companies-foreigners-And-paying-price.html#ixzz1s9u8Q0YF
“British icon? Most London buses are run by a Spanish company”
“Sell off: Boots is owned by Italians, and headquartered in Switzerland”
“Deregulation: Former Tory Chancellor Geoffrey Howe made it easier for foreigners to snap up British companies”
“Stripped: The private equity firms who bought Debenhams left the chain a shadow of its former self”
“Apathy: No-one seemed to notice – or care – when ICI was snapped up by the Dutch”
“Paying the price: ICI’s subsequent breakup resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs”
“‘Global economy’: David Cameron refuses to erect ‘trade barriers’
“Red lines: Former French President Jacques Chirac stood up for ‘strategic’ companies”
“Upper hand: Barclays CEO Bob Diamond has threatened to move the bank’s headquarters to New York”
Extracted from Britain For Sale: British Companies In Foreign Hands by Alex Brummer, to be published by Random House Business Books on April 26, £12.99.© 2012 Alex Brummer. To order a copy for £10.99 (incl p&p) call 0843 382 0000.
Sounds Familiar ? John Key and Cameron espouse the same ideology.
What is surprising is how many state assets the poms have flogged.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_privatizations#United_Kingdom
FIFY
A good example of that is Telecom. Previously all the surplus that Telecom brought in, to the tune of hundred of millions of dollars per year, would have been re-invested in the network. Now, with privatisation, that surplus is now taken out and given to the owners as dividends and we’re having to cough up taxpayer money to upgrade the network. On top of that we’re also now having to pay for additional competing networks.
All this extra expense has brought us no benefit whatsoever and that means that we’re poorer.
Has Collins got around to suing anyone yet?
Last I heard was before Easter and she was going to do it “next week”, which would have been last week.
Not as far as I have heard…. 😈
I guess we’re looking at another car crushing period where the munted posturing is meant to substitute for action.
Right on cue. trev starts tweeting that he’s got a new letter:
https://twitter.com/#!/TrevorMallard/status/191692180941848578
And quite rightly points to the reply in Arkell v Pressdram as the appropriate response!
WTF. That is a classic delaying (but LOOK “I am doing something”) tactic. Why would anyone threatening a defamation suit because they are SURE of their ground want to first look at the oppositions evidence before putting it in front of the court? Ummm because they are unsure about their ground..
For that matter, why would anyone threatened by such a suit give up their defence when it is quite clear that the other sides uncertainty is their best defence. Of course you give the Private Eye’s answer.
I thought that Collins was meant to have been a lawyer?
And there’s this:
https://twitter.com/#!/TrevorMallard/status/191751751400034304
Trevor has banned me from his twitter account (because he thought I gave Slater too much of a hard time), but as long as I’m signed out, I can still view his tweets 🙂
Perhaps Judith Collins has had to look around for a lawyer that will represent her? Although a lawyer cannot decline to take a case because the merits of the matter are questionable, they can easily make another excuse like; “I don’t have the time”.
It could even be that Collins made instructions that required the lawyer to breach a professional obligation in some way or indicated that she wasn’t willing to pay the lawyers fees.
What I’m really going to enjoy though is Collins trying to argue that Little and Mallard have caused people to shun or avoid her. I especially look forward to her presenting evidence of their statements causing people to hate, ridicule or be contemptible. Come on people… let’s make sure she has heaps of evidence to present.
“I demand that you apologise or else I will demand that you apologise again! And then I will stamp my corrupt lying leaking little feet!”
Is Collins some sort of closet masochist who craves ridicule and humiliation?
Methinks she doth protest, or demand, too much.
On an unrelated matter, a recent piece written by Jonathan Fenby about the opaque world of top-level Chinese politics and the serious trust deficit had him quoting a common saying there:
“only believe something when the government denies it.”
And on an utterly unrelated matter that bears no direct relevance here, the government is energetically making disproportionately strong denial of direct discussions with the Chinese:
Prime Minister in absentia: “”I haven’t had any direct discussions with the Chinese about it …..”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6752039/Key-No-pressure-from-Chinese
Dipton in Karori: “….. there was no direct discussion about the Crafar farms during the talks”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/103513/acting-pm-says-crafar-not-raised-in-talks-with-top-chinese-politician
Erm, yeah, since these two wingnuts are so direct about it, I will be directly honest and say I really believe them.
Christ.
What’s. the. hold. up?
Not having a leg to stand on makes moving difficult.
So pleased to see that Collins hasn’t quietly let this go. The more fuss she makes the stupider she’s going to look.
But she did send out more (are you going to apologise or not) letters to RNZ MALLARD and LITTLE. Nice to see they treated these missives with the same disdain as the originals were.
Monday 16 April 2012
On the continuing decline of The Panel
Today Jim Mora’s guests on The Panel are Nevil Gibson (a right wing journalist) and Elly Jones (a right wing journalist).
So we can expect to hear nothing particularly interesting, yet again.
These are the guests that have appeared on The Panel over the last two weeks:
Monday April 2: Gary McCormick, Josie Pagani
Tuesday April 3: Karl DuFresne, Stephen Franks
Wednesday April 4: Simon Pound, Chris Trotter
Thursday April 5: Peter Elliott, Finlay McDonald
Tuesday April 10: Tony Doe, Gordon McLauchlan
Wednesday April 11: Jane Clifton, Julia Hartley Moore
Thursday April 12: Michele Boag, Brian Edwards
Friday April 13: David Farrar, Neil Miller
What was that about a “liberal” slant on National Radio?
Boag, Farrar, and Clifton are as even handed as the day is long. No problem there. And where was that other denizen of neutrality, Hooten? He is the only other one who deserves more air time, much more air time.
