As our security and police are already in lockstep agreement with the US in taking ‘over the top’ actions in partizan defence of corporate interests, even if it entails breaking the law. It can only be a matter of time.
When it comes to civil liberties, as the saying goes; “You will only know what you’ve got, when it is gone”
The civil liberties which we enjoy today have been hard fought for over centuries by previous generations, and are there for a reason.
Fight to keep New Zealand sovereignity and civil liberties inviolate.
Today Ira Bailey will be made a scape goat by MSD and the media, following Paula Bennett’s example of publicly outing anyone who speaks against them.
I call upon you my fellow commentators not to let this go undefended and to constantly retort that Ira was only doing what is industry standard – asking for a reward for uncovering vulnerabilities is normal practice, not blackmail as they will try to imply.
Bailey was arrested in October 2007 as part of the police raid against a suspected terror plot but charges against him were later dropped.
Key today said he had been advised Bailey phoned the ministry about a week ago indicating there was a security problem, but didn’t identify the kiosks.
Look at the framing, “he is a terrorist!” – So “blackmail” is no worries for Bailey then eh!
“[He was] just pointing to the system and wanting an incentive payment or wanting cash basically to tell us where the problem was,” he told TV3’s Firstline programme.
The ministry’s policy was not to give money for information, he said.
We have some truly evil people “running” this country, and the MSM are a utter disgarace!
But equally amazing is the statement that they checked the Kiosks after he rang in, and they could not find this simple breach? Who they using for IT security ? Daffy Duck?
And the biggest question of all that has not been answered is Why were they on the same network as the corporate system?
“But there was a design failure that we didn’t pick up or resolve when it came to the security breach. We should have done that but the people responsible for it, the IT department at the Ministry of Social Development, failed.”
No way would this have been missed in the design/security, its too fundamental – This looks like another way of telling people that internal resources are not good enough, we will have to use external i.e Google etc, who can keep yoru privacy secure…This is BS!
The independent inquiry would also look at why the ministry didn’t pick up the problem when it was raised a year ago by beneficiary advocate Kay Brereton.
So, it was raised, with who? and why was it not fixed….smells like more BS!
Correct Weka – Its all part of the plan, you can call it a conspiracy too, because that is exactly what it is!
Ill reitterate – The is NO WAY, that this security flaw was missed in the design/security assessments gates that are mandatory in the delivery! There are multiple vendors operating inside the public sector/govt space, who would have been involved in delivering this system. Notice that there is no mention of who was invovled, only reference is to “IT Department” ensuring that in the minds of the reader, this = Internal IT department = amateurs!
Sometimes the plan comes apart, like with K.D.C, and TPTB need to re-group, but otherwise what is read and published in the papers, and via policy is the agenda of others, being forced down our throats!
This government fails rape victims AGAIN. By constantly underfunding, changes to ACCSCU, and disregarding the law commissions recommendations I can only conclude they would like all of us to go away and die (providing they don’t have to pay for that). http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7819530/Help-for-rape-victims-under-threat
What people need to understand is the darkness that is running all of the shows – Woman/Children/families, continually under attack, while men are left to rot not knowing what their role in life is, and the youth suicides of young boys and girls continues to climb, along with the poverty rates, and child abuse!
Its time for people to start learning, understanding and accepting what those who claim to represent them, actually represent!
Only when people understand what their enemy really is, can we collectively know how to respond!
The British arm of the “entertainment industry” exposed again, while the US head of the “entertainment industry” (hollywood) division is writing scripts, which “our govt” and others are following, and executing.
Think only movie/tv scripts are written by the “entertainment industry” – Better think a whole lot harder, cos its your kids!
Money = what people have been told they have to chase/have/get at all costs to survive/keep up with the jones’s/use to dominate industry and people/bribe corrupt etc – Money has corrupted by design. Now the people who control it are removing it from the financial system, in various ways.
Money = the illusion designed to create the society we have seen, and are seeing being created, by the above, and below!
Greed = The enevitable result of the “Its all about you”, and you only, must have money, policies which kill people, but being written by “money” and so society reaps what it sows. The great marketing/advertising lies, the political lies, the greed is the symptom of the absorbed messages!
There is so much more at play than money and greed!
A 24 hour service is a right and a person would rather not need to have to use a rape service. The government just do not get it how complicated being raped can be and that such a service is a big help.
I’ve decided that the Mixed Ownership Model is actually quite sensible. Today, I will be mainly lobbying my local Nat MP to extend the model to Telecom, TelstraClear, Vodafone and SkyTV. Tommorow, I’ll be moving on to convincing my MP to MOM the oil companies bobbing around the Taranaki coast and the gold companies in the Coromandel. Later in the week I hope to convince the MP to MOM all the housing stock in Parnell, because its important to lead from the top. Pip Pip!
And I’m all for extending PPP Public private partnerships. Now how about the govt signs a contract with the Teacher’s Union for the provision of teaching services in schools. Big penalty clauses if the schools are removed! I’m sure there are other groups that will sign up to run services.
Jeez, I just hope that the same people fixing the teachers pay database ain’t gonna have a go at fixing WINZ database. And apparently WINZ tell beneficaries and child support customers that their computer talks to IRD computer – should that make us all a little uneasy? And what about this ‘white paper’ doesn’t it advocate that health, welfare and other databases talk to each other – hey I know, lets just go back to the town cryer concept, much cheaper and just as effective apparently as all these big brother databases ‘communicating’ with each other?????
As a health worker I had to study the Privacy Act for 3 years, sometimes I wonder whether some of the politicians understand the laws and acts that they employ other people to govern or adhere to. I just heard John Keys say on TV3 to Rachel “we’ll have a LITTLE look at that” he was talking about checking out the apparent security breach. Now thats certainly ‘downplaying’ speak. I fear AsleepWhileWorking could be right.
WINZ also data match with Customs so that they can catch beneficiaries who go overseas and stay long than they are allowed. I think they just do random sampling as they don’t get everybody. Thinking about it now though, I wonder how they do that…
Matching up health, welfare and the records of children isn’t about addressing poverty. It’s about controlling poor people. I don’t know why they don’t just chip ’em and be done with it.
Interesting; now I do not mean to get all apocalyptic, it is just that a man I encourage study with asked about this, this morning; It is helpful to bear in Mind, considering it was a “vision” approximately 2000 years ago;
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and Slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 3: 16- obviously)
Now, the study notes I had at the time identified the economic system; Interesting.
Now, the notes I have in front of me at present, speak of allegiance to the Imperial cult; Now, none of this is new, nothing new under the sun etc, However, there is certainly One spirit directing everything I seem to encounter; Careful what you wish for? I wish I did not see, as I am sure Millions of others do, not with standing the earth has been through these pains before, but It makes you wonder. This still may take decades or centuries to play out, nobody “Knows the Mind of God”,
Yet, still interesting, none-the-less.
Yes Key’s reaction to the whole thing seemed to be blase. You know the computer system is old Yeah right. Just lay the blame where ever. A classic Not Me. If I ever saw one.
