Open mike 16/06/2016
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6:00 am, June 16th, 2016 - 106 comments
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- Saving lives
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...3 hours ago - Life in Lock Down: Day 5
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- Hard News: MUSIC: Lockdown GroovesKia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...1 day ago
- A place of greater safety?
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- Tax relief for Mycoplasma Bovis farmersFarmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...4 days ago
- $27 million for NGOs and community groups to continue providing essential servicesA $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...5 days ago
- Statement on guilty plea of March 15 terrorist“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...5 days ago
- COVID-19 updatesThe Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...5 days ago
- Police numbers break through 10,000 markFrontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...5 days ago
- Urgent tax measures for economic recoveryUrgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...6 days ago
- Further support for farmers and growers as drought persistsFrom tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...6 days ago
- COVID-19: Temporary changes to Education ActParliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...6 days ago
- Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar join NZ and Singapore in committing to keeping supply a...Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...6 days ago
- COVID-19: Rent increase freeze and more protection for tenantsImmediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...6 days ago
- Working together to protect businesses and workersAs New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...6 days ago
- State of National Emergency declared to fight COVID-19A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister’s statement on State of National Emergency and Epidemic NoticeMr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...6 days ago
- Deadline for domestic travel extendedPeople needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...7 days ago
- Mortgage holiday and business finance support schemes to cushion COVID impactsThe Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...1 week ago
- Government working to keep air freight movingMinister of Transport Phil Twyford has today announced details of the Government’s support package to keep key air freight moving and ensure New Zealanders retain access to essential goods during the four-week level 4 lockdown. “The Government is working with airlines and air freight operators to ensure New Zealand’s key ...1 week ago
- New Zealand moves to COVID-19 Alert Level 3, then Level 4 in 48 hoursNew Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 – Restrict New Zealand to move up to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 – Eliminate, in 48 hours Two-staged approach to give people and businesses time to prepare Level 3, from tomorrow Non-essential businesses must close All events and gatherings must be ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister: COVID-19 Alert Level increasedGood afternoon The Cabinet met this morning to discuss our next actions in the fight against COVID-19. Like the rest of the world, we are facing the potential for devastating impacts from this virus. But, through decisive action, and through working together, do we have a small window to get ...1 week ago
- Govt takes significant economic decisions as NZ readies for Alert Level 4 in COVID-19 fightThe Government is announcing significant further support for the economy, workers and businesses as the country unites to prepare for Alert Level 4 in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet today agreed to remove the cap on the Government’s wage subsidy scheme, which will inject a further $4 billion into the ...1 week ago
- Govt backs RBNZ move to support economy with lower interest ratesThe Government is backing the Reserve Bank’s latest action to support the economy by reducing longer-term interest rates, meaning lower costs for businesses and mortgage holders, and a lower currency to help our exporters. The Minister of Finance has signed a memorandum of understanding and a letter of indemnity with ...1 week ago
- Government statement on commercial cooperation during COVID-19The Government has asked the Commerce Commission to take account of the exceptional circumstances created by COVID-19 when monitoring business behaviour in coming weeks. “The purpose of my request to the Commerce Commission is to make sure businesses can work together in ways that will allow them to provide ...1 week ago
- New Zealand temporarily closes diplomatic posts in Barbados and Myanmar due to COVID-19The New Zealand Government has temporarily closed its High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados and its Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Due to the increasing scarcity of air links in and out of Bridgetown and Yangon, and the pressure COVID-19 is placing ...1 week ago
- Supporting Māori communities and businesses throughAssociate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare has today announced the Government’s plan to support Māori communities and businesses in the face of COVID-19. “Our Government’s $12.1 billion economic package will help many Māori whānau, workers and businesses, whether it’s through wage subsidies, income support and worker redeployment, or ...1 week ago
- Guidelines for hospitality establishments releasedThe Government and the hospitality industry have worked together to produce guidelines to assist with managing and reducing transmission of COVID-19, Health Minister David Clark announced today. The guidelines developed between the Government, Hospitality New Zealand and SkyCity Entertainment Group, set out how the new restrictions on physical distancing and ...1 week ago
- Nation steps up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2Four stage Alert System for COVID-19 announced New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact New Zealanders over 70 and those with certain medical conditions told to stay at home as much as they can to reduce risk of contact with the virus Workplaces to implement ...1 week ago
- PM Address – Covid-19 UpdateKia ora koutou katoa I’m speaking directly to all New Zealanders today to give you as much certainty and clarity as we can as we fight Covid-19. Over the past few weeks, the world has changed. And it has changed very quickly. In February it would have seemed unimaginable to ...1 week ago
- NZ and Singapore commit to keeping supply and trade links open, including on essential goods and med...New Zealand and Singapore have jointly committed to keep supply chains open and to remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the commitment. “This is an important collective response, and ...1 week ago
- Joint Ministerial Statement by Singapore and New Zealand -Covid-19 situationJOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT BY SINGAPORE AND NEW ZEALAND AFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO ENSURING SUPPLY CHAIN CONNECTIVITY AMIDST THE COVID-19 SITUATION The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis. As part of our collective response to combat COVID-19, Singapore and New Zealand are committed to maintaining open and connected supply chains. We ...1 week ago
- Transit between Australia and New ZealandTravel restrictions, closing our border to almost all travelers came into force from 23:59 on Thursday 19 March 2020 (NZDT). All airlines were informed of these restrictions before they came into force. Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says “The transit of passengers between Australia and New Zealand has been agreed upon and ...2 weeks ago
- $100 million to redeploy workersThe Government has allocated $100 million to help redeploy workers affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, with the hard-hit region of Gisborne-Tairāwhiti to be the first helped, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford, Forestry and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. Phil Twyford ...2 weeks ago
- More support for wood processingThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is ramping up support for Tairāwhiti’s wood processing sector to bolster the region’s economy at a time of heightened uncertainty, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Following earlier announcements today of a regional support package for Tairāwhiti, Minister Jones has also announced a ...2 weeks ago
- Here’s hoping Big Pharma come up quickly with something to beat Covid-19
Stuff’s headline ran “Vaccine hopes push sharemarket higher”. An intriguing one, and sure enough Wall St had rallied on news the drug giant Johnson & Johnson had reported it expects to begin human clinical tests on a vaccine candidate for Covid-19 by September. Point of Order went in search of ...22 mins ago - Covid-19: More tests needed, Ardern says
Coronavirus testing is set to increase after government officials loosened the criteria for who should be checked and when The number of tests for coronavirus is set to ramp up, with health officials relaxing the testing criteria as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for more testing to be done. New Zealand's ...26 mins ago - Alive from the US heart of Covid-19, New York City
Kiwi writer and photographer Cherie Aaarts Coley sent this dispatch from isolation in New York City, the US epicentre of Covid-19 I’m not sure what day it is today, or the date. I barely even know the month. It doesn’t seem to matter any more. Mostly all that seems to ...28 mins ago - What actually are ‘essential services’ and who decides?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology The Morrison government keeps using the word “essential” to describe employees, public gatherings, services and businesses that are still allowed and not restricted as it tries to reduce the spread ...42 mins ago - RITA was counting on a 2019/20 net profit of $165.8 million – but did they expect being nobbled by...
