Ahhh the oh you said really vile stuff – without linking. Feel free to do so.
So I think labour will try a cover up? I think they have already started. Heard lots more on Twitter but have not mentioned here (for obvious reasons) but if any of it’s true – it’s not going to be good.
But typical of some people – I call out someone for calling multiple sexual assaults “a bit of groping” and you attack me. You seem to be quite the apologist
Your a creepy liar James ….. here’s a link …. https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-home-of-rugby-raping-and-beer/ , in this one you keep on insisting a stripper,…. who was the victim of drunken rugby players hitting her , groping her ….and then throwing stones at her … is a hair-dresser….
You appear / pretend to think it’s dishonest for a person hired as a stripper ….. to do stripping …. should be referred to as a stripper. You make a creepy little dance about it …. Do explain James
In this link I remember why I liked OAB and Psycho Milt … with some of the best black humor on some sickening behavior …. Despite the seriousness of the subject their posts were appropriate …. unlike yours James .
Your also a liar and big hypocrite for calling me or Mutton Bird apologists …
Muttonbird justt like myself ….. would be all for ANY offender being appropriatly chargfed , prosecuted and named … Unlike you James
Not sure I wanted to be reminded of that ugly post about the Waikato rugby chiefs, reason, but well done, and well said, pointing out the political opportunism and the lies of james.
The victims come first. They always should. I said when this started, we should all shut up, (well us men anyway) and let the victims speak for themselves – if they want to, if they want to say nothing, that’s fine too.
Insted it became somewhat of a partisan knife fight at the victims expense. With some who have been in deep down in the gutter, trying to get some moral high ground at the expense of people who need us to back off, and let them make the choices they want to make.
Enough from me, I’m for giving the people involved some space to get this sorted, properly.
Is there anything in this link which reveals something of what’s behind the ‘cover-up’? I realise the article in the link was published nine days after The Standard story.
Thanks for wasting my time on that Herald pile of crap Pete …
It reads like a Herald dirty politics hit piece ( right time frame ),… . and is a long winded one eyed version of “she’s a liar”.
Which was the chiefs initial response … which the Herald left out of their pro rugby defense …. like a shitload of other damaging information unfavorable to the chiefs cover-up … all left out.
Imagine how low our arrest rates would be …. If criminals got to investigate themselves. Pete.
And for good PR the criminals got to ‘Leak’ their self investigation to an active supporter in the media … and its reported as truth.
Besides, the Herald snow job runs counter to my rugby source / information … which informed me ….that protecting the all black ‘brand’ ( corporate multi million sponsorship), was behind the Waikato chiefs coverup.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
But this site has been through this shit before … and just Like Roastbuster or Clint Rickards …. it brings out the worst in some men.
Mansplaining with the bias of defense lawyers…. bringing the friendly NZ ambiance … of rape culture.
Leave it alone Pete …
“As for NZ Rugby wanting the truth? If they had, they would have spoken to BOTH women who made allegations against the Chiefs, and wouldn’t have had their pet in-house lawyer run the investigation.
By any objective measure, this whole thing stinks, and only the people who desperately, desperately don’t want to confront the reality of violence against women cry otherwise.” -Stephanie Rodgers https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-home-of-rugby-raping-and-beer/
Talking to independent people who were there and watching video footage was a stupid thing to do. It’s far better to get the truth by making it up. Or building it on the base of stuff other people have made up.
My interest in the upshot of this business came when I quite randomly ended up talking to someone, nothing to do with the rugby establishment, who was there. The way the topic arose was completely incidental and accidental. Of course your rugby source / information … which informed you, could clearly describe what happened from direct observation. In contrast to my source who could clearly describe what happened from direct observation.
I sense your level of being incensed with the call to ‘leave it alone.’ It reminds me of the sense of bewilderment and annoyance of an eye-witness who has seen deliberate grabbing of the wrong ends of sticks to continue untruths because it suits some purpose.
I think James has become much more aware now we have a change of government and his friend the Ponty tail puller is no longer PM. Shades of Bill Clinton and the way the partisan media hammered him but just dont seem to care about the horrific acts of abuse committed by their hero Trump. James you should take a deep breath and stop listening to talk back or whale oil. Listen to the movie “the brainwashing of my Dad” if you want to understand what has happened to you.
And yet you run around doing the opposite all the time.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[just spending time going through and shifting your trolling out of a thread into OM. I was going to give you a warning, but you’ve been warned before and there are far too many comments like this for me to have to be dealing with on a Saturday morning, and this is a clear pattern of behaviour from you over time, so here’s a one week ban. I suggest you have a serious think about how you want to be here when you get back, as next time the ban will be a much longer one. You need to get that this place doesn’t exist for your trolling or taking pot shots at commenters you don’t like. Stop winding people up and go back to the politics. Whether you get a warning before a long ban next time will depend on how you acknowledge this note and your pattern of behaviour when you return. – weka]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[you are also getting a ban. As with James I was going to give a warning first, but the amount of time I’ve just had to spend sifting through comments to more your trolling and see the patterns of behaviour is way too much. You have a 1 week ban recently, so this one is a two week ban. See how that works? You’ve been complaining about people hassling your, but as far as I can see today you are the one also doing the hassling. Stop winding people up, focus on the politics. Also, stop with the spamming videos, you’ve been warned about this multiple times before. As with James’ mod note, whether you get a warning next time before a longer ban will depend on how you respond to this one and what your behaviour is like when you return. As always, demands on moderator time are a big factor too – weka]
Sign of the times, B level economists, hiring C level economists and probably the work done by legions of work experience students or interns for next to nothing.
If your government economists can’t add, something is wrong.
The average person knows that it is increasingly propaganda out of government and the conclusions are often fictional or flawed.
Whoever deemed 1 hour of work means you are employed as a statistic, is clearly either a fool or a right wing apologist. And neither should be employed by government and used to create policy.
I haven’t really looked at this but I thought they were blaming this on an error in the coding of a computer program.
If that is the case we should blame it on the programmer rather than just pin it on Economists.
Well, that’s not entirely true… it suggests a rudimentary lack of awareness that a >25% error is not immediately noticed by those preparing the report.
A succession of errors… modern times we just shrug it off ….. accidents happen. That’s why we have poverty, fake stats, Pike river, and overseas we have Trump and new bridges falling down ( we have had our own CTV building), or May and the Grenfell towers.
Sadly people who allow gross mistakes to happen under their watch also effect a lot of people through bad policy which is why I think those in those positions should not get away with blaming it on the IT guy.
If the IT guys now the provider of treasury policy including all the checks of accuracy of reports, maybe they should get a pay rise.
Also police need to check our laws about privacy… Nicky Hager, stopping conference members, isn’t there enough crimes out there to solve without illegally using the law for political purposes or invading the privacy of people who have not committed any crimes.
Complaint about the Police use of vehicle checkpoint
This has stuck in my craw for a while.
I am not a fan of euthanasia.
Police were wrong in their action setting up a checkpoint, then the claim of concern for the welfare of citizens reeks of spin.
Then, to top it all off, to hear a police spokesperson claim to be keeping citizens safe, in the wake of further deaths following a police pursuit, stinks.
While acknowledging a range of causes the following article suggests one factor that may be significant….motivation, or the lack of….something our very own recent government promoted as an issue (while ignoring the likely cause)…and goes some way to explaining an apparent lack of pride in that which is done (construction industry anyone?) or expressed differently…poor quality, both of decision and action.
With advances in technology and automation the fact remains that people are still a major productivity factor, indeed the key one…..is it surprising then that’ hope’ may play a key role?
“The final option is neglect. If you don’t think there is the possibility of retiring in the future, some workers ask, then why put any effort into working now? Opting for neglect is quite simply – you go to work, switch on the computer and then spend your days doing things that any retired person would do: read the newspaper, fill in the crossword, chat with acquaintances over coffee and biscuits. This kind of “empty labour” is increasingly common in many organisations. As the prospect of a real retirement begins to fade, it is likely unofficial semi-retirements will become more popular. If this happens, workplaces will become like clandestine retirement villages for the working young.”
Oh the allegations of me making huge racist statements that you have refused to link to every time I have asked.
Its an easy cop out (if a dishonest one) every time you get a question you cannot answer to….
Just because people say things that you disagree with and find repugnant (like you wanting to shut down funding to Heart kids and alzheimer’s society) – dosnt mean you cannot have a discussion.
@James.
You shouldn’t feel that you are being picked out by Ed.
He never answers anyone who queries the source of his claims.
Mostly, I suspect, because the only source of the things he says is his somewhat over-excited imagination.
I’ve never had a response to any of the questions I ask him either.
But these bozos have “common sense”
They’re armed with all the unthinking predigested unchallenged talking points of the corporate media which always, apart from the fig leaf of a very few “dissenters” backs up the foreign policy agendas of the powerful.Indistinguishable from the agendas of the huge moneyed interests of the world
Honestly Ed, I’ve wasted too much time engaging with them.
But keep putting out those links
Thank you for your support. I have vowed to myself not to respond to the right wing trolls who frequent this site. Similarly, I waste too much time on them.
In New Zealand, it is hard to find the other narrative to the neoconservative story.
All the media, including RNZ, are running the British and American lines without any critical thinking.
In New Zealand, it is hard to find the other narrative to the neoconservative story.
And yet you’re in New Zealand but somehow manage to bombard The Standard with cut-n-paste after cut-n-paste of these “other narratives,” which are in fact as easy to find by anyone else in New Zealand as they are for you.
“I’d actually rip their throats out for doing that, if it was my kid, I really would” – Judith Collins commenting re Labour camp sex assult vics and what she would co if it were her child.
If only she gave half a shit as justice minister when she could have brought fairness for sex victims in the court system.
Personally feel the Labour conference issues totally blown out of proportion, far worse things going on, this is a distraction. Find the offender and give them whatever is the appropriate sentence and clearly future conferences should not be turned into frat parties!
Killing 3 year old and other people overseas vs weirdo putting his hands down 16+ year olds boys and girls pants. Well I know which one I think is worse.
Jeepers james, there are many many people that need to be held to account for their actions, law firms as well. One night I woke up with my boyfriends mates head between my legs, never said a word about it.
So much is unsaid. Big picture is… people find it so hard to come forward, want to get political.. at least those at the youth camp had the confidence and felt they were in an environment where they could say something, without being told they were making it up etc.
Don’t make this a pissing contest about who said what, or who as changed their mind after thinking about it, or upon being presented more or different information. All of that completely misses the point.
