Milk prices in continuous decline.
Auckland house prices out of control.
And a government unwilling do anything about these crises.
Hope some of those million people who voted for this bunch of clowns realise the error of their ways.
John Key, “Unprincipled? Moi? Pfffft.”
Well, Armstrong appears to think so John Boy. Odd thing is that has taken Armstrong so long to realise what many of us have noticed for years.
“Bridges could do himself and National a power of good, however, by coming clean and apologising. It would end this unseemly episode and make it harder for Labour to exploit when Parliament resumes”
to make it harder for Labour to exploit!!! Dear Mr. Armstrong, if the National Party played by the rules Labour would find nothing to exploit.
Andrew Geddis gives David Farrar quite the spank on Pundit, the sarcasm is worth several weeks of frantic lobbying from the anorexic penguin for a funding cut to Otago university.
And how! Though I can’t help but wonder if she was asked to fill in for Ferguson (rather than one of the usual fillers) because the ratings are sliding?
I’ve been wondering why Ferguson is suddenly off the air. Hadn’t heard any announcement. I did catch Kim Hill doing the voice-over for the ad for Morning Report for this week, yesterday, which seemed a bit of an odd choice. Almost like this is going to be for more than just this week; surprised that Guyon didn’t do it.
But if the ratings are sliding, putting Kim Hill on temporarily is not really the fix – putting her on permanently is.
Certainly possible. But it’s a bit unusual that Kim Hill has taken over, as they usually have other people available to fill in.
The last time Kim was on, was when Geoff Robinson took 1 month leave. They had 2 weeks of Kim Hill (and made a small issue about it being her return to the programme after 15+ years or something) and 2 weeks of someone else – can’t recall who.
To put Kim Hill on now instead of one of the other regular fillers-in, with no particular acknowledgement, seems a little fishy. Remember Kim Hill does have a Saturday morning show that must take at least a few days to prepare for.
Where am I theorising any particular course of action has been, or will be, taken?
All I’ve done is simply state that it’s a bit odd the way she’s been put on, pointing to the only other exceptional case where Kim Hill was on MR and contrasting what is happening now with what happened then.
Edit: veuto has just given the likely reason for Ferguson’s absence, which is what my post at 4.2.1 was trying to elicit, to see if anyone else knew.
I recall hearing on RNZ National a week or so ago that Susie Ferguson was going to Gallipoli to report from there.
I am thoroughly enjoying Kim’s return, with the standard of interviewing having gone up massively this week. Follow-up questions are based on what is actually said by the person being interviewed, rather than appearing to be read from a predetermined list of questions; fewer interruptions; and longer more indepth interviews vs the usual rushed, time limited interviews which really annoy me.
They have made no mention of how long Kim will be on this time, whereas last time she subbed when Robinson took a month’s leave, RNZ kept saying that she was only on for two weeks, with Susie Ferguson (I think) doing the other two weeks.
I also have the impression this time that Kim is almost playing first fiddle, with Espiner playing second fiddle. Strange.
I would love to see Kim back on Morning Report permanently, but doubt that she would want the early starts permanently with her other interests.
She would be great on Checkpoint, though IMO.
I intend emailing RNZ in the next day or so, putting all of the above to them.
Indeed!! She’s just such a gem
But Nick Smith is just such a liar. ‘The Melbourne housing market is in just as bad a state as Aucklands’ he says. An outrageous lie that is.
The Nat’s will be spewing the reality show Our First Home exposed the truth about Aucklands over heated property market. It got worst when the deputy reserve bank chap comes out swinging the next day mooting its time for the Government to introduce a capital gain tax.
It looks like the election of a hard left leaning government in Greece is making things worse and it is getting very close to the point where it will default and then be forced from the Eurozone.
It may default and declare a kind of Country Bankruptcy. That’s how it is done in a capitalist system isn’t it? Borrow, try to make it work, live large in the meantime and if worse comes to worse fold up the company, fuck the creditors and reinvent. Mark Bryers is a pin up boy for this, but on a smaller scale of course.
ha ha, yep, black hole being balanced in the usual yin and yang fashion by the white infinite money-printing machine elsewhere. black hole vs white infinity.
The fallacies and myths of the financial system are on full display in Greece that is for sure. It is just not as people like gosman, who are completely lost in the system, see it.
Haven’t they already paid for that? Did we get Reparations from UK for slaughtering our men in WWI… Passchendaele, Somme, Gallipoli etc… oops I mean the germans and Turks.
I’ve been following this story for the last while, and Greece certainly does have a case – though the amount claimed varies depending upon the context:
Athens hit back at Berlin’s description of its demand for a staggering €278.7bn (£202bn) in compensation as “stupid”…
“The response may have been ‘this is foolish, you have plucked this number out of the blue’ but for me it was also very positive,” Costas Isychos, the deputy defence minister, told the Guardian. “There was an admission that despite disagreeing with the figure a debt is owed, and that is very good.”…
the figure could in fact be much bigger when interest payments were also taken into account…
Greek officials had 400,000 pages of records obtained from the US national archives chronicling atrocities committed by the Third Reich.
Crimes ranged from reprisal executions to the pillaging of the country’s cultural heritage and an interest-free forced loan, officially estimated by the general accountancy office at €10.3bn, which was extracted from the Bank of Greece to fund Hitler’s Africa campaign. The Greek defence ministry is in the process of translating the data and digitalising microfilms.
“The occupation forces were extremely methodical in their reports to superiors, listing massacres and the shooting of victims, including women and children, the destruction of homes, you name it,” he said. “Greece, for example, was the biggest exporter to Nazi Germany of precious metals such as chrome. Some 279,000 tonnes were exported but never paid for.”
Soon, experts would also be scouring historical archives obtained from Russia, he said. “I formally requested the archives two weeks ago when I visited Moscow and was told that they do indeed have them,” he said of records that ended up in the possession of Russian and American forces at the end of the war.
