A year ago, many Ethiopians would not have dared to imagine the spectacle they are being treated to right now, as the government intensifies its crackdown on alleged corruption and gross human rights violations within the military and intelligence services.
The nation has watched in disbelief – and then cheered – as former high-ranking officers have been arrested on live television, handcuffed while surrounded by heavily armed security personnel and bundled into police vehicles. Times have indeed changed.
This is the biggest crackdown on corruption in Ethiopia’s recent history and it is being spearheaded by the bold and reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in April……
…..The prime minister seems to be responding to concerns raised by the public, especially during the last four years when massive anti-government protests broke out in many parts of the country.
At the heart of the demonstrations were serious concerns about the alleged corruption which touched at the very core of the government and the military.
Torture and sodomy charges
The corruption scandals which have hit the military-run conglomerate, Metals and Engineering Company (Metec), have not been a secret in the country – they have long been whispered in homes, pubs and coffee places.
But no-one, it seemed, had the courage to take the problem head on until Mr Abiy came to office.
In this fight, the prime minister seems to have huge public support, having won over even some of his doubters who thought he did not have it in him to take on the military elite.
Other arrested officials have already appeared in court, facing charges that include torture, rape and sodomy.
Again, this did not come as a surprise to Ethiopians. Thousands of them were arbitrarily arrested over the years, and human rights groups have written numerous reports about the allegations against security officials.
His critics say he is carrying out a purge of the old guard in the military and intelligence services who for years have been almost untouchable and only answerable to those within their ranks…..
This is a remarkable turnaround when most of the world seems to be heading in the other direction.
When just 70 years after the death of Hitler and Stalin where we seemed to be heading to a world where all the major countries will be ruled by fascists, goons, strongmen and other types of “authoritarians” (Britain and France excepted for the moment).
A great example of why the old model is broken, a lack of leadership and a lack of imagination.
Trucking rubbish 200km from Taranaki to Martin. Three trucks a day.
And then there is talk of achieving zero waste targets…
People might excuse the authorities of not having a lot of drive in dealing with rubbish. Many are so thick that they would reply that was wrong, they drive
the rubbish away. They would think a riposte like that funny.
Well, no. They do seem to be working on the principle of actually reducing their waste. Personally, I don’t see how that can be done at the regional level. It really does need central government bringing in legislation to reduce packaging and banning the spam in our mailboxes.
I’m wondering how it will be able to save ~$1m per year. That doesn’t seem physically possible without either dropping the number of personnel or lowering wages or both.
And, with it being wholly foreign owned means that any profit is going to be shipped offshore making us poorer.
I’m also wondering what other hooks have been placed in the agreement because it seems far too good to be true.
A Universal Creativity Initiative will flow naturally from UBI.
We are at our best when putting personal talent to work. It is no coincidence that world-wide rehabilitation programs for offenders and addicts are invariably grounded in creativity, – activities such as cooking, music, art, surfing, and environmental restoration.
Earning a living for most fails to honour individual creativity. We find ourselves ‘imprisoned’ within profit-based corporations and governmental institutions demanding compliance within narrow bounds. The demise of conventional employment following widespread automation will usher in a universal basic income or similar currency leaving millions free to give expression to what they sense as innovation lying at their deepest core.
While there are impressive structures created by animals (bird nests, termite colonies, corals, beaver dams) they are purpose-built – never as creative expression. Setting us aside from other life forms our creativity stems from individual temperament and ability. The trait is common to us all whilst its expression in terms of range, diversity and depth is without limit.
With capitalism comfortably out of the way and UBI in place a universal creativity initiative will eventuate allowing the widest spectrum of human abilities to come to the fore in the rebuild of society and restoration of our stricken planet. The politically inclined to explore new styles of inclusive government; educators to developing fresh methods of nourishing emerging talent; financiers to look into equitable ways applying UBI; artists and musicians to give novel expression to humanity’s changing orientation on earth; scientists to probe decisive methods of restoring the integrity of our ecosystems; medics to develop non-intrusive initiatives of addressing health; idealists to imagining our future course – to name a few.
Within these broad divisions lie countless sub-opportunities catering for the full spectrum of human talent and ability all the way from abstract visionaries to those with high quality physical dexterity.
Our creativity is only limited by our imagination and curiosity – unstoppable forces in human evolution. There’s one thing that stops imagination and creativity dead in their tracks: fear.
Indeed, when the basics are not covered our psychology results in different attitudes and behaviours. The post here on TS on house prices bears testament to that. People bow to economic fundamentals or indicators rather and put their lives on hold (i.e. play it safe).
We all have so much potential locked away inside but have thrown away the key – we now live in strictly materialistic dimension of our own making. Some praise our secular society and its supposed rationalism and reliance on science and the scientific method. Others compare it with the Matrix: an artificial world in which human evolution is at a standstill and exploited by machines – I think we’re half-way there.