I don’t know that the blood rels even count. It’s all about Judith and her showing how strong and decisive she is, with little sensitivity to the survivors or how they want the situation to be managed.
And it was Collins who resisted law changes to make it less stressful for alleged rape and sexual assault survivors.
Back around 2012, Collins inherited well formulated proposals Simon Power had been working on. The proposals aimed at changing the system from more combative, stressful trials (focused on a contest between survivor and alleged perp) to an inquisitorial system in which a judge follows the evidence.
A proposal to get rid of jurors for sensitive court cases involving children or victims of sexual assault has been shelved by Justice Minister Judith Collins.
The minister said she had no interest in progressing her predecessor Simon Power’s plan to introduce an inquisitorial system in New Zealand.
Mr Power, a more liberal member of the National Party caucus, had been interested in an alternative trials process and visited courts in Europe to investigate a system in which judges were able to interview victims of sexual crimes, get assistance from specially trained jurors, or come to a verdict without a jury.
The inquisitorial model was designed to protect victims or children from the pressure and stress of appearing in the courtroom.
The recommendations include that judges, prosecution and defence lawyers and jurors involved in sexual offence cases undergo specialist training, and for sexual offence cases to be heard more quickly. Some of the other recommendations draw on models from inquisitorial systems.
Turei did not of course, as you imply, resign from Parliament.
She stayed there until the people of the electorate in which she stood had more sense than to choose her to remain in Parliament after the 2017 General Election.
She also kept collecting her very generous pay for another 3 months after the election.
Turei did nothing differently to Collins.
Turei resigned as co-leader of the Green Party.
Collins resigned from Cabinet.
Turei did NOT resign from Parliament.
Collins did NOT resign from Parliament.
The only people who did things differently were the voters.
The voters chose to return Collins to Parliament.
The voters chose NOT to return Turei to Parliament
Good evening, Alwyn. A fine comment except for this bit:
The voters chose NOT to return Turei to Parliament
Metiria Turei resigned from the Green Party list on 9 August 2017 and decided to campaign for the party vote only in Te Tai Tonga. [my bold]
Given the short time to muster an effective campaign Metiria Turei actually did remarkably well. She got 5,740 votes while the Green Party only got 1,963 votes (which was much less than in the previous election in 2014 when it got 3,402 votes). During that short period leading up to the election the polls were not favouring the Green Party and it looked like they were going to disappear from Parliament altogether. So, in my view, a remarkable result for Metiria Turei.
She did not WIN.
Now what is there in the statement you appear to be objecting to that is wrong?
“The voters chose NOT to return Turei to Parliament”.
An absolutely accurate statement isn’t it?
There were a lot of candidates who chose not to go on the list for their party. All the Labour candidates in the Maori electorates except for Davis stood only for their electorate positions and they all won.
Including, of course, Rino Tirikatene who thrashed Meteria.
Collins on the other hand did win and is still in Parliament.
It might be remarkable vote she got but it has not the slightest effect on what I think.
FIFY
Your claim is also wrong. She did not campaign only for the party vote. She campaigned for the electorate MP vote as well. Otherwise she couldn’t have got any votes at all could she? [my bolds]
So close, yet so far. Indeed, without standing she could not have got any votes; she was aiming for party votes but got more candidate votes. This does not make my claim wrong, which was in fact not a ‘claim’ but what she had said.
She did not WIN.
Winning vs losing; simplistic and false dichotomy given that she did not intend to come back to Parliament. I don’t see Metiria Turei as a “loser” but you seem to see it differently: not winning is losing.
Since you appear to completely ignore the context all the other stuff you mentioned about Labour candidates is simply false equivalence to suit your biased opinion. The key point of my comment was to highlight your bias but it went ‘whoosh’; I gave you more credit than you deserve it seems …
Really?
You claim that she did not campaign for the candidate vote?
Your statement was
“Metiria Turei resigned from the Green Party list on 9 August 2017 and decided to campaign for the party vote only in Te Tai Tonga”
She may have said things like that in previous elections, when she knew she was going to get in on the list but it was NOT what she said in 2017, when winning the electorate was he only way back to the trough. She even said in fact that this time (2017) she wanted to be elected to represent the electorate and that aim was new.
What she did say was
‘“The Green Party wants the party vote, and if you think that I’m your best representative, then give me your electorate vote as well,” said Turei, “That is a new message from me at this election and hasn’t been heard before.
“I’m really excited about our campaign. There’s only 20 points in it – if you actually look at it seriously – between the three candidates and I think that in a month anything is possible.”’
I cannot tell whether she really wanted to get back in Parliament or was campaigning hard for the Green Party vote in the electorate; during election campaigns you do what’s necessary to get the votes you’re targeting. If you think that’s “delusional” I’m fine with that. It still changes nothing about your obvious bias but I’ve come to accept that as well 😉
Yeah, well I think a direct quote from her at an election debate in September is rather better evidence of her real intentions than a single line, not actually attributed to her, on the day she had to step down as party leader.
It was also before she probably realised that she was going to be out in the cold without a job and without a very generous salary within five months.
That was the day that she was about to be blown up on air by John Campbell who apparently had statements from her child’s father’s family about all the support that had provided.
She was going to be shown up not only as a person guilty of fraud but as a liar who was only too happy to smear her “in-laws” reputation all over the media.
Not surprising is it that she was desperately looking for cover and looking for a way to persuade Campbell not to air the truth?
If by “bias” you mean that I thought she was a rat-bag you would be right.
If by “bias” you mean that I prefer that my politicians are honest you would be right.
If by “bias” you mean that I tend to vote for parties that display competence you are right.
If by “bias” you mean I prefer politicians who work for New Zealand rather than their own baubles you are right.
On the other hand if by “bias” you mean that I will vote unthinkingly for, or against, a particular political party you are totally wrong.
Personally, I doubt that Metiria Turei thought, even for one moment, that she could win that electorate. I also think that she said what she had to say to campaign hard for the Green Party vote (which was rather unsuccessful I should add).
You seem to think that bias only manifest in specifics. But this is the insidious danger of bias: it clouds one’s opinion, expectations, (emotional) reactions, and thinking. The specific examples you list are just the tip of the iceberg; the danger is underneath the surface and out of (your) sight. One more thing, bias is notoriously hard to detect, in oneself.
I don’t know about the rest of the recommendations but I think any prospective juror would welcome getting rid of juries.
I was on one once in a case against someone accused of being a paedophile.
It was a bloody terrible experience being a juror and having to listen to all the evidence.
The only pleasant bit was at the end where we were told we wouldn’t be called again for jury service for 5 years.
Yes, I did, although in this case it was a little boy of about 4.
He was treated about as well as he could have been with any questions going through the judge.
Imagine if there were ways to stop people from commiting crimes against children, or protecting more than we do. Oh that is right there are but the right, and some on the left like the fist on the table lock em up and throw away the key BS, cos that makes the wealthy and wannabe wealthy feel all confy and cosy.
I know an organisation that deals with paedophiles referred from Court, usually as a condition of release. This organisation has 92% of its clients NOT sexually reoffending. They also take self referrals ( yes it is a thing). We are resourcing this org really well, paying their staff really well and replicating what they do everywhere, right. Wrong.
The smug self righteousness is a direct response to the lecturing and harangued tones the left take towards the right for, in the light of what’s come out, less offensive behaviour than the criticism has warranted.
Another sign of the times – even if you are found guilty of exploiting migrant workers the penalties are puny and you are only stopped from sponsoring foreigners for work visas for periods of between six months and two years!
Only a few months and you can reoffend and exploit someone else! These are not high skilled jobs and completely unnecessary for the economy, the government is complicit in the scams by not closing it down!
Surely it should be a life ban for gods sake and a $100,000 fine! Why would you stop underpaying workers if your fine is $40k for multiple discovered breaches over years, especially as the migrant workers unions are reporting wide spread schemes of employers demanding untraceable money from their ‘workers’.
It’s about time that these visas for jobs are stopped. If students want to come to NZ to study great, – but have it transparent and no fake jobs at the end of it!
We have Kiwi students with huge debts who can’t get any part time work anymore, cafes, burger/ restaurants, petrol stations, supermarkets all used to employ Kiwis student workers, part time workers like parents and I don’t remember widespread employment breaches and Kiwis being asked to pay for the job! There are plenty of local Indian students these restaurants can employ if they want to discriminate.
Before government says we get $500 million from overseas students coming here, then calculate the costs because that money is spent in NZ on rent, cars, petrol and food and possibly a bit of travel thrown in. Then it seems like health, roads, infrastructure and subsidised wages and employment inspectors and legal action are paid for by tax payers. All while our NZ workers are unemployed and getting into debt and the tax payers are subsidising that too.
Foreign students should just come here for study only. No working visas so the fake jobs become defunct.
Clearly the fake jobs for grads schemes needs to stop! It’s out and out exploitation and the students are being lured here by false pretences to be exploited.
The government does not seem to care about it, because they like the idea of the $500 million coming in, even if in real terms it costs the country triple that in problems, contributes to unemployment and low wages and is based on lies to the students by their agents and NZ resident employers.
If a person can barely survive and being forced at $2 p/h and living in overcrowded rooms while studying are they really bringing in all this cash. Now the concerned groups are also concerned about them being forced into crime.
It is completely normal to provide proof of income by just borrowing the money or just getting a short term bank loan. Then all these people are coming to NZ penniless after paying their ‘tertiary fees’ only to find that jobs are scarce here and exploitation rife.
At least the government need to update their pathetic checks on whose coming and can they support themselves because a short term loan is not income or money!
In my view there is a market for legitimate overseas student study in NZ in particular from Chinese with high quality NZ courses!
Where overseas students can actually learn English and also the western way of business (or whatever the course is) and where the Chinese students get looked after properly, learn about western life and business and learn excellent English. It is very difficult to get into Chinese universities for example and so parents (I think) would gladly pay for quality!
Why does NZ always go for the scams and not the quality! We don’t need to give away job visas and fake jobs, the students will come IF NZ works on quality courses, genuine hospitality and getting quality applicants.
They are NOT going to come if NZ gets a reputation for fake courses and fake degrees and exploitation and bums on seats, which is where we are going at the moment.
Soon even the Kiwis will have to leave home and do another degree overseas so they have a quality qualification because quality is not the objective in tertiary any more.
There are too many NZ degrees and diplomas that are crap, or are passing crap students who go into the work force and are crap with a NZ qualification.