Rogue Trooper…welcome mate!!! (Are you familiar with the AD2000 story? His battalion was massacred by traitors within their own central command, and he went rogue in order to find out the truth!)
now that is interesting Viper ( I did not know that), but it is clear for those who choose to see.
Been many years since I delved into comics (great strip Draco, by the way); Archetypes? Essences? Myself, I was a Ghost Rider “Fanboy” I suppose (well, you can see how that played out, but it takes a lot of Capital to make even a big-block-1450- haul ass like something from the Rising Sun; the euros have been onto it for the last couple of decades but they may have left their run too late).
🙂
On planeitKey you can say what you like about people
“Obviously it would’ve been better if the individual involved had actually told the government and not tried to charge the government some sort of fee. But he didn’t, and goodness knows what he did with the blogger, I don’t know if he gave it [the information] to him or sold it to him.”
Ira explains exactly that he was not charging a fee
“I called up on Monday 8th October to say there was a security leak and ask who to talk to. And I also asked was there an incentives scheme about security flaws, which is what Google and Facebook do.”
Live chat with Stephen Jacobi at 12.00 today go ask him some questions on the TPP and other underhanded American practices, lets make him feel right at home lol.
The start and Question Time in Parliament is Must View time for me, at least. Could be very interesting with everything going on at present.
First, presumably, Key will ask to make a personal statement to “correct” his previous answers on KDC and the GCSB.
Then questions cover:
Questions to Ministers
1.DAVID SHEARER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements in relation to Kim Dotcom and the inquiry into the actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau?
2.METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for Social Development: Does she have confidence that the Ministry of Social Development can keep private information it holds confidential?
4.JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Social Development: Has the Ministry of Social Development competently managed the private information in its charge?
6.CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: What specific criteria were used to determine whether a school in Christchurch was identified for restoration, consolidation or rejuvenation?
7.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister responsible for the GCSB: What were the dates of the three cases that the Government Communications Security Bureau audit highlighted, because they could not assure him “that the legal position is totally clear”, as referred to in his statement of 3 October 2012?
8.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his answer to my Question for Written Answer 3326 (2012)?
11.GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in Hon John Banks; if so, why?
Re Q8, Peters’ written question 3326 (2012) and the response are:
3326 (2012). Rt Hon Winston Peters to the Prime Minister (07 May 2012): Did he have any meetings, in his capacity as Prime Minister, with either Hon Maurice Williamson or Hon Simon Power during the period 7 April-23 July; if so, on what date or dates and what was the nature of the discussion or discussions?
Rt Hon John Key (Prime Minister) replied: Yes. I met with Hon Maurice Williamson on 7 June 2011 to talk about statistics and progress with the census in lights of its postponement following the Christchurch earthquake. I met with Hon Simon Power on 13 June 2011. There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion. I also met with him, Hons English, Joyce and Ryall and the external appointees regarding the Better Public Services Advisory & Governance Group on 6 July 2011.
From memory (may be wrong), this period covers the aboutface on KDC’s application to purchase the Crisco Mansion in Coatsville – and Key’s trip to Washington DC via Warner Bros in LA.
“There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion.”
On Planet Key, we need to understand and sympathise with John Key that truth, competence and accountability are “in a dynamic environment”.*
Convenient memory loss, selective self-characterised ignorance, resistance to reading reports, heaping blame on others, and lack of documentation/record are noble virtues and ethical practices to be instilled in asspirants 🙂
*Guyon Espiner: Is it okay for politicians to bend the truth?
John Key: Well, we live in a dynamic environment, so of course things change.
Big whinge in the Dompost this morning because David Shearer called tod niall (what sort of name is todd) and larry williams by their surnames.
boo bloody hoo.
who do they think they are?
Todd Niall – good (PSA) union member and delegate, and thoroughly good bloke. Also wrote a book about the homegrown NZ car, the Trekka. One of the best guys in the MSM.
Parliament has been in session 2 minutes and someone has already shouted something about God from the public section and Winston and Trevor Mallard (Pretty sure it was him) have been asked to leave the chamber.
Before question time there were a lot of points of order around Peters’ letters to the Speaker regard the PM’s breach of parliamentary privilege. There were objections to the letters being tabled.
i believe they were finally tabled during a later point of order, was it on the third attempt?
The Speaker said the answer from the PM was received yesterday and was to be considered today and it was after this i believe the next request for tabling the letters was not objected to
I’m not sure what happened, but several members of opposition parties defied the Speaker and kept standing to raise a point of order, as the PM was trying to make a statement correcting his previous answers to oral questions. Parker was ejected from the House – Peters also I think.
The story of Venice’s rise and fall is told by the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, in their book “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” as an illustration of their thesis that what separates successful states from failed ones is whether their governing institutions are inclusive or extractive. Extractive states are controlled by ruling elites whose objective is to extract as much wealth as they can from the rest of society. Inclusive states give everyone access to economic opportunity; often, greater inclusiveness creates more prosperity, which creates an incentive for ever greater inclusiveness.
That’s a kind of strange piece. Essentially then, there is no systemic problem with capitalism/markets. All that’s wrong (and therefore fixable) is a selfish short sightedness on the part of a tiny ruling elite.
I mean, you gotta laugh at some of the claims
The history of the United States can be read as one such virtuous (inclusiveness creates more prosperity) circle.
Yup. Unless you were and/or are indigenous, black, female, Irish, Latino…..and so on right on down or up to the point where you hit the white male protestant where the borders of the virtuous circle of inclusiveness were historically set.
And as an aside I don’t get the reference to Venice and its shrinking population being made (as though that’sa mark of decline) with absolutely no reference to the Black Death or, with refernce to later centuries, the city’s unique character/location. But hey.
edit. That comment was a response to Joe90’s comment and link….but the entire comment be gone now. Oh well.
Yeah, it’s all Capitalism is great until the capitalists take over and then it’s fucked but it’s still great. Certainly made a hell of a lot of assumptions that bear no resemblance to reality.
HONE HARAWIRA AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT (ALBERT ST) APPEARANCE WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 9AM (?)
“Supporters meet outside Auckland District Court at at 8.45am Hone Harawira and others with serious injuries from the protest will be there. Get there if you can…” message from John Minto)
Hone Harawira gets arrested by Police for a purported minor traffic offence – but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party – MP for Epsom John Banks for alleged electoral fraud and ‘white collar’ crime? I’ll be there! Join us if you believe in ONE LAW FOR ALL? And if you oppose ‘ECONOMIC APARTHEID’ and ‘WAR ON THE POOR’?
WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 – AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT
ALBERT ST AUCKLAND CITY:
Police could have charged former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd John Banks (and Don Brash) under s.58(3) of the Securities Act for signing Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 which contained untrue statements.
I assumed you meant the the recent donations scandals which the police couldn’t prosecute.
I’d be more than happy to review any evidence you have of Banks wrong doing in the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme. I don’t know enough about it to make any call of wrong doing so if you could provide me with some evidence of impropriety I would like to see it.
You could always try reading the above-mentioned Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 – which I’ve taken the trouble to make available for public perusal?
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks. This is no way a testament to their character on my part, I am merely trying to establish what evidence you have that charges should have been forthcoming and/or the police/judiciary somehow acted with impropriety.