“I don’t think we can afford to just completely IGNORE this.”
Two louts and a comedian discuss “China’s aggression” in the South China Sea The Panel, RNZ National, Friday 16 November 2018
Jim Mora, James Nokise, Heather Roy, Caitlin Cherry
First topic for the once-over-lightly this afternoon was the buttonholing of Jacinda Ardern by Mahathir Mohamad, and his urging her to beware of Chinese influence in the Pacific. Host Jim Mora noted that “the Australians” have spoken out against China’s aggression. Mora made that statement without any discernible irony in his voice.
Near the end of this risible segment, the one participant with a conscience, comedian James Nokise, says what anyone with an I.Q. above room temperature would have been thinking. He obviously decided to ignore the rules: such plain speaking is utterly verboten on this dog of a program. His radical statement of the truth elicits a ringing silence from Mora, who is happy to laugh at the plight of political dissidents, and Heather Roy, a former ACT member of parliament…..
JIM MORA: And then there were those, aah, AWKWARD moments at the East Asia Summit in Singapore
HEATHER ROY: Mmmmmm.
JIM MORA: —when the Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad began BENDING the ear of our prime minister about Chinese attempts to dominate the South China Sea, and the reporters were ushered out of the roo-hoo-hoo-om! [guffawing, followed by extended intake of breath]… It’s interesting, I mean, if push DOES come to shove in the South China Sea—we’ve asked this before—what sould, what should New Zealand do, because the P.M. says we’re not taking SIDES here?
HEATHER ROY:[deep sigh to indicate moral seriousness] Hmmmmm.
JAMES NOKISE: What exactly CAN we do? Probably an uncomfortable question for New Zealanders. I mean are we gonna send our three ships and no planes that we have, to intimidate China?
MORA: Well, Australia trades a lot with China, and [deep intake of breath] has still told China in fairly plain language that it’s being AGGRESSIVE. I guess you could say Australia is using harder wo-o-o-ords.
JAMES NOKISE: Well if anyone knows about aggressive use of internment camps it’s probably the Australians, isn’t it.
…Awkward silence….
HEATHER ROY:[nervously] Heh, heh.
MORA:[breathes deeply to indicate annoyance and perplexedness] It’s INTERESTING though—-
HEATHER ROY: Yeeaahhhh….
MORA: Sorry, no you were gonna say what?
HEATHER ROY: It IS very interesting, and New Zealand is heavily dependent on the South China Sea, you know….[…]…. I don’t think we can afford to just completely IGNORE this. Ahhhhhhmmm, tut, if you look at what happens with the MILITARY, ahh, there’s a freedom of navigation operations where the, the basis of that is maintaining your position… [bores on for a seeming eternity, actually another minute]…
Later in the program, Heather Roy the former ACT M.P. claimed, contra all evidence, that “the Americans treat veterans very well.”
You seem to forget that RNZ has always only catered for mainstreamers. Ardern could probably get her head around it, but she has to play to her crowd, right? When in doubt, be a typical politician & duck the issue.
If she were a true leader, she’d be fronting on behalf of our foreign policy credentials & independent stance – representing the entire country on the issue, not just Labour deadheads. She could remain cautious in noting that the South China Sea is not in our region, but explain that she understands why Malaysia is trying to share their regional concern with us. She could reasonably mention that other countries in that region share Malaysia’s concern, and cite those such as Japan and the Phillipines that have issued foreign policy statements in recent years expressing their concerns.
A true leader of Aotearoa would go further. Issuing a declaration of principle is required: China is creating a security threat in that region, perception that it is attempting a strategy of covert imperialism by means of establishing control over sea routes in contravention of international law is valid and we support those countries that are affected and threatened. Not taking sides is wimping out. She is presumably using public service advice as an excuse to do so. Poor leadership is the result.
She could remain cautious in noting that the South China Sea is not in our region,
It’s a global issue and not a regional one. The South China Sea is ~3.5 million square kilometres of international ocean. China’s actions are against all international law as it stands.
If China manages to annex it or even just a large portion of it then other nations will be doing the same and the law will be one which cannot be enforced. China seems to be doing it because they don’t think that the international community will do anything about it. Unfortunately, history proves them right. After all, the international community has never held the US to account for it’s crimes against international law.
This is a wealth grab and it’s actually grabbing potential wealth from the other nations surrounding The South China Sea.
You seem to forget that RNZ has always only catered for mainstreamers.