According to a Stuff report: New Zealand might be in lockdown but at a time when problem gamblers are at their most vulnerable, the TAB and online gambling sites are open for business. Might be in lockdown? We wonder where sports writer Mat Kermand was when he wrote that sentence as ...46 mins ago - More masks for community care workers
The Government will release "a large number" of masks and other protective equipment to DHBs to distribute for community and home care workers, Marc Daalder reports Community care workers who have been left without access to personal protective equipment (PPE) will now have their wishes granted as the Government moves to ...1 hour ago - Madeleine Chapman: Our PM is the finals MVP we need right now
Madeleine Chapman, who wrote the just-published biography Jacinda Ardern: A New Kind of Leader, says watching our prime minister handle the Covid-19 response is like watching an NBA star burst out from the pack. (Yesterday we published an extract). Rajon Rondo was the fourth-best player on the Boston Celtics roster in ...2 hours ago - CEAC – “Gov’t Must Charter Airlines To Fly Stranded Kiwis Home.”
NZ Gov't must charter airlines to fly stranded Kiwis home just as British Gov’t has agreed to do here today; https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52099252 Quote; BBC 30th March 2020. Coronavirus: Foreign Office links up with airlines to fly stranded Britons ...2 hours ago - CEAC – “Gov’t Must Charter Airlines To Fly Stranded Kiwis Home.”NZ Gov't must charter airlines to fly stranded Kiwis home just as British Gov’t has agreed to do here today; https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52099252 Quote; BBC 30th March 2020. Coronavirus: Foreign Office links up with airlines to fly stranded Britons ...2 hours ago
- Covid-19 in NZ – Tuesday’s numbers charted
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. There were 58 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, down from the previous day's 76 new cases. Details of how many tests have been completed are now being ...2 hours ago - Covid-19: How banks and Govt are working together
Newsroom Pro’s Bernard Hickey and Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr zoom out at lunch to talk about the Reserve Bank’s latest move to help banks lend to corporates. Bernard Hickey talks with Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr and Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich about how the banking sector, the Reserve Bank and ...2 hours ago - Covid-19 definition may be broadened over test fears
A new committee set up to oversee the Government's Covid-19 response has held its first meeting - with testing criteria under the microscope Health officials are set to expand the criteria for coronavirus testing, amidst concerns of suspected cases being turned away at testing facilities. The Government has also been ...2 hours ago - Australians are moving home less. Why? And does it matter?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aude Bernard, Lecturer, Queensland Centre for Population Research, The University of Queensland Australians are among the most mobile populations in the world. More than 40% of us change address every five years, about twice the global average. Yet the level of internal ...2 hours ago
- Flexible, Responsive Family Violence Services Needed During COVID-19 Crisis...2 hours ago
- Great first time to try: travel writing from the homeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Stubbs, Senior Lecturer, School of Creative Industries, University of South Australia Being in isolation might be a great time to try something new. In this series, we get the basics on hobbies and activities to start while you’re spending more time ...2 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19: United States’ Deaths as at 29 March 2020Analysis by Keith Rankin While, United States’ local data on Covid19 is more readily available than for other countries, the American ‘country’ system of local governance is way out of date and often does not well represent urban conglomerations. Doing my best from the available data, I constructed the following ...2 hours ago
- ‘My partner’s being punished because I’m a doctor’
Shared custody of children between separated parents has become a flash point under pandemic lockdown rules, Teuila Fuatai reports. An Auckland doctor and her partner have been forcibly separated from their five-year-old son for the lockdown, in breach of a court-mandated 50/50 custody arrangement. The boy’s parents split three years ...2 hours ago - ‘I need people to make sure I’m OK’: How teenagers are coping with lockdownEmily Writes talks to teens about how the level four restrictions are affecting them, and asks how they can be better supported.There are unfortunately so many terrible stereotypes about teenagers, but Gen Z might just be our most resilient generation yet.Struggling through feelings of helplessness around climate change, they started a ...3 hours ago
- NZ mine worker killed, two others wounded in Freeport shootingBy Victor Mambor in Jayapura A New Zealand employee of gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia was shot dead on Monday by gunmen in Timika, the capital city of Mimika regency in Papua. The employee, identified as 57-year-old Graeme Thomas Weal, according to RNZ Pacific, was engaged ...3 hours ago
- Covid-19: Questions fired in first Epidemic Response Committee meeting
Top health officials fronted this morning as the Epidemic Response Committee held its first public meeting via video conference. ...3 hours ago - Migrants Need Access To Benefits Considering COVID-19 CrisisAuckland Action Against Poverty is calling on the Government to grant people who do not meet the residential requirements access to benefits so that everyone can have a roof over their head and follow the Alert Level 4 Covid-19 guidelines. We ...3 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at midday – Mar 31
Top health officials are fronting as the Epidemic Response Committee holds its first public meeting via video conference. ...3 hours ago - Minimum Wage Increase Should Be DeferredThe Government's decision to continue with the implementation to increase the minimum wage will further hurt economic recovery. The minimum wage is set to rise to $18.90 tomorrow, up from $17.70, in what will be the second $1.20 increase in a row. "Right ...3 hours ago
- Government books in surplus before Covid-19Official figures show the government's finances had a surplus of $1.39 billion for the eight months ended February - a shade above expectations. ...3 hours ago
- COVID-19 Sign Language Interpreters Under Pressure Due To Online CriticismDeaf Aotearoa and the Sign Language Interpreters Association of New Zealand (SLIANZ) say sharing online parody videos and memes of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters causes added stress on their interpreters who are providing access to important COVID-19 ...4 hours ago
- Do Māori Made Easy with me: Week one, day twoJoin Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Rātū/TuesdayWe’re learning te reo Māori in lockdown, e te whānau. Today we’re practising the ‘ng’ and ‘wh’ sounds. The letter combinations ‘ng’ as in sing, and ‘wh’ pronounced like an ‘f’, are called digraphs. ...4 hours ago
- Online forum to help businesses amid Covid-19 lockdown
An online forum set up to help businesses navigate the Covid-19 lockdown period is providing insight into what help companies need, and what they don't know. Manaaki was set up only days ago by small business owner Pat MacFie of the innovation company Indigo, whose own business has been severely ...4 hours ago - Warehouse and Noel Leeming reopen online stores