“I don’t like them” or “They were obviously guilty” aren’t good enough, I’m afraid. Only evidence will work. This is in no way a defence of Banks mind you, I dislike him quite strongly.
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks.
That’s meant to be a joke… Right? The relevant law that you have obviously not bothered to read states:
58 Criminal liability for misstatement in advertisement or registered prospectus
(1)Subject to subsection (2), where an advertisement that includes any untrue statement is distributed,—
(a)the issuer of the securities referred to in the advertisement, if an individual; or
(b)if the issuer of the securities is a body, every director thereof at the time the advertisement is distributed – commits an offence.
I hope that wasn’t too much reading for your delicate sensibilities TC. We wouldn’t want you to strain yourself and do an injury. You wouldn’t be such an effective apologist for old corrupt bastards then eh!
Apparently he can now remember the presence of a video camera, but he cannot remember the, more important, contents of a presentation.
Somewhere in the mix he has stated he remembered being advised that the presentation would not be recorded, yet those same charges have done a “full” review of the period in question (having said previously that it wouldn’t be recorded???) Confused Mmmmm – selective memory.
To this end, we have used a similar approach to look at two questions:
Can New Zealand maintain its current per capita energy consumption without fossil fuels and, in particular, can we live on renewable energy sources alone?
How can we achieve a BIG reduction in our personal and national energy consumption, in order to reduce our power requirements?
Well, at least somebody is asking the right questions. Pity it’s not the government.
They’re called “Brownouts”and “Power Flicker”.
They’ll take care of the consumption problem nicely M8.
The stove and the water heater will keep working … digital stuff i’ll be toast, and flicker will kill the TV as well.
Heaps of recycled electronic goods as well, worth thinking about 🙂
Pride b4 fall, or bloated explosion with apology?
Vacuum far outweighs everything else in this Universe.
No one else is gonna call it yet, I’m going with Landslide Labour/Greens/Mana/NZFirst myself.
Not me. Don’t know. It is Shearer’s fault. It is Ira’s fault. Not my job to oversee Spy agencies. Don’t know what Projection means and don’t want to know.
Lies within lies, on top of lies. Lies flanked and protected by lies. Lies about lying, lies about spying.
John Banks publicly stated that he had “nothing to fear, nothing to hide,” over the donations scandal.
Nothing to fear?
Nothing to hide?
As it turns out, John Banks did fear something, and in contrast to his public assertion that he had nothing to hide, asked the police to keep their investigation into his Mayoral donations hidden from the public.
ACT leader John Banks did ask police not to publicly release his statement on the Kim Dotcom donations and opposed the publication of the entire file, documents reveal.
John Key said he would have no confidence in John Banks as Minister if he found he had lied to him.
Now that solid proof has come out that Banks lied in claiming that he didn’t ask the police to suppress evidence arising from the police investigation into his mayoral campaign donations.
Will John Key act on his promise in relation to John Banks as a Minister?
Or was that a lie?
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom?
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying?
Without a doubt John Banks is a proven liar.
But is the Prime Minister a liar?
Time will tell. If after this latest revelation John Key keeps John Banks as a Minister in his government.
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom? Yes!
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying? Yes!
And the reason they’re both lying through their teeth is because both have so much more to hide.
Apart from the fact Key still needs Banks’ vote etc., he will keep Banks as a Minister in his government because Banksie knows where the bodies are buried.
‘What the hell was that’ ‘I want to see all you children in my office next school day’
Supposedly intelligent,articulate,bright (debateable) set of parliament ministers,pm and
the speaker launch into what could be described as a ‘free for all ‘ forget the fists,
words will do,a scene of total disobediance.
But hey, shonkey did admit he talked dotcom at the feb 29th meeting,phew, now
we wait and see if there are any dates earlier than 29th feb……….
Anyone know what the fracas at the beginning of Question Time was all about. Two ordered out of House. Trevor chose to walk out.Something about the PM- letter about PM sent by Winston to the Leader- issue before the Parliamentary or Privileges Committee- Key’s response received yesterday. What the!!!!
Anyone?
Wasn’t is something to do with some letters??
I don’t know either, but it was obviously something of some importance.as Winston was prepared to lose his question for it.
The letter to the Speaker was sent on the 5 October(?) and again 15 October(?) and concerned John Key and maybe the Privileges Committee. If my half heard version is so, then the irony is obvious. Key having Peters in front of Priv Committee in 08. What if Peters now has Key up before the Priv Committee???? Forgive me. Probably got it wrong.
It was something to do with Key’s personal statement. It seems he got up to make it without first asking for a ‘point of order’. God knows why Winnie et al got their knickers in a twist. Some nuance of which I’m not familiar.
I think Winston Peters has sent a letter to the Speaker accusing John Key of a breach of parliamentary privilege. Lockwood Smith has yet to rule on whether there is a case to be answered. We all know what the answer will probably be.
I think that there are rules to be followed. Can’t be a majority decision of the House otherwise no charge could ever be laid against the Government. Watch this space!
They wanted to raise a point of order and Key wanted to make a personal information. Points of order trump everything else and should have been considered first.
Thanks for that felix. I think I see what happened now. After the House stood and clapped for the Cook Island Speaker, everyone sat down with the exception of John Key who remained standing and started to launch into his personal statement without going through established protocol as set down by the House rules (Standing Orders) and without so much as a bat of an eyelid from the Speaker.
Pre-arranged? I expect so. Disgraceful and totally underhand!
@micky, Isn’t it usual for the politicians to ask for leave of the house to make a personal
statement, in such circumstances and lockwood does protects the right too often.
There should be an independant speaker,outside of any political party,perhaps
a retired judge etc.
@ianmac, It was bleedin hard to tell really,it wasn’t what i got my coffee and a chocky biky for,key said he talked kim on the 29th feb,it all happened so quick even the mic couldn’t keep up.
When was the PM approached by the US authorities (channels of US administration) to request /advise him that an operation was desirable in New Zealand? At what level and at which meeting in the year(s) prior to the raid in February 2012 did the US departments approach the PM of New Zealand?
If nothing else, it beggars belief that the leader of a friendly sovereign state would not be approached by a very high level delegation prior to their operatives working in that foreign state.
Just trying to imagine similar circumstances in other “friendly” nations of the world?
Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, South Africa, Germany … Sweden, mmmmmmm, nah.
Ah, yes … it was during the heady days of the appearance on the Letterman Show. No wonder he forgot.
It was no doubt a standard request under the extradition treaty NZ has with the US. The PM would not need to be involved although he may have been advised as a matter of courtesy.
Is this a treaty we should ignore? Are there other treaties we can ignore?
Whilst it’s true a standard request would have been investigated and dismissed once residency was attained, they arrested him anyway …… why would they do that buddy???
The goal was reached when Megaupload was closed down. The US are not interested in side show Key, keystone cops and are probably laughing at the GCSB/SIS for being so gullible.
They obviously have a “Debt Recovery” mentality/agenda.