Russia’s lower house of parliament is setting up a working group to calculate how much money to demand from Germany for World War II reparations…
Degtyaryov, a member of the nationalist LDPR party, believes that Germany should pay 3 or 4 trillion euros to Russia for the “destruction and atrocities” that Germany committed during World War II, the newspaper reported.
“Germany paid compensation for 6 million victims of the Holocaust, but has ignored the 27 million Soviet people who were killed [during World War II], 16 million of whom were civilians,” Degtyaryov was cited as saying.
I certainly won’t be volunteering to assist the privitised meals on wheels program, once I have the free time again (if that ever happens). Seems I’m not the only one:
a volunteer driver resigned over the plan to truck meals on wheels from Auckland.
Age Concern executive officer Susan Davidson said ”a couple of handfuls” of other volunteers had voiced concerns about the Compass Group outsourcing proposal. Some were unhappy with the idea of volunteering to deliver meals for the multinational food giant…
Ms Davidson said she contacted the board last week with concerns the proposal could make it more difficult to attract volunteers.
She also wanted to know from the board whether volunteers would be required to perform extra tasks with a different meal provider.
”We know that volunteers are always time poor, and we are very concerned that the meals on wheels service doesn’t become burdensome.”
Some looked less favourably on spending their time volunteering for a profit-making entity, she said.
From this earlier article it seems likely that Compass’s business model involves externalising any problems regarding food-handling/ safety onto volunteers:
Grey Power Otago president Jo Millar said the board should have been more open from the start about the ”ridiculous” idea.
”What facilities are there going to be if they can’t truck this food down south in the mid-winter?… Meals would be heated before delivery, but Mrs Millar said many older people ate in the evening. Heating meals twice was potentially ”extremely unsafe”…
”Compass Group intends to work closely with volunteer organisations in Dunedin and Invercargill who deliver meals, to improve the information available and communication to recipients on safely handling their meals when they are received,” chief operating officer Julian Baldey said.
Best thing volunteers can do is vote with their feet. Give their time to a different organisation until this bizarre situation is altered.
Compass Group is going to lecture the volunteers on how to properly do what some have been doing for years? Volunteers should start send invoices for their time.
Sometimes you have to inflict a short term pain to achieve a greater goal. How long do you think this Compass crowd will leave food undelivered if volunteers “strike”?
The volunteers have not signed a commercial contract to ensure delivery of the meals. Compass Group has. Therefore it is the responsibility of Compass Group to deliver the meals. They would be advised in advance and have enough time to do something other than give their CEO a raise and donate to NAct.
The hospital lawyers and their executives should lose their jobs if all Compass has to do is drop the food at a depot in Dunedin. Bugger it, they should lose their jobs anyway for this outsourcing rubbish. Compass has a shiny website, but the contract is obviously not on it.
‘meals on wheels’ has been a godsend to many elderly and disabled!….seems crazy to mess with something which has enabled many frail people to stay in their own homes
+ 1 yes mum used meals on wheels and although she struggled with the meals sometimes, the service is needed and necessary – kia kaha to everyone who volunteers.
+100..I know someone well into her nineties who has them and she lives in her own home by herself …and my Mum in her eighties has just started getting them …and they are delicious and nutritional….i am very impressed with this service as it is!
Compass Group intends to work closely with volunteer organisations in Dunedin and Invercargill
but do they ask themselves whether the volunteer organisations want to work closely with Compass. Tosser he’s just me me me. Why should people do his work for free so his profit is larger?
New York Times article : Trans-Pacific Partnership
“Even if current negotiations over the trade agreement end with no deal, the draft chapter will still remain classified for four years as national security information. The initial version of an agreement projected by the government to affect millions of Americans will remain a secret until long after meaningful public debate is possible.
National security secrecy may be appropriate to protect us from our enemies; it should not be used to protect our politicians from us.
And the secrecy of trade negotiations does not just hide information from the public. It creates a funnel where powerful interests congregate, absent the checks, balances and necessary hurdles of the democratic process.
Free-trade agreements are not just about imports, tariffs or overseas jobs. Agreements bring complex national regulatory systems together, such as intellectual property law, with implications for free speech, privacy and public health.
Secrecy has real costs. Because the negotiating process combines a general shield from the public with privileged access for industry advisers, the substance of American free trade agreements does not represent truly national interests. It represents the interests of those members of industry who sit on the office’s Industry Trade Advisory Committees, which have regular access to negotiating information.”
Thanks for the link. And all this BS about needing to keep it confidential cos of preserving bargaining positions when they are all spying on each other and data trawling, meaning everyone knows EXACTLY where others bottom lines are.
And the point that no one seems to be addressing is that we don’t need free-trade agreements anyway. We just need to state the conditions that we would be willing to trade under and make it up to the other countries if they then choose to meet those conditions or not. This could bring about a race to the top rather than the race to the bottom that the present FTAs are producing.
““On one measure, the average hourly wage (including overtime), the wage gap was between 5% and 10% during the 1990s, rose to 21% in 2005, then fell to 10% in 2008. By the end of 2010 it was back to 21% and that is where it still was at the end of 2014.
That doesn’t take into account “benefits” in addition to wages such as the 9.5% contribution that Australian employers are required to make to their employees’ superannuation. On a measure including that, the pattern is similar to the average hourly wage but the gap is much bigger. It rose more or less steadily through the 1990s to a 45% peak in 2005. It fell to 34% in the year ending March 2009 and then began to rise again. By the year to March 2014 the gap was 42%.” ”
Internation news gathering site on Universal Basic Income
UBIEurope
Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) is an amount of money, paid on a regular basis to each individual unconditionally and universally, high enough to ensure a material existence and participation in society. UBI is a step towards an emancipatory welfare system.
Infused, you flatter Paul Henry to think that people actually listen to him! People may react to news about what he says, but only from a critical perspective.
First it was a good interview and if Paul Henry maintains that standard he will be a successful TV host. Having said that he’s wrong to say they are campaigning on the basis they are women. For goodness sake their credentials as far as ability, intelligence and leadership qualities (built up over many years of hard work) are beyond question. They don’t have those abilities because they are women. They have them because they have proven themselves to be two of the most capable people in the world.