I’m well aware of that, Dennis. Occasionally there is real, outstanding, and courageous journalism on RNZ National, and even on the usually dreadful Panel hour: Eva Radich discomfiting Tony Blair by insisting he respond to her point that the attack on Iraq was illegal, Kim Hill driving the neocon William Shawcross into a fit of volcanic anger [1], Gordon Campbell challenging the glib and uninformed Richard Griffin over his prejudiced and thoughtless comments about Hugo Chavez and eliciting a groveling backdown and on-air retraction, and (more recently) Paula Penfold calling out the head of the New Zealand Defence Forces as a “coward”. [2]
All too often, however, as you rightly point out, RNZ National is anything but a forum of debate, affording an uncontested space for some of the ugliest and cleverest ideologues on the planet. [3]
Your point is well-made. I was just having a bitch at them. Having lived in alternative Aotearoa most of my life I resent their systemic discrimination against non-mainstreamers. They’ve learnt how to include other minorities in their coverage, they just can’t seem to apply the general principle!
When I’m back in town, I’ll post the Maritime Trade numbers that transit the SCS and greater Pacific Region and the possible effects it would have on the NZ economy. Any NZ exports for the SEA region goes through the Singapore hub, the same is for some our MER exports/imports have to go through the Singapore hub. If China does manage close access to SCS or degrade access to the SCS then the economies of Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and some degree the Canada and the US will be effected. In turn this will effect our traditional trading/ allies and including Australia, so what happens in the SCS is our concern as it would effectively stuff up the NZ economy especially what the Neo Lib/ Con economic theory has done to NZ over the last 30 odd years.
Unless we start to diverse our economy like our Kirk, Rowling, old Piggy and some degree Lamb burger Moore said in the 70’ and early/ mid 80’s, then we are fucked as we have ran down all aspects of the economy and the NZDF. Our Sea Lanes Of Communications (SLOC’s) are our life blood and heart and soul of the greater NZ economy.
“”What’s wrong with that? Some small-minded, bigoted person has called us racist, threatened to bash us up; it’s not worth replying to,” Joy Babington said.”
Just go have a drink in a local bar and get them talking. Likewise Kaponga, Stratford and Inglewood.
We did a gig in Kaponga, 3 – THREE fights in one show. Young white rugby players.
Inglewood, where friends of the groom sodomised him for an engagement present…
Hawera, where a middling white act gets rapturous applause, and an incredible Maori talent barely gets a smattering of light applause.
Where the Maori waitress came to my hotel to avoid the white bosses advances, but he followed her there, and it took hours for him to leave even after a wee talking to.
Where addressing racism ironically was interpreted as actual racist material and encouraged with free drinks, lunch invites, and back slaps.
Good old boys.
I could get back on stage as a front to do a documentary of small town NZ. People open up to comics after a show. It’d be a helluva expose but make a country full of enemies.
“Former New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd called it “absolutely disgusting”, and ex-MP and Maori activist Hone Harawira said he wanted to “smash the racist motherf**kers”.
“Is it acceptable for a reporter to go on and on because he hasn’t got an answer out of the President?” Obviously Jim Mora thinks it’s NOT acceptable. The Panel, RNZ National, Thursday 8 November 2018
Jim Mora, Penny Ashton, Bernard Hickey, Caitlin Cherry
Penny Ashton gets very heated as she criticizes Donald Trump, in the face of Mora’s infuriatingly complacent, barely disguised support for the Groper in Chief. Mora’s disdainful and patrician attitude, and his infuriatingly complacent observations seem designed to goad, taunt, and vex her.
BERNARD HICKEY: Last time we had unemployment this low, mortgage rates were eleven per cent.
MORA:ELEVEN per cent?!?!?
PENNY ASHTON: And I heard that they were like NINETEEN or TWENTY per cent in the eighties a lot of the time.
……
MORA: Minor news, um, from the, um, MID-TERMS in the United States, before we get to the big issues. Fox News, under a headline “Democrat Agenda” featured Lenin with a red flag and a hammer and sickle—
PENNY ASHTON: Oh, good LO-O-O-ORD.
MORA: Unless that is FAKE news, but it seemed to be genuine. The celebrity endorsements by the way—I don’t know why I mention, perhaps it’s because you’re here—
MORA: —FLOPPED. Um, from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé in Tenness—, Tennessee and Texas.
PENNY ASHTON: But DID they flop? I wouldn’t think you would say that Beto would—is that how you say his name?—Beeto, Beto?
MORA: Beto.
PENNY ASHTON: Beto—was a FLOP. Like he got SO CLOSE in a theoretically very red state. He also, it feels like he was starting his run for President, is what a lot of people are saying. I mean, and I just sort of think, that yes, okay they didn’t win, but it was close, and they rattled the cage, and I think that that’s SOMETHING.
MORA: It’s puzzling..[baffled sigh]… how come Beyoncé didn’t, uh, tell her millions of followers to vote for Beto until about four o’clock in the afterNOON?
PENNY ASHTON: I know, but also it’s so puzzling isn’t it, that that would be what it would take to GET you to do that, is something, but you know, there’s no point lamenting that sort of shenanigans, IS there?