For some reason they think a “Difference Caching” engine is grounds for “Informed copyright Infringement”
Which ultimately means because Megaupload cranked the time to live on those files upto 100 years, (Which most ISP’s will do to save backbone data), has made them a target of the US law enforcement trying to recover “Missing Transactions” for “Projected” film sales.
What? dotCom having residency has nothing to do with whether he is able to be extradited or not. Otherwise it would already all be over. But DotCom does still have to go and argue his case as to why he shouldn’t be extradited. And he might not win.
Yeah, but these were US officers operating in a friendly state. Not just NZ officers executing an arrest and extradition. That would surely involve keeping the PM informed.
So, Southland anti-choicers have decided to “name and shame” abortion providers. I had a little play with the idea of naming and shaming other medical providers, and came up with #namethedentists.
That would only work if there were widespread societal stigma against being moralising wankers who try to endanger people’s health so they can feed their superiority complexes.
Extreme example there, but thats ok, I’m not against abortion in certain situations. Just not interested in that gender bigot feminist extremism that wants abortion on demand.
At the time Mr Banks claimed it was the Police who had made that decision.
Mr Banks said it was the police who decided keep his statement under wraps. Press secretary Shelley Mackey said: “Mr Banks is not responsible for what the police have released.”
We asked for all the correspondence between Mr Banks and the Police on the release of the report, and lo and behold we found a letter from Mr Banks’ lawyer that said
Accordingly, disclosure of any material relating to Mr Banks, or indeed any part of the investigation file, is opposed.
More lies, half-truths and obfuscations from John Banks. He has gone to great lengths to ensure that New Zealanders can not read what he told the Police about the donations to his Mayoral campaign.
So, will Key hold Banks to account? Na, of course not.
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Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses – in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they find out exactly what we’re voting on in the cannabis referendum, and discover how legalising weed is a women’s issue.First published August 4, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
New Zealand needs to be bold in making developers enhance the environment - not just limit its degradation, writes Stephen Knight-Lenihan All human activity should help restore the natural world. This is a concept that may resonate following the upheavals of 2020 and one which is beginning to appear in law. Imagine ...
Derek Challis, son of the legendary author Robin Hyde, died last Thursday. Michelle Leggott pays tribute He opens a suitcase and there they are, the precious manuscript notebooks written by his poet mother Iris Wilkinson aka Robin Hyde. We are in Dunedin for a Hyde conference. Yes, says Derek Arden ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
Concerts and some sports look likely to be on the move in Auckland after a big win for Eden Park – and politicians and officials may now want to win the public some control over the independent stadium. The advent of big concerts at Eden Park will, in all likelihood, mean ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. “On behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,” district health board chair ...
The issues political editor Justin Giovannetti will be keeping an eye on in 2021 (that have nothing to do with Covid-19).New Zealand will be busy in 2021. The border will remain closed to nearly all travellers and Covid-19 will continue to lead the news, but the country has a packed ...
A former case manager says that his experience working with beneficiaries suggests claims of a ‘complete shift’ in the service’s approach are laughable.A former Work and Income case manager who now works with beneficiaries engaging with the service has spoken out on a “toxic” culture which he says denies beneficiaries ...
ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni must confirm whether the Government supports ACC’s apparent policy to make payouts for illegal overstayers , says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “Since when was it ACC policy to ...
By RNZ News An independent panel says Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial covid-19 outbreak, and criticised the World Health Organisation (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until 30 January. The experts reviewing the global handling of the pandemic, ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Fiji’s NGO Coalition on Human Rights has called for stronger accountability and commitment to human rights at home in response to the country taking the world stage as the head of a UN body. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) elected Fiji’s ambassador Nazhat Shameem as ...
Danyl McLauchlan reviews Stuart Ritchie’s Science Fictions, which outlines the staggering systemic flaws in the funding and publication of scientific papers. Back in August of 2006 a number of New Zealand scientists were caught up in a media controversy about whether Māori had a genetic predisposition towards violent crime. It kicked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago America is currently experiencing its worst political and constitutional crisis since the civil war when the very survival of Abraham Lincoln’s government “of, by and for the people” was at stake. On ...
Manaaki Rangatahi report that young people experiencing homelessness are being further traumatized within the emergency accommodation where they have sought safety. Often these environments are unsafe, and unsuitable for young people to live in, and rangatahi ...
Can you figure out which of the above is the real Jacinda Ardern? Probably! But one day, that might not be true.There are many reasons to believe the internet shouldn’t exist. Social media empires exerting, intentionally or not, their control over sovereign governments. Baby Shark. Your aunt on Facebook.It pains ...
The Point of Order Ministers on a Mission Monitor has flickered only fleetingly for much of the month. More than once, the minister to trigger it has been David Parker, who set it off again yesterday with an announcement that shows how he has been spending our money. He welcomed ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
Why are New Zealand’s 2 Minute Noodles called 3 Minute Noodles in the UK? It’s a puzzle that has taken hold of Dylan Reeve and refuses to let go.I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. I watched a lot of TV and was a big fan of aggressively marketed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonatan A Lassa, Senior Lecturer, Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management, College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University News of storms battering parts of Queensland and the threat posed by Cyclone Kimi reminded me of a recent experience I’d had. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the use of force to effect the arrest of a wanted offender in Auckland was justified and proportionate to the risk he posed. A man, who was well known to Police, was wanted by Police for an aggravated ...
A distinctly colonial institution, banking has long ignored te ao Māori. Teaho Pihama believes investment in tikanga Māori at Kiwibank can have significant, positive outcomes for Māori.In early 90s Tāmaki Makaurau, when Teahooterangi (Teaho) Pihama was growing up riding his bike around the streets of Kingsland until the streetlights came ...
Donald Trump’s awful presidency expires at midday on Wednesday [US time] when Air Force One will have deposited him in Florida. He retreats to his Mar-a-Lago resort and Joseph R Biden Junior takes command of the White House. Trump’s has been an unpleasant presidency, brought about largely by his own ...
The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has elected its National President for 2021. The election took place last Friday at an NZUSA Special General Meeting (SGM) in Wellington. Andrew Lessells, 22, was elected to serve as the National ...
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz.It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my ...
‘
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7819005/Trust-in-police-hits-new-low-survey-shows
Arresting an MP for bad parking and beating housing protesters to help the government steal and vandalise state houses.
Illegal links with foreign spies and agents.
Toadying to Hollywood business interests
Refusing to investigate perjury by themselves
Spying
Law breaking
Is it any wonder?
Indeed!
With the demand for tighter links with the US….
Will this be the new, New Zealand police force look?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/walmart-workers-strike-for-safe-warehouse-conditio
As our security and police are already in lockstep agreement with the US in taking ‘over the top’ actions in partizan defence of corporate interests, even if it entails breaking the law. It can only be a matter of time.
When it comes to civil liberties, as the saying goes; “You will only know what you’ve got, when it is gone”
The civil liberties which we enjoy today have been hard fought for over centuries by previous generations, and are there for a reason.
Fight to keep New Zealand sovereignity and civil liberties inviolate.
Demand:
NO illegal spying!
NO soft touch for police perjury!
NO extradition with out a hearing!