What they are saying is exactly what Jackie Blue said they are saying:
Look at us. Look how far we have come. Women can do it too. Be strong and never give up.
Kim wasn’t going to let him get away with not answering the question of what the govt was going to do about the “demand side”. Smith tries to blame it on the ‘good news’ that people aren’t abandoning ship for Aussie now (like this hasn’t been inflating for a long time). I think the penny has dropped – difficult for it to drop any harder when the RB says something has to be done to avoid whatever the fashionable euphemism is for “disaster”.
Andrew Little is trying to stare the gnats down and make them be the ones to have to make that unpopular (with their constituents) decision to apply a CGT and stricter LTV ratios for multiple property investors. Good work.
Kim was asking the questions, not answering – that was Nick Smith’s duty as Minister for Housing. He did not want to address any solutions to the demand side, he fobbed that off onto English as Finance Minister. Smith did not see why as Minister of Housing, he should address what the Reserve Bank had to say about doing something like a CGT and LTV ratios to rein in the Auckland housing market. As if it was nothing to do with him. Really??
They built vast numbers of new houses in Ireland and Spain to feed the market just before it all went tits up too.
I didn’t think that Dr Smith could be worse at Housing than he was at ACC but he is. How could he be so unprepared that he got the hosts name wrong, not once but twice!
Lovely to hear real interviewing of politicians by a person who can think on their feet and keep to the topic not be diverted by the spin.
I am a HUGE Kim Hill fan and wish she could do more of this. Maybe she needs to be cloned
Granddaddy Herald actually ran a story with a commentator from Environmental Defense Agency. It didn’t even appear censored. Since most of my comments never make it through moderation of Granddaddy here is my comment…
If we want to preserve clean green environmental NZ the public has to fight for it and for protection for the environment under the RMA. They also need to work together at a local level and with local and central government help to preserve it.
The RMA should be strengthened not weakened, it is already so weak as practically powerless mostly due to having council’s resource consent officers as the first line of defence.
Look at ports of Auckland. The council is doing nothing effective and allowing them to legally to steal the publicly owned harbour and zero public input and environmental effects are needed to do it.
Yesterday Campbell Live ran a story about NZ water being bottled and exported to China while a local farmer’s crops died due to drought.
This country has gone mad! Nothing makes any sense anymore!
We have lost our identity as a country in this soup of neoliberalism and corporate welfare and quest with zero questions asked trade agreements that are depriving decent Kiwis of a future.
Someone needs to read parliament a bedtime story, of the golden goose.
NZ environment is being destroyed. Soon no more golden eggs left in the fire sale.
God knows what will happen with TPPA. Now is the time to lobby.
Labour has allowed the Conservatives to frame its politics. Frames are the mental structures through which we perceive the world. The dominant Tory frame, constructed and polished across seven years by its skilled cabinet makers, is that the all-important issue is the deficit. The financial crisis, it claims, was caused not by the banks but by irresponsible government spending, for which the only cure is austerity.
Labour has pretty much done the same thing here. It’s why they keep on about the 9 successive surpluses.
Sure, we need to be aware of government spending but the government doesn’t really need to run a surplus – especially if they’re the sole creator of NZ$.
Labour (NZ) refers to their prudent management for precisely the reasons you quote. The NACT spin in NZ is that they are best at running the economy, which WE know isn’t true unless it is for the sector that fills their party coffer’s, their big business mates.
Its particularly interesting in that it confirms something I’ve suspected for a long time: Those big pay increases top management constantly give themselves if spread among lower paid staff can make significant difference to the lower salaries.
There is one thing I’m a bit sus about which is why he was on 1mil+ to start with.
It could be he just one day suddenly truly realised he had a ridiculous salary vs his staff & decided to do something about it.
But there could be some dodgy tax rort type reason for it too.
‘Yes, Prime Minister, there is a need for publicly funded news, current affairs and investigative journalism in order to inform the public and to hold the government to account. Look at the UK and US where there are 24 hour government funded news/current affairs channels. It is not good enough in a democracy to simply provide dumb down channels/programmes only for entertainment or for the lowest common demographics, based on maximum advertising revenue. It is astonishing that as a Prime Minister he would even ask such dumb questions. He needs to get some enlightenment and values into his thinking.”
NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto has returned its first color image of the dwarf planet and its largest moon, Charon.
The new photo, taken on April 9 from a distance of about 71 million miles (115 million kilometers), is already revealing insights about Pluto and Charon, as well as suggestions of the science to come when New Horizons flies by the Pluto system on July 14, NASA officials said.
Good bye to Dorthy Jellicic who died Tueday . A great worker for the underprinviledged she will be missed by all who knew her,
I am just glad that my wife and I had dinner a couple of months ago with Dorothy and husband Paul it was a last farewell for us.
Dorothy was a dedicated democratic Socialist and her death is lose to the who;le Labour movement . Good Bye Dorothy it was a pleasure to have had you as a friend .
A hunter from the US who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated.
See what a nitwit Nick Smith is! And he is the ‘Minister’ for housing! He has no clue, or pretends not to have any clue, on what REALLY needs to be done to solve the massive housing problem, especially in Auckland! The incompetent talking head is a fool and needs the sack.
Robert C. Bates—a 73-year-old reserve deputy who allegedly got the job thanks to his financial contributions—was ultimately charged with manslaughter for mistakenly shooting Eric Harris. But according to the Tulsa World, authorities first tried—apparently in vain—to cover up his lack of training.
There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Bates — formally or informally — paid for his position with the sheriff’s department.
This wouldn’t be unheard of. Salon reported in October 2014 that some departments openly ask for donations in exchange for reserve posts, with Okley, Michigan, for example, asking volunteers for $1,200. (“One qualifies for this prestigious program simply by paying $1,200 to the police department. In return, you’ll get a uniform, bulletproof vest and gun. For an additional donation, you’ll get a police badge and the right to carry your gun basically anywhere in the state, including stadiums, bars and daycares,” Joanna Rothkopf wrote.)