Warehouse is re-starting some of its operations to supply appliances and other items now classified as essential goods. The retailer says it will reactivate 16 Warehouse and Noel Leeming stores as well as two national distribution centres to supply a limited range of products and services. The move follows the ...4 hours ago - No decision coming on Tiwai strategic review
The country's only aluminium smelter has had a decision on its fate postponed even as it closes its fourth potline due to Covid-19. ...4 hours ago - Air NZ to start cutting staff after revenue slashed
Air New Zealand will start laying off workers this week and says Covid-19 has slashed its revenue by more than $5 billion. In a message to staff, chief executive Greg Foran said international travel made up two-thirds of the company's revenue and that was gone now for the forseeable future. ...4 hours ago - NZ Post courier staff stood down over non-compliance of social distancing
New Zealand Post has stood down four courier workers in Wellington for not observing social distancing with each other on the job. New Zealand Post central and southern general manager of operations Matthew Riordan said workers were aware of the need to maintain a two-metre separation with others at all ...4 hours ago - Easter Trading: Be Kind To Supermarket Workers, Prime Minister"Be kind to supermarket workers this Easter" is the message to Government from the union representing supermarket staff. "We make this call as the Government considers whether or not supermarkets should be open on Easter Friday and Sunday ...4 hours ago
- Expansion of essential goods sold in lockdown welcomed by retailers
People can now buy whiteware, heaters, blankets and devices during the lockdown through online or phone orders that will be delivered in a contactless way. The government has eased restrictions slightly to allow the sale of some essential goods, which people may need to safely isolate, stay connected to one ...4 hours ago - $1,500 a fortnight JobKeeper wage subsidy in massive $130 billion programSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Morrison government will provide a flat $1,500 a fortnight JobKeeper payment per employee for businesses to retain or rehire nearly six million workers, in a massive $130 billion six-month wage subsidy scheme to limit ...4 hours ago
- New modelling shows scale of Covid-19 threat
The Government has released the modelling it used to inform its decision to lock down the country, and the numbers paint a stark picture of the threat Covid-19 poses, Marc Daalder reports Last week, Jacinda Ardern said if she didn't take the unprecedented step of locking down the entire country ...5 hours ago - Restaurant review: Our Place, a hot new addition to the Auckland suburbsOur Place is the latest in a plethora of new suburban eateries opening up across Auckland city. When Sonya Wilson visited this week, she discovered a relaxed newcomer that embraces its homely, neighbourhood vibe. Compared to many of Auckland’s fine-dining establishments, Our Place is rather unassuming upon approach. Diners enter via ...5 hours ago
- Kiwis believe cannabis prohibition failing, controls preferrWith the COVID-19 pandemic set to see more state governments in the US contemplate legalising personal use cannabis to boost tax revenue and help restore balance sheets, our Government’s draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill could gain further ...5 hours ago
- ‘Clear warning of consequences’: Ministry of Health releases Covid-19 modelsIn the worst-case scenario modelled, almost 150,000 New Zealanders would be hospitalised with Covid-19 and more than 35,000 would lose their lives.The Ministry of Health has released its mathematical models that project the severity of the Covid-19 outbreak based on different measures imposed on the populous. The modelling delivers “a ...5 hours ago
- Minimum Wage Increases Vital For Over 250,000 WorkersTomorrow’s scheduled minimum wage increase is vital for the hundreds of thousands of minimum wage earners who are doing it tough through the COVID-19 global pandemic. E tū Assistant National Secretary Annie Newman says that while life is difficult ...5 hours ago
- Unless Changed, MoH Guidelines Treat Community Support Workers As ExpendableThe Public Service Associations says its members are receiving contradictory messages from the Ministry of Health that put at risk their lives and those of their clients. Home support workers were told on Monday afternoon by Dr Ashley Bloomfield that they ...5 hours ago
- Are you saying we’re expendable? spinal injury group asks
ACC has reneged on an agreement to supply masks, gowns and other protective equipment to people with severe spinal injuries and their community carers, after the Ministry of Health said hand-washing was enough to keep them safe The news that the supply of protective equipment to people with spinal injuries ...6 hours ago - Pacific governments ‘working better’ with creative media in pandemicBy Sri Krishnamurthi Pacific governments across the region have put side their differences with media and are working alongside them in these difficult times, say New Zealand journalists covering Moana. Most journalists who cover the Pacific come Pasifika backgrounds and have been pleasantly surprised by the change in attitude ...6 hours ago
- Watch live: Covid-19 Epidemic Response Committee holds first meetingTop health officials are fronting as the committee holds its first public meeting via video conference. ...6 hours ago
- Lockdown letters #5, Fiona Farrell: Citadels under siege, againIn our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers chronicle Covid-19 alert level four. Today, Dunedin-based author Fiona Farrell.Tonight she’ll go into work. Eleven till 8am in General Medical. My younger daughter will strap on her helmet, kiss the kids who will be in bed but probably ...6 hours ago
- Citizens Advice Bureau Sees Big Spike In Demand For Its ServiceThe Citizens Advice Bureau's free information and advice service continues to be available by freephone 0800 367 222 / 0800 FOR CAB, or by email and live chat via the CAB's website www.cab.org.nz . CAB volunteers are available to support you with ...6 hours ago
- How to get kids out in the wild while staying at homeThere’s never been a better time to connect our tamariki with nature than now. Paul Ward, co-founder of the gamified learning platform Wild Eyes, explains how. Thanks to Covid-19, cabin fever is on the curriculum for primary and intermediate school kids and their parents. Keeping Kiwi kids active, curious (and awake!) ...6 hours ago
- Farming, A PrivilegeNew Zealand farming has over the last couple of years under the current government has been berated, belittled & blamed for almost all of the pollution problems that we are facing as a country. This coalition government has produced many polices ...6 hours ago
- Government Must Must Provide Emergency Income For Women In The Sex Trade During Covid-19 PandemicThe Government needs to take immediate action to provide emergency income for women and young people in prostitution during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Ally-Marie Diamond, a spokeswoman for Wahine Toa Rising Aotearoa, a survivor-led organisation that advocates ...7 hours ago
- 14,000 could die in NZ if control efforts fail, says new reportBy RNZ News More than 14,000 New Zealanders could die and tens of thousands more could be hospitalised if the country fails in its efforts to stamp out Covid-19, according to new research. The Otago University projections paint a bleak picture, but are more optimistic than other modelling by ...7 hours ago
- Business Owners Bracing For Another Hit: Minimum Wage Set To Land April 1New Zealand business owners are being reminded that the minimum wage will increase from April 1. The new national adult minimum wage is being lifted to $18.90 for all employees who are 16 years of age or older. It will result in employees earning an ...7 hours ago
