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7:00 am, September 17th, 2019 - 80 comments
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Inquiry confirms Marsden pipeline damager was connected with Oravida: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115811300/fuel-firms-told-to-invest-at-auckland-airport-by-june-or-government-should-step-in
And the due date for the report would be no surprise and would have been known for a long time,"how convenient" that Collins just happens, coincidentally, to be overseas?
Bless her. All that kauri won't sell itself.. 🙂
incredibly shameless behaviour from the Nats, and it almost worked.
https://twitter.com/LewSOS/status/1173676394544414720?s=20
another scandal that the media have forgotten about
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1173683740318588928?s=20
Any New Zealander with the intelligence to look at what is happening in China – the incarceration of over 1 million Uyghurs in "re-education" camps, the ongoing persecution of the Tibetans and Christians, and now the pressure (and probable invasion) of Hong Kong, – and imagine that China, with its aim of world domination, won't do the same here when they take over, is dreaming.
Trump may be a complete f-wit, and he may be dangerous, but Xi Jingping is sinister.
Too much of the purist race thing from China – and stories of Falun Gong being allocated status of bad and so dispensable. What have we here; a country admired principally because it 'has the trains running on time' as was said of Mussolini's Italy.
Me, myself, I always see democracy as the end. Don't know how close Japan has got yet. Is that 'dogma' or over-idealisation? I'm proud of it, rather than the 'freedom' of WW 2 which lead to our present plutocracy. And the US Supreme Court refusing to defend 'democracy'. Makes you laugh your guts out.
It will be interesting to see if today Bennett persists with her line of questioning at QT. Even more interesting if Winston answers on behalf of the PM.
Newsroom Laura Walters has published in full the Simon Mitchell report on his declaration of the non appearance of Sarah's complaint.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/09/16/811922/labour-party-doubles-down-on-its-version-of-events
Te Spinoff has the lawyer's statement and a response from the complainant: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/16-09-2019/two-statements-on-the-labour-party-inquiry/
Isn't it great to see real journalism from new media organisations.
I'm relieved that Spinoff and Newsroom are on the scene.
Thanks Sacha for the link to Spinoff. Simon and Sarah cannot both be right. Maybe the emails did not arrive at their destination but Sarah also says she discussed the details with Simon and the Committee. Weird!
2+2= a twisted piece of string.
2+2/(sexual assault trauma+rape culture) = a twisted piece of string sticking out of a Gordian knot ball of string.
Yesterday the Spinoff published that with a response from the complainants' lawyer. Have a look, Ian, see what you think when you compare both statements. Rare to see such a stark incompatibility in regard to the assertions of fact! https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/16-09-2019/two-statements-on-the-labour-party-inquiry/
Seems to me they possess proof that the complainants are telling the truth, but it hinges on each email destination computer address – and if it reliably identitifies the owner/operator. To helpfully inform the public, they ought to publish each email as a photo so we can see the evidence for ourselves.
One can send an email but forget attachments but Sarah says she discussed the detail with the committee who say no she didn't. It would be very sad if Sarah has bigger problems of recall.
Have Spinoff/Newsroom Bennett actually met Sarah?
Dunno. That's another facet of the controversy that bothers me. Unidentifiable people can seem hypothetical! We assume they are actually real because Labour party sources say they are. Blind faith can work – the christians achieved hegemony for millennia using it – but I'd prefer politics to be based on real humans, their actual experience and evidence.
Mitchell writes he advised Sarah to email the assistant Labour gen sec rather than himself, and doesn't say that person provided the panel with copies, so Sarah could have been under a false impression. If deliberate, seems bad faith to me…
This interesting Correction in stuff Monday 16/9/19 P2 :
Richard Griffin's column published in The Nelson Mail on Saturday incorrectly stated that the alleged offender in the Labour scandal worked in the prime minster's office in the Beehive, and that he was a member of her "hand-picked staff". It also incorrectly stated that the role would require "daily, sometimes hourly, interaction with the prime minister".
