Open mike 17/04/2021
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- Climate Change: The emissions deficit
In March last year, in a panic over rising petrol prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government made a poor decision, "temporarily" cutting fuel excise tax by 25 cents a litre. Of course, it turned out not to be temporary at all, having been extended in May, July, ...1 hour ago - Unforced variations: Feb 2023
This month’s open thread for climate related topics. Please be constructive, polite, and succinct. The post Unforced variations: Feb 2023 first appeared on RealClimate. ...2 hours ago - Kelvin Davis takes us back to a battle in which the Brits took a beating but we are left bewildered ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two fresh press releases had been posted when we checked the Beehive website at noon, both of them posted yesterday. In one statement, in the runup to Waitangi Day, Maori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis drew attention to happenings on a Northland battle site in 1845. ...3 hours ago - Political Roundup: 3 February 2023
CO-GOVERNANCE, WAITANGI, THREE WATERS Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Blowing Off The Froth: Why Chris Hipkins Must Ditch Three Waters Audrey Young (Herald): What iwi leaders will tell Chris Hipkins about co-governance(paywalled) Michael Neilson (Herald): Waitangi 2023: PM Chris Hipkins and National’s Christopher Luxon to be tested by Māori leaders in ...6 hours ago - Weekly Roundup 03-February-2023
Kia ora. What a week! We hope you’ve all come through last weekend’s extreme weather event relatively dry and safe. Header image: stormwater ponds at Hobsonville Point. Image via Twitter. The week in Greater Auckland There’s been a storm of information and debate since the worst of the flooding ...9 hours ago - Blowing Off The Froth: Why Chris Hipkins Must Ditch Three Waters.
Time To Call A Halt: Chris Hipkins knows that iwi leaders possess the means to make life very difficult for his government. Notwithstanding their objections, however, the Prime Minister’s direction of travel – already clearly signalled by his very public demotion of Nanaia Mahuta – must be confirmed by an emphatic ...9 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #5 2023
Open access notables Via PNAS, Ceylan, Anderson & Wood present a paper squarely in the center of the Skeptical Science wheelhouse: Sharing of misinformation is habitual, not just lazy or biased. The signficance statement is obvious catnip: Misinformation is a worldwide concern carrying socioeconomic and political consequences. What drives ...17 hours ago - Universities that punish reading – even of books from their own libraries
Mark White from the Left free speech organisation Plebity looks at the disturbing trend of ‘book burning’ on US campuses In the abstract, people mostly agree that book banning is a bad thing. The Nazis did us the favor of being very clear about it and literally burning books, but ...20 hours ago - Hipkins has a chance to show he is more effective in getting results than Ardern in his Canberra t...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has undergone a stern baptisim of fire in his first week in his new job, but it doesn’t get any easier. Next week, he has a vital meeting in Canberra with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, where he has to establish ...23 hours ago - Gordon Campbell on extending the fuel/public transport subsidies
As PM Chris Hipkins says, it’s a “no brainer” to extend the fuel tax cut, half price public subsidy and the cut to the road user levy until mid-year. A no braoner if the prime purpose is to ease the burden on people struggling to cope with the cost of ...1 day ago - U-turn on fuel taxes could pump up poll support for Hipkins and Co but the poor – perhaps – won...Buzz from the Beehive Cost-of-living pressures loomed large in Beehive announcements over the past 24 hours. The PM was obviously keen to announce further measures to keep those costs in check and demonstrate he means business when he talks of focusing his government on bread-and-butter issues. His statement was headed ...1 day ago
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Poor Mike Hosking. He has revealed himself in his most recent diatribe to be one of those public figures who is defined, not by who he is, but by who he isn’t, or at least not by what he is for, but by what he is against. Jacinda’s departure has ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards: Chris Hipkins hires a lobbyist to run the BeehiveNew Zealand is the second least corrupt country on earth according to the latest Corruption Perception Index published yesterday by Transparency International. But how much does this reflect reality? The problem with being continually feted for world-leading political integrity – which the Beehive and government departments love to boast about ...1 day ago