Nice black humour there, Viper. I appreciate it.
Phil Heatley has already made up his mind on fracking. On Q&A to day he said he had ‘no concerns.’
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/transcript-panel-response-phil-heatley-interview-4833724
XKCD on the DMCA and DRM
Duncan Garner will be sad that some other poor fellow married Paula Bennett on Saturday.
SkyCity wants more cashless gambling machines that are banned in other casinos in the country as part of a deal with the Government in exchange for investing $350 million in a national convention centre
This sounds very familiar!
http://truth-out.org/news/item/8536-romney-poor-mothers-should-be-required-to-work-outside-the-home-or-lose-welfare
In fact, that’s where we get it from, hey? I especially like this line: “but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.” – the point being that it’s all very well, but meaningless if the work doesn’t exist!
The dignity of work, but not the dignity of a pay cheque! Good job he’s going to get caned by Obama in the election, eh. The shame of it is that Romney represents the liberal face of the Republican Party and has been derided by the right as being too soft. Funny old world.
They’re all barking, however. I am always happy that I am not an American, but for the past wee while, their forthcoming elections have been the main reason. Who could I vote for? No one. Obama has failed to stop Bush’s wars, in fact he hasn’t even tried, and all the Republicans are bat-shit crazy…
Yep! An old commo mate of mine used to refer to the Democrats and Republicans as the ‘evil of two lessors’.
The Bankers’ Party vs The Other Bankers’ Party
Louise Upston this afternoon asks her Nat colleague Sam Lotu-Iinga on Twitter when submissions close on welfare Bill. http://wp.me/phxnb-1et
They already have – after only 11 working days
Could only happen in the National Party
Racist New Zealand
Programs like Renters promote discrimination by focusing on ethnic minorities; they also disproportionately put the blame on tenants, when there are many terrible landlords in New Zealand who never get named and shamed…
Just been alerted to the brilliant commentary of FAMILIES COMMISSIONER CARL DAVIDSON on the PAID PARENTAL LEAVE debate in the Herald this morning. Astonishing the insight and dodgy logics this Paula Bennett appointed stooge is capable of!
Previously, the Families Commission had supported PPL extension…
“But Mr Davidson, appointed that year by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, told the Weekend Herald that the commission’s 2007 proposal should now be seen as “the gold standard”, which had to change because of the worldwide economic recession.
He said paid parental leave encouraged people to start families, which was socially and economically desirable but had certain limits.
“We don’t want to get too carried away of course because that argument could be extended to infinity.
“I mean, wouldn’t it be great if none of us had to go to work and we could just stay at home and raise our kids and get paid for it?
“That’s not realistic and there’s a whole lot of people in work who have to juggle the demands of work and the demands of parenting.”
Mr Davidson also questioned the argument, previously made by his own organisation, that New Zealand’s 14 weeks of paid leave, capped at $458.82 a week before tax, is one of the least generous systems in the developed world.
“When you compare them to other countries, for instance the United States, actually our state-supplied parental leave system is a very generous one.
“And I’m not seeing lots of Americans flocking here to take advantage of our paid parental leave.”
where to start? Carl starts with the pro-family revelation that starting families is socially and economically beneficial, but suggests that even the virtues of family had certain limits: “but we dont want to get carried away because that argument could be extended to infinity”. So Carl could any argument (though arguing for infinite family size is perhaps NOT one you could really extend in that way), but only by people who are ridiculous, or who are in fact prepared to extend arguments to infinity, as Carl himself does in the very next line: “”I mean, wouldn’t it be great if none of us had to go to work and we could just stay at home and raise our kids and get paid for it?”
Having made an absurd argument, he then demolishes it, but in doing so stumbles across the very reason for PPL in the first place….
“That’s not realistic and there’s a whole lot of people in work who have to juggle the demands of work and the demands of parenting.” Yes Carl: that’s the people you have PPL for!!
Having demolished the PPL argument by his brilliant ad absurdism which equates PPL with infinite indolence, breeding and benefit dependence, he proceeds to make the argument stronger with a ridiculous comparison between NZ and US PPL rates.
Now, America is pretty much the only country in the OECD not to have Paid parental leave, so yes, by comparison, what we have does look good. The fact that we are near the bottom of OECD rankings ourselves is not so great: perhaps this is why we dont have flocks of American mothers coming here to raise their infant children. Or, Carl, there might be other reasons, such as you dont get PPL unless you are a permanent resident, etc etc etc… Cant wait for more from this man!!
Yeah this is what the Right Wing have done in the US. Populated institutions with names such as “Centre for Global Warming Policy” full of people who are nothing but idealogical haters, wreckers and apologists for the wealthy elite.
Yes I read that this morning. Presumably Davidson is the only person in the Families Commission so like Peter Dunne in a caucus of one, he can say whatever he likes or in this case whatever Paula Bennett wants him to say. Is Davidson the only member of FC?
No, he’s got Christine Rankin by his side.
For those with access, and are interested, the Anders Breivik trial is on BBCNews right now. Reading out the list of victims.
Online report BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17724535
Pleading not guilty on the grounds of self-defence seems to be stretching the definition somewhat.
In defence of Jafas
My self flagellation for today was in reading a rather large post (1040 words) by deluded rightwing stalwart Karl du Fresne, who waffled on with some of the worst parochial rubbish I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading…
If National truly supported a quality public education system they wouldn’t treat what we have with such disdain! http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/proof-that-national-despises-our-public.html
Meanwhile, back in the UK…
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/03/30/born-again-george-galloway-stuns-labor-shakes-up-britain/
Angry, maybe..but thought provoking all the same.