MBIE’s report said having 10,000 fewer international students would mean $70m lost revenue from tuition fees and an estimated economic impact of $261m per year – assuming changes to work rights are successfully targeted at the “lower-value” tertiary sector. International enrolments at private tertiary colleges dropped by about 10,000 after English-language requirements were tightened in 2015 and 2017.
I would favour regulations to limit any full-time enrolled student working to max. 500 hour per year, i.e. roughly 10 hours per week. You’d have to ask whether any more than that would be detrimental to full-time study.
Yes, I think savenz would have been better off just saying money coming in. At least then they wouldn’t have had the appearance of pulling figures out of their arse.
They do have a point in that the costs may actually be greater than the money brought in.
To be fair DTB, savenz has provided a link at 13.1.1.1.1 to a RNZ article dated 20 November 2017 by John Gerritsen , their Education Correspondent, quoting a figure of $500 million.
However, in 13.1.1 savenz quotes this figure in this context: Before government says we get $500 million from overseas students coming here, …”
The actual article quotes this figure as coming from Wayne Dyer, chairperson of English New Zealand, “the peak body for language schools” – not the government per se. My Dyer is also quoted as saying that this figure was provided by Infometrics.
ie ” The schools have warned that cutting work rights for their students would kill enrolments from some countries overnight and damage an industry worth $500 million a year.
The chairperson of English New Zealand, the peak body for language schools, Wayne Dyer, said the Labour Party policy was aimed at stopping fraud and exploitation mostly involving Indian students enrolled in business courses.
“The English language sector is a completely different sector from the PTE [private training establishment] sector. The students are different, their reasons for coming are different. The level of risk associated with the schools is very, very low. NZQA and Immigration New Zealand don’t see language schools as a risk at all,” he said
…
Mr Dyer said Infometrics had calculated that language students contributed about $500 million to the economy and their general spending was about 10 times higher than the amounts they paid in tuition fees.”
While I am somewhat sceptical about some of savenz’s claims etc in their many comments over many subjects, on this occasion this figure was definitely not, or appearing to be, “pulled from their arse” as you so indelicately put it.
least then they wouldn’t have had the appearance of pulling figures out of their arse.
Easy to do with immigrant workers here for the apple season, shove them all into a house, charge the earth, jam as many workers as you can into that house, and offset it against their wages. $$$$$$$$$$$ They won’t complain. It’s totally normal around these parts.
I pretty sure the illegal Malaysians just got busted because their wages were too high and their illegal workers didn’t feel exploited on $20 – $40 p/h. Oh also they had a muslim wife.
I mean $2 p/h and paying $20k each year for the job is the going rate for a semi legitimate job permit! No undercutting!
A Chinese person was saying, they just get people in China ‘from the country’ and give them a quick training session and then have them in gangs on the building sites.
Then we wonder why building costs so much, takes so long and needs so much remedial work.
Our NZ government is a mile from thinking about or discussing this topic – even though the power of the super rich and gross inequality completely dominates New Zealand’s political, social and economic life.
Heard a story today. A woman with cerebral palsy has been planning to walk up mt maunganui for her birthday. Has received some local coverage.
She was at the start of her walk and a guy in slacks, with some camera people appeared with some walking shoes and announced he was here to walk with her if that was okay with her. She said it was not. That the day was about her.
(easier to follow with a twitter account I think, you can set up a dummy one that will make the tweets easier to read, you don’t have to actually tweet anything).
I don’t actually have a Twitter account but read many Twitter accounts often daily.
By not having an account, you don’t have to follow an account to read it – and cannnot be unfollowed/banned.
I am not sure what the timelines etc look like when you have an account, but you can read the threads behind individual comments by clicking on the date or time on the same line as the name of the commenter. This brings up the thread.
For example Chloe has just retweeted your reply to her which, using your first link to her full Twitter account, shows
weka @wekatweets ……….6 min. If you click the 6 min it brings up the thread.
The two other links bring up the threads despite my not having an account.
The only problem I have ever encountered is that some time ago I had problems bringing up some but not all “Tweets and replies” on my PC which only brought up Tweets. But no problems on my Ipad with Tweets and Replies because the Ipad gets the Mobile version of the account.
So if I want to see the Tweets and Replies on my PC, I pull up the account on my Ipad which brings up the mobile version of the account ; then bookmark that to my synchronised Bookmarks and then the mobile version with Tweets and Replies comes up on my PC whenever I access the Bookmark.
Hope that helps anyone who doesn’t want any form of Twitter account. (I don’t as I know I don’t have the discipline to not get addicted!)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When the GOP took full control of Oklahoma government after the 2010 election, lawmakers set out to make it a model of Republican principles, with lower taxes, lighter regulation and a raft of business-friendly reforms.
Conservatives passed all of it, setting in motion a grand experiment. Now it’s time for another big election, but instead of campaigning on eight years of achievements, Republicans are confronting chaos and crisis. Agency budgets that were cut during the Great Recession have been slashed even deeper. Rural hospitals are closing, and teachers are considering a statewide strike over low wages.
“I’m not scared to say it, because I love Oklahoma, and we are dying,” said Republican state Rep. Leslie Osborn. “I truly believe the situation is dire.”
Oklahoma’s woes offer the ultimate cautionary tale for other states considering trickle-down economic reforms. The outlook is so grim that some Republicans are willing to consider the ultimate heresy: raising taxes to fund education and health care, an idea that was once the exclusive province of Democrats.
Have to say rather impressed with Phil Twyford today. I know shock, horror, as I’ve always been a bit of a critic of that West Auckland MP.
He turned up to a disability housing hui here in Auckland, and took the time to listen. He sat with the deaf group doing the discussion session and picked up the salient points. Better than the last minister for housing who turned up got bored, and was more than mildly rude.
He made no promises, which is somthing I really respect. We don’t need anymore unfulfilled promises. Actually, he did make one promise, to keeping the dialogue ongoing. He also took into account the diversity within the disabled community and their needs. So the word accessible means different things in different situations. On the table is the need to make many more house accessible, as there will be an explosion of need for accessible houses, especially with our aging population.
Some of us pushed the tenancy for life for Housing New Zealand residents, he listened and smiled. Which was nice, rather than scoff when put to certain ministers in the last government. I think on this one, people should email him often.
Twyford accepts there is a Housing Crisis (market failure) in Auckland. It is a complex beast and this is a minister who is looking at a lot of different solutions.
You can tell there has been a change of government. This lot are not so arrogant. I’ll still be critical of Twyford when he deserves it, but not today. He is doing a good job. Not rushing, and not buying into the creepy gotcha politics of our wayward Tories.
Carmel Sepuloni as the Minister for Disabled was also supposed to be there today, but she was unable to make it. Shame, as she has a good brain around disabled issues. I would have liked to get her take.
My partner pointed out Twyford and his associate from MSD both had shocked looks on their faces when some basic math was pointed out to them. To retrofit a house to make it assessable is on average 100,000 dollars. To do make most houses assessable during building is only around 5,000 dollars. I was with them on the shocked part as well.
Thanks for the report, adam. It’s good to see attention to disabilities when working on creating more affordable housing.
In the end, a they say, we are all only temporarily able bodied. As I’ve got older I have developed one or two minor disabilities, and am seeing others of my peers needing medical intervention, support and monitoring. So I am become increasingly aware the diverse issues around disability.
Remember that they have a civil service actively working against them on housing, those individuals committed to a market solution. I think it will be a uphill battle for the government on this.
The costs of retrofit vs provision would be about right. It doesn’t cost any more to put the walls in the right place and have the door openings the right size. The space provision for toilet and shower are a little less “efficient” but more liveable and the extra cost for wider doors and the bigger wet areas is minimal and gives a higher standard house. And with a bit of smart design the space requirement isn’t that much. When you retro those into an existing house you start moving walls and that gets expensive, fast.
I effectively built our house to disabled standard 20 years ago with wide doors, full wet area bathroom and chair access. Any extra cost was just making a better house and I’m really struggling to think of any actual costs apart from my time to think about it and maybe a few extra dwangs to receive hand holds if ever required, and the wider doors, but I’d do that again anyway.
Yes, thank you for that report Adam. I wish I could feel any sort of optimism but I just can’t anymore, I can only hope with a change of Govt it can’t possibly DELIBERATELY get any worse for us.
Obviously an Auckland based hui, but any acknowledgement the housing crisis has gone national? Not a hope of access to council or state housing in Wellington anymore if you become homeless even if you’re disabled. There’s a lot of very frightened people here too.
The multipolar spin: how fascists operationalize left-wing resentment
“The Syria connection”
The Syria Solidarity Movement lists on its steering committee a host of syncretic figures like Duginist, Navid Nasr and an Australian representative of the fascist-modeled Syrian Social Nationalist Party affiliate, Mussalaha. Before a report revealed her associations with Global Research, Ron Paul and the right-wing British Constitution Party, conspiracy theorist Vanessa Beeley held a position on the steering committee as well.
As an editor at the alt-right-associated conspiracy theory site, 21stCenturyWire, Beeley’s repeated conspiracy articles attempting to link the White Helmets to al Qaeda and George Soros earned her a visit with Assad in Damascus and senior Russian officials in Moscow; however, they have been thoroughly debunked. A defender of right-wing Hungarian president Viktor Orban, Beeley promotes antisemites like Gilad Atzmon and Dieudonné, even speaking at a conference hosted by the latter in partnership with notorious Holocaust denier Laurent Louis. Regardless, the Syrian Solidarity Movement and the associated Hands Off Syria Coalition recommend Beeley’s work.
Utterly Brilliant. For those who hate watching videos, watch this – time well spent. Laura Flanders is one great journalist. And in this 27 minute video she shows why she is so great.
Content, Helen Clarke and Gaylene Preston. Helen being very honest, very very honest. Utterly Brilliant.
Like all app developers, Kogan requested and gained access to information from people after they chose to download his app. His app, “thisisyourdigitallife,” offered a personality prediction, and billed itself on Facebook as “a research app used by psychologists.” Approximately 270,000 people downloaded the app. In so doing, they gave their consent for Kogan to access information such as the city they set on their profile, or content they had liked, as well as more limited information about friends who had their privacy settings set to allow it.
Although Kogan gained access to this information in a legitimate way and through the proper channels that governed all developers on Facebook at that time, he did not subsequently abide by our rules. By passing information on to a third party, including SCL/Cambridge Analytica and Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies, he violated our platform policies. When we learned of this violation in 2015, we removed his app from Facebook and demanded certifications from Kogan and all parties he had given data to that the information had been destroyed. Cambridge Analytica, Kogan and Wylie all certified to us that they destroyed the data.