- Delay Minimum Wage IncreaseTomorrow’s increase in the minimum wage will cause additional difficulties in many businesses once the wage subsidy is discontinued, BusinessNZ says. Employers are currently assisted by the wage subsidy in paying employees 80 percent of their ...7 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Mar 31
More than 14,000 New Zealanders could die and tens of thousands more could be hospitalised if the country fails in its efforts to stamp out Covid-19, according to new research. ...7 hours ago - What’s in the newspapers – Mar 31
Air New Zealand has started the "painful process" of slashing its workforce, with overseas staff first to face losing their jobs. ...7 hours ago - Overseas wrap: Trump extends shutdown
Trump U-turns on ending US shutdown before Easter; says may go to end of April; US Covid-19 death toll rises above Italy's; Tokyo Olympics set for late July 2021 Victory is clearly not ours: Donald Trump reversed himself on what he called "aspirations" to end social distancing rules by Easter ...8 hours ago - Full scale of damage to Air NZ becoming clearNational carrier Air New Zealand has been shattered by Covid-19, and it will likely be years before it recovers. Alex Braae reports on a sobering letter from the CEO.What’s the latest? Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran has been in the job for a matter of months, but already he is ...8 hours ago
- Coronavirus is a wake-up call: our war with the environment is leading to pandemicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona Armstrong, Executive Director, Climate and Health Alliance, Occasional Lecturer, School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, La Trobe University The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the world is a crisis of our own making. That’s the message from infectious disease and environmental ...8 hours ago
- Anatomy of a heatwave: how Antarctica recorded a 20.75°C day last monthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dana M Bergstrom, Principal Research Scientist, University of Wollongong While the world rightfully focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic, the planet is still warming. This summer’s Antarctic weather, as elsewhere in the world, was unprecedented in the observed record. Our research, published today ...8 hours ago
- Scary red or icky green? We can’t say what colour coronavirus is and dressing it up might feed fea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Weaving, Senior Lecturer, School of Creative Industries, University of Newcastle Images of the latest coronavirus have become instantly recognisable, often vibrantly coloured and floating in an opaque background. In most representations, the shape of the virus is the same – a ...8 hours ago
- Business wrap: Air NZ to cut 3,500 staff
CEO Greg Foran reveals 3,500 job cuts in plan for 'much smaller airline'; ASB reprieves Smiths City for a month; Abano shares slump as deal cancelled and dental clinics close 'We'll emerge a much smaller airline and could take years to get back to our former size' Air ...8 hours ago - The Bulletin: Nurse tests positive amid wider workforce fearsGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Queenstown nurse tests positive for Covid-19, more detail emerges on case clusters, and NZers in Australia score moderate victory.A Queenstown nurse has tested positive for Covid-19, bringing to light wider fears of health workers. The Otago Daily Times reports the nurse worked at ...9 hours ago
- One important step to avoid Italy’s fate
Analysis: Italian doctors say hospitals can serve as a major vector for Covid-19 transmission. Here's what New Zealand is doing to stop that from happening here "The situation here is dismal as we operate well below our normal standard of care," a group of doctors from Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in ...9 hours ago - Epidemic Response Committee to hold first public meeting todayTop health officials will front today as the Epidemic Response Committee holds its first public meeting via video conference. ...10 hours ago
- Councils and Government seek debt response to crisis
Covid-19 has disrupted the financial plans of councils and the Government is exploring ways of helping them shoulder an economic crisis without hiking rates during a downturn The Government and councils are discussing ways local bodies can borrow more to avoid slashing services, but one mayor is questioning if it'll be ...10 hours ago - Covid-19 live updates, March 31: Government relaxes essential goods to include whiteware and compute...For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...10 hours ago
- The problem with Womad
Wellington publisher Mary McCallum went to Womad with 51,000 other people just before the lockdown. It’s a fortnight since people headed home from Womad in New Plymouth, some heading straight into self-isolation as a preventive measure. Held on March 13-15, it was the last large gathering before Government measures ...10 hours ago - Brace for a more authoritarian China
What will post-coronavirus China look like? David Williams talks to Kiwi journalist Anna Fifield, of the Washington Post Last week, China’s health authorities said there had been only one new case of local transmission of Covid-19 over the previous five days. In the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the ...10 hours ago - So long Dunedin, it was fun while it lasted
For Otago students looking forward to a big year Covid-19 has turned the university world upside down, writes a reluctant refugee* I’m writing this on my 19th birthday, stuck at home with just my parents and my blind dog. I share my birthday with two of my best friends and ...10 hours ago - Coronavirus gives no quarter to contrarians
Contrarian thinking can be provocative, interesting and amusing at the best of times – challenging our assumptions that life is running smoothly. But it can be downright dangerous, writes Peter Bale. Entire countries are trying contrarian approaches to the orthodox epidemiological theory on how to manage a virus that grows exponentially and ...10 hours ago - Smith leads from Olympic war room in lockdown
The most powerful woman in New Zealand sport, Kereyn Smith, has been working furiously through the Olympic meltdown to make sure Kiwi athletes are heard The small office in Kereyn Smith’s Auckland townhouse - until now unused and “somewhat chaotic” - has become New Zealand’s Olympic war room. It’s here in her isolation ...10 hours ago - You’re scared, I’m scared too: A nurse on life on the Covid-19 frontlineNurses are the first people you’ll meet if you think you have Covid-19. Here, one of our frontline workers describes the rapid changes both healthcare workers and the public are facing. As told to Josie Adams.I was working at an urgent care clinic in East Auckland when the first reports ...11 hours ago
- Covid-19: Every NZ case, mapped and chartedIntroducing a brand new series of charts, graphics and data-visualisations by Chris McDowall, covering the Covid-19 epidemic within New Zealand. This is the first edition – we’ll publish the latest set each day on The Spinoff.Information about confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand is changing rapidly. This ...11 hours ago
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 6 degrees in Auckland last night.
It was 6 degrees in Dunedin last night.
It was 1 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The media may think Game of Thrones, the McCanns, Julian Savea , Cricket’s DRS system and a drunk being punched three times at Eden Park, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bannett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Homelessness also seems to have bumped the following from view;
Tax havens
mcCullys dodgy dealings, pick one.
Asset sale proceeds, a full analysis of ins and outs stacked up against the BS about what they were going to do with it.