[]
The alleged offender worked in the Labour leader's office, a unit that helps MPs deal with the day-to-day business of Parliament. It is based in the Bowen House office block and is separate from the prime minister's office, on the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Stuff has printed the correction which reins in Richard Griffin's reckons to actual reality. ('There are things that you know, you don't know', and things you don't know that you don't know, etc. Refer to Donald Rumsfeld, USA Secretary of Defense speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk)
A feature of newspaper presentation of content to the reader that stuff displays shows disrespect for prime people in our polity and their positions of authority. Notice how, in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case! I think that says something about the lack of respect of the media barons for the people and our elected representatives and government itself. (I inserted a space to create a second paragraph in the correction piece which made its meaning clearer I thought.)
Who knew Ardern has two offices?? Hardly anyone, I suspect. I wonder if she uses both. Can't really blame the Dick for being confused.
Re capitalisation, could be the journo is caught between two worlds: that of those trained in traditional grammar & those not. Result is random capitalisation, to serve both audiences…
Electorate MPs also have electorate offices in their electorates. Who knew? John Key used to have many hats, remember?
Yeah but using that logic you'd have to count a third office for the PM in her electorate. The two she seems to have in parliament do reflect her twin hats, of course. If they are staffed by folk performing different functions – those required by the twin processes of democracy & governance – then nobody can claim it's a waste of space & resources.
??
Nobody’s talking about “a waste of space & resources”!?
Just me. I blame my deceased father, who drummed it into me during childhood. That generation grew up in the depression, so `waste not, want not' permanently shaped their mind-set.
I hear you.
No I think that the writing form or rules has been declared on capitalisation – its not up to personal preference.
…in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case!
It's actually a bit of a grey area. If you're thinking about it generically, ie as the office that's used by prime ministers of New Zealand, it's the prime minster's office. If you're thinking about it as the office of Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, it's the Prime Minister's office. Either is fine in the context it was used in.
Don't blame me for it PM. Or that other commenter who calls themself Grey Area.
There are various rationalisations for changing capitalisation such as this one from The Guardian. The writer sounds as if he is Up Himself (to use a less formal style).
https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2010/oct/04/new-york-street-signs-capitals
Most readers seem comfortable with a less formal style. A grand total of two people complained about our coverage of the pope's, rather than the Pope's, recent visit to the UK. We did receive a letter last week complaining that calling David Cameron the prime minister, not the Prime Minister (a style we have been following for more than a decade) reflected a "lowering of standards", but such complaints are few.
This is what Canterbury Uni says. But they don't make it clear about titles and honorifics. It appears that one could refer to the chancellor of The University of Canterbury, even though they would be of equal importance, one needing the other, I would think.
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/webguide/uc-style-guide/writing-for-the-web/language-usage/
We are having great discussions about the lack of respect for complaints about bullying of people, and the casual acceptance of sexual urges being displayed and acted on. Perhaps we are all too bloody casual about what consideration good humans must have for others, respecting their bright and brief life on this earth, similar to our own beacon with an inestimable cornucopia of abundant gifts, so often unrecognised.
Rather despise Richard Griffin. Instrument. He has a column in Nelson? One of those doves freed by social democracy who doesn't come back to perform devotion like my polio uncle for CCS. Hard to like these freed fools as much as they obviously like themselves.
imagine what would happen if the labour party or the greens had as an mp – a former(?) chinese-spook/member of the chinese communist party..?
and j.ardern/shaw went with said mp to china…for a meeting with the head of chinas’ spooks….?
the media would have such a meltdown – they would need to be put on life-support…
hosking would implode….
hooton would have palpitations..
the tories do it..?…nedia/r.w-spinners/toadys – totally unruffled..
I worry about how vaping is being promoted – please pass onto the vapers in your life
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/im-horrified-by-the-damage-vaping-does-to-lungs/11516316
seems a no brainer to me: regulate in the same way as tobacco (including in pubic spaces). Better yet, also make it a med that has to be bought from a pharmacy.
It's fucking ridiculous that people are saying inhaling chemical-carrying vapour multiple times a day deep into your lungs won't have harmful effects.