- Government confirms a light rail rethink possibleTransport Minister and now also Minister for Auckland, Michael Wood has confirmed that the light rail project is part of the government’s policy refocus. Wood said the light rail project was under review as part of a ministerial refocus on key Government projects. “We are undertaking a stocktake about how ...1 day ago
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They say a week is a long time in politics. For Mayor Wayne Brown, turns out 24 hours was long enough for many of us to see, quite obviously, “something isn’t right here…”. That in fact, a lot was going wrong. Very wrong indeed. Mainly because it turns ...2 days ago - The escalator rises againOne of the most effective, and successful, graphics developed by Skeptical Science is the escalator. The escalator shows how global surface temperature anomalies vary with time, and illustrates how "contrarians" tend to cherry-pick short time intervals so as to argue that there has been no recent warming, while "realists" recognise ...2 days ago
- Garrick Tremain’s view…
... 2 days ago - Much excitement as Hipkins gets down to business – but can he defeat inflation with his devotion t...A new Prime Minister, a revitalised Cabinet, and possibly revised priorities – but is the political and, importantly, economic landscape much different? Certainly some within the news media were excited by the changes which Chris Hipkins announced yesterday or – before the announcement – by the prospect of changes in ...2 days ago
- E-bike incentives workCurrently the government's strategy for reducing transport emissions hinges on boosting vehicle fuel-efficiency, via the clean car standard and clean car discount, and some improvements to public transport. The former has been hugely successful, and has clearly set us on the right path, but its also not enough, and will ...2 days ago
- Hipkins’ need to strengthen focus on “bread and butter” issues suggests the Ardern team was lo...Buzz from the Beehive Before he announced his Cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced he would be flying to Australia next week to meet that country’s Prime Minister. And before Kieran McAnulty had time to say “Three Waters” after his promotion to the Local Government portfolio, he was dishing ...2 days ago
- 24,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing that unemployment has risen slightly to 3.4%. There are now 99,000 people unemployed - 24,000 fewer than when Labour took office. So, I guess the Reserve Bank's plan to throw people out of work to stop wage rises "inflation", and ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Hipkins’ bread and butter reshuffle* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Hipkins’ bread and butter reshufflePrime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular reforms in water and DHB centralisation ...2 days ago
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Pity the poor Brits. They just can’t catch a break. After years of reporting of lying Boris Johnson, a change to a less colourful PM in Rishi Sunak has resulted in a smooth media pivot to an end-of-empire narrative. The New York Times, no less, amplifies suggestions that Blighty ...3 days ago - After The Deluge.On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth.Genesis 6:11-12THE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS that dumped a record-breaking amount of rain on Auckland this anniversary weekend will reoccur with ever-increasing frequency. The planet’s atmosphere is ...3 days ago
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What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. ...7 days ago - A significant loopholeIn case you hadn't noticed, FYI, the public OIA request site, has been used to conduct a significant excavation into New Zealand's intelligence agencies, with requests made for assorted policies and procedures. Yesterday in response to one of these requests the GCSB released its policy on New Zealand Purpose and ...7 days ago
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- Garrick Tremain’s view …
... 1 week ago - Tribute has been paid to Titewhai Harawira but Beehive has missed govt response to the CPI and Crown...Buzz from the Beehive Hurrah. Today we found something fresh on the Beehive website, Beehive.govt.nz, which claims to be the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information. It wasn’t from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, whose reaction to the latest inflation figures would have been appreciated. So, too, ...1 week ago
- After Ratana.1 week ago
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- Political Roundup: 26 January 2023RĀTANA, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): After Ratana Thomas Manch (Stuff): Could Three Waters be on the chopping block? Here’s what Prime Minister Chris Hipkins could do Ted Greensmith-West (Stuff): Co-governance is less controversial than Christopher Luxon makes out John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Luxon’s done Rātana. Is Rātana ...1 week ago
- Getting the full story about Ukraine