NO hearings without evidence being presented!
Today Ira Bailey will be made a scape goat by MSD and the media, following Paula Bennett’s example of publicly outing anyone who speaks against them.
I call upon you my fellow commentators not to let this go undefended and to constantly retort that Ira was only doing what is industry standard – asking for a reward for uncovering vulnerabilities is normal practice, not blackmail as they will try to imply.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7821061/Key-critical-of-Winz-security-breach-finder
Look at the framing, “he is a terrorist!” – So “blackmail” is no worries for Bailey then eh!
We have some truly evil people “running” this country, and the MSM are a utter disgarace!
muzza – evil people running the country only get away with it, surely, only because they are supported by voters who compromise with evil.
Dr T, see my comment at 4.2.3.1..
You are correct in that evil doers can only exist when the populace are complacent, or disenfranchised etc, which allows badness to happen.
Perhaps if people understood that they were part of the whole, instead of operating in silo, then we might not be in such a mess.
The corrupting/breaking of the human spirit, is the major feature of what we see these days!
But equally amazing is the statement that they checked the Kiosks after he rang in, and they could not find this simple breach? Who they using for IT security ? Daffy Duck?
And the biggest question of all that has not been answered is Why were they on the same network as the corporate system?
And that the flaw was there for up to a year!
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/319250,nz-government-needs-to-start-over-on-security.aspx
No way would this have been missed in the design/security, its too fundamental – This looks like another way of telling people that internal resources are not good enough, we will have to use external i.e Google etc, who can keep yoru privacy secure…This is BS!
So, it was raised, with who? and why was it not fixed….smells like more BS!
Every fuck up by MSD/WINZ that makes it to the MSM is fodder for the eventual push to privatise welfare.
Correct Weka – Its all part of the plan, you can call it a conspiracy too, because that is exactly what it is!
Ill reitterate – The is NO WAY, that this security flaw was missed in the design/security assessments gates that are mandatory in the delivery! There are multiple vendors operating inside the public sector/govt space, who would have been involved in delivering this system. Notice that there is no mention of who was invovled, only reference is to “IT Department” ensuring that in the minds of the reader, this = Internal IT department = amateurs!
Sometimes the plan comes apart, like with K.D.C, and TPTB need to re-group, but otherwise what is read and published in the papers, and via policy is the agenda of others, being forced down our throats!
https://twitter.com/Min_Reyes/status/258055300727308288/photo/1
This government fails rape victims AGAIN. By constantly underfunding, changes to ACCSCU, and disregarding the law commissions recommendations I can only conclude they would like all of us to go away and die (providing they don’t have to pay for that). http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7819530/Help-for-rape-victims-under-threat
I really wish someone on the left would organise around women’s votes before the next election.
What people need to understand is the darkness that is running all of the shows – Woman/Children/families, continually under attack, while men are left to rot not knowing what their role in life is, and the youth suicides of young boys and girls continues to climb, along with the poverty rates, and child abuse!
Its time for people to start learning, understanding and accepting what those who claim to represent them, actually represent!
Only when people understand what their enemy really is, can we collectively know how to respond!
and the Twain shall never meet
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/10582_487699991263452_1173247088_n.jpg
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/tv-star-is-third-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-girl-in-saviles-dressing-room-8198500.html
The British arm of the “entertainment industry” exposed again, while the US head of the “entertainment industry” (hollywood) division is writing scripts, which “our govt” and others are following, and executing.
Think only movie/tv scripts are written by the “entertainment industry” – Better think a whole lot harder, cos its your kids!
Money (and greed) are today’s priorities. Humanitarian causes simply do not count.
Dr T,
Money = what people have been told they have to chase/have/get at all costs to survive/keep up with the jones’s/use to dominate industry and people/bribe corrupt etc – Money has corrupted by design. Now the people who control it are removing it from the financial system, in various ways.
Money = the illusion designed to create the society we have seen, and are seeing being created, by the above, and below!
Greed = The enevitable result of the “Its all about you”, and you only, must have money, policies which kill people, but being written by “money” and so society reaps what it sows. The great marketing/advertising lies, the political lies, the greed is the symptom of the absorbed messages!
There is so much more at play than money and greed!
Should be getting used to that by now as it seems that one year is how long this government expects people to forget what they said.
A 24 hour service is a right and a person would rather not need to have to use a rape service. The government just do not get it how complicated being raped can be and that such a service is a big help.
I’ve decided that the Mixed Ownership Model is actually quite sensible. Today, I will be mainly lobbying my local Nat MP to extend the model to Telecom, TelstraClear, Vodafone and SkyTV. Tommorow, I’ll be moving on to convincing my MP to MOM the oil companies bobbing around the Taranaki coast and the gold companies in the Coromandel. Later in the week I hope to convince the MP to MOM all the housing stock in Parnell, because its important to lead from the top. Pip Pip!
And I’m all for extending PPP Public private partnerships. Now how about the govt signs a contract with the Teacher’s Union for the provision of teaching services in schools. Big penalty clauses if the schools are removed! I’m sure there are other groups that will sign up to run services.
Jeez, I just hope that the same people fixing the teachers pay database ain’t gonna have a go at fixing WINZ database. And apparently WINZ tell beneficaries and child support customers that their computer talks to IRD computer – should that make us all a little uneasy? And what about this ‘white paper’ doesn’t it advocate that health, welfare and other databases talk to each other – hey I know, lets just go back to the town cryer concept, much cheaper and just as effective apparently as all these big brother databases ‘communicating’ with each other?????
As a health worker I had to study the Privacy Act for 3 years, sometimes I wonder whether some of the politicians understand the laws and acts that they employ other people to govern or adhere to. I just heard John Keys say on TV3 to Rachel “we’ll have a LITTLE look at that” he was talking about checking out the apparent security breach. Now thats certainly ‘downplaying’ speak. I fear AsleepWhileWorking could be right.
John Key is such a f*^#w*t
WINZ also data match with Customs so that they can catch beneficiaries who go overseas and stay long than they are allowed. I think they just do random sampling as they don’t get everybody. Thinking about it now though, I wonder how they do that…
Matching up health, welfare and the records of children isn’t about addressing poverty. It’s about controlling poor people. I don’t know why they don’t just chip ’em and be done with it.
Interesting; now I do not mean to get all apocalyptic, it is just that a man I encourage study with asked about this, this morning; It is helpful to bear in Mind, considering it was a “vision” approximately 2000 years ago;
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and Slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 3: 16- obviously)
Now, the study notes I had at the time identified the economic system; Interesting.
Now, the notes I have in front of me at present, speak of allegiance to the Imperial cult; Now, none of this is new, nothing new under the sun etc, However, there is certainly One spirit directing everything I seem to encounter; Careful what you wish for? I wish I did not see, as I am sure Millions of others do, not with standing the earth has been through these pains before, but It makes you wonder. This still may take decades or centuries to play out, nobody “Knows the Mind of God”,
Yet, still interesting, none-the-less.