At the moment there is just a new claim that FB are investigating – ie whether Cambridge Analytica held on to any of the info they were ordered to delete a while back:
Several days ago, we received reports that, contrary to the certifications we were given, not all data was deleted. We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims.
For years Costa Rica has been the exception in Central America. Uninterrupted democracy since 1948, no military, one of the highest living standards in the region, free education, the highest literacy rate in Latin America, universal health care, restrictive abortion laws but more than 90% of women avail themselves of reproductive health care, and an economy driven by agricultural exports and high end eco-tourism.
But dollars to donuts, this evangelical whack job would see them right back to where they started.
SAN JOSE (Reuters) – Conservative evangelical Christian Fabricio Alvarado Munoz has an effective lead of almost 14 percentage points over ruling party hopeful Carlos Alvarado Quesada in the race to be Costa Rica’s next president, an opinion poll showed on Friday.
Alvarado Munoz, a 43-year-old religious singer and former journalist who belongs to the National Restoration Party, shot to prominence after condemning a court ruling that urged Costa Rica to grant civil marriage rights to same-sex couples.
“Kenneth Boulding, the economist, famously said that: “Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist”.
Ecological economists argue that the economy is physical, while mainstream economists seem to believe it is metaphysical”
Here’s a serious question for TS and its moderators
Is Ad/Advantage intended to be some aort of fair and balanced advocate for the ‘right of the left’ as in slightlyvright of lprent….no….actually extreme righr of lprent all things considered (including egos).
-i kind of wonder whether Ad is like the token whatever.
If I were a puntee, I’d pik him (definately HIM) to be some sort of senior policy ANALyst of manager on the gumint civil service that has gone Oh so fucking very wrong over the past 2 or 3 decades.
Cud evin b Ad works (or has a sugfifikunt other) for that buggers muddle that is so often to have come short of its public service risssponsbilties (going forard).
Should be noted that this Munstry (with a few good folk) could ekshully challenged a fair few of its fukups
I’m still not sure why the new xoalition wants to continue to support it rather than pulling out some of its obvious agencies with …. well good managers.
I guess the coalition may well be suckers for punishment.
They often are of course
BBC World news you have one nation flying Drones into foreign countrys and they kill women children elderly.
And ifs its true bad timing for Them with the football World Cup and all happening at the minute two people are the victim. What I Don’t Like is the MEDIA hyping this subject up this could start a war this is the power of the worlds media has you people have to realise what you’re actions have on our society. Eco Maori says WAR is for idiots diplomacy is what is need here.
There is a Human trait one gets a better response just by using your own brain it is better to use the Carrot than the stick this is well document and is logical so stop blowing the flames on this subject. A number of countries could have pulled this off for there own motive it could be a distraction for some there could be many behind the seens reason for another nation / organisation to set that up people don’t realise how cruel and crooked the 00.1% Can be ECO MAORI SEE this behaviour everyday and us the 99.9 % have to stop this bad behaviour.
Its good that all the mokos around Papatuanukue the world are making a stand against the dumb gun laws of America Kia kaha mokos. Ka kite ano
BBC There is one reason that one uses the stick instead of the carrot.
That is because the welder of the stick wants to damage Mana the recipient full stop. People that are receiving the sticks treatment know that this is the intentions of the welder of the stick many thanks for showing Nomalm Crosinsky he’s a great humane humble man I idealise.
Kia kaha Ka kite ano.
Eco Maori can see the proof of his influence evenwith the sandflys trying there best to suppress me. I am using my influence to leave behind a better SOCIETY for the mokos in my view that is my main goal.
Here is a substance that I have a beef with and that’s Alcohol.
Yesterday celebrations of a great culture has been hijacked by the Alcohol industry yes it has promoted the culture but at what cost to OUR WORLD has this hijacking this great culture day of celebrating drunken violence would have increased and all the other bad stats that are allways associated with alcohol consumption. Whats such a joke is we have a medical substance and a substance that is a poison if consumed to strong and fast we lock people up associated with the medical substance and the poison we let companies sell it to OUR mokos in any fashion they can dream up advising ECT it’s sold in the supermarket.
I advocate banning supermarkets sales and rasing the age limit to 19 than 20 and ban advertising till after 9 pm.
Kia kaha Ka kite ano P.S. I have to remind myself of the old MAORI saying a Kumara never tells how sweet it is enough said.
I also say there should be a investigation into that substance that we use to kill green growth grasses ECT weedspray some of the sprays we use are being banned in Germany we need the facts revealed on the reason why these spay are banned and I say if the proof is a negative effect on us and the creaters and lifes on PAPATUANUKUE then we should follow there lead.
I remember when I was young in Tairawhiti there were hundreds of WEKA now the presious WEKA are no we’re to be seen in Tairawhiti as far as I know.
I was informed by a very good source that the sprays softened the Weka egg shells that much that none of there chicks could hatch because there shell broke during the incubation period.
If these sprays do that to Wekar what side effect do these sprays have on us and other organisations it will not be very good I say the die out of Weka happed in 5 years they are the canary in the mines if the canary dies be ware and get out of the mine or put on gas mask on as poison is present.in the environment. Kia kaha Ka kite ano
Here is the faith a person in the know have in the Democrats takeing power off some one that will do anything to win the next president election in America.
BEST OF THE WEEK
NZ diplomat under fire for US politics tweets
Mar 14 2018
Some are trying to imply that all my support is mostly made up of the mokos but Know they are minupulating there stats to try and undermine ECO MAORI that’s the big picture there a lot of Common people can identify with me Ka kite ano
The sandflys were at there best today I can see when I move from one town to town them passing the batten the the sandflys from Tauranga were extra aggressive but Eco Maori just swipes them away. I know why they are upset 2 reasons one I had warned Gisborne man that’s his m8 would abandoned
2 well you will have to figure it out.
Yes the sandflys have been trying there hardest to get me to turn into a idiot but know all there intimidat games every time I go out they are at it must have hit a nerve with me revealing that he’s a Exsquse brevern lol Ana to kai
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Asia Pacific Report Two of the global Freedom Flotilla ships are being prepared in Turkey and almost ready for the upcoming humanitarian mission to Gaza. It is expected that the flotilla will include a New Zealand medical team. Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition ...
So several sexual assaults become just “a bit of groping”.
Would you be happy saying that to the victims?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I think you need to get some perspective, champ.
I dont want your perspective, chump.
We’ve heard you on this site …. James
And what you have said about sexual abuse victims.
And it was pretty vile.
I think you were calling them liars among other things …
Do you think Labour will try and do a cover-up like the Waikato chiefs one ??
Where to this day nobody knows the names of the offenders ….
Actually Labour have been a much better than the grubby lot you were sticking up for ……. eh james ?
Ahhh the oh you said really vile stuff – without linking. Feel free to do so.
So I think labour will try a cover up? I think they have already started. Heard lots more on Twitter but have not mentioned here (for obvious reasons) but if any of it’s true – it’s not going to be good.
But typical of some people – I call out someone for calling multiple sexual assaults “a bit of groping” and you attack me. You seem to be quite the apologist
Your a creepy liar James ….. here’s a link …. https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-home-of-rugby-raping-and-beer/ , in this one you keep on insisting a stripper,…. who was the victim of drunken rugby players hitting her , groping her ….and then throwing stones at her … is a hair-dresser….
You appear / pretend to think it’s dishonest for a person hired as a stripper ….. to do stripping …. should be referred to as a stripper. You make a creepy little dance about it …. Do explain James
In this link I remember why I liked OAB and Psycho Milt … with some of the best black humor on some sickening behavior …. Despite the seriousness of the subject their posts were appropriate …. unlike yours James .
Your also a liar and big hypocrite for calling me or Mutton Bird apologists …
Muttonbird justt like myself ….. would be all for ANY offender being appropriatly chargfed , prosecuted and named … Unlike you James
But only If that is what the victims wanted …. many do not pursue this path ….. given our rape culture police, which National actively starved of funds…. and had no will to fix , …. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10434242
And the additional assault or rape they get in the appalling treatment and low conviction rates our court system delivers to sexual assult victims …. Judith Collin s refused to even look at fixing this when minister…. using fake stats and serco box ticking is more her style https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/kzqxp3/a-tiny-minority-of-nz-rape-cases-make-it-to-court-do-we-have-a-problem
Anyway James … your the rape apologist …. and have all the concern of a troll out to score political points.
The Waikiato rugby chiefs pulled a white wash and cover up ….
Do you now think the guilty players should be named and face repercussions ???
As MuttonBird and myself do for the drunk fuckwit who engaged in the assaults at Labours camp.
Prove to us your not a sleazy opportunist James.
Apologize for your Chiefs posts …. and call for their cover-up to end.
Not sure I wanted to be reminded of that ugly post about the Waikato rugby chiefs, reason, but well done, and well said, pointing out the political opportunism and the lies of james.
The victims come first. They always should. I said when this started, we should all shut up, (well us men anyway) and let the victims speak for themselves – if they want to, if they want to say nothing, that’s fine too.
Insted it became somewhat of a partisan knife fight at the victims expense. With some who have been in deep down in the gutter, trying to get some moral high ground at the expense of people who need us to back off, and let them make the choices they want to make.
Enough from me, I’m for giving the people involved some space to get this sorted, properly.
Thanks Adam and good on you for your excellent attitude and actions ..
Your post put the focus back on where it should be …
Your a very good example to other men.
Showing Real men are respectful to women…. not domineering.
And it should never be a ‘left versus ‘right’ issue …
Is there anything in this link which reveals something of what’s behind the ‘cover-up’? I realise the article in the link was published nine days after The Standard story.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11711414
https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-home-of-rugby-raping-and-beer/
Thanks for wasting my time on that Herald pile of crap Pete …
It reads like a Herald dirty politics hit piece ( right time frame ),… . and is a long winded one eyed version of “she’s a liar”.
Which was the chiefs initial response … which the Herald left out of their pro rugby defense …. like a shitload of other damaging information unfavorable to the chiefs cover-up … all left out.
Imagine how low our arrest rates would be …. If criminals got to investigate themselves. Pete.
And for good PR the criminals got to ‘Leak’ their self investigation to an active supporter in the media … and its reported as truth.
Besides, the Herald snow job runs counter to my rugby source / information … which informed me ….that protecting the all black ‘brand’ ( corporate multi million sponsorship), was behind the Waikato chiefs coverup.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
But this site has been through this shit before … and just Like Roastbuster or Clint Rickards …. it brings out the worst in some men.