A very informative video discussion: Are we getting the whole story about Ukraine? | Robert Wright & Ivan Katchanovski Getting objective information on the situation in Ukraine and the cause of this current war is not easy. There is the current censorship and blatant mainstream media bias – which ...1 week ago - The Mayor on Light RailYesterday the Herald ran an op-ed from Mayor Wayne Brown titled “The case for light rail is lighter than ever” and a few things stood out. However, it’s getting more and more tricky to make a strong economic case for spending up to $29 billion on a single route of ...1 week ago
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- National goes back to BrashIn 2005, then-National Party leader based his entire election campaign on racism, with his infamous racist Orewa speech and racist iwi/kiwi billboards. Now, Christopher Luxon seems to want to do it all again: Fresh off using his platform at this week's Rātana celebrations to criticise the government's approach to ...1 week ago
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- Alas, we must rely on the media to find what our leaders said while pitching for the Maori vote at R...Buzz from the Beehive A great deal has happened since January 19. Among other things, a new Prime Minister and deputy have been sworn in and our leaders (past, present and aspiring) have delivered speeches at Ratana. Newshub reported that politicians of all stripes had descended upon Rātana for the ...1 week ago
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- Political Roundup: 25 January 2023Items of interest and importance today RĀTANA AND CO-GOVERNANCE Luke Malpass (Stuff): Rātana mission complete for Christopher Luxon, but outshone by Chris Hipkins Felix Desmarais (1News): Analysis: Co-governance casts shadow over PM’s exit at Rātana Thomas Cranmer: Luxon talks co-governance at Rātana Pā Tova O’Brien (Today FM): All political parties ...1 week ago
- Thousands more homes under Labour
We’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...2 hours ago - Time for Labour to deliver on No New Mines
The Green Party is today welcoming reports of Government progress towards having no new mines on conservation land. ...7 hours ago - Time for Labour to deliver on No New MinesThe Green Party is today welcoming reports of Government progress towards having no new mines on conservation land. ...7 hours ago
- Greens join call for immediate rent freeze after floodsThe Green Party is joining more than 20 community organisations to call for an immediate rent freeze in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, after reports of landlords intending to hike rents after flooding. ...8 hours ago
- Extra cost of living support for New ZealandersWhen Chris Hipkins took on the job of Prime Minister, he said bread and butter issues like the cost of living would be the Government’s top priority – and this week, we’ve set out extra support for families and businesses. ...1 day ago
- Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidyThe Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis. ...2 days ago
- Urgent action needed to support familiesThe tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Green Party writes to new Prime MinisterThe Green Party has written to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins outlining a plan for a fairer Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Green Party looks forward to working with Chris HipkinsThe Green Party welcomes Chris Hipkins as the sole nominee for leader of the Labour Party, and the next Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens recognise Prime Minister Ardern’s serviceThe Green Party is today acknowledging Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s service to Aotearoa. ...2 weeks ago
- Government Northland housing investment to spark transformational change
Over $10 million infrastructure funding to unlock housing in Whangārei The purchase of a 3.279 hectare site in Kerikeri to enable 56 new homes Northland becomes eligible for $100 million scheme for affordable rentals Multiple Northland communities will benefit from multiple Government housing investments, delivering thousands of new homes for ...1 hour ago - Battle of Ohaeawai rememberedA memorial event at a key battle site in the New Zealand land wars is an important event to mark the progress in relations between Māori and the Crown as we head towards Waitangi Day, Minister for Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said. The Battle of Ohaeawai in June 1845 saw ...1 day ago
- More Police deployed to the frontlineMore Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 54 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. The graduation ceremony for Recruit Wing 362 at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua was the first official event for Stuart Nash since his reappointment as Police ...1 day ago