So, Concerning Light and Darkness, here is a Mazda Wonder Light,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorastrian
Here, are some writings most churches hide,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Gospels
The Gospel of Thomas, is Liberating
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm
Why Sabbath are so appealing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUjUIP2ugG4
(only One Sabbath, all others, wannabees, imo)
The rest? Remains to be seen!
Prophecy is The Ultimate Weapon; Bring on The Prophetess
Yes Key’s reaction to the whole thing seemed to be blase. You know the computer system is old Yeah right. Just lay the blame where ever. A classic Not Me. If I ever saw one.
It does, every time you phone! (Beware, it says, if you earn and don’t tell us, we’ll get you!)
joining the Battle-fleet Captain
(I like It)
this is my body, I share for you
🙂
Rogue Trooper…welcome mate!!! (Are you familiar with the AD2000 story? His battalion was massacred by traitors within their own central command, and he went rogue in order to find out the truth!)
now that is interesting Viper ( I did not know that), but it is clear for those who choose to see.
Been many years since I delved into comics (great strip Draco, by the way); Archetypes? Essences? Myself, I was a Ghost Rider “Fanboy” I suppose (well, you can see how that played out, but it takes a lot of Capital to make even a big-block-1450- haul ass like something from the Rising Sun; the euros have been onto it for the last couple of decades but they may have left their run too late).
🙂
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/comics/2000adstrips/rogue/roguetrooper01.shtml
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/draco1337/Free%20Vue%20Renders/Taniwha.jpg
Backdrop courtesy of NASA
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111011.html
damn yankees
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090516234851/marvel_dc/images/a/a9/Jonah_Hex_Vol_2_35.jpg
stuck southerners
Good Thing we have some direction then Commander
😉
just imagine what is out there
I just Love It
Heads should roll
They’re so focused on downplaying the issue that it appears they think WINZ clients don’t have any rights to privacy at all…
Jeeze, that Herald article you link to is a nasty piece of work. Fuck the MSM and their apology of a profession.
+ 1 Good stuff Jackal.
from that NZH thingy you mentioned weka
On planeitKey you can say what you like about people
Ira explains exactly that he was not charging a fee
key knows all about fees – it’s the honey
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10840124
Live chat with Stephen Jacobi at 12.00 today go ask him some questions on the TPP and other underhanded American practices, lets make him feel right at home lol.
The start and Question Time in Parliament is Must View time for me, at least. Could be very interesting with everything going on at present.
First, presumably, Key will ask to make a personal statement to “correct” his previous answers on KDC and the GCSB.
Then questions cover:
Re Q8, Peters’ written question 3326 (2012) and the response are:
From memory (may be wrong), this period covers the aboutface on KDC’s application to purchase the Crisco Mansion in Coatsville – and Key’s trip to Washington DC via Warner Bros in LA.
“There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion.”
On Planet Key, we need to understand and sympathise with John Key that truth, competence and accountability are “in a dynamic environment”.*
Convenient memory loss, selective self-characterised ignorance, resistance to reading reports, heaping blame on others, and lack of documentation/record are noble virtues and ethical practices to be instilled in asspirants 🙂
*Guyon Espiner: Is it okay for politicians to bend the truth?
John Key: Well, we live in a dynamic environment, so of course things change.
Thanks Jim. An example of typical evasion. How are we meant to interpret that reply?!
A Political Cluster-Bomb should about do It
That was BRILLIANT.
Key was shown up to be so hopeless. His party wan’t even backing him up.
Big whinge in the Dompost this morning because David Shearer called tod niall (what sort of name is todd) and larry williams by their surnames.
boo bloody hoo.
who do they think they are?
Todd Niall – good (PSA) union member and delegate, and thoroughly good bloke. Also wrote a book about the homegrown NZ car, the Trekka. One of the best guys in the MSM.
Parliament has been in session 2 minutes and someone has already shouted something about God from the public section and Winston and Trevor Mallard (Pretty sure it was him) have been asked to leave the chamber.
Should be an interesting session
EDIT: Mallard left voluntarily left and is back.
Things always get volatile before the meltdown. In any setting.
There has already been someone try to jump from the public gallery.
Those with eyes open will see these as indicators, or ripples, of what is to come ….
Before question time there were a lot of points of order around Peters’ letters to the Speaker regard the PM’s breach of parliamentary privilege. There were objections to the letters being tabled.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822519/House-uproar-as-Key-clarifies-Dotcom-record
i believe they were finally tabled during a later point of order, was it on the third attempt?
The Speaker said the answer from the PM was received yesterday and was to be considered today and it was after this i believe the next request for tabling the letters was not objected to
I’m not sure what happened, but several members of opposition parties defied the Speaker and kept standing to raise a point of order, as the PM was trying to make a statement correcting his previous answers to oral questions. Parker was ejected from the House – Peters also I think.
It is going to be a fun day.
Pity, Peters had the first question and I want to hear the discussion
EDIT: Sorry, it was Shearer on the first question, not Peters
Lock them all in, sprinkle them with hippo pheromones from the gallery and then release Billy the horny hippo into their midst.
Na, not hippo’s, fucking Walrus’s man. Walrus Rape
Ha, ‘rape as behavioural correction’ you guys are so edgy.
No no, walrus rape. It’s very…different.
Take Care (not for juvenile eyes)
No, I just want them all to to at least be seriously injured and humiliated and have it captured on film.
Hippos are great because when worked up they’ll crap all over everyone as well, it would be the best day in parliament ever seen in this country.
Elephant seals?
As long as they’re incontinent.
I certainly wouldn’t consider an elephant seal to be house trained.
New Material?
Time for Crucifixion for bnnt the sacrificial lamb
(play with the “big boys”? )
(“operational matter” this! )
Opinion from NYT: The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent.
The story of Venice’s rise and fall is told by the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, in their book “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” as an illustration of their thesis that what separates successful states from failed ones is whether their governing institutions are inclusive or extractive. Extractive states are controlled by ruling elites whose objective is to extract as much wealth as they can from the rest of society. Inclusive states give everyone access to economic opportunity; often, greater inclusiveness creates more prosperity, which creates an incentive for ever greater inclusiveness.
That’s a kind of strange piece. Essentially then, there is no systemic problem with capitalism/markets. All that’s wrong (and therefore fixable) is a selfish short sightedness on the part of a tiny ruling elite.
I mean, you gotta laugh at some of the claims
Yup. Unless you were and/or are indigenous, black, female, Irish, Latino…..and so on right on down or up to the point where you hit the white male protestant where the borders of the virtuous circle of inclusiveness were historically set.
And as an aside I don’t get the reference to Venice and its shrinking population being made (as though that’sa mark of decline) with absolutely no reference to the Black Death or, with refernce to later centuries, the city’s unique character/location. But hey.
edit. That comment was a response to Joe90’s comment and link….but the entire comment be gone now. Oh well.
I Like It
🙂 (open-minded)
those hispanics be giving the WASP’s a serve shortly though; that’s demographics for ya
No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs-John Lydon
(I could be wrong, …I could be right…may the road rise with you)
Next
Yeah, it’s all Capitalism is great until the capitalists take over and then it’s fucked but it’s still great. Certainly made a hell of a lot of assumptions that bear no resemblance to reality.