Mansplaining with the bias of defense lawyers…. bringing the friendly NZ ambiance … of rape culture.
Leave it alone Pete …
“As for NZ Rugby wanting the truth? If they had, they would have spoken to BOTH women who made allegations against the Chiefs, and wouldn’t have had their pet in-house lawyer run the investigation.
By any objective measure, this whole thing stinks, and only the people who desperately, desperately don’t want to confront the reality of violence against women cry otherwise.” -Stephanie Rodgers https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-home-of-rugby-raping-and-beer/
If you do see this …
Talking to independent people who were there and watching video footage was a stupid thing to do. It’s far better to get the truth by making it up. Or building it on the base of stuff other people have made up.
My interest in the upshot of this business came when I quite randomly ended up talking to someone, nothing to do with the rugby establishment, who was there. The way the topic arose was completely incidental and accidental. Of course your rugby source / information … which informed you, could clearly describe what happened from direct observation. In contrast to my source who could clearly describe what happened from direct observation.
I sense your level of being incensed with the call to ‘leave it alone.’ It reminds me of the sense of bewilderment and annoyance of an eye-witness who has seen deliberate grabbing of the wrong ends of sticks to continue untruths because it suits some purpose.
You should have written the non-independent report referring to unreleased video …,. for that is what you are actually describing.
Your descriptive powers are about as good as your ones to sense things… maybe you project ?.
For I’m not incensed by your wanting to re-argue a unsavory topic Pete ..
Or by you calling me or my friends liars …. I believe them … and your a nobody to me.
But I do think it’s posters like you and your ‘attitudes’ which lower female participation on internet sites …
Nothing you have written explains the chiefs coverup …. where everyone was forced to apologize … and the ones doing the assaulting were never named.
Can you point to your posts calling for Key to resign for assaulting a woman including after she made it clear it was unwanted?
I think James has become much more aware now we have a change of government and his friend the Ponty tail puller is no longer PM. Shades of Bill Clinton and the way the partisan media hammered him but just dont seem to care about the horrific acts of abuse committed by their hero Trump. James you should take a deep breath and stop listening to talk back or whale oil. Listen to the movie “the brainwashing of my Dad” if you want to understand what has happened to you.
You make no sense. Stop drinking or doing drugs.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Stuart, how are you getting on with that booking to Riga?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
DNFTt
No it’s just an obvious and recent one that I remembered that shows what a two faced person you are.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
And yet you run around doing the opposite all the time.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[just spending time going through and shifting your trolling out of a thread into OM. I was going to give you a warning, but you’ve been warned before and there are far too many comments like this for me to have to be dealing with on a Saturday morning, and this is a clear pattern of behaviour from you over time, so here’s a one week ban. I suggest you have a serious think about how you want to be here when you get back, as next time the ban will be a much longer one. You need to get that this place doesn’t exist for your trolling or taking pot shots at commenters you don’t like. Stop winding people up and go back to the politics. Whether you get a warning before a long ban next time will depend on how you acknowledge this note and your pattern of behaviour when you return. – weka]
Pot.
Kettle.
Black.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[you are also getting a ban. As with James I was going to give a warning first, but the amount of time I’ve just had to spend sifting through comments to more your trolling and see the patterns of behaviour is way too much. You have a 1 week ban recently, so this one is a two week ban. See how that works? You’ve been complaining about people hassling your, but as far as I can see today you are the one also doing the hassling. Stop winding people up, focus on the politics. Also, stop with the spamming videos, you’ve been warned about this multiple times before. As with James’ mod note, whether you get a warning next time before a longer ban will depend on how you respond to this one and what your behaviour is like when you return. As always, demands on moderator time are a big factor too – weka]
DNFTT
Not too good on the figures at treasury
Treasury poverty estimate out by 24,000 children
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1803/S00091/treasury-poverty-estimate-out-by-24000-children.htm
Robertson is going to get smashed in the House for this.
And again at budget in May.
In fairness – I do not believe that this is Labours fault – and the figures were wrong for National as well.
So much to beat up labour with at the moment – they dont need to use this.
Time to relook at the idiots of treasury.
Sign of the times, B level economists, hiring C level economists and probably the work done by legions of work experience students or interns for next to nothing.
If your government economists can’t add, something is wrong.
The average person knows that it is increasingly propaganda out of government and the conclusions are often fictional or flawed.
Whoever deemed 1 hour of work means you are employed as a statistic, is clearly either a fool or a right wing apologist. And neither should be employed by government and used to create policy.
I haven’t really looked at this but I thought they were blaming this on an error in the coding of a computer program.
If that is the case we should blame it on the programmer rather than just pin it on Economists.
Well, that’s not entirely true… it suggests a rudimentary lack of awareness that a >25% error is not immediately noticed by those preparing the report.
A succession of errors… modern times we just shrug it off ….. accidents happen. That’s why we have poverty, fake stats, Pike river, and overseas we have Trump and new bridges falling down ( we have had our own CTV building), or May and the Grenfell towers.
Sadly people who allow gross mistakes to happen under their watch also effect a lot of people through bad policy which is why I think those in those positions should not get away with blaming it on the IT guy.
If the IT guys now the provider of treasury policy including all the checks of accuracy of reports, maybe they should get a pay rise.
Also police need to check our laws about privacy… Nicky Hager, stopping conference members, isn’t there enough crimes out there to solve without illegally using the law for political purposes or invading the privacy of people who have not committed any crimes.
Complaint about the Police use of vehicle checkpoint
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1803/S00224/complaint-about-the-police-use-of-vehicle-checkpoint.htm
This has stuck in my craw for a while.
I am not a fan of euthanasia.
Police were wrong in their action setting up a checkpoint, then the claim of concern for the welfare of citizens reeks of spin.
Then, to top it all off, to hear a police spokesperson claim to be keeping citizens safe, in the wake of further deaths following a police pursuit, stinks.
There was a post on productivity the other day that bemoaned our (NZ) lack of progress. This problem is widespread and not confined to NZ.
https://www.focus-economics.com/blog/why-is-productivity-growth-so-low-23-economic-experts-weigh-in
While acknowledging a range of causes the following article suggests one factor that may be significant….motivation, or the lack of….something our very own recent government promoted as an issue (while ignoring the likely cause)…and goes some way to explaining an apparent lack of pride in that which is done (construction industry anyone?) or expressed differently…poor quality, both of decision and action.
With advances in technology and automation the fact remains that people are still a major productivity factor, indeed the key one…..is it surprising then that’ hope’ may play a key role?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/16/death-retirement-striking-lecturers-pensions
“The final option is neglect. If you don’t think there is the possibility of retiring in the future, some workers ask, then why put any effort into working now? Opting for neglect is quite simply – you go to work, switch on the computer and then spend your days doing things that any retired person would do: read the newspaper, fill in the crossword, chat with acquaintances over coffee and biscuits. This kind of “empty labour” is increasingly common in many organisations. As the prospect of a real retirement begins to fade, it is likely unofficial semi-retirements will become more popular. If this happens, workplaces will become like clandestine retirement villages for the working young.”
So question for the “Innocent until proven guilty” types.
Ed looking at you since you raised it.
With the #MeToo program there have been a lot of people named as having been the perpetrator of sexual assaults.
In almost all cases – They were named and shamed BEFORE being proven guilty (and many have not been found guilty since).
Do you think that the #MeToo campaign should be closed down? or perhaps rules in place to not name people until they are proven innocent?
Why is it OK in one situation and not the other?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
James. I made a mistake. I replied to you.
I refuse to debate with you with the track record you have.
Oh the allegations of me making huge racist statements that you have refused to link to every time I have asked.
Its an easy cop out (if a dishonest one) every time you get a question you cannot answer to….
Just because people say things that you disagree with and find repugnant (like you wanting to shut down funding to Heart kids and alzheimer’s society) – dosnt mean you cannot have a discussion.
@James.
You shouldn’t feel that you are being picked out by Ed.
He never answers anyone who queries the source of his claims.
Mostly, I suspect, because the only source of the things he says is his somewhat over-excited imagination.
I’ve never had a response to any of the questions I ask him either.
I am saying there is another narrative and presenting them.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
But these bozos have “common sense”
They’re armed with all the unthinking predigested unchallenged talking points of the corporate media which always, apart from the fig leaf of a very few “dissenters” backs up the foreign policy agendas of the powerful.Indistinguishable from the agendas of the huge moneyed interests of the world
Honestly Ed, I’ve wasted too much time engaging with them.
But keep putting out those links
Thank you for your support. I have vowed to myself not to respond to the right wing trolls who frequent this site. Similarly, I waste too much time on them.
In New Zealand, it is hard to find the other narrative to the neoconservative story.
All the media, including RNZ, are running the British and American lines without any critical thinking.
We need a better media……..
” I have vowed to myself not to respond to the right wing trolls who frequent this site.”
Because they put forward arguments I cannot answer – or ask for citations I cannot provide.
Finished it for you.
In New Zealand, it is hard to find the other narrative to the neoconservative story.
And yet you’re in New Zealand but somehow manage to bombard The Standard with cut-n-paste after cut-n-paste of these “other narratives,” which are in fact as easy to find by anyone else in New Zealand as they are for you.
And your narrative is on the whole less factual than Dr Seuss.
“I’d actually rip their throats out for doing that, if it was my kid, I really would” – Judith Collins commenting re Labour camp sex assult vics and what she would co if it were her child.
If only she gave half a shit as justice minister when she could have brought fairness for sex victims in the court system.
I guess only blood relations count.
You missed part of her quote (surprise).
But regardless – do you not think Labour should be held to account for the way they handled all this?
Personally feel the Labour conference issues totally blown out of proportion, far worse things going on, this is a distraction. Find the offender and give them whatever is the appropriate sentence and clearly future conferences should not be turned into frat parties!
It has seen the lying defence commander story buried
++++++ Tracey
Killing 3 year old and other people overseas vs weirdo putting his hands down 16+ year olds boys and girls pants. Well I know which one I think is worse.
Jeepers james, there are many many people that need to be held to account for their actions, law firms as well. One night I woke up with my boyfriends mates head between my legs, never said a word about it.
So much is unsaid. Big picture is… people find it so hard to come forward, want to get political.. at least those at the youth camp had the confidence and felt they were in an environment where they could say something, without being told they were making it up etc.
Don’t make this a pissing contest about who said what, or who as changed their mind after thinking about it, or upon being presented more or different information. All of that completely misses the point.
It’s a beautiful day out there.