MORA: And in a SIGN of the digital times, South Carolina’s state newspaper the Post had to go to press before the final result, and it announced: “Katie Arrington is going to Washington”. The first woman in Congress for twenty-five years in South Carolina, but in fact her lead was pulled ba-a-a-ack, and she ISN’T going to Washington. And, Bernard, you can imagine the agony of the subs as they tried to make that decision! [laughing]
BERNARD HICKEY: “Who-o-o-o-oops!”
MORA: Hur, hur!
BERNARD HICKEY: “Hold the presses!”
MORA: I know, they couldn’t hold them any longer!
BERNARD HICKEY: It’s like that famous headline, was it “Dewey Wins”? um, from nineteen—
MORA: Oh yeah.
PENNY ASHTON: And they QUOTED that I think.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeah, yeah…
PENNY ASHTON: Yea-aah.
….Pause…..
MORA: Jeff Sessions has been sacked by Donald Trump, we’ll talk about that. And Donald Trump got REALLY upset with a persistent CNN reporter Jeff Acosta.
Jim Acosta: Mister President— Donald Trump: That’s ENOUGH. Jim Acosta: Mister President, I, one of the questions, if I may ask, on the Russian investigation, are you concerned that, that you may have— Donald Trump: I’m not concerned about anything— Jim Acosta: —where you may have indictments— Donald Trump: —with this investigation because it’s a HOAX! That’s enough. Put down the mike! Jim Acosta: Mister President, are you worried about INDICTMENTS coming down in this invest—
….Several seconds of hubbub as Trump’s aides attempt to grab microphone. Someone yells “Take his mike!”… Jim Acosta: Mister President— Donald Trump:[croaking in anger] I tell ya what: CNN should be ASHAMED of itself, having YOU working’ for them. You are a RUDE, TERRIBLE PERSON. You shouldn’t be working’ for CNN. Go ahead. ….[more hubbub]….
MORA: So Mister Acosta’s press credentials, ahhhh, have now been revoked by the White House, it’s claimed he placed his HANDS on the intern in the video from which this audio’s takennnn….
PENNY ASHTON: I watched it, she GRABBED the microphone out of his hand quite VIOLENTLY, and he put his hand out while she did that. And then people are saying online that it was ASSAULT. I mean, it’s, it’s like, oh honestly, it’s bad behavior all ROUND, it feels like to me.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeaaahh, the, the, the photographs, I’ve seen the Reuters photographs of the incident, make it clear that he was simply trying to hold on to the mike.
PENNY ASHTON: Yeah. Yeah. And then she was being very rou—, you know,
BERNARD HICKEY: Mmmm.
PENNY ASHTON: Oh hey, he just, he’s just sort of such a repellent, I know that you’ve had, you’ve had listeners writing in, saying that your Panelists are so biased against Trump—
MORA: Yes, I’ll GET to that.
PENNY ASHTON: This is the man that said that, um, you know, he was gonna try and soften his rhetoric. And that’s what he comes out with, because he can’t help himself. And to me, it’s just, he keeps going on about CNN’s ratings dropping, but they’re NOT, so, you know, fake news, fake news.
MORA: Ha ha ha ha. Ha!
PENNY ASHTON: You are the fake news, sir, and this is what happens.
MORA: In—
PENNY ASHTON: How does it work? How do they dismiss people? Like, you know, I don’t know how it works in New Zealand. You’re in the press; if, if, if, you know, Jacinda goes, “Enough from you now”—
MORA: Yes I wanna ASK you that—
PENNY ASHTON: —are you supposed to STOP?
MORA: I wanna ask you that, because, in Trump’s, errr, errr, Trump’s CREDIT, he takes questions, lots more questions than Barack Obama or George Bush used to DO.
PENNY ASHTON:[skeptically] Well that’s interesti-i-ing.
MORA: Is it acceptable for a reporter to go on and on because he hasn’t got an answer out of the President? What do you think?
BERNARD HICKEY: Uh, I, I think it i-i-i-is, and it’s the job of the, um, responder to answer the question.
PENNY ASHTON: Mmm.
BERNARD HICKEY: Or at least make clear that they’re not going to answer the question because they don’t want to.
PENNY ASHTON: And not to descend into insults. Obviously.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeah. And I must say, I’ve been in the press gallery now for six years, and have, you know, interviewed CEOs and Ministers for TWENTY years. I very rarely see a situation where someone walks out of an interview or refuses to answer a question. And John Key in particular, but also, um, Bill English, AND Jacinda Ardern all pride themselves on basically exhausting questions, i.e. stand there until the questions stop, and then leaving.
PENNY ASHTON: Right, okay. That’s certainly not his—
BERNARD HICKEY: And when they cut them off it’s actually really rare and noteworthy.
MORA:[audible intake of breath to indicate displeasure]
PENNY ASHTON: I mean, especially because people are ATTACKING journalists and things like this, you know, there’s actually been physical violence, and things, and he is INCITING this, and I just find it, I mean it’s what he DOES, isn’t it.