Scroll through this;
National appear worn and worried and no second Act
Bnnt admits, she needs to revisit her past
Betrayal (Williamson quoting Zeppelin, well I be f#ck$d) Remember Rohm?
no amount of pastel can soften the piranha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impression_management
you don’t impress me
MIKE BEHRENS for SUPREME JUSTICE (God bless you Mike) now there is a discerning and merciful Judge.
Key; certainly lost his rag / doll
Go Metiria
http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/4E81D2D8-A12B-4C60-A5C2-D9FB8C5BD401/211281/IncomeTaxUniversalisationofInworkTaxCreditAmendmen.pdf
Yet Dunny wants to flush it??
Now this Open Adoption Movement, about freakin Time (read some developmental psychology)
Keys Jokes are just not funny anymore, if they ever were, to more than sycophants.
(now, Pinot Noir (wee anasthetic) and Mainland Tasty ARE something decent we produce)
HONE HARAWIRA AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT (ALBERT ST) APPEARANCE WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 9AM (?)
“Supporters meet outside Auckland District Court at at 8.45am Hone Harawira and others with serious injuries from the protest will be there. Get there if you can…” message from John Minto)
Hone Harawira gets arrested by Police for a purported minor traffic offence – but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party – MP for Epsom John Banks for alleged electoral fraud and ‘white collar’ crime? I’ll be there! Join us if you believe in ONE LAW FOR ALL? And if you oppose ‘ECONOMIC APARTHEID’ and ‘WAR ON THE POOR’?
WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 – AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT
ALBERT ST AUCKLAND CITY:
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Well said Penny 🙂
“but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party”
They couldn’t (though I wish they could).
CRAP.
Police could have charged former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd John Banks (and Don Brash) under s.58(3) of the Securities Act for signing Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 which contained untrue statements.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1978/0103/latest/DLM29406.html
ONE LAW FOR ALL?
How come Peter Huljich was the only one of those 3 Directors who was charged for a STRICT LIABILITY offence?
Corrupt political protection?
For background details – check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz and http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
I assumed you meant the the recent donations scandals which the police couldn’t prosecute.
I’d be more than happy to review any evidence you have of Banks wrong doing in the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme. I don’t know enough about it to make any call of wrong doing so if you could provide me with some evidence of impropriety I would like to see it.
I’ve given you the links for this information.
However – it may require you to do a little work and READ this information?
Please bear in mind that it takes a LOT longer to research and write up this information than it does to read it?
Happy homework 🙂
For background details – check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz and http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Penny Bright
This is called ‘elephant hurling’, where in you direct the person asking the question to massive volumes of your own data.
Specifically I am wondering about the links you used to draw your conclusions, not links to your own conclusion.
Sure you’re not just being lazy?
🙂
You could always try reading the above-mentioned Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 – which I’ve taken the trouble to make available for public perusal?
Hardly ‘my’ data?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
No it’s called elephant hurling.
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks. This is no way a testament to their character on my part, I am merely trying to establish what evidence you have that charges should have been forthcoming and/or the police/judiciary somehow acted with impropriety.
“I don’t like them” or “They were obviously guilty” aren’t good enough, I’m afraid. Only evidence will work. This is in no way a defence of Banks mind you, I dislike him quite strongly.
TheComedian
That’s meant to be a joke… Right? The relevant law that you have obviously not bothered to read states:
I hope that wasn’t too much reading for your delicate sensibilities TC. We wouldn’t want you to strain yourself and do an injury. You wouldn’t be such an effective apologist for old corrupt bastards then eh!
And Hullich was charged.
Apparently he can now remember the presence of a video camera, but he cannot remember the, more important, contents of a presentation.
Somewhere in the mix he has stated he remembered being advised that the presentation would not be recorded, yet those same charges have done a “full” review of the period in question (having said previously that it wouldn’t be recorded???) Confused Mmmmm – selective memory.
John Key ordered the investigation, he’s culpible no one else.
Late Edition last night RNZ, if any recording turns up of Key on February 29 2012 in the GCSB cafeteria it does not get destroyed, it gets archived.
I reckon the archives would be the first place to visit.
Is it permissible for Key to have any information destroyed held by the GCSB?
Not permissable no, not even in accordance with Information Tracking Procedures either.
They keep everything, that’s how it works.
I am sure anything prior to 19 January 2012 regarding Key discussing Dotcom will have a very secure archive.
When people like Sir Jeffery Palmer come out and say what the relationship between the PM and the GCSB is like, in a heart beat I am not fooled.
Can I prove it? No.
Does this make me wrong? No
When it comes to probability did Key know about Dotcom prior to 19 January 2012? Yes
Yes, it appears all very odd to set up a camera and not record…I believe they said there was a camera on a tripod set up….
A Sustainable Energy Future For NZ (without the hot air) – An Update
Well, at least somebody is asking the right questions. Pity it’s not the government.
Yes we can survive.
They’re called “Brownouts”and “Power Flicker”.
They’ll take care of the consumption problem nicely M8.
The stove and the water heater will keep working … digital stuff i’ll be toast, and flicker will kill the TV as well.
Heaps of recycled electronic goods as well, worth thinking about 🙂
Rolling black outs mate, easier on the electronics than brown outs.
Big market in surge protectors and UPS’s in the future I bet.
Related.
http://energybulletin.net/stories/2012-01-13/will-new-zealand-be-first-developed-country-evolve-steady-state-economy
Pop-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_(psychology)
Next? (I am just being n0rty now)
🙂
(he’s not the messiah, he’s just a naughty boy)
🙂
Johny Sparkles defined by Wikipedia, Who’d a thought?
They always get a “Glow on” when Freud is mentioned
I propose a new Thesis ….
“The Power of Vacuum” a study of Johny Sparkles 🙂
Power fills a vacuum
🙂
(and not “personal power” either; collective power)
Pride b4 fall, or bloated explosion with apology?
Vacuum far outweighs everything else in this Universe.
No one else is gonna call it yet, I’m going with Landslide Labour/Greens/Mana/NZFirst myself.
Not me. Don’t know. It is Shearer’s fault. It is Ira’s fault. Not my job to oversee Spy agencies. Don’t know what Projection means and don’t want to know.
Lies within lies, on top of lies. Lies flanked and protected by lies. Lies about lying, lies about spying.
John Banks publicly stated that he had “nothing to fear, nothing to hide,” over the donations scandal.
Nothing to fear?
Nothing to hide?
As it turns out, John Banks did fear something, and in contrast to his public assertion that he had nothing to hide, asked the police to keep their investigation into his Mayoral donations hidden from the public.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822867/Banks-fought-Dotcom-file-release
John Key said he would have no confidence in John Banks as Minister if he found he had lied to him.
Now that solid proof has come out that Banks lied in claiming that he didn’t ask the police to suppress evidence arising from the police investigation into his mayoral campaign donations.
Will John Key act on his promise in relation to John Banks as a Minister?
Or was that a lie?
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom?
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying?
Without a doubt John Banks is a proven liar.
But is the Prime Minister a liar?
