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.)
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Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Opinion: Making sure developers, local and central government, and landowners are all on the same page makes sense The post A new kind of city deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...
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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 🙂