BERNARD HICKEY: It’s the next level, um, awfulness, and it’s really dangerous, actually.
PENNY ASHTON: Yeah, totally.
BERNARD HICKEY: I mean, there’s been bombs sent to CNN—
PENNY ASHTON: Yep.
BERNARD HICKEY: Ah, um, journalists have been harassed, and he’s created this environment where Saudi Arabia thought it was okay to, to kill and dismember a journalist who walked into their—-
MORA: Hang on! Are you trying to say that Saudi Arabia did that, ahhh, to Mister Khashoggi because of what Mis—
BERNARD HICKEY: Not beCAUSE of Trump, but they felt enabled to do it because of what Trump had said.
MORA: Okay, –t’s an interesting claim.
PENNY ASHTON: I liked the guy from—
BERNARD HICKEY: And they haven’t been punished by the way.
PENNY ASHTON: No.
BERNARD HICKEY: A major ally of America.
PENNY ASHTON: I liked the guy from NBC who immediately stood up for, um, so what’s that guy’s name again?
BERNARD HICKEY: Jim Acosta.
PENNY ASHTON: That, thank you. Acosta. That’s an interesting one for that situation isn’t it! Ah, anyway, he stood up for him and said he’s nothing but professional and a good guy, which I thought was great, immediately after that.
MORA: Here’s a little bit more audio of, uh, likely House Leader and leading Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
[cheering]… Nancy Pelosi: In stark contrast to the G.O.P. Congress the Democratic Congress will be led with transparency and openness. …[cheering]…
MORA: Is that the great FIB of politics? Along with the vow to be bipartisan and to end division?
PENNY ASHTON:
BERNARD HICKEY: Yes, yes. Like the current government’s um, pledge to, um, “reform the Official Information Act to make it much more transparent.” Nothing has happened. ….
MORA:
PENNY ASHTON: I think the way that they operate, as a nation, for their political system is crazy.It’s something like Democrats got seven per cent more of the popular vote in this election, you know, and then that doesn’t translate, does it, because of the way that their system is. It’s just—-
MORA: But it doesn’t translate in other countries, sometimes either.
PENNY ASHTON: Oh absolutely, I mean, sometimes, WELL! I mean, some, I feel like this one is one of the more, well, I suppose it’s the one that gets the most publicity. But the extremity to which people can be stymied. Like Barack, well everyone, you had somebody writing and saying “Oh what did OBAMA do?” He couldn’t do anything EITHER, because of the same system blocking things, being able to, you know,…[continues defending the indefensible for extended time]…
Good, but is there another way to access this information? Can it be linked to, can it be edited, can it be left as a link to a radio site with succinct commentary from the poster as to its content?
It is, after all, a transcript of other peoples’ argument that if written as an argument would be well reduced by the editor’s pen.
Next, we’ll be having transcripts of an MP’s Hansard on the Standard, the full ten minutes, with interjections, Speaker’s interventions and personal asides.
If more feel like you, Ed, then I’ll just continue to scroll past. Part of that problem for me is that continuity of the flow of responses is broken by having to scroll so far, and the logical thread is interrupted.
Fair point, actually. You’re not the first person to complain about my long transcripts. That’s one reason I have created my blog: to put up the whole transcript, and to put up just a highlighted segment on fora like The Standard.
I’ve broken my own guidelines, and your telling me off is a timely corrective. I’ll be briefer in future.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The last surviving leaders of the communist Khmer Rouge regime that brutally ruled Cambodia in the 1970s were convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes Friday by an international tribunal.
Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were sentenced to life in prison, the same punishment they are already serving after earlier convictions at a previous trial for crimes against humanity connected with forced transfers and mass disappearances. Cambodia has no death penalty.
Both men have suggested they were targets of political persecution. Nuon Chea was considered the main ideologist of the Khmer Rouge and the right-hand man of the group’s late leader, Pol Pot, while Khieu Samphan served as the head of state, presenting a moderate veneer as the public face for the highly secretive group.
I won’t – I have an ex-wife who once had to attend a few gruesome post-mortems, then come home and pretend normal humanity and dump her load. Not surprising some things don’t last.
But you know …… yea/nah
China boots invited media from Pacific Island leaders meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping … Chinese State Broardcaster CCTV only media allowed to record.
“To be told that we’re not allowed is undermining our press freedom, we have press freedom in this country.”
ooooooh you xenophobic racist you! Fake news even!
(/sarc)
Try that line on the student that was so bullied by local social media by parents in China and Collins-aligned acolytes that demanded she vote gNatz
(otherwise she’d no longer be able to buy a NuZull house or launder a wee bit of suspiciously obtained filthy lucre).
[Mike] Joy is the editor of a new book, From Mountains to Sea: Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis looking at the problem of freshwater, which he says is grave.
“The freshwater crisis is our industrialisation of the landscape and it’s ended up with these two worlds,” he says.