- Further support for upper North Island regions hit by significant weatherThe Government is unlocking an additional $700,000 in support for regions that have been badly hit by the recent flooding and storm damage in the upper North Island. “We’re supporting the response and recovery of Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Northland, and Bay of Plenty regions, through activating Enhanced Taskforce Green to ...1 day ago
- The Princess Royal to visit New ZealandPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has welcomed the announcement that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will visit New Zealand this month. “Princess Anne is travelling to Aotearoa at the request of the NZ Army’s Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals, of which she is Colonel in Chief, to ...1 day ago
- Government and horticulture sector target $12b in exports by 2035A new Government and industry strategy launched today has its sights on growing the value of New Zealand’s horticultural production to $12 billion by 2035, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “Our food and fibre exports are vital to New Zealand’s economic security. We’re focussed on long-term strategies that build on ...2 days ago
- Cost of living support extended for families and businesses25 cents per litre petrol excise duty cut extended to 30 June 2023 – reducing an average 60 litre tank of petrol by $17.25 Road User Charge discount will be re-introduced and continue through until 30 June Half price public transport fares extended to the end of June 2023 saving ...2 days ago
- More Kiwis in work as rising wages match inflationThe strong economy has attracted more people into the workforce, with a record number of New Zealanders in paid work and wages rising to help with cost of living pressures. “The Government’s economic plan is delivering on more better-paid jobs, growing wages and creating more opportunities for more New Zealanders,” ...2 days ago
- Government boosts fund for Auckland floodingThe Government is providing a further $1 million to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Cabinet today agreed that, given the severity of the event, a further $1 million contribution be made. Cabinet wishes to be proactive ...3 days ago
- New Cabinet focused on bread and butter issuesThe new Cabinet will be focused on core bread and butter issues like the cost of living, education, health, housing and keeping communities and businesses safe, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. “We need a greater focus on what’s in front of New Zealanders right now. The new Cabinet line ...3 days ago
- Prime Minister to meet with PM AlbanesePrime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Canberra next week for an in person meeting with Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. “The trans-Tasman relationship is New Zealand’s closest and most important, and it was crucial to me that my first overseas trip as Prime Minister was to Australia,” Chris Hipkins ...3 days ago
- Government makes first payment to Auckland Flooding fundThe Government is providing establishment funding of $100,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “We moved quickly to make available this funding to support Aucklanders while the full extent of the damage is being assessed,” Kieran McAnulty ...6 days ago
- Government steps up to assist Auckland during floodingAs the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...7 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Titewhai Te Huia Hinewhare HarawiraKa papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...1 week ago
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France acts to restrict air travel.
While the French government are passing legislation to restrict air travel.
The New Zealand government are making tens of $millions available to subsidise air travel.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/france-domestic-flight-ban-emissions-scli-intl/index.html
this is happening in Germany
https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/news/21218870/german-aviation-rail-industry-want-to-cut-back-on-domestic-flights
essentially cut out air transport to get to Frankfurt airport and rather use trains. Not a bad idea.
Yes. Franfurt is the focal airport for a region of 16 million people in Rhine-Main-Ruhr regions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_Rhine-Main
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine-Ruhr
The inter-urban services already have their own direct Frankfurt airport terminal on the Cologne Franfurt high speed line only 177 km ( the same distance as Te Awamutu to Auckland)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_Airport_long-distance_station
Its a wonderful service they provide.
If we extended the SH1 expressway through to Tauranga and Tirau and Whangarei we could conceivably remove domestic flights from Auckland to Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei, and Taupo. Just needs an extra $8b and another decade.
"tens of $millions available to subsidise air travel."
International flights, mainly air cargo exports and imports – you do know how vaccines and most medicines get here ?