Tanking dairy sector.
That prominent NZer, why all the fuss Johnny.
TPPA
Where’s the promised surplus again Bill ? Where that tax cut John ?
State housing sales, a broken election promise in a housing crises.
More WINZ stuff ups
Charter schools plundering the taxpayer and not performing
Slaters diversion, another WTF moment courtesy of nationals police.
Sacked DHB’s, a creaking at the seams health system
ChCh still not rebuilt
Etc
But there’s far more important issues to report…….
Man films mystery objects in night sky
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/81042630/man-films-mystery-objects-in-night-sky
Of course and positioning their cyber bullying meme for more distraction value.
Wasn’t Paula Bennett one of their ‘celebrities’ talking about cyber bullying.
Isn’t releasing the information about Hurimoana Dennis bullying?
Isn’t revealing information about beneficiaries cyber bullying?
She is not just a cyber bully, she is a real life one also.
The National Party ministers are all bullies when it comes to the poor or those that show them up for what they truly are.
John Key for instance, had a field day bulling that poor waitress and then had his pet MSM bully her even more for bringing the matter to the attention of the public.
@ Paul (1.1.1) … thanks again for your thought provoking posts. Always a good read, even though disturbing.
And in NZH today, a news item is about number one son’s release of his new song! Can you believe it?
And so on it goes yet again … more sickening subterfuge and diversion by msm, to protect the corrupt high and mighty!
Give me strength!
I’m sure the luxury guests are snug and warm in Nuie as they structure their tax affairs to avoid tax with our 7.5 million development grant.
Maybe Paula can offer a $5000 ticket to Nuie for our homeless?
Unconvincing lies.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/unconvincing-lies.html?m=1
‘Rock star economy.’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/306494/dairy-prices-flat,-but-whole-milk-powder-falls
I bought a kilo of whole milk powder not that long ago and it cost me $12. One tonne at that price would have cost $12,000. Perhaps Fonterra, and farmers in general, need to be looking at adding more value to their product and selling it retail rather than selling it wholesale and letting others grab all the profit.
One tonne of whole milk powder on Fonterra’s wholesale trading site is just under NZ$3000/MT i.e. 3 bucks a kg
‘Building a brighter future.’
Given the housing crisis, does anyone find this slogan just a little ironic?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/304608/big-govt-house-build-'needed'-for-auckland
It wasnt meant for us, it was for the National MPs, and future job prospects on Chinese company boards, or others, and getting very wealthy from corrupt deals like giving our water away for nothing.
Even the trucking companies are starting to realise that rail is the better option.
Let the likes mainfreigt own the rolling stock and the government looks after the rail infrastructure. Its a no brainer,
They tried that before. The company (Toll) wasn’t paying the bill to use the rail and the government seemed powerless to force them to. It’s one of the reasons why the 5th Labour led government renationalised it.
Yes that was one company with no competition, run by mongrels governed by idiots.
It’s very difficult to get competition on rails when you only have one track. Not that I think competition is the answer that we need as it increases costs for no added benefit.
The government’s skills haven’t yet deserted them; launching the Pora compensation yesterday has given Bennett breathing space and recovery.
Still, it’s one media cycle. And it’s a long winter.
A tweet just on RNZ…”what a razor-edged heartless sounding woman Amy Adams is”.
Well said indeed. Why on earth did the Gnats not inflation adjust the payment to Pora as advised? They had a chance here to do the right thing and win some political points, but their nasty penny-pinching won the day as usual.
Nothing this government does seems to make sense any more. An out-of-touch third term government well past its sell-by date.
Yep, Adams reasons for not inflation adjusting were pathetic,…
… though wrapped in that cold blooded crisp firm voice to try sounding correct
…..
I might adjust my tax payment back to inflation-reversed 1979 too
…..
fuck the Crown (the british crown that is, dont forget). They fuck over everyone they deal with – that is the british crowns history
Political points with whom exactly?
anybody who would like to see some semblance of a fair deal for a demonstrably innocent person.
OK, I can understand someone coming up with sophisticated arguments as to why the government shouldn’t spend another sum of cash that’s trivial compared to the government accounts. It’s dickish, but valid if one takes minimisation of expenditure as a categorical imperative.
But are you seriously claiming that you don’t understand why this largely symbolic gesture could be seen as a fair go by people across the political spectrum? Just in a general sense? As a generally positive and principled act?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: your moral compass is broken.
The issue here is money, you think 2.5 million is not enough, I think it’ll mean he never has to work for the rest of his life and that’ll be easily double the time he spent locked up, for some its about right and for others its too much
You yourself said no amount of money will make up for what happened so should he get 2.5 million, 10 million, 100 million, a billion or because no amount makes up for it, nothing?
No matter what the government did it wouldn’t be enough for some and too much for others, I think they got it about right
Busy today, Puck!
Of course you think the Government got it about right, you’re a supporter.
See, here’s the thing, it’s not what they choose to offer him that’s the problem.
It’s that they chose to skimp on it by using an unadjusted thirty year old benchmark.
They took a late 70s benchmark and actively decided to not adjust for CPI. That’s the difference between “We’re very sorry, what’s a reasonable level of compensation established historically in NZ?” and “We’re very sorry, what’s the minimum we can pay to make you go away after a nice photo-op?”
And then shrugging and saying take it or leave it just fucks all over your previous “we’re very sorry”.
Echo chamber.
Raybon’s gonna get Kan-ned if he’s not careful. You’re just not allowed to explain Bully Bennett’s totality by reference to junk food.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657226
Raybon… Brilliant and accurate
North – “Raybon’s gonna get Kan-ned if he’s not careful. ”
I prefer ‘Campbellized”.
Oh Raybon. Your column will be axed and your typing fingers will be mashed for daring to challenge the words and action of such a nice girl who is our Paula. You are a naughty boy Raybon, (and North for highlighting it.)
So good that article – thanks
. The Trio Performers
. Otherwise known as NZ’s Grand Duchesses Of INCOMPETENCY
I give you the Minister of Injustice Amy Adams. Her system has allowed the Police to frame a bewildered young man for evil crimes and incarcerate him unjustly for over 21 yrs. She paid the poor fellow out at currency rates deliberately based on 1998 earning capacity.
VERDICT: The Minister of Justice is a well fed, well paid Incompetent BASTARD.
I give you the Minister of Housing, Paula Bennett. Her bullying methods of revealing highly confidential material to humiliate and deem lifelong smut on her chosen victims, makes her a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD,
She claims she has more Bastardry up her sleazy sleeves. But a more incoherent Minister dragging her Folio (Housing) through failure after failure, through muckups and secrecy – is callous, and dishonest and unspeakable.
