I se Richard Harmon pumping up the holiday highway.
I'm not convinced by the arguments of benefits. All it seems to me that would happen is Auckland businesses would have easier direct access to the Northland markets and further drive local businesses under. Businesses are hardly going to lift up and move their manufacturing to Northland especially now they can get their goods there more quickly. Especially as the whole article points out the poverty and lack of skills and educational achievement – let alone an aging workforce. Their biggest markets will remain Auckland which is where they are close to.
At the same time I can see house prices in Northland rising as they continue to but holiday homes and price locals out of the market.
Seen this happen for years in the US where whole towns have disappeared.
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) has produced a study of the impact of an expressway for a consortium of Northland businesses. Its says a four lane road could boost GDP in the north by up to $2 billion a year.
“Long travel times and delays cause businesses to accumulate larger inventories and reconfigure their operations. “Poor connectivity also makes it harder to form networks with customers and suppliers. “Uncertainty about closures and poor access holds back investment, constraining economic growth.”
Wider local impacts could be negative. The 1999 SACTRA report “Transport and the Economy” (Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, 1999) recognised that road projects can have complicated spatial impacts and that the result in some areas may be the opposite of intensions. Improved accessibility between two regions may benefit prosperous areas rather than the poor areas targeted by the scheme. Thus, focusing on nation-level results, such as CBA results, may mask undesirable local impacts. This is often referred to as the two-way road effect.
Empirical evidence of the two-way road effect remains limited. In a study of the impact of the M25 around London, Linneker and Spence (1996) showed that there may be a negative relationship between accessibility and employment change. The authors suggested that improved accessibility may have two types of impacts: it may enable local firms to expand their markets, and potentially increase employment; it may facilitate expansion in the reverse direction, as stronger external firms may penetrate the area with improved accessibility.
And of course history tells us of the influence of the auto manufacturing car lobby.
The roots of the interstate system go back to the 1930s, when General Motors, AAA, and other industry groups formed the National Highway Users Conference to influence federal transportation policy.
These groups realized the nation's transportation system needed to be reframed entirely — as a public responsibility. After all, most cities had just ripped up their streetcar networks because they were privately owned systems that weren't making money. The auto industry didn't want the same thing to happen to highways. So "there was a really successful effort by people with a stake in the automotive industry to characterize road-building as a public responsibility," says Peter Norton, a historian at the University of Virginia and author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City.
The first step was changing how roads were funded. In the 1930s, there were already privately owned toll roads in the East, and some public toll highways, like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, were under construction. But auto groups recognized that funding public roads through taxes on gasoline would allow highways to expand much more quickly.
They also decided to call these roads "free roads," a term that was later replaced by "freeways." Norton argues that this naming shift was essential in persuading the federal government — and the public — to shift away from tolls. "It started with calling the roads drivers pay for 'toll roads,' and calling the ones that taxpayers pay for 'free roads,'" he says. "Of course, there's no such thing as a free road."
One of the best ways to understand (understand includes a number of different things such as motivations, goals, etc) a political opponent is to listen to them (listen could include reading, watching, etc)
You stand a much better chance of defeating them or even winning them over if you understand them.
That bloviating ass thinks being a pompous blowhard makes for a superior argument by virtue of self-pleasuring yourself with worthless excessive verbiage.
If your posts are coming through, albeit it may be a bit later to allow for 'inspection', it is a little OTT to say that you are being affected by being 'in moderation' otherwise we would not have seen this post I am replying to.
As someone who had the same experience there is a path you can go down and that is called acceptance or the price we may all have to pay at some stage of being able to have this 'place'. I cherish the moderation even though I have been affected by it, perhaps with reason!
Friday 19 April is the last day for making a submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, now before Parliament.
The Environmental Defence Society has stated in its submission:
“What is clear from the Bill is that it’s a fake premise, purporting to speed up decision-making when its real purpose is to enable environmental harm with impunity.
“Ministers will have unprecedented powers to approve pet projects. The public will be precluded from having any say. Development is given absolute priority in an astonishingly unbalanced set of decision-making criteria."
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the legislation lacks legitimacy and is truly an exercise of unbridled power by Ministers."
I suspect they will completely ignore them, but we will have a record as to how many support or not support NZ drifting into a dictatorship, as the 3 minister giving themselves complete executive power and excluding any input from ppl., outside those with a direct interest, either locally or from outside NZ.
You know we have free elections every 3 years right?
Sorry but the left in my opinion needs to stop using these sorts of terms to describe democratically elected governments. Many voters see or hear such descriptions and simply don't bother engaging with the actual argument if there is one.(IMO)
In doing so we hoped to be able to identify potentially important differences between posting about politicians from different positions on the political spectrum and of different genders.