WE dont have the population density/ city size and the existing infrastructure – and public acceptance- of medium distance trains
Netherlands is size of Canterbury but with 18 mill people
London to Birmingham – a region with 1.5 mill people is 190km, thats the same distance to Otorohanga from Auckland
Stuttgart region has 4 mill people and its the capital of a state with 11 mill people ( more than NSW) and is the size of Hawkes Bay/Manawatu Whanganui combined.
well one day Auckland region with nigh on two million people will have a tram to the Airport. Surely one day.
Funny thing is , NZ used to have a fairly decent railway system, and it was much smaller in population then.
And goods can and in the future probably will moved again by water.
Tram to airport was just a ruse to make the Domionion road part business case stack up. They even made the tram size twice as long by runnning them coupled together, which wont happen either, even Melbourne doesnt run its articulated trams that way. All done to make the 'case' .
Trackless trams are the best solution for this route.
People in Mangere arent going want to travel city via Dominion Rd, they will transfer to catch the train in Onehunga. For most there South Auckland is their focus not 1950s style trips into town to visit George Courts, Maple or Farmers
When did the Trans-Tasman Tunnel open again?
Your comparison is a false equivalence.
No Trans-Tasman Tunnel, but a Trans-Tasman Seabridge might be a viable option.
Especially if the same amount of eye watering amount of government finance was made available.
Don't need to lay tracks, all the infrastructure and staff is transferable and mostly in place.
Your false equivalence is no comparison.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/04/11/guest-blog-patrick-john-odea-meet-the-bullet-trains-of-the-sea/
New Zealand isn't as flat as France and we don't have the population of Japan, even though we have similar terrain. At this time in our history for five million people aeroplanes are a far more practical way of getting around a mountainous archipelago than trying to build the rail infrastructure required.
@Sanctuary
Mass air travel is only a recent innovation.
For more than a century of European settlement the coasts of this ribbon like mountainous archipelago seperated into two main islands the coasts were our highways. And for even longer if you consider Maori transportation.
"At this time in our history….
…aeroplanes are a far more practical way of getting around"
Sanctuary
'Practical', Is not how I would describe air travel. At this time in our history, unsustainable long term, and evironmentally destructive and profligately wasteful, would be my depiction of air travel.
Sooner or later it will have to be curtailed.
Better sooner than later.
What if the $1.5 billion in financial support made available to Air New Zealand to keep them polluting was instead made available for a coastal and Trans-Tasman and coastal passenger ferry service to compete with the air lines, to permanently complete the job of grounding the airlines that the pandemic began.
And climate change will finish.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/19/climate-change-spells-turbulent-times-ahead-for-air-travel
They are confusing the public utility of subsidizing freight for exporters, with serving the community they are elected to represent.
There is no limit to what they will spend on exporters, but contemporary rail is beyond them. They imagine that carbon responsibility is something they can talk their way out of, which is why they let the agricultural sector do so. Second best is good enough they figure – perish the thought NZ should have proper government, much less proper transport infrastructure.
Shameless.
Anyone aware of extra prebudget announcements?
There don't seem to have been many outside of housing.
Doing a budget would not be easy. This budget will need to factor in a high level lock down level 3 minimum. As well not having a trans – Tasman bubble.
The way the pfizer vaccine is going (uncertainty that the vaccine is enough with two jabs and that a third jab 6-12 months from the second jab and then an annual jab may be needed) I am not confident that the trans – Tasman bubble will last.
Brian Easton was asking a similar question: https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/will-the-2021-budget-be-focused-on-wellbeing [from Feeds on TS]
You gotta admire the balls of the US elite…Biden keeps Trump appointed Russian Ambassador…you know the same Trump who was apparently in the pocket of the Russians and doing the bidding of the evil genius Vladimir Putin, how anyone with half a brain can still buy into the Russian conspiracy is quite astounding, but there you have it….
<strong>Biden Team Asks Trump-Picked Russia Ambassador to Stay in Post</strong>
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-18/biden-team-asks-some-trump-appointees-to-stay-as-ambassadors
It can only be an admittance that Russia is far far superior in cyber technology that they can so easily hack American security and able to sway the intelligent American voter in which way to vote, if only they could sway the American health authorities to use the Sputnik jab to protect those same voters. Mmm.