I mentioned in my responses about vaping a few days ago how Doctors don't advocate anyone start vaping, for the same reasons noted above about smoking tobacco or cannabis – Putting anything your lungs apart from clean fresh air is a bad decision. However, smokers are advised to switch, because it is deemed the safer option.
Harvard edu on vaping damage to lungs
Ignoring the recent cluster of u.s cases, likely to be caused by contaminants, their bottom line is "Perhaps vaping should be viewed as a “lesser of evils” for current cigarette smokers." which is what the medics have told us.
For those smoking cannabis, the outlook is not so good.
American lung Assoc on weed smoking damage to lungs
Vaping "may have similar respiratory health effects as e-cigarette use." but smokers have a far worse bottom line and projected end game.
Though obviously not as bad as tobacco smokers
https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/health-effects-of-smoking.html
People can make choices about which they want to do based on their own health, no problem with that. My concern is the people saying that vaping is benign for the vaper and those around them. It's not and it's daft to say that. We should be regulating this around advertising, public space and so on. The push for it to be trendy and everywhere is capitalist, hipster bullshit.
I would apply that to cannabis too. Same regs on public spaces (and enclosed spaces like cars), don't allow advertising. The capitalists are going to be all over cannabis too if they get the chance. Hoping we can legalise without making the mistakes the US has.
The 'push for it to be everywhere' is funded by tobacco companies. Enough said.
yep.
I know I've never bough a vape product, or been influenced to by a tobacco company, though of course that doesn't mean some haven't since they've entered the local market.
The current saturation marketing push seems timed to get in before the product is regulated. How it has not been mystifies me.
They're trying to get market share where they have historically had none, and with the big money comes big advertising and promotion, but that's not all going there way.
Big tobacco in NZ – Stuff
I've never met someone or seen any advocate for vaping say they aren't without risk, which I suppose is why they are an r18 product, even the non nicotine e liquids.
Not being either I don't know if it's capitalist hipster bs, remembering how cigarettes use to be 'cool' too and they were/are really gross, but if more regulation is needed then so be it. Advertising should probably run along the lines of tobacco ie None, and public spaces like smoking should be off limits, if people aren't already considerate with their habit, which I know, some aren't.
I don't agree that flavours should be banned for consenting adults, but if they are, what will be etc… we can always add our own, though of course that makes a bit of an ass out of the law where nicotine is permitted but a flavour draws the foul and gets a red card.
I vape it got me off 2 packs a day. With the cases in the USA most of them are with CBD oils not normal juice, and i do agree juices need to be treated like smokes .
Good news story
Vaping is to Labour as Cigarettes are to National.
The lesser of two evils is correct. I guess it's the marketing why some vapers think they're doing themselves no harm. As an ex-smoker and vaper I'm trying to keep my head out of the clouds, and looking to stop the vape in time – but addiction has its hooks deep. Other substances have been by comparison easy to give up while nicotine will mess with me psychologically for years after a quit event.
When you add mental health issues like depression into the mix, a malady known for exacerbating self destructive behavior, it is no surprise so many still partake.
Promoting it seems criminal, except as an alternate to smoking. The underlying causes of mental stress and depression range considerably, but much might be placed squarely at the feet of a society that competes rather than cooperates and places money before man; with governments and media that exacerbate division and derision of fairer human characteristics.
The opportunists aka capitalists with no moral compass have an awful lot to answer for. Opiate epidemic in US = money money money.
I originally read this and was preparing to strongly disagree, until I noticed 'except'. lol
As an alternative to smoking, even without long term data to support it, it's a common refrain from those who have made the switch. I've said before I recommend it to every smoker I meet, not only for the real up change in lifestyle, but especially financially.
True weka 100% That vaping chemicals together in combinations that have never been toxicology analysed as together in a combined synergistic insult may be far more harmful than each component used separately.
Even more than that one must also consider the combined effects sitting in a room with several others vaping with other chemicals added into their vapor will be added to the air all are breathing and even add a more toxic soup to human health damage, so we need to stop vaping as it is just like playing Russian roulette.