This^^^^^
No pissing contest about lying commander, key and brownlee, collins multiple abuses of power, bennetts injunction… sabins suppression…
+111
I don’t know that the blood rels even count. It’s all about Judith and her showing how strong and decisive she is, with little sensitivity to the survivors or how they want the situation to be managed.
And it was Collins who resisted law changes to make it less stressful for alleged rape and sexual assault survivors.
Back around 2012, Collins inherited well formulated proposals Simon Power had been working on. The proposals aimed at changing the system from more combative, stressful trials (focused on a contest between survivor and alleged perp) to an inquisitorial system in which a judge follows the evidence.
In Sept 2012, NZ Herald reported:
Collins also refused to implement recommendations by the Law Commission to improve the way sexual offense trials be conducted.
It is why I believe Power had to go. He seemed to want genuine cross party work on this stuff…
No resignation
Commander of Defence force admits lie
No resignation
Bennett deliberately breaches Privacy Act
No resignation
Collins conflict of interest, fudges police stats, leaks info leading to man getting death threats
No resignation
Brownlee gives Fletchers immunity and fucks up EQC
No resignation
Turei reveals lied to winz 20 years ago etc etc
Resigns and gone from parliament
Turei did not of course, as you imply, resign from Parliament.
She stayed there until the people of the electorate in which she stood had more sense than to choose her to remain in Parliament after the 2017 General Election.
She also kept collecting her very generous pay for another 3 months after the election.
Turei did nothing differently to Collins.
Turei resigned as co-leader of the Green Party.
Collins resigned from Cabinet.
Turei did NOT resign from Parliament.
Collins did NOT resign from Parliament.
The only people who did things differently were the voters.
The voters chose to return Collins to Parliament.
The voters chose NOT to return Turei to Parliament
Good evening, Alwyn. A fine comment except for this bit:
Metiria Turei resigned from the Green Party list on 9 August 2017 and decided to campaign for the party vote only in Te Tai Tonga. [my bold]
Given the short time to muster an effective campaign Metiria Turei actually did remarkably well. She got 5,740 votes while the Green Party only got 1,963 votes (which was much less than in the previous election in 2014 when it got 3,402 votes). During that short period leading up to the election the polls were not favouring the Green Party and it looked like they were going to disappear from Parliament altogether. So, in my view, a remarkable result for Metiria Turei.
It might be remarkable vote she got but it has not the slightest effect on what I said. Your claim is also wrong. She did not campaign only for the party vote. She campaigned for the electorate MP vote as well. Otherwise she couldn’t have got any votes at all could she? Have a look at the Electorate Candidate Votes in the Electorate.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/electorate-profiles/electorate-profiles-data/document/DBHOH_Lib_EP_Te_Tai_Tonga_Electoral_Profile/te-tai-tonga-electoral-profile
She did not WIN.
Now what is there in the statement you appear to be objecting to that is wrong?
“The voters chose NOT to return Turei to Parliament”.
An absolutely accurate statement isn’t it?
There were a lot of candidates who chose not to go on the list for their party. All the Labour candidates in the Maori electorates except for Davis stood only for their electorate positions and they all won.
Including, of course, Rino Tirikatene who thrashed Meteria.
Collins on the other hand did win and is still in Parliament.
FIFY
So close, yet so far. Indeed, without standing she could not have got any votes; she was aiming for party votes but got more candidate votes. This does not make my claim wrong, which was in fact not a ‘claim’ but what she had said.
Winning vs losing; simplistic and false dichotomy given that she did not intend to come back to Parliament. I don’t see Metiria Turei as a “loser” but you seem to see it differently: not winning is losing.
Since you appear to completely ignore the context all the other stuff you mentioned about Labour candidates is simply false equivalence to suit your biased opinion. The key point of my comment was to highlight your bias but it went ‘whoosh’; I gave you more credit than you deserve it seems …
Collins who? See, that’s my bias 😉
Really?
You claim that she did not campaign for the candidate vote?
Your statement was
“Metiria Turei resigned from the Green Party list on 9 August 2017 and decided to campaign for the party vote only in Te Tai Tonga”
She may have said things like that in previous elections, when she knew she was going to get in on the list but it was NOT what she said in 2017, when winning the electorate was he only way back to the trough. She even said in fact that this time (2017) she wanted to be elected to represent the electorate and that aim was new.
What she did say was
‘“The Green Party wants the party vote, and if you think that I’m your best representative, then give me your electorate vote as well,” said Turei, “That is a new message from me at this election and hasn’t been heard before.
“I’m really excited about our campaign. There’s only 20 points in it – if you actually look at it seriously – between the three candidates and I think that in a month anything is possible.”’
That was clearly a request for, and a campaign for, the electorate seat. Sure, she also asked for the Party vote for the Green Party but she wanted the candidate vote for herself.
To claim anything else is delusional.
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/tirikatene-accuses-turei-opportunistic-run-te-tai-tonga
@ 17:27 https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/336828/how-it-happened-turei-resigns-as-green-co-leader
I cannot tell whether she really wanted to get back in Parliament or was campaigning hard for the Green Party vote in the electorate; during election campaigns you do what’s necessary to get the votes you’re targeting. If you think that’s “delusional” I’m fine with that. It still changes nothing about your obvious bias but I’ve come to accept that as well 😉
Yeah, well I think a direct quote from her at an election debate in September is rather better evidence of her real intentions than a single line, not actually attributed to her, on the day she had to step down as party leader.
It was also before she probably realised that she was going to be out in the cold without a job and without a very generous salary within five months.
That was the day that she was about to be blown up on air by John Campbell who apparently had statements from her child’s father’s family about all the support that had provided.
She was going to be shown up not only as a person guilty of fraud but as a liar who was only too happy to smear her “in-laws” reputation all over the media.
Not surprising is it that she was desperately looking for cover and looking for a way to persuade Campbell not to air the truth?
If by “bias” you mean that I thought she was a rat-bag you would be right.
If by “bias” you mean that I prefer that my politicians are honest you would be right.
If by “bias” you mean that I tend to vote for parties that display competence you are right.
If by “bias” you mean I prefer politicians who work for New Zealand rather than their own baubles you are right.
On the other hand if by “bias” you mean that I will vote unthinkingly for, or against, a particular political party you are totally wrong.
Some fair comments, Alwyn.
Personally, I doubt that Metiria Turei thought, even for one moment, that she could win that electorate. I also think that she said what she had to say to campaign hard for the Green Party vote (which was rather unsuccessful I should add).
You seem to think that bias only manifest in specifics. But this is the insidious danger of bias: it clouds one’s opinion, expectations, (emotional) reactions, and thinking. The specific examples you list are just the tip of the iceberg; the danger is underneath the surface and out of (your) sight. One more thing, bias is notoriously hard to detect, in oneself.
I don’t know about the rest of the recommendations but I think any prospective juror would welcome getting rid of juries.
I was on one once in a case against someone accused of being a paedophile.
It was a bloody terrible experience being a juror and having to listen to all the evidence.
The only pleasant bit was at the end where we were told we wouldn’t be called again for jury service for 5 years.
Imagine how victims feel and they get put through the wringer for months or years prior to the trial
Yes, I did, although in this case it was a little boy of about 4.
He was treated about as well as he could have been with any questions going through the judge.
Imagine if there were ways to stop people from commiting crimes against children, or protecting more than we do. Oh that is right there are but the right, and some on the left like the fist on the table lock em up and throw away the key BS, cos that makes the wealthy and wannabe wealthy feel all confy and cosy.
I know an organisation that deals with paedophiles referred from Court, usually as a condition of release. This organisation has 92% of its clients NOT sexually reoffending. They also take self referrals ( yes it is a thing). We are resourcing this org really well, paying their staff really well and replicating what they do everywhere, right. Wrong.
She was very quiet on the predatory behaviour of her friend Slater toward young female Nats.
Of course Labour needed to sort this out better but the smug self righteousness of Nat supporters would be laughable if it werent so dangerous
The smug self righteousness is a direct response to the lecturing and harangued tones the left take towards the right for, in the light of what’s come out, less offensive behaviour than the criticism has warranted.
The smugness is schadenfreude.
Can you write that another way? I am struggling to take your meaning.
Another sign of the times – even if you are found guilty of exploiting migrant workers the penalties are puny and you are only stopped from sponsoring foreigners for work visas for periods of between six months and two years!
Only a few months and you can reoffend and exploit someone else! These are not high skilled jobs and completely unnecessary for the economy, the government is complicit in the scams by not closing it down!
Surely it should be a life ban for gods sake and a $100,000 fine! Why would you stop underpaying workers if your fine is $40k for multiple discovered breaches over years, especially as the migrant workers unions are reporting wide spread schemes of employers demanding untraceable money from their ‘workers’.
It’s about time that these visas for jobs are stopped. If students want to come to NZ to study great, – but have it transparent and no fake jobs at the end of it!
Restaurant chain exploited, underpaid workers for years
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/352684/restaurant-chain-exploited-underpaid-workers-for-years
Exploitation of Indian students: Money ‘can’t be tracked or traced’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/351335/exploitation-of-indian-students-money-can-t-be-tracked-or-traced
Must keep. Wages. Low.
We have Kiwi students with huge debts who can’t get any part time work anymore, cafes, burger/ restaurants, petrol stations, supermarkets all used to employ Kiwis student workers, part time workers like parents and I don’t remember widespread employment breaches and Kiwis being asked to pay for the job! There are plenty of local Indian students these restaurants can employ if they want to discriminate.
Before government says we get $500 million from overseas students coming here, then calculate the costs because that money is spent in NZ on rent, cars, petrol and food and possibly a bit of travel thrown in. Then it seems like health, roads, infrastructure and subsidised wages and employment inspectors and legal action are paid for by tax payers. All while our NZ workers are unemployed and getting into debt and the tax payers are subsidising that too.
Foreign students should just come here for study only. No working visas so the fake jobs become defunct.
Clearly the fake jobs for grads schemes needs to stop! It’s out and out exploitation and the students are being lured here by false pretences to be exploited.
The government does not seem to care about it, because they like the idea of the $500 million coming in, even if in real terms it costs the country triple that in problems, contributes to unemployment and low wages and is based on lies to the students by their agents and NZ resident employers.
Where do you get that figure of $500 million from? Do you have a link?
@Incognito – that was the figure touted in this article. Personally think like treasury figures can you believe them?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/344230/english-schools-fear-loss-of-work-visas-for-students
If a person can barely survive and being forced at $2 p/h and living in overcrowded rooms while studying are they really bringing in all this cash. Now the concerned groups are also concerned about them being forced into crime.