“We have this amazing conservation estate with the most beautiful pristine rivers and lakes in the world and a lowlands where we have some of the most degraded and polluted lakes and rivers in the world.”
He says this tendency to “silo” means we lose track of the bigger picture.
“It strikes me with great clarity that if you look at the problems in isolation they each seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.”
As Ed seems MIA today… a cheerful Weekend read FYA!…
“With wildfires, heat waves, and rising sea levels, large tracts of the earth are at risk of becoming uninhabitable. But the fossil-fuel industry continues its assault on the facts.”
Our next Speaker needs to be strong, smart, and strategic. The best person for the job is @NancyPelosi. I look forward to working with her in the next Congress to advance our commitment to progressive policies that fueled our historic victories. https://t.co/ETWMKzhFAK— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) November 16, 2018
It wasn’t a coincidence that moments after Nancy Pelosi promised progressive House leaders more power in the next Congress, a host of liberal groups announced they were supporting her for speaker.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who is expected to co-chair the House Progressive Caucus next year, left a Thursday night meeting with Pelosi in the Capitol and proclaimed that her members would have more seats on powerful committees and more influence over legislation.
I think this is a cheap shot on my part but I liked this juxtaposition of news headings at RNZ.
Mainfreight’s overall profit up 22 percent
New Zealanders losing millions to scammers, new data shows
Freight Transport & Logistics | Mainfreight NZ https://www.mainfreight.com/nz/en/nz-home.aspx
Around town, or around the world, with over 250 branches and an extensive global agent network Mainfreight delivers wherever your product needs to go.
(Not to be confused with Mainzeal, which has the Fairy Shipley National touch.) Mainzeal failed while parent made billions – Newsroom
Oct 24, 2018 – Richina, the Chinese parent company of failed NZ construction company Mainzeal, owns assets potentially worth billions of dollars, according … https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/23/288481/mainzeal-failed-while-parent-made-billions
Trump blames forest poor management on the California fires, says if forest areas had been raked out, "you wouldn't have the fires." (via Fox) pic.twitter.com/cbdfiRlbJ7— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 16, 2018
In a historical context, a rake (short for rakehell, analogous to “hellraiser”) was a man who was habituated to immoral conduct, particularly womanising.
Often, a rake was also prodigal, wasting his (usually inherited) fortune on gambling, wine, women and song, and incurring lavish debts in the process.
Rake (stock character) – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_(stock_character)
I found the whole show fascinating.
George’s views on Brexit and poverty in the UK were enlightening.
Roger Highfield, a director from the Science Museum, spike in the subject of the kilo.He was was fascinating and informative. I learnt a lot.
Yet, I doubt you listened as you prejudged the whole thing.
For a 28 year old, you come over as very closed minded.
[Enough of the ageism Ed. And I’ll while I’m here, can you please give a brief intro to videos? eg ‘George Galloway discusses Brexit, the Tory meltdown, and the need for a snap election on his UK radio show’. Gives the reader some relevant context, which is good manners in my book. Cheers, TRP.]
Last year, Niue caught the attention of the world by announcing its intention to protect 40 per cent of this blue estate from fishing and other activities that might compromise it.
In this, Niue leads the world. The United Nations Development Programme is promoting 10 per cent marine protection by 2020. The United Kingdom is more ambitious, advocating 30 per cent by 2030. New Zealand, by contrast, currently protects less than one per cent of its exclusive economic zone.
Very good question Gabby, they probably would call on the AusG and NZG to help out. The RNZN have too few hulls and the RNZAF airframes atm to do its current mandated task, let alone short notice taskings.
From the Washington Post via The Herald,
Mohammed’s private condemnation of the slain journalist stood in contracts to his government’s public comments, which mourned Khashoggi’s killing as a “terrible mistake” and a “tragedy.”
Am I being trivial.
“The positive outcome of this study is that we have a metric to assess the ratcheting up of ambition. Civil society, experts and decision-makers can use this to hold their governments accountable, and possibly undertake climate litigation cases as happened recently in the Netherlands,” he said. “This metric translates the lack of ambition on a global scale to a national scale. If we look at the goal of trying to avoid damage to the Earth, then I am pessimistic as this is already happening. But this should be a motivation to ratchet up ambition and avoid global warming as much and as rapidly as possible. Every fraction of a degree will have a big impact.”
New action and encouragement for Taranaki region and a number of other moves shown on the link.
15 November 2018
PGF to support commercialisation at Taranaki sawmill
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will provide a loan of up to $1.8 million to TaranakiPine to allow the company to diversify and create new jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon-shane-jones
Kia kaha to all the people who are letting the world’s governments know we have to take human caused climate change very seriously and act now to prevent a catastrophic disaster on a PLANET scale that is preventable with a bit of cooperation on a Planet SCALE.