With the execution of global reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump has issued his ‘declaration of economic independence for America’. The immediate direct effect on the Australian economy will likely be small, with more risk ...
The StrategistBy Jacqueline Gibson, Nerida King and Ned Talbot
AUKUS governments began 25 years ago trying to draw in a greater range of possible defence suppliers beyond the traditional big contractors. It is an important objective, and some progress has been made, but governments ...
I approach fresh Trump news reluctantly. It never holds the remotest promise of pleasure. I had the very, very least of expectations for his Rumble in the Jungle, his Thriller in Manila, his Liberation Day.God May 1945 is becoming the bitterest of jokes isn’t it?Whatever. Liberation Day he declared it ...
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...
RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport.We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...
Completed reads for March: The Heart of the Antarctic [1907-1909], by Ernest Shackleton South [1914-1917], by Ernest Shackleton Aurora Australis (collection), edited by Ernest Shackleton The Book of Urizen (poem), by William Blake The Book of Ahania (poem), by William Blake The Book of Los (poem), by William Blake ...
First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...
Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it wants to use them to deliver infrastructure. However, experience with PPPs, both here and overseas, indicates we should be wary. ...
Willis announces more plans of plans for supermarketsYesterday’s much touted supermarket competition announcement by Nicola Willis amounted to her telling us she was issuing a 6 week RFI1 that will solicit advice from supermarket players.In short, it was an announcement of a plan - but better than her Kiwirail Interislander ...
This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding ...
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s plan to build a plant in the United States looks like a move made at the behest of local officials to solidify US support for Taiwan. However, it may eventually lessen ...
This is a Guest Post by Transport Planner Bevan Woodward from the charitable trust Movement, which has lodged an application for a judicial review of the Governments Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 Auckland is at grave risk of having its safer speed limits on approx. 1,500 local streets ...
We're just talkin' 'bout the futureForget about the pastIt'll always be with usIt's never gonna die, never gonna dieSongwriters: Brian Johnson / Angus Young / Malcolm YoungMorena, all you lovely people, it’s good to be back, and I have news from the heartland. Now brace yourself for this: depending on ...
Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no ...
Treasury and Cabinet have finally agreed to a Crown guarantee for a non-Government lending agency for Community Housing Providers (CHPs), which could unlock billions worth of loans and investments by pension funds and banks to build thousands of more affordable social homes. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:Chris Bishop ...
Australia has plenty of room to spend more on defence. History shows that 2.9 percent of GDP is no great burden in ordinary times, so pushing spending to 3.0 percent in dangerous times is very ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Winston Peters will announce later today whether two new ferries are rail ‘compatible’, requiring time-consuming container shuffling, or the more efficient and expensive rail ‘enabled,’ where wagons can roll straight on and off.Nicola Willisthreatened yesterday to break up the supermarket duopoly with ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 23, 2025 thru Sat, March 29, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
For prospective writers out there, Inspired Quill, the publisher of my novel(s) is putting together a short story anthology (pieces up to 10,000 words). The open submission window is 29th March to 29th April. https://www.inspired-quill.com/anthology-submissions/ The theme?This anthology will bring together diverse voices exploring themes of hope, resistance, and human ...
Prime minister Kevin Rudd released the 2009 defence white paper in May of that year. It is today remembered mostly for what it said about the strategic implications of China’s rise; its plan to double ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...
The recent attacks in the Congo by Rwandan backed militias has led to worldwide condemnation of the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame. Following up on the recent Fabian Zoom with Mikela Wrong and Maria Amoudian, Dr Rudaswinga will give a complete picture of Kagame’s regime and discuss the potential ...
New Zealand’s economic development has always been a partnership between the public and private sectors.Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) have become fashionable again, partly because of the government’s ambitions to accelerate infrastructural development. There is, of course, an ideological element too, while some of the opposition to them is also ideological.PPPs come in ...
How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b.Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both agree Australia should react to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff regime by continuing to seek a special deal. They just disagree about which of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer met with Adolescence writer Jack Thorne to discuss adolescent safety at Downing Street on Monday. Jack Taylor/ GettyImages Netflix’s Adolescence has ignited global debate. ...
By Anneke Smith,RNZ News political reporter A stoush between the Chief Human Rights Commissioner and a Jewish community leader has flared up following a showdown at Parliament. Appearing before a parliamentary select committee today, Dr Stephen Rainbow was asked about his recent apology for incorrect comments he made about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rakesh Gupta, Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance, Charles Darwin University US President Donald Trump’s new trade war will not only send shockwaves through the global economy – it also upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change. Trump has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Toohey, Professor of Law, UNSW Sydney It had the hallmarks of a reality TV cliffhanger. Until recently, many people had never even heard of tariffs. Now, there’s been rolling live international coverage of so-called “Liberation Day”, as US President Donald Trump ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney mavo/Shutterstock In the ever-changing wellness industry, one diet obsession has captured and held TikTok’s attention: protein. Whether it’s sharing snaps of protein-packed meals or giving tutorials to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Maslow, Associate Professor, International Relations, University of Tokyo Two months into US President Donald Trump’s second term, the liberal international order is on life support. Alliances and multilateral institutions are now seen by the United States as burdens. Europe and ...
Starving public services of resources, gutting the workforce and then proposing private market solutions has been a key strategy of this government, says Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
The government’s own Regulatory Impact Statement acknowledges that organic producers will bear the financial burden of adapting to the risks posed by GMO expansion. ...
The committee has "rammed it through with outrageous haste", with a report now expected tomorrow, but excluding thousands of submissions, Duncan Webb says. ...
The US president’s sweeping programme of global tariffs will hit every country abroad, including New Zealand, and dramatically raise prices at home. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here.In a dramatic, flag-draped address from the White ...
Alex Casey talks to Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi, the couple who launched a project to change 51 lives in honour of those lost in the Christchurch mosque attacks. When Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi walked into Naeem’s house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, they knew immediately that he needed their help. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Shutterstock Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents. The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and ...