VERDICT: The Minster of Housing is a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD.
I give you The Minister of Police, Judith Collins. Her tricky little tentacles are sad. She seems to get out of control on a regular basis. She is not Competent. (telling the police to NOT enforce the Road Code recently being a total stupidity) but she is fun.
VERDICT: A well fed, well paid person fit for Pantomine Duties. But not for Ministries. A funny BASTARD.
Hekia makes the fourth person – but she is a special case to be dealt with later.
What I want to know, is how the diggins with so many fine honest and just women in this country, can the Tories choose nitwit bastard women for the important Ministries? Does anybody know?
In case you missed “The New New Zealand” by Tourettes. Sums it ALLLL up.
Where is Palestine these days? :
‘Tens of thousands of Palestinians left without water as Israeli firm cuts supplies – report’
https://www.rt.com/news/346811-israel-water-west-bank/
‘Non-Jews should not be allowed to live in Israel – Israel’s Chief Rabbi’
https://www.rt.com/news/337676-israel-for-jews-rabbi/
Israel should not be recreating a Warsaw Ghetto for Palestinians in its own neighbourhood.
I feel like the wheels are finally falling off this government.
They’ve made a series of mis-steps in the last few weeks that the public are finally starting to respond to:
1. On-going shambles with housing and homelessness; John Key appearing to be very out of touch / lying
2. Increasing the refugee quota by only 250 from 2018 onwards
3. Underpaying Teina Pora for 21 years in jail
There’s also the backdrop of cuts (in real terms) to health and education budgets that are being widely felt through the public.
Me too. And things like Bennett leaking personal information, when she did that to beneficiaries a few years ago it felt like she won. This time she seriously misjudged the situation and people will be looking at her for what she really is, and it’s normal to call for her resignation.
I’m a little more ambivalent on the leaking thing.
It seems her excuse has largely been repeated by the media, rather than challenged in any way. But also it’s just a “so what” moment.
The incident over which the marae head was put under investigation for doesn’t seem all that scandalous, and isn’t really related to the housing situation at all.
It’s not really the same as beneficiaries who were asking for more money, and their private details showing that they had already received a pretty good level of support from the government.
Rather than coming off as some sort of clever calculated attack on the marae, it sort of just comes off as “a really weird thing that happened”.
And it’s got weirder today with the news that the staffer leaked to Rebecca Wright a journalist who’s been at odds with Paula Bennett before.
Why would Bennett do that or does the staffer have a grudge against Bennett…like maybe Bennett told her to leak to a journalist and the staffer deliberately chose her…
Maybe they just leaked to the first journo who came along? Who knows?
I still can’t work out if the staffer was present when the information was given to the Minister or if Bennett subsequently relayed the info to her staff?
As far as I can ascertain the staffer (press secretary) was present at the meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. Bear in mind this press secretary, Lucy Bennett (not related to Paula Bennett) only took up the position earlier this year so she probably didn’t know of the past bad blood between Paula Bennett and Rebecca Wright.
Anyone with any clues knows how ‘dirty politics’ works. Staff are aware what is expected of them, but they proceed to act without providing the minister with any of the details. It’s called “plausible deniability”. So, when the shit hits the fan the minister can act all innocent-like and deny it had anything to do with them.
It’s never been said that the staffer was present at the meeting between Bennett and Dennis, only that it was a private meeting. As I recall Bennett said that after the meeting she briefed her staff. As reported in the Herald today by Trev’ – “John Gillespie, TVNZ’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said TVNZ had already confirmed a One News journalist was approached with information.”
“……..was approached…….”. Meaning presumably that it wasn’t just chit chat in a chance meeting in Lambton Quay. The journalist was “approached”
Why possibly would a senior staffer play such a dangerous game without the express approval of her principal ? It’d be job-losing serious misconduct if it turned bad. Which it has. Nah, Bully Bennett’s in it up to her ample jowls. If only by nudge nudge wink wink hooped eyebrows. She’s a rum thing that one, with form.
Hi North. There was a staffer present at the ‘private’ meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. It was one of the first questions asked of Bennett (Mon. or Tues.) and she volunteered the information. She wouldn’t reveal who it was but the consensus of opinion seemed to be it was press secretary, Lucy Bennett. The meeting with other staff members was an office debriefing which occurred later.
What I find so disgusting about this whole affair is the fact Dennis is not being investigated by his police peers for any criminal wrong doing. The question seems to be whether he handled the case involving a 16 year old boy, and (the boy’s) relationship with a 15 yr old girl, correctly or not. No wonder Madam refused to talk about it because she and her staff enabler were effectively inferring he was being investigated for suspected criminal behaviour.
Let’s hope so, but how many times have people said this will be the end of this government…
If damage is being done, I think the housing crisis is doing most of it. National supporters are possibly too self absorbed to think about refugees.
I disagree, to a certain degree, the housing issue is something the government is very weak on but as for increasing the quota by only 250 and “underpaying” Teina Pora, that won’t hurt the government at all in fact it might even see a wee bump
Feedback on Morning Report this morning was almost entirely against the government’s position on Teina Pora.
You might say that RNZ is lefty radio, but very seldom has feedback been one-sided to that extent.
I think that if you can get a new house, a new car and have over 52 grand a year to play with for the rest of your life (and that’s being conservative) then that’s not a bad pay out at all and I’d suggest there’ll be more then a few people that agree with me
Its the housing that will hurt National, its not looking good and Bennett is fast becoming a liability
Yes, the housing is undeniably the bedrock of the whole thing.
It’s just the refugees and Teina Pora have come at a bad time, and appear to be “more of the same”.
If the refugees and Teina Pora stuff had come up 4 months ago, then I think they’d just be a minor blip. But coming up when they have, it’s more fuel for the fire.
Well yes that’s a good point as well
National missed out on a silly and cheap way to own the moral high ground in the media with the Teina Pora payout.
Or they set a precedent for future cases as well as getting off side with a large group of their voters who think 2.5 million is a decent payout
How many of those voters would agree to give up 21 years of their life for $2.5M
How many people think that a new house, a new car and over 52 grand a year (conservatively) for the rest of your life is fair recompense
Hes 38 so could easily live another 40 years without ever having to work again, nothing can give his years back but now he can do anything he likes without having to worry about housing or work
That’s not bad
How many of those people would give up 21 years of their life for $2.5M, given its such a ‘good deal’?
I know what you are saying, but I am saying that none of those people would swap places, what the government did to this guy was so shite.
How many superannuitants would accept their NZ super not being inflation adjusted for 21 years?