How I decide if a story is fact or fiction is I look for the motive everyone has a motive for there actions. Then I look to see if the writer or the person being written about has a conflict of interest. “The Humane Caused Climate Change Debate “.
The %99 of OUR Worlds Scientist what is there motive for there point of view about Climate change most of these people are 50 years old + they have been reporting about the bad effects of climate change for 30 years + . What’s in it for them the TRUTH is what’s Scientist look for that is a Scientist motive for there words on Climate change.
You see the Truth is the core role of a Scientist they are asked or ask them selves Qustion’s about OUR World and then they set out to find the FACT about that question and publish the Truth and then the rest of the scientific community around the world scrutinize there answers to the question hence it is proven to be the truth or not. You see the scientist know what is going on in our world they are the people who care about our future they are instinctively the truth tellers of the world whom have been kept inside a square box by the greedy power hungry neo liberal capitalist of the world who only goal is more power or to do anything anything to keep that power weather billion’s of human lives are put at extreme risk or not .
Now lets look at The neo climate change deniers what’s there motive greed money power control we see billions of dollars of oil barons money pour into the climate change deniers hip pocket this money reaches to the far ends of the Earth putting everyone whos views are not the same as there’s into a BOX of deceit and lies .
Who cares if they are making billions of people’s lives a misery with there deceit.
There are heaps of story’s of the bad side effects of carbon on the peoples health and Papatunuku Mother Earth and her Beautiful health and all our future and still these IDIOTS peddle there LIES Hence ECO MAORI is making a stand for all our future as I CAN SEE THE BIG PICTURE. P.S the % 001 of climate change deniers motive is money.
Seventy people have been arrested as thousands of demonstrators occupied five bridges in central London to voice their concern over the looming climate crisis.
Protesters, including families and pensioners, began massing on five of London’s main bridges from 10am on Saturday. An hour later, all the crossings had been blocked in one of the biggest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the UK in decades. Some people locked themselves together, while others linked arms and sang songs.
By 2pm the blockade of Southwark Bridge had been abandoned and protesters moved from there to Blackfriars Bridge, where organisers said they were soon to move west towards Westminster Bridge.
Climate protesters glue hands to UK government building
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Demonstrators occupied Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges.
The Metropolitan police said all the bridges had since reopened.
A spokesman said: “There have been over 70 arrests for obstruction of the Highway Act and Bail Act offences.”
Demonstrators have now gathered in Parliament Square to hear speeches. Roger Hallam, one of the strategists behind the actions, told the Guardian he felt the protest had been fantastic. Ka kite ano link below
Kia ora R&R that was a good view on tangata whenua O Aotearoa whakapapa Patara
I see that the person who was shouting free speech while some on was talking and mentioned the rugby player was a paid neo troll Guy.
People coming here and preaching race hate speech and being stopped by our action’s in there tracks is not anti free speech its protecting the people from there hate full word’s that can influence some to behave badly Golirz
Its good that maori culture and other cultures are being finally respected by most people but I still get heads turning when I use maori in a shop not all heads turn but still one or two Ka kite ano P.S my megaphone is quite loud I just have to be carefull what I use it for
Kia ora Marae Yes Maori TV need’s to keep up to the future I say we need to find maori stars and promote them music stars what ever Shane.
My views are we need to draw in the viewers and use the internet and Maori TV together to get more people learning our cultures maybe team up with our Pacific cousins to get this one should be researching around Papatunuku to see what work’s in other country’s and duplicate it .
I say a Screen TV and multimedia is a easy to to learn te reo or anything from may be team up with the education sector to come up with tools that help teach te reo .
Kevin I want to see positive story’s on maori about on our TV Screen’s hence the Maori Star’s need to be created Kevin I know some have been deliberately suppressing our rising maori stars . Ka kite ano P.S Tini I have discovered NZONSCREEN its a good site to find old maori movies but there are some Ngati Porou story’s that I can not access
Here you go the carbon men trying to cheat us once again by they to get laws made so they can hide there emissions data typical neo liberal capitalist so much for transparency they will let us burn in there carbon emissions .
The Australian oil and gas lobby is pushing to limit public information about greenhouse gas emissions from liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, a move that contradicts the global industry’s pledge to increase transparency about their impact on the climate.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (Appea) has called for LNG plants to be able to apply for emissions data to be withheld from the public on the grounds that releasing it could help its competitors overseas. It has been backed by Chevron, which operates the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG developments in Western Australia.
The push follows the federal government reporting that the booming LNG sector is the main driver of Australia’s growing emissions. Ka kite ano link below
Kia ora Newshub looks like only one black team won this weekend well losing is part of sports Rugby is a fast growing Sport’s.
That is correct we don’t need to chose sides we want to see World harmony the Yin Yang a nice balanced happy healthy world.
That’s working outside the square box the Whangara homeless helping to building there own homeless shelter ka pai Carol Peter’s .