The three MPs whose rule-breaking haka caught the world’s attention didn’t attend their scheduled hearing yesterday. Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis has the rundown of what happened, why, and what’s likely to come next. I see Te Pāti Māori and the privileges committee are in some sort of stand-off – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Turner, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland.Nido Huebl/Shutterstock Earth is the only known planet which has plate tectonics today. The constant movement of these giant slabs of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Meta has stolen millions of books to train its AI, including books by kaituhi Māori. What does that mean for mātauranga and its status as taonga? New Zealand authors are among the millions whose books have been pirated and scraped by Meta to train its AI. The New Zealand Society of ...
Some hoped the open of the New Zealand markets would open with a bounce as certain tariffs fell short of the worst-case scenario, but investors were met with a deflated thud.The New Zealand market fell immediately as stock market darling Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s shares were punished, with no update ...
Healthcare dominated the debate in an unusually sober and serious question time. “Hey David!” a group of high school students in the public gallery called out as Act leader David Seymour entered the debating chamber. Standing in the middle of the floor, before any other MPs had arrived, he happily ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History, University of Portsmouth How the Shuqiao barges may be used to ferry troops ashore. X (formerly Twitter) China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online ...
I don’t want my neuroses about someone being ‘good enough’ to keep me from finding love. But choosing to be with someone who isn’t quite right seems like a death sentence.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,I’m a straight single woman in my late 20s ...
Milk prices in continuous decline.
Auckland house prices out of control.
And a government unwilling do anything about these crises.
Hope some of those million people who voted for this bunch of clowns realise the error of their ways.
John Key, “Unprincipled? Moi? Pfffft.”
Well, Armstrong appears to think so John Boy. Odd thing is that has taken Armstrong so long to realise what many of us have noticed for years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11433314
“PM’s defence of Bridges devalues principles”
Armstrong is more even-handed these days…no hope for Roughan though.
Armstrong’s treatment of Cunliffe in 2014 was disgraceful and destroyed his credibility as a journalist.
Armstrong must be near retirement
all of this blather for that
“Bridges could do himself and National a power of good, however, by coming clean and apologising. It would end this unseemly episode and make it harder for Labour to exploit when Parliament resumes”
to make it harder for Labour to exploit!!! Dear Mr. Armstrong, if the National Party played by the rules Labour would find nothing to exploit.
just another pinhead.
Andrew Geddis gives David Farrar quite the spank on Pundit, the sarcasm is worth several weeks of frantic lobbying from the anorexic penguin for a funding cut to Otago university.
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/three-signs-that-national-knows-simon-bridges-did-wrong
Kim Hill.
What a breath of fresh air listening to her intellect.
Or Mary, as Nick Smith likes to call her. Muppet.
Kim ran rings round the git.
And how! Though I can’t help but wonder if she was asked to fill in for Ferguson (rather than one of the usual fillers) because the ratings are sliding?
I’ve been wondering why Ferguson is suddenly off the air. Hadn’t heard any announcement. I did catch Kim Hill doing the voice-over for the ad for Morning Report for this week, yesterday, which seemed a bit of an odd choice. Almost like this is going to be for more than just this week; surprised that Guyon didn’t do it.
But if the ratings are sliding, putting Kim Hill on temporarily is not really the fix – putting her on permanently is.
annual leave?
Certainly possible. But it’s a bit unusual that Kim Hill has taken over, as they usually have other people available to fill in.
The last time Kim was on, was when Geoff Robinson took 1 month leave. They had 2 weeks of Kim Hill (and made a small issue about it being her return to the programme after 15+ years or something) and 2 weeks of someone else – can’t recall who.
To put Kim Hill on now instead of one of the other regular fillers-in, with no particular acknowledgement, seems a little fishy. Remember Kim Hill does have a Saturday morning show that must take at least a few days to prepare for.
Not like you to delve into conspiracy theories
Learn to follow your nose, not ignore it.
Learn to follow your nose, not ignore it.
Where am I theorising any particular course of action has been, or will be, taken?
All I’ve done is simply state that it’s a bit odd the way she’s been put on, pointing to the only other exceptional case where Kim Hill was on MR and contrasting what is happening now with what happened then.
Edit: veuto has just given the likely reason for Ferguson’s absence, which is what my post at 4.2.1 was trying to elicit, to see if anyone else knew.
I recall hearing on RNZ National a week or so ago that Susie Ferguson was going to Gallipoli to report from there.
I am thoroughly enjoying Kim’s return, with the standard of interviewing having gone up massively this week. Follow-up questions are based on what is actually said by the person being interviewed, rather than appearing to be read from a predetermined list of questions; fewer interruptions; and longer more indepth interviews vs the usual rushed, time limited interviews which really annoy me.
They have made no mention of how long Kim will be on this time, whereas last time she subbed when Robinson took a month’s leave, RNZ kept saying that she was only on for two weeks, with Susie Ferguson (I think) doing the other two weeks.
I also have the impression this time that Kim is almost playing first fiddle, with Espiner playing second fiddle. Strange.
I would love to see Kim back on Morning Report permanently, but doubt that she would want the early starts permanently with her other interests.
She would be great on Checkpoint, though IMO.
I intend emailing RNZ in the next day or so, putting all of the above to them.
If you do, please can you post a copy of the actual letter here?
Many others may want to send a similar message!
Will do, Paul. May have to wait until Sun or Mon. Again impressed this morning; and Kim certainly seemed to be the lead, with Espiner in second place.
Ah, that explains it, thanks.
Indeed!! She’s just such a gem
But Nick Smith is just such a liar. ‘The Melbourne housing market is in just as bad a state as Aucklands’ he says. An outrageous lie that is.
The Nat’s will be spewing the reality show Our First Home exposed the truth about Aucklands over heated property market. It got worst when the deputy reserve bank chap comes out swinging the next day mooting its time for the Government to introduce a capital gain tax.
Ouch!