Struggling Indian students ‘getting into drug addiction, gambling’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/313070/struggling-indian-students-turn-to-crime,-leaders-warn
It is completely normal to provide proof of income by just borrowing the money or just getting a short term bank loan. Then all these people are coming to NZ penniless after paying their ‘tertiary fees’ only to find that jobs are scarce here and exploitation rife.
At least the government need to update their pathetic checks on whose coming and can they support themselves because a short term loan is not income or money!
In my view there is a market for legitimate overseas student study in NZ in particular from Chinese with high quality NZ courses!
Where overseas students can actually learn English and also the western way of business (or whatever the course is) and where the Chinese students get looked after properly, learn about western life and business and learn excellent English. It is very difficult to get into Chinese universities for example and so parents (I think) would gladly pay for quality!
Why does NZ always go for the scams and not the quality! We don’t need to give away job visas and fake jobs, the students will come IF NZ works on quality courses, genuine hospitality and getting quality applicants.
They are NOT going to come if NZ gets a reputation for fake courses and fake degrees and exploitation and bums on seats, which is where we are going at the moment.
Soon even the Kiwis will have to leave home and do another degree overseas so they have a quality qualification because quality is not the objective in tertiary any more.
There are too many NZ degrees and diplomas that are crap, or are passing crap students who go into the work force and are crap with a NZ qualification.
Learning English to a level to be able to undertake a degree in english MUST be first, proven and verified.
Overseas students are starting to fight back useless degrees or poor tuition.
US student sues university in Sweden over useless degree, and wins – how long until this happens in the UK?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/07/13/us-student-sues-university-in-sweden-over-useless-degree-and-win/
Student sues university for ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/britain/student-sues-university-for-mickey-mouse-degree-36694956.html
Because it’s easier and cheaper and makes a higher profit faster.
The result is inevitable failure as is true for all profit driven societies.
Thanks. The reason I asked was because I read this (much more) recent article: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/101655182/large-loss-to-international-student-economy-looms-under-govt-immigration-plans
I would favour regulations to limit any full-time enrolled student working to max. 500 hour per year, i.e. roughly 10 hours per week. You’d have to ask whether any more than that would be detrimental to full-time study.
Yes, I think savenz would have been better off just saying money coming in. At least then they wouldn’t have had the appearance of pulling figures out of their arse.
They do have a point in that the costs may actually be greater than the money brought in.
To be fair DTB, savenz has provided a link at 13.1.1.1.1 to a RNZ article dated 20 November 2017 by John Gerritsen , their Education Correspondent, quoting a figure of $500 million.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/344230/english-schools-fear-loss-of-work-visas-for-students
However, in 13.1.1 savenz quotes this figure in this context: Before government says we get $500 million from overseas students coming here, …”
The actual article quotes this figure as coming from Wayne Dyer, chairperson of English New Zealand, “the peak body for language schools” – not the government per se. My Dyer is also quoted as saying that this figure was provided by Infometrics.
ie
” The schools have warned that cutting work rights for their students would kill enrolments from some countries overnight and damage an industry worth $500 million a year.
The chairperson of English New Zealand, the peak body for language schools, Wayne Dyer, said the Labour Party policy was aimed at stopping fraud and exploitation mostly involving Indian students enrolled in business courses.
“The English language sector is a completely different sector from the PTE [private training establishment] sector. The students are different, their reasons for coming are different. The level of risk associated with the schools is very, very low. NZQA and Immigration New Zealand don’t see language schools as a risk at all,” he said
…
Mr Dyer said Infometrics had calculated that language students contributed about $500 million to the economy and their general spending was about 10 times higher than the amounts they paid in tuition fees.”
While I am somewhat sceptical about some of savenz’s claims etc in their many comments over many subjects, on this occasion this figure was definitely not, or appearing to be, “pulled from their arse” as you so indelicately put it.
least then they wouldn’t have had the appearance of pulling figures out of their arse.
Last line starting with “least” should have been deleted, but too late for edit.
Fertile young people hungry for success replace grey haired rentiers and superannuitants.
Easy to do with immigrant workers here for the apple season, shove them all into a house, charge the earth, jam as many workers as you can into that house, and offset it against their wages. $$$$$$$$$$$ They won’t complain. It’s totally normal around these parts.
Yes. Like the recent story of the chinese builders being required… at 2/3 of the wage offered to kiwis.
I pretty sure the illegal Malaysians just got busted because their wages were too high and their illegal workers didn’t feel exploited on $20 – $40 p/h. Oh also they had a muslim wife.
I mean $2 p/h and paying $20k each year for the job is the going rate for a semi legitimate job permit! No undercutting!
A Chinese person was saying, they just get people in China ‘from the country’ and give them a quick training session and then have them in gangs on the building sites.
Then we wonder why building costs so much, takes so long and needs so much remedial work.
Pharmacies to start selling magic – what could possibly go wrong?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/03/08/95148/new-code-of-ethics-makes-way-for-homeopathy
Pharmacies sell toxic poisons which kill and injure millions of human beings annually around the world…
Many substances which have no credible evidence whosoever, outside of the death toll, and cleaning agents…
Selling “magic’ would be an improvment…
That pharmacies are jumping on board signals the end of the chemical toxins, because revenue streams are required as replacement…
Australia passed the same recently, despite The Greens and De Natale voting against alternative theparies…
4-9 years and chemical pharma is finished…
That is what your link indicates…
Uh-huh – apart from the fact those “toxic” substances keep millions of people alive and healthy and homeopathic is tap water
Alive and healthy are not necessarily at the same time as a result of lab produced chemical toxins…
Alive and living are not necessarily the same thing…
And you seem to be oblivious to the placebo effect…
Alternative therapies are ancient, they are present, and they will remain in the future…
Pharma industry are reacting to save their existence…
So very predictable was the rejection of injected and ingested chemicals…
It’s hitting mainstream and can’t be halted…
You must be freaking out…
Homeopathy isn’t alternative therapy – it’s horseshit.
But fine – you can throw your health in with magic. I think I’ll relay on proven medical science
😆 next you’ll be extolling the virtues of chiropractic.
Homeopathic “medicine” also consists of ingested chemicals…
You must be freaking out…
Excellent opinion piece from Bernie Sanders on the Grauniad today, on the rise of Oligarchy.
Our NZ government is a mile from thinking about or discussing this topic – even though the power of the super rich and gross inequality completely dominates New Zealand’s political, social and economic life.
Thanks for the link. He raises great questions that shall never reach the right ears because so much of our media is for profit…
Heard a story today. A woman with cerebral palsy has been planning to walk up mt maunganui for her birthday. Has received some local coverage.
She was at the start of her walk and a guy in slacks, with some camera people appeared with some walking shoes and announced he was here to walk with her if that was okay with her. She said it was not. That the day was about her.
The guy was Simon Bridges.
Lmao. That’s epic as, just because she has a disability doesn’t make her stupid.
May she have an incredible day and a fantastic journey up the Mt.
And shows the Nats are not opposing, they are campaigning. Their record on disability, like many before them, was appalling.
Chloe Swarbrick is running a series of twitter conversations about democracy in NZ.
https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick
https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/974801110215962624
https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/974811877808025600
(easier to follow with a twitter account I think, you can set up a dummy one that will make the tweets easier to read, you don’t have to actually tweet anything).
I don’t actually have a Twitter account but read many Twitter accounts often daily.
By not having an account, you don’t have to follow an account to read it – and cannnot be unfollowed/banned.
I am not sure what the timelines etc look like when you have an account, but you can read the threads behind individual comments by clicking on the date or time on the same line as the name of the commenter. This brings up the thread.
For example Chloe has just retweeted your reply to her which, using your first link to her full Twitter account, shows
weka @wekatweets ……….6 min. If you click the 6 min it brings up the thread.
The two other links bring up the threads despite my not having an account.
The only problem I have ever encountered is that some time ago I had problems bringing up some but not all “Tweets and replies” on my PC which only brought up Tweets. But no problems on my Ipad with Tweets and Replies because the Ipad gets the Mobile version of the account.
So if I want to see the Tweets and Replies on my PC, I pull up the account on my Ipad which brings up the mobile version of the account ; then bookmark that to my synchronised Bookmarks and then the mobile version with Tweets and Replies comes up on my PC whenever I access the Bookmark.
Hope that helps anyone who doesn’t want any form of Twitter account. (I don’t as I know I don’t have the discipline to not get addicted!)
Another Kansas economic miracle.
/
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When the GOP took full control of Oklahoma government after the 2010 election, lawmakers set out to make it a model of Republican principles, with lower taxes, lighter regulation and a raft of business-friendly reforms.
Conservatives passed all of it, setting in motion a grand experiment. Now it’s time for another big election, but instead of campaigning on eight years of achievements, Republicans are confronting chaos and crisis. Agency budgets that were cut during the Great Recession have been slashed even deeper. Rural hospitals are closing, and teachers are considering a statewide strike over low wages.
“I’m not scared to say it, because I love Oklahoma, and we are dying,” said Republican state Rep. Leslie Osborn. “I truly believe the situation is dire.”
Oklahoma’s woes offer the ultimate cautionary tale for other states considering trickle-down economic reforms. The outlook is so grim that some Republicans are willing to consider the ultimate heresy: raising taxes to fund education and health care, an idea that was once the exclusive province of Democrats.
https://apnews.com/f058811fa1fb4bf68a34e3c243a14a6f
Worth reading!
Neoliberal anti-tax crusaders keep spewing the rhetoric, despite all evidence showing their approach ends in disaster for society.
Have to say rather impressed with Phil Twyford today. I know shock, horror, as I’ve always been a bit of a critic of that West Auckland MP.
He turned up to a disability housing hui here in Auckland, and took the time to listen. He sat with the deaf group doing the discussion session and picked up the salient points. Better than the last minister for housing who turned up got bored, and was more than mildly rude.
He made no promises, which is somthing I really respect. We don’t need anymore unfulfilled promises. Actually, he did make one promise, to keeping the dialogue ongoing. He also took into account the diversity within the disabled community and their needs. So the word accessible means different things in different situations. On the table is the need to make many more house accessible, as there will be an explosion of need for accessible houses, especially with our aging population.
Some of us pushed the tenancy for life for Housing New Zealand residents, he listened and smiled. Which was nice, rather than scoff when put to certain ministers in the last government. I think on this one, people should email him often.
Twyford accepts there is a Housing Crisis (market failure) in Auckland. It is a complex beast and this is a minister who is looking at a lot of different solutions.