Time will tell. If after this latest revelation John Key keeps John Banks as a Minister in his government.
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom? Yes!
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying? Yes!
And the reason they’re both lying through their teeth is because both have so much more to hide.
Apart from the fact Key still needs Banks’ vote etc., he will keep Banks as a Minister in his government because Banksie knows where the bodies are buried.
India Inc.
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/in-india-gm-crops-come-at-a-high-price/?
and while ” we “are all being so popularly precious about Gender in the West
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1015/breaking56.html?
(pray for the young girl shot in the head)
Why do you not take your “whine” some place else?
‘What the hell was that’ ‘I want to see all you children in my office next school day’
Supposedly intelligent,articulate,bright (debateable) set of parliament ministers,pm and
the speaker launch into what could be described as a ‘free for all ‘ forget the fists,
words will do,a scene of total disobediance.
But hey, shonkey did admit he talked dotcom at the feb 29th meeting,phew, now
we wait and see if there are any dates earlier than 29th feb……….
Maybe Shearer should stay leader: the ‘tape’ story is getting obliterated by the MSD story, which is then bleeding into a wider data-trust narrative.
Labour needs a leader who can fuck up, AND be lucky. Yes?
Stuff is running a poll asking ‘How is the Government doing?’
On this link
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822867/Banks-fought-Dotcom-file-release
Presently
22.5% well
73 % not well
4.5 % don’t care
Feel free to add your vote…………
“Not well” is rather polite.
Landslide on the Net M8!
Anyone know what the fracas at the beginning of Question Time was all about. Two ordered out of House. Trevor chose to walk out.Something about the PM- letter about PM sent by Winston to the Leader- issue before the Parliamentary or Privileges Committee- Key’s response received yesterday. What the!!!!
Anyone?
Wasn’t is something to do with some letters??
I don’t know either, but it was obviously something of some importance.as Winston was prepared to lose his question for it.
The letter to the Speaker was sent on the 5 October(?) and again 15 October(?) and concerned John Key and maybe the Privileges Committee. If my half heard version is so, then the irony is obvious. Key having Peters in front of Priv Committee in 08. What if Peters now has Key up before the Priv Committee???? Forgive me. Probably got it wrong.
Here is the start of Question time:
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/15472
It was something to do with Key’s personal statement. It seems he got up to make it without first asking for a ‘point of order’. God knows why Winnie et al got their knickers in a twist. Some nuance of which I’m not familiar.
I think Winston Peters has sent a letter to the Speaker accusing John Key of a breach of parliamentary privilege. Lockwood Smith has yet to rule on whether there is a case to be answered. We all know what the answer will probably be.
Key never spoke a word , the speaker spoke the words “point of order” for him.
Engineered denial …… Go Winston Peters and Others!
I think that there are rules to be followed. Can’t be a majority decision of the House otherwise no charge could ever be laid against the Government. Watch this space!
They wanted to raise a point of order and Key wanted to make a personal information. Points of order trump everything else and should have been considered first.
They were just playing stupid political games for no apparent reason. Most people grow out of that when they get to college.
Wrong. They were calling for points of order, and as micky says they should have been acknowledged immediately.
What Lockwood allowed Key to do there was disgraceful and a gross insult to the entire house, and by extension to all of New Zealand.
If you knew anything about parliament you wouldn’t need this explained to you. Lockwood knew he was wrong too, that’s why his voice was breaking.
Yes, disgraceful.
It is starting to feel like the government is close to breaking point.
Thanks for that felix. I think I see what happened now. After the House stood and clapped for the Cook Island Speaker, everyone sat down with the exception of John Key who remained standing and started to launch into his personal statement without going through established protocol as set down by the House rules (Standing Orders) and without so much as a bat of an eyelid from the Speaker.
Pre-arranged? I expect so. Disgraceful and totally underhand!
@micky, Isn’t it usual for the politicians to ask for leave of the house to make a personal
statement, in such circumstances and lockwood does protects the right too often.
There should be an independant speaker,outside of any political party,perhaps
a retired judge etc.
@ianmac, It was bleedin hard to tell really,it wasn’t what i got my coffee and a chocky biky for,key said he talked kim on the 29th feb,it all happened so quick even the mic couldn’t keep up.
this government just wants to make it up as it goes along.
they dont believe in government anyway.
Has anyone asked this question?
When was the PM approached by the US authorities (channels of US administration) to request /advise him that an operation was desirable in New Zealand? At what level and at which meeting in the year(s) prior to the raid in February 2012 did the US departments approach the PM of New Zealand?
If nothing else, it beggars belief that the leader of a friendly sovereign state would not be approached by a very high level delegation prior to their operatives working in that foreign state.
Just trying to imagine similar circumstances in other “friendly” nations of the world?
Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, South Africa, Germany … Sweden, mmmmmmm, nah.
Ah, yes … it was during the heady days of the appearance on the Letterman Show. No wonder he forgot.
It was no doubt a standard request under the extradition treaty NZ has with the US. The PM would not need to be involved although he may have been advised as a matter of courtesy.
Is this a treaty we should ignore? Are there other treaties we can ignore?
Whilst it’s true a standard request would have been investigated and dismissed once residency was attained, they arrested him anyway …… why would they do that buddy???
The goal was reached when Megaupload was closed down. The US are not interested in side show Key, keystone cops and are probably laughing at the GCSB/SIS for being so gullible.
They obviously have a “Debt Recovery” mentality/agenda.
For some reason they think a “Difference Caching” engine is grounds for “Informed copyright Infringement”
Which ultimately means because Megaupload cranked the time to live on those files upto 100 years, (Which most ISP’s will do to save backbone data), has made them a target of the US law enforcement trying to recover “Missing Transactions” for “Projected” film sales.
They’ll lose bud, the above is “The Case”, they know it too, so why is Dotcom on bail again?
What? dotCom having residency has nothing to do with whether he is able to be extradited or not. Otherwise it would already all be over. But DotCom does still have to go and argue his case as to why he shouldn’t be extradited. And he might not win.
Yeah, but these were US officers operating in a friendly state. Not just NZ officers executing an arrest and extradition. That would surely involve keeping the PM informed.
So, Southland anti-choicers have decided to “name and shame” abortion providers. I had a little play with the idea of naming and shaming other medical providers, and came up with #namethedentists.
How about name and shame the anti-choicers?
That would only work if there were widespread societal stigma against being moralising wankers who try to endanger people’s health so they can feed their superiority complexes.
Actually, it would only work if the moralising wankers could be made to feel shame about being moralising wankers. I doubt that this is possible.
Funny how you shriek about Rights! Rights! Rights! for gay ‘marriage’. Wax lyrical about “My Love Rights!”
Then kill off an unborn child because it’s “inconvenient for my career”.
or because you were raped by your father.
Extreme example there, but thats ok, I’m not against abortion in certain situations. Just not interested in that gender bigot feminist extremism that wants abortion on demand.
So, just to be clear, there’s not actually a moral issue with “killing off an unborn child” as long as you, k_p, think the circumstances warrant it?
😉
And now Banks has been proven to be lying while a minister.
So, will Key hold Banks to account? Na, of course not.