What chemicals and in what untested combinations are being vaped?
No surprises here.
https://twitter.com/dgaytandzhieva/status/1173300452924039168?s=20
http://armswatch.com/
Interesting to learn that the university is such a hot bed of smokers desperate to get off the cigs that the benevolent producers of vapes have taken to sponsoring slots on the student radio to help these students get the help they need.
In my post-grad classes there was maybe 1:30 smokers. Typically the only person out for a smoke break with me was staff. Undergrad probably twice that. Can only speak for the biological sciences…
wtf?
and the response is, well, an absolute joke and shameful imo
History eh – just make it up – now this is some history
Can I ask what position in the tribe the "single iwi representative " holds.
Missionary. 🙂
Hey B, is it the Farmers Weekly that's the good rural newspaper?
It's the one that isnt totally bias. Gives all sides a platform . This week is quiet a feature on how much pressure is supposedly being heaped on farmers from the governments massive reform programmes.
I put supposedly as it could be true but being just a lowly shepherd it’s all above me . ( just the way I like it)
I see a Herald headline today: Mike Hosking: 'Now I'm not so sure we are being fleeced on petrol prices." Was he a tobacco salesman and lobbyist in a previous life?
ouch
https://twitter.com/adamkotsko/status/1173051399967596544
What a disgraceful idiot this person is
ummm yeah nah it is totally IN character for you imo
We actually have a disability parking permit – but seldom use it because the boy is doing well and he feels that the space can be left for someone who needs it more. I have always thought that society is able to function only because of a myriad of such small acts of virtue – far more so than merely obeying the law. But it looks like such good nature just provides an 'opportunity' for the Siggis of the world.
She was obviously in a hurry – pulled up and jumped out and was snapped in that second. She may have been busting to go to the loo, that is very disabling. We can give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes i think.
Why would you leap to shine the best light on her behaviour? She has a track record.
She can't even steal a mobility park properly. Clown.
The law of unintended consequences and the genetically modified mosquito that has gone wild.
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1172907395439312899
What;s that? Don't be enigmatic, be automatic to put your link so we can keep up with you, speedy.
click on photo show reference to SR
Just another culture war, don't get excited. Green fundies vs philanthropists & geneticists. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/08/06/gmo-mosquitoes-could-save-millions-from-malaria-but-progressive-agroecologists-mobilize-against-gates-funded-project/
"This spring Target Malaria ran a carefully controlled experimental release in Burkina Faso. The test followed years of research and similar successful releases in Latin America and the Caribbean. None of that mattered to the coalition of 40 leading environmental and “civil society” organizations demanding the project be shut down immediately."
We should not forget that while there are plenty of philandering men out there,
there are also plenty of silly women.
[Please stick to one user name, thanks]
[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.]
What a terrible thing to say … being silly is irrelevant ..or having a drink or wearing what you please.
People are getting sick and tired of Boorish. I bet he would never sit and eat his meals nicely when his parents had him around. Now the EU feels like spanking him, but of course they are too civilised, and instead are developing a new nuke that personalises by going after your smell and DNA with cells that they have grown from a swab of a dog's nose. (No animals would have been hurt in the experiment except Boorish. They probably have got Eion Musk interested in it.) /sarc
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49715705 Brexit: Boris Johnson attacked by Luxembourg PM over 'nightmare'
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-49695563/passports-and-nationality-the-brits-going-dutch-over-brexit
Channel 4 News 846K subscribers
It was the day BoJo went No Show. Boris Johnson, in Luxembourg for talks with EU officials, abruptly pulled out of a joint press conference with the country's prime minister Xavier Bettel, amid noisy anti-Brexit protests opposite the podiums. Mr Bettel, who heads one of Europe's smallest countries, promptly upstaged Mr Johnson by going ahead without him, describing Brexit as a "nightmare" for EU citizens. You can't hold people hostage for party political reasons, he said, and don't blame us for the mess you made. Mr Johnson is still insisting there is time to agree a Brexit deal.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1178721/Brexit-news-Boris-Johnson-Benn-no-deal-delay-today-live-BBC-backstop-UK-EU
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-no-deal-boris-johnson-leave-legal-loophole-a9107051.html 'Flaw' in legislation passed by MPs means opponents of no-deal will need to take 'counter measures' to ensure UK does not crash out of EU next month, barrister says
A thinkpiece for constitutional law watchers. https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2019/09/13/oliver-garner-the-benn-burt-extension-act-a-roadblock-to-a-no-deal-brexit/
The Charge of the Light Brigade I
HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
That's the spirit, forward, follow me say the doughty warriors, and be remembered for being heroes who overcame rationality, rode forth trying to take the high ground and fell on your noses.