It looks like the election of a hard left leaning government in Greece is making things worse and it is getting very close to the point where it will default and then be forced from the Eurozone.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11537495/Black-hole-in-Greek-finances-grows-as-Athens-is-pushed-to-the-brink-of-euro-exit.html
Well the Torygraph is a reliable unbiased source isn’t it?
It may default and declare a kind of Country Bankruptcy. That’s how it is done in a capitalist system isn’t it? Borrow, try to make it work, live large in the meantime and if worse comes to worse fold up the company, fuck the creditors and reinvent. Mark Bryers is a pin up boy for this, but on a smaller scale of course.
ha ha, yep, black hole being balanced in the usual yin and yang fashion by the white infinite money-printing machine elsewhere. black hole vs white infinity.
The fallacies and myths of the financial system are on full display in Greece that is for sure. It is just not as people like gosman, who are completely lost in the system, see it.
The Tories don’t like admitting that countries can default and that they should when they can’t repay the loans.
Of course, countries shouldn’t be taking out loans at all, ever but the Tories hate that truth even more.
And the Tories hate those realities because they view government as a perfectly safe place to get money for nothing.
Excellent plan- time tested- never fails.
Ask any rich person.
like the financial advisor suggesting students do it to free themselves from debt? or the companies that liquidate to avoid legal liability?
A smart move to force the Germans to cough up for World War 2 days. Hope they include interest on top
Haven’t they already paid for that? Did we get Reparations from UK for slaughtering our men in WWI… Passchendaele, Somme, Gallipoli etc… oops I mean the germans and Turks.
I’ve been following this story for the last while, and Greece certainly does have a case – though the amount claimed varies depending upon the context:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/08/greece-germany-war-reparations-demands
And speaking of Russia:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-lawmakers-want-germany-to-pay-reparations-for-world-war-ii/515373.html
I certainly won’t be volunteering to assist the privitised meals on wheels program, once I have the free time again (if that ever happens). Seems I’m not the only one:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/339236/volunteer-quits-over-food-plan
From this earlier article it seems likely that Compass’s business model involves externalising any problems regarding food-handling/ safety onto volunteers:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/336234/frozen-meals-south-slammed
Best thing volunteers can do is vote with their feet. Give their time to a different organisation until this bizarre situation is altered.
Compass Group is going to lecture the volunteers on how to properly do what some have been doing for years? Volunteers should start send invoices for their time.
“Best thing volunteers can do is vote with their feet.”
Except that will leave people without meals. Would be good to see some of the families getting involved.
“Volunteers should start send invoices for their time.”
This is a very good point. If this is about business model ideology, how come they’re not paying for deliver?
Sometimes you have to inflict a short term pain to achieve a greater goal. How long do you think this Compass crowd will leave food undelivered if volunteers “strike”?
How long do you think someone can go without meals?
Because then they wouldn’t make as much profit for the
bludgersshareholders.The volunteers have not signed a commercial contract to ensure delivery of the meals. Compass Group has. Therefore it is the responsibility of Compass Group to deliver the meals. They would be advised in advance and have enough time to do something other than give their CEO a raise and donate to NAct.
If so that would be awesome. Are you sure the Compass’s contract includes delivery though? or just provision of meals?
The hospital lawyers and their executives should lose their jobs if all Compass has to do is drop the food at a depot in Dunedin. Bugger it, they should lose their jobs anyway for this outsourcing rubbish. Compass has a shiny website, but the contract is obviously not on it.
http://compass-group.co.nz/our-brands/medirest/
‘meals on wheels’ has been a godsend to many elderly and disabled!….seems crazy to mess with something which has enabled many frail people to stay in their own homes
+ 1 yes mum used meals on wheels and although she struggled with the meals sometimes, the service is needed and necessary – kia kaha to everyone who volunteers.
+100..I know someone well into her nineties who has them and she lives in her own home by herself …and my Mum in her eighties has just started getting them …and they are delicious and nutritional….i am very impressed with this service as it is!
Compass Group intends to work closely with volunteer organisations in Dunedin and Invercargill
but do they ask themselves whether the volunteer organisations want to work closely with Compass. Tosser he’s just me me me. Why should people do his work for free so his profit is larger?
agreed!…volunteer work is done for love and care of fellow human beings ( something John Key’s Nact govt and friends do not understand)
….in a way it is an obscenity this outfit Compass is taking over for profit
….i expect the standards and the whole ‘meals on wheels’ service will decline, if not crash
….the sooner this govt is out the better
New York Times article : Trans-Pacific Partnership
“Even if current negotiations over the trade agreement end with no deal, the draft chapter will still remain classified for four years as national security information. The initial version of an agreement projected by the government to affect millions of Americans will remain a secret until long after meaningful public debate is possible.
National security secrecy may be appropriate to protect us from our enemies; it should not be used to protect our politicians from us.
And the secrecy of trade negotiations does not just hide information from the public. It creates a funnel where powerful interests congregate, absent the checks, balances and necessary hurdles of the democratic process.
Free-trade agreements are not just about imports, tariffs or overseas jobs. Agreements bring complex national regulatory systems together, such as intellectual property law, with implications for free speech, privacy and public health.
Secrecy has real costs. Because the negotiating process combines a general shield from the public with privileged access for industry advisers, the substance of American free trade agreements does not represent truly national interests. It represents the interests of those members of industry who sit on the office’s Industry Trade Advisory Committees, which have regular access to negotiating information.”
Read more here:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/opinion/dont-keep-trade-talks-secret.html?_r=1
Thanks for the link. And all this BS about needing to keep it confidential cos of preserving bargaining positions when they are all spying on each other and data trawling, meaning everyone knows EXACTLY where others bottom lines are.
And the point that no one seems to be addressing is that we don’t need free-trade agreements anyway. We just need to state the conditions that we would be willing to trade under and make it up to the other countries if they then choose to meet those conditions or not. This could bring about a race to the top rather than the race to the bottom that the present FTAs are producing.