What we found was that the Prime Minister faced online vitriol at a rate between 50 and 90 times higher than any other high-profile figure.
While the other individuals were each mentioned in between 200 and 400 posts over the study period, the Prime Minister was mentioned in over 18,000 posts. This was 92 percent of the total body of posts mentioning any of these individuals.
Of the posts our natural language tools classify as strongly negative, angry, sexually explicit or toxic, those mentioning the PM made up 93 percent of the total – 5438 posts were particularly abusive in this way.
The other individuals referenced each had fewer than 100 such angry or threatening posts directed at them.
I have realised why there are no mass protests..as yet..
I think everyone is kinda shell-shocked at the moment…
..as this government mounts war on the poor ..as they wholesale dismantle the support mechanisms that ..decades of neoliberal incrementalism …of both major parties bending the knee to the elites..what this has brought us to…
But at the moment there is no issue that opposition can focus on ..
It's kinda whack-a-mole..
..it is swiping at smoke..
But I reckon any hint of digging coal/whatever out of protected land..that this will focus minds/actions..
..and that sucker..and any other sucker of that ilk….will be closed down..
Philip, I will also propose that it's extremely difficult, even dangerous for the poor (both working and not working) to engage in protest of any sort under a right-wing government in the country, because there is the potential for very real negative consequences from both the State (benefits) and employers (low paid/casual workers) who oppose the regime. It's quite deliberate. Personally, since the election I am now incredibly cautious about which petitions I now sign. It's safer to stay below the radar.
It goes back decades Kay and wasn't confined to beneficiaries and low paid/casual workers. Individuals were also preyed upon. Especially if you were a member of the Labour Party and dared to express anti-nuclear sentiments and didn't join the 'Down with the Unions' movement.
If you were also a public servant then your career prospects were non-existent and work place atmospheres could be very unpleasant.
The Right has always acted this way. But with modern technology at their finger tips they can do so much more and get away with it.
Agreed Phillip….but it is also a war on the environment and climate change measures.
As with the poor, the government has proposed so many terrible policies that are anti-environment (Brown's $9 billion Wellington car tunnel is the latest and perhaps the worst-it is laughable) that it is hard to know where to start with protests.
"But at the moment there is no issue that opposition can focus on .."
They (for me that means Labour) should be focusing on figuring out why their support disintegrated and what they need to do to at least make it a decent contest in 3 years time.
Focusing on an issue such opposing all coal mining will play right into the governments hands. Many here might think otherwise or vehemently disagree, which would mean they are not representative of or don't really understand those for whom the Labour party was created. (The working class)
For all the damage done by the UK Tories, one thing (some of them) actually got right for the good of ALL, not just their donors. And our brand new government even gets a shout out for repealing the smokefree proposals before they had a chance to take effect. Interesting to see the familiarity of the lines of opposition being thrown about.
Debunking conspiracies aotearoa Facebook page (weds 17 April 2024 12.25) has a short summary and links to petitions regarding the newly-named govt Fast-Track advisory panel.
"the government announced the advisory panel on the Fast-Track proposal applications. The panel consists of just six people with no experience or background in environmental issues. Even if these people decide that our environment and safety come first, the ultimate decision comes down to just three MPs, all with vested interests in destructive industries. There will be no public say over what happens to our environment, even if it directly impacts you and your community."
Hardly surprising really. Like some drug lord somewhere once said, "competition is bad for business." (Unless you're trying to remove a 'competitor' from a market altogether by offering much cheaper prices for long enough that they go out of business)
Banking, Supermarkets, fuel providers, etc don't compete with each other on prices to such an extent that they are pretty much cartels.
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
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I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
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Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
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Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
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The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
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The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve. ...
By Litia Cava, FBC News multimedia journalist Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed how arms and ammunition used to conduct the 1987 military coup were secretly brought into Fiji on board a naval survey ship. Speaking at the commissioning of a new research vessel for the Lands and Mineral ...
Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...
“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
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The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
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Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
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Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
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I se Richard Harmon pumping up the holiday highway.
I'm not convinced by the arguments of benefits. All it seems to me that would happen is Auckland businesses would have easier direct access to the Northland markets and further drive local businesses under. Businesses are hardly going to lift up and move their manufacturing to Northland especially now they can get their goods there more quickly. Especially as the whole article points out the poverty and lack of skills and educational achievement – let alone an aging workforce. Their biggest markets will remain Auckland which is where they are close to.
At the same time I can see house prices in Northland rising as they continue to but holiday homes and price locals out of the market.
Seen this happen for years in the US where whole towns have disappeared.
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) has produced a study of the impact of an expressway for a consortium of Northland businesses. Its says a four lane road could boost GDP in the north by up to $2 billion a year.