“You’re getting it for free, don’t complain or we will take it away from you.”
To CV
Agreed, he got screwed over but would half a million, a million or whatever amount make it right?
Does there need to be a set formula, laid down by law, that should be used in cases of compensation?
Beats me
No amount will make it right.
That doesn’t mean that any random amount should be paid.
“Priceless” does not mean “without value”.
Basically, the money is a token amount based on previous cases. Only the government has penny-pinched on the token amount so the actualy “token” is as much a token of small-mindedness as it is indicative of an apology and desire to lessen as much as possible the impact of what was done to him.
McFlock: yep. As I mentioned the NATs lost a cheap and easy chance to take the moral high ground on a news story this week. Silly, bad political management from them.
$2.5 is a shit load of money , and as someone pointed out he originally ended up their because he confessed .
And CV the nats core voter will think its to much so it won’t harm them.
Page 9 of the report by the judge states that “consideration should be given to adjusting compensation payable to Mr Pora for loss of liberty to reflect the decline in the value of money”.
It also states “The rate at which claimants in Mr Port’s position will be compensated, will decline the longer they remain in prison. That appears to be anomalous an unjust”.
So for anyone upset by the payment, the government could simply say “we took up the recommendations of the judge in this case, in that it would be unjust to not adjust for inflation”.
“we took up the recommendations of the judge in this case” – which Amy Adams has said she has done. But of course she’s just telling a half truth.
Why would “a large group of their voters” think 2.5 million is a decent payout?
What might their reasoning be? What measure might they apply in order to come to their conclusion, do you think, Puck?
” a silly and cheap way to own the moral high ground in the media with the Teina Pora payout”
What does that mean?
In general it’s difficult to ‘buy’ good news coverage.
Here is one case where the government could have, by choosing to pay Pora more.
thanks
Saw our Minor Key being interviewed a morning or so ago, I forget by who/whom to do with the super large drug haul found in the North. Found by a local, who in the process of trying to help drug smugglers with their boat ,unaware of what they were, became concerned enough to get himself out of there and report them to local police. All purely accidental. BUT Mr key said that this large drug haul, tripped over by a local, shows that National’s injection of increased resources and improved policies to the police force are working. This whole scenario had nothing at all to do with policing from what I could see. If it hadn’t been for that local man this haul would never have been found.
.
> I am not sure how you can be ambivalent about confidential information relating to Police charges.
Could you explain it for me?
Releasing information can cause a lot of hassle and even mistrial.
Thanks Lanthanide
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-morello-to-headline-tour-protesting-trans-pacific-partnership-20160615
“Working people everywhere have had enough,” Morello said in a statement. “The TPP is nothing short of a corporate takeover of our democracy. That’s why people are rising up to stop it. Corporate lobbyists want to sneak the TPP through Congress quietly; that means it’s time for us to get loud.”
“This fight against the TPP is not about right and left, it’s about right and wrong,” Lilly said. “Whatever you’re passionate about, whether it’s human rights, internet freedom, climate change or food safety, the TPP is a bad deal for humanity, and a threat to the future of democracy. The more people learn about the TPP, the less they like it. It’s our responsibility to sound the alarm, before it’s too late.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657606
Ok so that’s a bit weird
I find it weird that, in a story about smears, a journalist appears to be smearing a fellow journalist by seemingly implying that what she did was simply for payback. Why do you find it weird?
Very weird, dirty politics journalism style, swipe at RNZ too, how about Claire Trevett reveal HER sources.
CT and her keyboard
Why would Bennett leak to a journalist she doesn’t get on with? Wouldn’t it make more sense to leak to someone you know and trust (at least as much as you can)
Incompetence?
So basically TVNZ would not confirm who the journalist was, RNZ refuse to give up their source, presumably the journalist didn’t out herself, so that leaves Bennetts office as Trevetts source? Maybe Bennett just shot herself in the foot.
The journalist is described as a ‘non gallery’ Wellington journalist. So thats not Trevett
No, the ‘non gallery journalist’ is the person Trevett & Kiwiblog have named (because TVNZ & RNZ didn’t name her), some are saying the name was out already but I can’t find it other than in Trevetts piece & someone just pointed me to Kiwiblog too. So I was wondering how her name was released if not by RNZ/TVNZ.
Ooooh, burn!
Nice political info from an insider going back to Johnson/Kennedy era.
Remembers the Clintons fondly 😀
http://financialsurvivalnetwork.com/2016/06/exclusive-interview-with-roger-stone-telling-it-like-it-is-elite-deviance/
That’s nice of you to spread the wingnut’s delusions.
/
Roger Stone
@RogerJStoneJr
@KennettDems @RTED2016 Soviet Agent Bernie Saunders, Should be arrested for treason and shot.
https://twitter.com/RogerJStoneJr/status/457025868917776384
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/trumps-dirty-trickster-staggeringly-shady-dealings-political-operative-roger-stone
You sign a petition to get rid of Mike Hosking from TVNZ here – https://www.change.org/p/tvnz-get-rid-of-hosking-1347aa6d-8044-4a33-ba59-7fe0a5dba42b?recruiter=14044606&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default
What Happens to a Small Country Without Direction
From the Reserve Bank, February 2016:
“In addition to the powerful structural forces that are reducing global inflation, our economy has been hit by several important supply-side shocks. These include falling oil and dairy prices, strong net migration flows and rising labour force participation. Some, such as the changes in oil prices, net migration and participation, are positive for growth, but all of the supply shocks are exerting downward pressure on inflation in New Zealand.”
From Brian Easton, economist, March 2016:
The effect of low interest rates should encourage investment in productive activities. … That is not happening. It is possible that there is insufficient demand. But over recent years many measures have been taken to increase investment-inducing demand and they have had little effect. Six years is a long time – longer than from the beginning to the bottom of the Great Depression; you have to go back to the 1880s for a longer period of international stagnation.
From Kerry McDonald, June 2016:
“Auckland and the Regions
The regions are critical in the economy, and for our living standards. They produce a high proportion of exports and are the main tourist destinations. But, they are struggling because the NZD is too strong, they are less valued politically and their competitiveness and quality of life is being undermined, mainly by poor policy which doesn’t recognise their paramount role in the economy.
Auckland is increasingly a millstone around New Zealand’s neck: “its economy is inwardly focussed, driven by consumption, real estate and domestic services”; “measured internationally it’s performance is poor – ranked 69 of 85 OECD metros”; and “ it must shift from import to export-led, but is not a centre of export excellence or innovation” (source: The Auckland Council Plan).