You can tell there has been a change of government. This lot are not so arrogant. I’ll still be critical of Twyford when he deserves it, but not today. He is doing a good job. Not rushing, and not buying into the creepy gotcha politics of our wayward Tories.
Carmel Sepuloni as the Minister for Disabled was also supposed to be there today, but she was unable to make it. Shame, as she has a good brain around disabled issues. I would have liked to get her take.
My partner pointed out Twyford and his associate from MSD both had shocked looks on their faces when some basic math was pointed out to them. To retrofit a house to make it assessable is on average 100,000 dollars. To do make most houses assessable during building is only around 5,000 dollars. I was with them on the shocked part as well.
Thanks for the report, adam. It’s good to see attention to disabilities when working on creating more affordable housing.
In the end, a they say, we are all only temporarily able bodied. As I’ve got older I have developed one or two minor disabilities, and am seeing others of my peers needing medical intervention, support and monitoring. So I am become increasingly aware the diverse issues around disability.
thanks adam, that is very interesting. I’ve been getting increasingly angry with Labour over housing, so it is good to have this balanced.
How would you be with me using your comment in a post (attributed)?
Of course weka, go hard.
Remember that they have a civil service actively working against them on housing, those individuals committed to a market solution. I think it will be a uphill battle for the government on this.
The costs of retrofit vs provision would be about right. It doesn’t cost any more to put the walls in the right place and have the door openings the right size. The space provision for toilet and shower are a little less “efficient” but more liveable and the extra cost for wider doors and the bigger wet areas is minimal and gives a higher standard house. And with a bit of smart design the space requirement isn’t that much. When you retro those into an existing house you start moving walls and that gets expensive, fast.
I effectively built our house to disabled standard 20 years ago with wide doors, full wet area bathroom and chair access. Any extra cost was just making a better house and I’m really struggling to think of any actual costs apart from my time to think about it and maybe a few extra dwangs to receive hand holds if ever required, and the wider doors, but I’d do that again anyway.
Yes, thank you for that report Adam. I wish I could feel any sort of optimism but I just can’t anymore, I can only hope with a change of Govt it can’t possibly DELIBERATELY get any worse for us.
Obviously an Auckland based hui, but any acknowledgement the housing crisis has gone national? Not a hope of access to council or state housing in Wellington anymore if you become homeless even if you’re disabled. There’s a lot of very frightened people here too.
The multipolar spin: how fascists operationalize left-wing resentment
“The Syria connection”
Utterly Brilliant. For those who hate watching videos, watch this – time well spent. Laura Flanders is one great journalist. And in this 27 minute video she shows why she is so great.
Content, Helen Clarke and Gaylene Preston. Helen being very honest, very very honest. Utterly Brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyx541bAzTg&ab_channel=TheLauraFlandersShow
Link from the end of the video.
http://www.womenstrike.org/
thanks adam, that was really good.
So much for the tRump team’s masterful innovation, the fuckers were dishonest.
/
Like all app developers, Kogan requested and gained access to information from people after they chose to download his app. His app, “thisisyourdigitallife,” offered a personality prediction, and billed itself on Facebook as “a research app used by psychologists.” Approximately 270,000 people downloaded the app. In so doing, they gave their consent for Kogan to access information such as the city they set on their profile, or content they had liked, as well as more limited information about friends who had their privacy settings set to allow it.
Although Kogan gained access to this information in a legitimate way and through the proper channels that governed all developers on Facebook at that time, he did not subsequently abide by our rules. By passing information on to a third party, including SCL/Cambridge Analytica and Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies, he violated our platform policies. When we learned of this violation in 2015, we removed his app from Facebook and demanded certifications from Kogan and all parties he had given data to that the information had been destroyed. Cambridge Analytica, Kogan and Wylie all certified to us that they destroyed the data.
(my bold)
https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/03/suspending-cambridge-analytica/
At the moment there is just a new claim that FB are investigating – ie whether Cambridge Analytica held on to any of the info they were ordered to delete a while back:
Wayne Mapp will be on the q&a panel on TV1 tomorrow – wonder if he’ll talk about Operation Burnham?
For years Costa Rica has been the exception in Central America. Uninterrupted democracy since 1948, no military, one of the highest living standards in the region, free education, the highest literacy rate in Latin America, universal health care, restrictive abortion laws but more than 90% of women avail themselves of reproductive health care, and an economy driven by agricultural exports and high end eco-tourism.
But dollars to donuts, this evangelical whack job would see them right back to where they started.
SAN JOSE (Reuters) – Conservative evangelical Christian Fabricio Alvarado Munoz has an effective lead of almost 14 percentage points over ruling party hopeful Carlos Alvarado Quesada in the race to be Costa Rica’s next president, an opinion poll showed on Friday.
Alvarado Munoz, a 43-year-old religious singer and former journalist who belongs to the National Restoration Party, shot to prominence after condemning a court ruling that urged Costa Rica to grant civil marriage rights to same-sex couples.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-costa-rica-election/evangelical-conservative-leads-costa-rica-election-race-poll-idUKKCN1GT04B?rpc=401&
“Kenneth Boulding, the economist, famously said that: “Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist”.
Ecological economists argue that the economy is physical, while mainstream economists seem to believe it is metaphysical”
https://theecologist.org/2018/feb/22/why-economic-growth-not-compatible-environmental-sustainability
Tick tock…
https://easac.eu/fileadmin/PDF_s/reports_statements/Negative_Carbon/EASAC_Report_on_Negative_Emission_Technologies.pdf
Here’s a serious question for TS and its moderators
Is Ad/Advantage intended to be some aort of fair and balanced advocate for the ‘right of the left’ as in slightlyvright of lprent….no….actually extreme righr of lprent all things considered (including egos).
-i kind of wonder whether Ad is like the token whatever.
If I were a puntee, I’d pik him (definately HIM) to be some sort of senior policy ANALyst of manager on the gumint civil service that has gone Oh so fucking very wrong over the past 2 or 3 decades.
Cud evin b Ad works (or has a sugfifikunt other) for that buggers muddle that is so often to have come short of its public service risssponsbilties (going forard).
Should be noted that this Munstry (with a few good folk) could ekshully challenged a fair few of its fukups
I’m still not sure why the new xoalition wants to continue to support it rather than pulling out some of its obvious agencies with …. well good managers.
I guess the coalition may well be suckers for punishment.
They often are of course
Btw… xtreme difficulty in past post tekniklojikilly
Ekshully involved some Adsl/vdsl end a bit a 4G telljince across sell tears on a borda.
BBC World news you have one nation flying Drones into foreign countrys and they kill women children elderly.
And ifs its true bad timing for Them with the football World Cup and all happening at the minute two people are the victim. What I Don’t Like is the MEDIA hyping this subject up this could start a war this is the power of the worlds media has you people have to realise what you’re actions have on our society. Eco Maori says WAR is for idiots diplomacy is what is need here.
There is a Human trait one gets a better response just by using your own brain it is better to use the Carrot than the stick this is well document and is logical so stop blowing the flames on this subject. A number of countries could have pulled this off for there own motive it could be a distraction for some there could be many behind the seens reason for another nation / organisation to set that up people don’t realise how cruel and crooked the 00.1% Can be ECO MAORI SEE this behaviour everyday and us the 99.9 % have to stop this bad behaviour.
Its good that all the mokos around Papatuanukue the world are making a stand against the dumb gun laws of America Kia kaha mokos. Ka kite ano
BBC There is one reason that one uses the stick instead of the carrot.
That is because the welder of the stick wants to damage Mana the recipient full stop. People that are receiving the sticks treatment know that this is the intentions of the welder of the stick many thanks for showing Nomalm Crosinsky he’s a great humane humble man I idealise.
Kia kaha Ka kite ano.
Eco Maori can see the proof of his influence evenwith the sandflys trying there best to suppress me. I am using my influence to leave behind a better SOCIETY for the mokos in my view that is my main goal.
Here is a substance that I have a beef with and that’s Alcohol.
Yesterday celebrations of a great culture has been hijacked by the Alcohol industry yes it has promoted the culture but at what cost to OUR WORLD has this hijacking this great culture day of celebrating drunken violence would have increased and all the other bad stats that are allways associated with alcohol consumption. Whats such a joke is we have a medical substance and a substance that is a poison if consumed to strong and fast we lock people up associated with the medical substance and the poison we let companies sell it to OUR mokos in any fashion they can dream up advising ECT it’s sold in the supermarket.
I advocate banning supermarkets sales and rasing the age limit to 19 than 20 and ban advertising till after 9 pm.
Kia kaha Ka kite ano P.S. I have to remind myself of the old MAORI saying a Kumara never tells how sweet it is enough said.
I also say there should be a investigation into that substance that we use to kill green growth grasses ECT weedspray some of the sprays we use are being banned in Germany we need the facts revealed on the reason why these spay are banned and I say if the proof is a negative effect on us and the creaters and lifes on PAPATUANUKUE then we should follow there lead.
I remember when I was young in Tairawhiti there were hundreds of WEKA now the presious WEKA are no we’re to be seen in Tairawhiti as far as I know.
I was informed by a very good source that the sprays softened the Weka egg shells that much that none of there chicks could hatch because there shell broke during the incubation period.
If these sprays do that to Wekar what side effect do these sprays have on us and other organisations it will not be very good I say the die out of Weka happed in 5 years they are the canary in the mines if the canary dies be ware and get out of the mine or put on gas mask on as poison is present.in the environment. Kia kaha Ka kite ano
Here is the faith a person in the know have in the Democrats takeing power off some one that will do anything to win the next president election in America.
BEST OF THE WEEK
NZ diplomat under fire for US politics tweets
Mar 14 2018
Some are trying to imply that all my support is mostly made up of the mokos but Know they are minupulating there stats to try and undermine ECO MAORI that’s the big picture there a lot of Common people can identify with me Ka kite ano
Good to hear good music MoreFm Stan Walker Little Black Box And Pinks song What About us excellent Kia kaha Ka kite ano
The sandflys were at there best today I can see when I move from one town to town them passing the batten the the sandflys from Tauranga were extra aggressive but Eco Maori just swipes them away. I know why they are upset 2 reasons one I had warned Gisborne man that’s his m8 would abandoned
2 well you will have to figure it out.
Yes the sandflys have been trying there hardest to get me to turn into a idiot but know all there intimidat games every time I go out they are at it must have hit a nerve with me revealing that he’s a Exsquse brevern lol Ana to kai