From Bill Rosenberg at CTU
““On one measure, the average hourly wage (including overtime), the wage gap was between 5% and 10% during the 1990s, rose to 21% in 2005, then fell to 10% in 2008. By the end of 2010 it was back to 21% and that is where it still was at the end of 2014.
That doesn’t take into account “benefits” in addition to wages such as the 9.5% contribution that Australian employers are required to make to their employees’ superannuation. On a measure including that, the pattern is similar to the average hourly wage but the gap is much bigger. It rose more or less steadily through the 1990s to a 45% peak in 2005. It fell to 34% in the year ending March 2009 and then began to rise again. By the year to March 2014 the gap was 42%.” ”
http://union.org.nz/economicbulletin166
full report here
http://union.org.nz/sites/union.org.nz/files/CTU-Monthly-Economic-Bulletin-166-March-2015-2.pdf
Seems odd, aye, when you consider how marvellous Key and English say our economy is compared to Oz, that it’s not reflected in some wages?
It is a ‘Rock Star’ economy : Rocks for the poor and wealth for the stars.
Awesome
Michael Tavares (Kauri climbing chap) is in Court today.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1504/S00358/michael-tavares-in-court-today-for-titirangi-tree-action.htm
Internation news gathering site on Universal Basic Income
http://paper.basicincome-europe.org/
Love the term ’emancipatory welfare’.
Waiting for Stephs post on Paul Henry.
http://thestandard.org.nz/a-culture-of-intimidation/#comment-1000814
Infused, you flatter Paul Henry to think that people actually listen to him! People may react to news about what he says, but only from a critical perspective.
Why are you expecting Steph to post on Henry?
Has he done something awful? (Lately, I mean
)
Well, I couldn’t put it any better than Jackie Blue, to be honest.
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/qotd-jackie-blue-on-feminism/
You do realise Jackie Blue went on the Paul Henry show this morning, agreed with what he had to say, then labelled him a feminist…be careful who you agree with!
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenry/interviews/dr-jackie-blue-paul-henry-wrong-on-feminism#axzz3XRhBnj5E
Tell me you think Paul Henry is wrong in what he is saying.
First it was a good interview and if Paul Henry maintains that standard he will be a successful TV host. Having said that he’s wrong to say they are campaigning on the basis they are women. For goodness sake their credentials as far as ability, intelligence and leadership qualities (built up over many years of hard work) are beyond question. They don’t have those abilities because they are women. They have them because they have proven themselves to be two of the most capable people in the world.
What they are saying is exactly what Jackie Blue said they are saying:
Look at us. Look how far we have come. Women can do it too. Be strong and never give up.
I think the post made it very clear I was agreeing with a specific statement made by Jackie Blue.
And saying things like “Tell me you think Paul Henry is wrong” is strangely one of the least effective ways of getting me to do anything.
Here is the link for Kim Hill v. Nick Smith this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20174921/building-and-housing-minister-on-reserve-bank's-housing-warning
He called her Mary twice.
Suggests she rattled him.
Good.
Nice to see these arrogant ministers actually asked some hard questions for a change.
That is what a good interview is.
More please.
Kim wasn’t going to let him get away with not answering the question of what the govt was going to do about the “demand side”. Smith tries to blame it on the ‘good news’ that people aren’t abandoning ship for Aussie now (like this hasn’t been inflating for a long time). I think the penny has dropped – difficult for it to drop any harder when the RB says something has to be done to avoid whatever the fashionable euphemism is for “disaster”.
Andrew Little is trying to stare the gnats down and make them be the ones to have to make that unpopular (with their constituents) decision to apply a CGT and stricter LTV ratios for multiple property investors. Good work.
She didn’t make any particular reference to the other forms of demand though.
Like overseas investors, multi-house owners etc.
Nor alternatives on supply end like Govt building houses & selling them at low cost.
Also: is Kim only temping for Mary or is this a permanent change due to the flagging listnership?
Kim was asking the questions, not answering – that was Nick Smith’s duty as Minister for Housing. He did not want to address any solutions to the demand side, he fobbed that off onto English as Finance Minister. Smith did not see why as Minister of Housing, he should address what the Reserve Bank had to say about doing something like a CGT and LTV ratios to rein in the Auckland housing market. As if it was nothing to do with him. Really??
They built vast numbers of new houses in Ireland and Spain to feed the market just before it all went tits up too.
It’s called journalism.
In threat of extinction in John Key’s New Zealand.
it is great to have Kim Hill back on Morning Report!
I didn’t think that Dr Smith could be worse at Housing than he was at ACC but he is. How could he be so unprepared that he got the hosts name wrong, not once but twice!
Lovely to hear real interviewing of politicians by a person who can think on their feet and keep to the topic not be diverted by the spin.
I am a HUGE Kim Hill fan and wish she could do more of this. Maybe she needs to be cloned
+++STOP PRESS+++
Granddaddy Herald actually ran a story with a commentator from Environmental Defense Agency. It didn’t even appear censored. Since most of my comments never make it through moderation of Granddaddy here is my comment…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11433214
If we want to preserve clean green environmental NZ the public has to fight for it and for protection for the environment under the RMA. They also need to work together at a local level and with local and central government help to preserve it.
The RMA should be strengthened not weakened, it is already so weak as practically powerless mostly due to having council’s resource consent officers as the first line of defence.
Look at ports of Auckland. The council is doing nothing effective and allowing them to legally to steal the publicly owned harbour and zero public input and environmental effects are needed to do it.
Yesterday Campbell Live ran a story about NZ water being bottled and exported to China while a local farmer’s crops died due to drought.
This country has gone mad! Nothing makes any sense anymore!
We have lost our identity as a country in this soup of neoliberalism and corporate welfare and quest with zero questions asked trade agreements that are depriving decent Kiwis of a future.
Someone needs to read parliament a bedtime story, of the golden goose.
NZ environment is being destroyed. Soon no more golden eggs left in the fire sale.
God knows what will happen with TPPA. Now is the time to lobby.
http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz
+100 SaveNZ….”God knows what will happen with TPPA. Now is the time to lobby”
…where is the Labour Party on TPPA?….TIME TO COME CLEAN LABOUR PARTY!.