Why would they bother. Russians don't.
https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access/
https://www.dw.com/en/putin-gets-his-covid-jab-as-russians-stay-away-from-sputnik-v/a-56963871
Not that sort of vote meddling… it seems Manafort , Trumps crony, may have provided the Russians inside knowledge of their polling data and that sort of thing, campaign quadrants and such. Some hackers may have penetrated Democratic party DNC email system, but campaigns by candidates are separate and all it showed was party activists are two faced. Politicians rate lowly anyway so no real surprises there
US voters are inundated by advertising and saturation news coverage, what could the Russians do that could 'sway' people.
It provided an opportunity for an attack on Hillary that was sufficient to at least temporarily persuade Comey to break protocols about current elections in the crucial period in the weeks leading up to the election. If it wasn't decisive, it wasn't from want of trying.
Holy hell, you people are really living in some sort of self induced Conspiracy la la land…here is a link that might help you….
Conspiracy Theory Addiction Center
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/conspiracy-theory-addiction/
I suppose the ignorance that comes from an unrelieved diet of RT and rohypnol is such that you slept through the Trump/Hillary election.
The Comey Letter Probably Cost Clinton The Election | FiveThirtyEight
Go back to sleep and leave the conversation to the adults.
Clinton later went on to blame the election loss squarely on Comey and the Russian meddling. Which is as ridiculous as it sounds.
It was certainly a contributing factor.
But no doubt as the lickspittle lackey of a genocidal despot you want to deny it.
" an opportunity for an attack on Hillary"
Clintons private email server wasnt hacked at all, the controversy was over her using one and its ramifications and wheter all the data was provided to FBI etc.
That wasnt a Russian operation at all. Clinton was running as an old time 'machine politician' and heir to Obama. Trump was a better campaigner/liar who got out voters who didnt normally vote
Didn't her emails end up on wikileaks? Standard Russian MO.
from your link (before the paywall sprung up):
Its also a log jam in the Senate when a new President starts as he wants his agency heads approved by the Senate first. Next comes the judges and I think last are the Ambassadors
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018791897/james-cameron-explains-dairy-cows-on-wairarapa-farm
Cameron can only go organic vege if hes got access to cheap indentured labourers!
Maybe Cameron could make a movie on organic veg and get some sort of tax relief so he can ditch the cows.
don't give them any ideas, we are going to run of tax gifts to donate to rich people.
Its not really a tax gift as such. When you export a product the GST component ( 15%) is refunded. Movies are more complicated as far as exporting goes, but this was a way of them getting the GST accumulated during production back. – with a bit more for the big projects. I would check very very closely Hollywood accounting and that various parts of the movie are done offshore ( for their tax benefits) and then recycled through NZ again to double dip.
One way or another, we the taxpayer will fund the bill. No matter the colorful and legal accounting shenanigans.
I thought OIA approval was conditional, for purchases such as this farm, upon providing extra jobs for locals not for underpaid imported labour from elsewhere. Any imported labour needs to not replace local labour, be at the living wage for a full 40 hour week and I think it is long overdue that these work visas come with a requirement for the employer to pay the union fees for all the labour with a visa so that the conditions are properly policed. Time to tell the Cameron's to sod off really – plenty of people here can run cows.
AFAIK, James Cameron is a NZ Resident.
So is whats his name,and he is a resident for life.
Ah, yes, sorry, how could I forget about what’s his name …
Wally.
Thiel ?
He was German citizen at birth, became naturalised American and again for NZ in 'instant coffee process' which none of those responsible can remember who approved it- which in politics means they are covering for the boss!
I gather Cameron has been in NZ more than he normally would have been due to Covid restrictions and needing to be in MIQ. He would not be alone with clocking up time as an NZ resident.