The tax free wealth gains on Auckland property is a major opportunity lost in terms of national benefit. In a rational world the gains would be taxed to fund important national programs, such as: a rejuvenated regional development program; or a major blitz on the adverse environment consequences of agriculture; or a major program to reduce the vulnerability and decline of the conservation estate; or a major program to develop future jobs and a more effective transition to a more innovative economy. The tax would also partly compensate the Regions for their export based subsidy to Auckland!
From Bill Rosenberg, CTU, June 2016
“Sustainable increases in our incomes depends on more being produced for every person in New Zealand and from every hour worked, but increases are weak according to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) statistics out today,” says Bill Rosenberg, CTU Economist.
“Per person, production (GDP) increases were only 0.1 percent in the three months to March and 0.5 percent over the year. Per hour worked, production went backwards – over the three months to March it fell 0.2 percent, and rose only 0.5 percent over the same period last year. These are a poor basis for wage improvements,” says Rosenberg.
“We are also seeing weak exports, production from manufacturing shrinking in three of the last four sectors and increasing only weakly over the year (1.4 percent), and overall increases dependent on construction and care for our aging population. Household spending is increasing more slowly than the rest of the economy.
“We need a more balanced economy if we want sustainable and increased incomes,” Rosenberg says.
From Minister of Finance Bill English, May 2016, Budget Speech:
“Mr Speaker, New Zealand’s economic outlook is positive. Treasury is forecasting real GDP growth of around 2.9 per cent over the coming year, and 2.8 per cent on average over the five years to June 2020. Over 200,000 more people are in work now than three years ago, and another 170,000 new jobs are expected by 2020.
Over that period, the unemployment rate is expected to drop to 4.6 per cent and the average wage is forecast to rise to $63,000 a year.”
spot the odd man out
Wow, Blinglish has confirmed his veto of Sue Moroney’s 26 weeks for babies bill. She had the numbers for the bill to pass at the next reading but Uncle Scrooge says NO. This is unbelievably mean spirited and tells parents that their baby’s well being doesn’t matter. We simply don’t care about the health and future of your family. We don’t care about our society is shaped.
Sue Moroney’s bill would have given parents another 8 weeks paid leave at home with bubba, on top of the current 18. If I were a parent or planning being on one I’d be gutted.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/306549/govt-vetoes-paid-parental-leave-bill
Thanks for not saying it was undemocratic.
But it was undemocratic. New post…
Technically, yes of course the govt can proceed with a financial veto but are you really ok with your govt blocking a majority vote for ideologically driven purposes, dressed up with the handy excuse of “we haven’t budgeted for it”?
It’s smells shittier than nappy contents.
No, I’m not really ok with it.
But it’s their right to do it, hence why I am not calling it undemocratic.
If we had a law which allowed us to vote in an Emperor, does that mean that the decrees issued by that Emperor going forwards can be considered to be both democratic and democratically enabled?
I say no, but you may say yes.
Depends on the constitutional arrangements for this emperor, and what other bodies of power existed in this alternative universe.
I have just sent the following to Andrew Little.
“Dear Andrew,
I have just read that the Paid Parental Leave Bill has been cancelled by VETO enacted by the National Government.
I understand that there is probably little that can be done to reverse this veto but could I ask that you seriously consider taking steps to ensure that this draconian piece of law is removed from the statutes of New Zealand as soon as is possible. Not modified , removed for ever.
Thank you
John Shears.
Good thinking. However Labour won’t do that because Labour will want the power of VETO when it is in government itself.
CV can you actually support your statement about what Labour will want as far as the VETO is concerned or is just your opinion?
it’s the only logical choice for Labour. Decentralising control is not their thing. My opinion.
Well, this is an argument that goes back in part to the English Civil War.
But the thing is there’s not much point planning a budget if parliament decides to fuck it a month later, and then you end up with the appropriations debacle that the US has.
But my suspicion is that in this instance the financial veto is more a cloak for ideological opposition. Like the Cabinet Manual, leaving shit up to this government’s discretion just gives them carte blanche to abuse it in fringe cases the original legislators probably never thought any government would be corrupt enough to exploit.
My preference would be to enable the option of a veto if the projected cost was a specific percentage of the immediately preceding budget’s total expenditure, say 1%. Or kick back the veto to a single conscience vote in the House.
1% limit seems like a good measure.
This is the report our Minister of Agriculture trumpeted at the National Field Days today:
http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-resources/media-releases/strong-growth-across-most-primary-sectors
But watch this:
2013 2020 Forecast
Dairy $13.1b $17.7b
Meat and Wool $ 7.8b $ 8.8b
Forestry $ 4.5b $ 6.3b
Horticulture $ 3.5b $ 5.7b
Other $ 1.6b $ 2.9b
(eg honey)
Seafood $ 1.5b $ 2.1b
TOTAL $32.4 $43.8
The Ministers’ spin was that agriculture is still up because the rest of agriculture is going fine.
But look at that weighting of dairy on New Zealand’s exports. We can all see Fonterra’s reliance on low value-add whole milk powder has been our economy’s biggest-ever exporting trap. And it’s continuing to go south. With the weighting towards dairy so big and forecast to be even greater, our regional towns and cities are going to get hit harder and harder by its sustained downturn.
The agricultural sector broadly is doing its best to diversify, and doing us all good. But the dairy industry’s pursuit of high production is making us more and more vulnerable, and we are paying for that hard.
There used to be money in doing more and bigger dairy conversions. So that’s where the market went. And neither National nor Labour felt liked intervention was required.
I’m not knocking dairy entirely, or even it’s dominance really – only it’s reliance on low-value commodities and their impact on us all. We’re well overdue for a review of Fonterra and it’s legislation.
I support the Greens’ call for a suspension of dairy conversions – it’s what responsible regional councils would have done years ago. Only a few of them get it.
So Labour and Greens are going to get in and re: dairy they are going to spend their first 12 months conducting a review? What’s the point?
The point would be to review the governing legislation to require value-added production on one side, and limit mass production via RMA and water price changes on the other.
Geeezus. Replace the Fonterra board, and force the sell up of the bottom 30% of uneconomic dairy farms in the country to Landcorp. Done in 12 months.
Your way will take 10 years before any effect is visible anywhere. Pressuring corporate boards to adopt different business strategies by statute is uselessly unenforceable.
Nationalising won’t do anything except rise the entire industry up against you unnecessarily.
My way aims for the higher value side of the business without needlessly wrecking it. We have never had enough capital locally to do that – it’s going to take time and both local and foreign capital to do. Allies, not enemies.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/81162282/british-lawmaker-jo-cox-shot-in-attack-at-advice-surgery–reports
The attacker shouts ‘Britain First’ yet not reported as terrorism.