“Long travel times and delays cause businesses to accumulate larger inventories and reconfigure their operations. “Poor connectivity also makes it harder to form networks with customers and suppliers. “Uncertainty about closures and poor access holds back investment, constraining economic growth.”
https://www.politik.co.nz/fighting-poverty-on-the-holiday-highway/
This is not an unknown.
Wider local impacts could be negative. The 1999 SACTRA report “Transport and the Economy” (Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, 1999) recognised that road projects can have complicated spatial impacts and that the result in some areas may be the opposite of intensions. Improved accessibility between two regions may benefit prosperous areas rather than the poor areas targeted by the scheme. Thus, focusing on nation-level results, such as CBA results, may mask undesirable local impacts. This is often referred to as the two-way road effect.
Empirical evidence of the two-way road effect remains limited. In a study of the impact of the M25 around London, Linneker and Spence (1996) showed that there may be a negative relationship between accessibility and employment change. The authors suggested that improved accessibility may have two types of impacts: it may enable local firms to expand their markets, and potentially increase employment; it may facilitate expansion in the reverse direction, as stronger external firms may penetrate the area with improved accessibility.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X21003334
And of course history tells us of the influence of the auto manufacturing car lobby.
The roots of the interstate system go back to the 1930s, when General Motors, AAA, and other industry groups formed the National Highway Users Conference to influence federal transportation policy.
These groups realized the nation's transportation system needed to be reframed entirely — as a public responsibility. After all, most cities had just ripped up their streetcar networks because they were privately owned systems that weren't making money. The auto industry didn't want the same thing to happen to highways. So "there was a really successful effort by people with a stake in the automotive industry to characterize road-building as a public responsibility," says Peter Norton, a historian at the University of Virginia and author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City.
The first step was changing how roads were funded. In the 1930s, there were already privately owned toll roads in the East, and some public toll highways, like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, were under construction. But auto groups recognized that funding public roads through taxes on gasoline would allow highways to expand much more quickly.
They also decided to call these roads "free roads," a term that was later replaced by "freeways." Norton argues that this naming shift was essential in persuading the federal government — and the public — to shift away from tolls. "It started with calling the roads drivers pay for 'toll roads,' and calling the ones that taxpayers pay for 'free roads,'" he says. "Of course, there's no such thing as a free road."
https://www.vox.com/2015/5/14/8605917/highways-interstate-cities-history
Almost all of those "Points of Order" articles (and all of those from Harmon) seem to support right-leaning policies.
It's a bit odd that The Standard promotes them-is there some money involved or is TS simply being open-minded?
One of the best ways to understand (understand includes a number of different things such as motivations, goals, etc) a political opponent is to listen to them (listen could include reading, watching, etc)
You stand a much better chance of defeating them or even winning them over if you understand them.
there's no money involved. From memory Lynn thought there were some useful perspectives on the blog.
Thank you Weka.
I thought Ike had the freeway network built to assist the movement of troops.
Freeways existed well before the interstate. The interstate was in part about ensuring citizens had a path to escape nuclear bombs.
Impressive to see Shane Jones extolling the virtues of accelerated coal mining consents in order to pay for climate change effects.
My immediate thought on hearing that
"It became necessary to destroy the town to save it."
That bloviating ass thinks being a pompous blowhard makes for a superior argument by virtue of self-pleasuring yourself with worthless excessive verbiage.
That is a very tidy description of s. Jones..(it could almost fit on a t-shirt..)
And of course it could have life as a pub quiz question..
Just change the opening 'that'..to 'which'..
Guys just trolling nz now,
Bottom trawling.
Still in moderation: why??
Unfair.
If your posts are coming through, albeit it may be a bit later to allow for 'inspection', it is a little OTT to say that you are being affected by being 'in moderation' otherwise we would not have seen this post I am replying to.
As someone who had the same experience there is a path you can go down and that is called acceptance or the price we may all have to pay at some stage of being able to have this 'place'. I cherish the moderation even though I have been affected by it, perhaps with reason!
Friday 19 April is the last day for making a submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, now before Parliament.
The Environmental Defence Society has stated in its submission:
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the legislation lacks legitimacy and is truly an exercise of unbridled power by Ministers."
Make your voice heard (unless you don't mind our environment being trashed at a much faster rate than it is at present).See https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/how-to-make-a-submission/
"Friday 19 April is the last day for making a submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, now before Parliament."
alternative you could sign a Forest & Bird quick Submission Form:
https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/petitions/fight-for-nature
I suspect they will completely ignore them, but we will have a record as to how many support or not support NZ drifting into a dictatorship, as the 3 minister giving themselves complete executive power and excluding any input from ppl., outside those with a direct interest, either locally or from outside NZ.