Boorish as the Black Night, (come on ya pansy) the EU is with the King of the Britons in this debacle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=886hNDgwfMk
Paula Bennett in the House today all concerned about ethics.
Was she the one who released the personal information about Winston Peters before the last election?
The media can't help itself even while it pats itself on the back for being a virtuous outlet. Take note how they will reach into records of your past and will stick you at will with sad events you wanted to let lie. This in the Otago Daily Times which I thought had standards.
https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/ben-stokes-family-tragedy-half-brother-sister-shot-dead-children
Paula Bennet can get up Parliament and under privilege mention the name of someone alleged to have done something but Winston Peters can't get up and mention Judith Collins as a person connected to Oravida?
Certainly a bit odd Peter. Mallard did refer to Ruling 23 as to why, but we amateurs may not reason why. Must be pretty compelling but of course most would know the Collins connection.
I agree with the idiot (/savant): http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/09/contempt.html – I hadn't noticed that the British legal establishment had decided to pull the plug on British arms manufacturers. Is there a whiff of revolution in the air over there??
Will the minister who broke the law get punished? Seems a real test of the traditional expectation of `rule of law' only applying to the wealthy & powerful when standard evasion strategies fail.
"The president of New Zealand's criminal lawyers' society supports legalising cannabis for personal use", reports Stuff. "The association said its membership comprised 700 practicing criminal lawyers across New Zealand… "I think most members would support legalisation of cannabis for personal use," Andersen said." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/115818154/legalise-weed-criminal-lawyer-group-president-says
Seems significant, inasmuch as parts of the establishment making progress hardly ever happens. Sadly, the 80% of Aotearoans who have voluntarily embarked on the outlaw lifestyle are now threatened with the establishment seal of approval. I wonder, when the mystique evaporates, what other form of rebellion they will seek.
Listening to the 4pm RNZ news, I thought I heard Winston accusing Jacinda of issuing fake news. Apparently she told the media he was having a month off due to knee surgery, or something, so when he returned & media asked him about it he said no, that was fake news. Well, he could have said she misunderstood, eh?
So if there's headlines screaming `Deputy PM accuses PM of fake news' it will mean journos took it like I did. I doubt Winston had that intent. Just shows the fine line between perception & reality, eh? 🙄
did he say why he was off if it wasn't due to knee surgery?
No, and the evening tv news just called it a health reason. Featured Winston's condemnation of PB instead.
"Ardern said the operation was related to an old rugby injury he received many years ago.
A spokesman for Peters would not go into any further detail on the operation, other than to say the way Ardern had described it was accurate"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12264185
Judith Collins must be ready to come home now to face our accusers of the 'Oridiva demolition pipe company' scandal now?
Welcome home Judith.
Queen Judith Orivida Collins. Digger operations Manager of the Kauri Swamp log & Auckland Airport Energy pipeline destruction cover-up It’d. (2014).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115811300/fuel-firms-told-to-invest-at-auckland-airport-by-june-or-government-should-step-in
The inquiry report published on Tuesday said a digger operated by a "contractor" suspected of damaging the fuel pipeline in 2014, setting in motion its later failure, was owned by Auckland company Oravida Kauri, which was renamed Kauri Ruakaka the following year
Shapiro's inerrant right wing logic at work here.
https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1173628757221019651