Both the Greens and NZF oppose the TPPA ….where does Labour stand?
Here is Winnie on the TPPA…..to the left of the Labour Party again !
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67533458/winston-peters-responds-to-tppa-protestors
Why should anyone bother to vote Labour if they do not oppose the TPPA?
I’m sure someone else has probably posted this anti-Hosking rant but here it is:
http://gregorycoopersblog.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/a-rant-about-mike-hosking.html?m=1
ust when hope and courage are called for, Labour promises bean-counting
Labour has pretty much done the same thing here. It’s why they keep on about the 9 successive surpluses.
Sure, we need to be aware of government spending but the government doesn’t really need to run a surplus – especially if they’re the sole creator of NZ$.
Labour (NZ) refers to their prudent management for precisely the reasons you quote. The NACT spin in NZ is that they are best at running the economy, which WE know isn’t true unless it is for the sector that fills their party coffer’s, their big business mates.
https://twitter.com/LukeTipoki/status/588570144940535809/photo/1
Inspiring Management story
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/67789626/gravity-payments-founder-dan-price-cuts-his-salary-from-us1m-to-us70k-doubles-staff-wages
The world needs more people like that.
And that proves, beyond doubt, that the reason why we have poverty is because a few people have far too much income.
The one thing we cannot afford is the rich.
Indeed.
Its particularly interesting in that it confirms something I’ve suspected for a long time: Those big pay increases top management constantly give themselves if spread among lower paid staff can make significant difference to the lower salaries.
There is one thing I’m a bit sus about which is why he was on 1mil+ to start with.
It could be he just one day suddenly truly realised he had a ridiculous salary vs his staff & decided to do something about it.
But there could be some dodgy tax rort type reason for it too.
Johh Key has said he admired Robert Muldoon a lot.
One can discern Key’s attitude to news, press, current affairs and investigative journalism, if you see what Muldoon’s attitude to those were.
Watch the excellent part 4 of the link below to make the connection:
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/50-years-of-new-zealand-television-episode-one-2010#
John Key has just asked this question:
“Key: Would people watch publicly funded broadcast TV?”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/67802231/key-would-people-watch-publicly-funded-broadcast-tv
My response is this:
‘Yes, Prime Minister, there is a need for publicly funded news, current affairs and investigative journalism in order to inform the public and to hold the government to account. Look at the UK and US where there are 24 hour government funded news/current affairs channels. It is not good enough in a democracy to simply provide dumb down channels/programmes only for entertainment or for the lowest common demographics, based on maximum advertising revenue. It is astonishing that as a Prime Minister he would even ask such dumb questions. He needs to get some enlightenment and values into his thinking.”
Even if they didn’t watch, they at least have the choice.
1st Color Image of Pluto
Good bye to Dorthy Jellicic who died Tueday . A great worker for the underprinviledged she will be missed by all who knew her,
I am just glad that my wife and I had dinner a couple of months ago with Dorothy and husband Paul it was a last farewell for us.
Dorothy was a dedicated democratic Socialist and her death is lose to the who;le Labour movement . Good Bye Dorothy it was a pleasure to have had you as a friend .
Woman live tweets her sons abstinence only sex ed.
https://storify.com/metkat_meanie/livetweeting-abstinance-sex-ed
Classic. Great read.
what can we do about a person like this
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11433332
disgusting human
A cult of death.
Ricky GervaisVerified account
@rickygervais
What must’ve happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling?
https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/587544759704625152/photo/1
A bow hunter – a most impressive traditional hunting skill. To bad it seems to be simply for her own self aggrandizement and commercial promotion.
Traditional huh.
/
http://rebeccafrancis.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Z7-Extreme-1024×768.jpg
See what a nitwit Nick Smith is! And he is the ‘Minister’ for housing! He has no clue, or pretends not to have any clue, on what REALLY needs to be done to solve the massive housing problem, especially in Auckland! The incompetent talking head is a fool and needs the sack.
Go to these two links to see what I mean:
[1] The talking head at a public meeting:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/67799605/what-auckland-properties-can-you-buy-for-550000
[2] With Kim Hill this morning on RNZ:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20174921/building-and-housing-minister-on-reserve-bank's-housing-warning
From what I’ve read recently it’s taken precisely 20 days to make the $20 thousand first start pointless .
That Nick Smith interview is amazing.
Urban safaris.
Robert C. Bates—a 73-year-old reserve deputy who allegedly got the job thanks to his financial contributions—was ultimately charged with manslaughter for mistakenly shooting Eric Harris. But according to the Tulsa World, authorities first tried—apparently in vain—to cover up his lack of training.
http://gawker.com/tulsa-authorities-reportedly-falsified-reserve-deputys-1698133492?
yep I bet more than this dude go on these – we just never hear about it.
Was thinking the same marty – and sure enough.
There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Bates — formally or informally — paid for his position with the sheriff’s department.
This wouldn’t be unheard of. Salon reported in October 2014 that some departments openly ask for donations in exchange for reserve posts, with Okley, Michigan, for example, asking volunteers for $1,200. (“One qualifies for this prestigious program simply by paying $1,200 to the police department. In return, you’ll get a uniform, bulletproof vest and gun. For an additional donation, you’ll get a police badge and the right to carry your gun basically anywhere in the state, including stadiums, bars and daycares,” Joanna Rothkopf wrote.)
http://www.vox.com/2015/4/14/8413879/eric-harris-robert-bates-reserve
http://kfor.com/2015/04/13/oklahoma-group-calls-for-end-to-buy-a-badge-programs-after-reserve-deputy-involved-shooting/
Ok, I have just modified the method for setting the comment details to client side rather than server side.
This should fix the problem with the occasional cached pages showing up in other peoples browsers.
Haven’t checked on Internet Explorer
Seems to work everywhere.
what, including IE? #miracle
I wouldn’t try it on IE6 or IE7
I wouldn’t try anything