"…NZ drifting into a dictatorship…"
Really….A dictatorship…?
You know we have free elections every 3 years right?
Sorry but the left in my opinion needs to stop using these sorts of terms to describe democratically elected governments. Many voters see or hear such descriptions and simply don't bother engaging with the actual argument if there is one.(IMO)
Yet they happily engage with the right stating the left are communists, etc. Though that may be due to one person and one person only.
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/01/24/data-shines-a-light-on-the-online-hatred-for-jacinda-ardern.html
In doing so we hoped to be able to identify potentially important differences between posting about politicians from different positions on the political spectrum and of different genders.
What we found was that the Prime Minister faced online vitriol at a rate between 50 and 90 times higher than any other high-profile figure.
While the other individuals were each mentioned in between 200 and 400 posts over the study period, the Prime Minister was mentioned in over 18,000 posts. This was 92 percent of the total body of posts mentioning any of these individuals.
Of the posts our natural language tools classify as strongly negative, angry, sexually explicit or toxic, those mentioning the PM made up 93 percent of the total – 5438 posts were particularly abusive in this way.
The other individuals referenced each had fewer than 100 such angry or threatening posts directed at them.
Re upcoming direct action:
I have realised why there are no mass protests..as yet..
I think everyone is kinda shell-shocked at the moment…
..as this government mounts war on the poor ..as they wholesale dismantle the support mechanisms that ..decades of neoliberal incrementalism …of both major parties bending the knee to the elites..what this has brought us to…
But at the moment there is no issue that opposition can focus on ..
It's kinda whack-a-mole..
..it is swiping at smoke..
But I reckon any hint of digging coal/whatever out of protected land..that this will focus minds/actions..
..and that sucker..and any other sucker of that ilk….will be closed down..
Philip, I will also propose that it's extremely difficult, even dangerous for the poor (both working and not working) to engage in protest of any sort under a right-wing government in the country, because there is the potential for very real negative consequences from both the State (benefits) and employers (low paid/casual workers) who oppose the regime. It's quite deliberate. Personally, since the election I am now incredibly cautious about which petitions I now sign. It's safer to stay below the radar.
Yes I've restricted both my comments and what I comment on for that reason.
The right hunt you down.
A spine is a wonderful thing, its worth having one.
Heh..!…aye..!
It goes back decades Kay and wasn't confined to beneficiaries and low paid/casual workers. Individuals were also preyed upon. Especially if you were a member of the Labour Party and dared to express anti-nuclear sentiments and didn't join the 'Down with the Unions' movement.
If you were also a public servant then your career prospects were non-existent and work place atmospheres could be very unpleasant.
The Right has always acted this way. But with modern technology at their finger tips they can do so much more and get away with it.
Agreed Phillip….but it is also a war on the environment and climate change measures.
As with the poor, the government has proposed so many terrible policies that are anti-environment (Brown's $9 billion Wellington car tunnel is the latest and perhaps the worst-it is laughable) that it is hard to know where to start with protests.
"But at the moment there is no issue that opposition can focus on .."
They (for me that means Labour) should be focusing on figuring out why their support disintegrated and what they need to do to at least make it a decent contest in 3 years time.
Focusing on an issue such opposing all coal mining will play right into the governments hands. Many here might think otherwise or vehemently disagree, which would mean they are not representative of or don't really understand those for whom the Labour party was created. (The working class)
For all the damage done by the UK Tories, one thing (some of them) actually got right for the good of ALL, not just their donors. And our brand new government even gets a shout out for repealing the smokefree proposals before they had a chance to take effect. Interesting to see the familiarity of the lines of opposition being thrown about.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/16/house-of-commons-votes-in-favour-of-smoking-ban-despite-opposition-from-dozens-of-tories
Debunking conspiracies aotearoa Facebook page (weds 17 April 2024 12.25) has a short summary and links to petitions regarding the newly-named govt Fast-Track advisory panel.
"the government announced the advisory panel on the Fast-Track proposal applications. The panel consists of just six people with no experience or background in environmental issues. Even if these people decide that our environment and safety come first, the ultimate decision comes down to just three MPs, all with vested interests in destructive industries. There will be no public say over what happens to our environment, even if it directly impacts you and your community."
Kiwis know this a crap economic model to run a country with.
Good poll from Horizon "Most major markets seen as uncompetitive"
https://horizonpoll.co.nz/page/701/most-major-
Shows how fubar the results of a "free" market.
Hardly surprising really. Like some drug lord somewhere once said, "competition is bad for business." (Unless you're trying to remove a 'competitor' from a market altogether by offering much cheaper prices for long enough that they go out of business)
Banking, Supermarkets, fuel providers, etc don't compete with each other on prices to such an extent that they are pretty much cartels.