I bet fuel prices are higher here in Aotearoa than they are in France.
Its really good that the World is drinking less wine and Alcohol its a substance that when consumed need to be respected we seen what Alcohol does to the unborn child.
The Bosnian refugee crises is a crying shame all the refugee crises around Papatunuku should not be happening in 2018.
The Peter Blake trust is doing a great job showing our beautiful creatures of Tangaroa using new tec virtual reality ka pai .
Tawhirimate is showing its awesome power with that tornado in Aotearoa today .
Thanks to Fiao o Fa amausili and Linda for there long career’s playing for the Black Ferns Kia ka Ladies
Good wins to Ireland and France plenty of happy fans ka pai.
Ka kite ano
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David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
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Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
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The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
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This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
Civil society in Ethiopia takes on the local repressive military industrial complex, and beats them.
Disclaimer; I have no personal experience of Ethiopia, but this seems like a genuine good news story that should hearten the world.
Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed takes on the military
Emmanuel Igunza -BBC Africa, November 15, 2018
This is a remarkable turnaround when most of the world seems to be heading in the other direction.
When just 70 years after the death of Hitler and Stalin where we seemed to be heading to a world where all the major countries will be ruled by fascists, goons, strongmen and other types of “authoritarians” (Britain and France excepted for the moment).
A great example of why the old model is broken, a lack of leadership and a lack of imagination.
Trucking rubbish 200km from Taranaki to Martin. Three trucks a day.
And then there is talk of achieving zero waste targets…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108649134/deal-will-see-taranaki-waste-trucked-to-marton-landfill-from-mid-2019
Zero waste = dumping your shit in some else’s back yard.
People might excuse the authorities of not having a lot of drive in dealing with rubbish. Many are so thick that they would reply that was wrong, they drive
the rubbish away. They would think a riposte like that funny.
Well, no. They do seem to be working on the principle of actually reducing their waste. Personally, I don’t see how that can be done at the regional level. It really does need central government bringing in legislation to reduce packaging and banning the spam in our mailboxes.
I’m wondering how it will be able to save ~$1m per year. That doesn’t seem physically possible without either dropping the number of personnel or lowering wages or both.
And, with it being wholly foreign owned means that any profit is going to be shipped offshore making us poorer.
I’m also wondering what other hooks have been placed in the agreement because it seems far too good to be true.
A Universal Creativity Initiative will flow naturally from UBI.
We are at our best when putting personal talent to work. It is no coincidence that world-wide rehabilitation programs for offenders and addicts are invariably grounded in creativity, – activities such as cooking, music, art, surfing, and environmental restoration.
Earning a living for most fails to honour individual creativity. We find ourselves ‘imprisoned’ within profit-based corporations and governmental institutions demanding compliance within narrow bounds. The demise of conventional employment following widespread automation will usher in a universal basic income or similar currency leaving millions free to give expression to what they sense as innovation lying at their deepest core.
While there are impressive structures created by animals (bird nests, termite colonies, corals, beaver dams) they are purpose-built – never as creative expression. Setting us aside from other life forms our creativity stems from individual temperament and ability. The trait is common to us all whilst its expression in terms of range, diversity and depth is without limit.
With capitalism comfortably out of the way and UBI in place a universal creativity initiative will eventuate allowing the widest spectrum of human abilities to come to the fore in the rebuild of society and restoration of our stricken planet. The politically inclined to explore new styles of inclusive government; educators to developing fresh methods of nourishing emerging talent; financiers to look into equitable ways applying UBI; artists and musicians to give novel expression to humanity’s changing orientation on earth; scientists to probe decisive methods of restoring the integrity of our ecosystems; medics to develop non-intrusive initiatives of addressing health; idealists to imagining our future course – to name a few.
Within these broad divisions lie countless sub-opportunities catering for the full spectrum of human talent and ability all the way from abstract visionaries to those with high quality physical dexterity.
Our creativity is only limited by our imagination and curiosity – unstoppable forces in human evolution. There’s one thing that stops imagination and creativity dead in their tracks: fear.
Indeed, when the basics are not covered our psychology results in different attitudes and behaviours. The post here on TS on house prices bears testament to that. People bow to economic fundamentals or indicators rather and put their lives on hold (i.e. play it safe).
We all have so much potential locked away inside but have thrown away the key – we now live in strictly materialistic dimension of our own making. Some praise our secular society and its supposed rationalism and reliance on science and the scientific method. Others compare it with the Matrix: an artificial world in which human evolution is at a standstill and exploited by machines – I think we’re half-way there.
Will a UBI change our direction? Maybe …
“I don’t think we can afford to just completely IGNORE this.”
Two louts and a comedian discuss “China’s aggression” in the South China Sea
The Panel, RNZ National, Friday 16 November 2018
Jim Mora, James Nokise, Heather Roy, Caitlin Cherry
First topic for the once-over-lightly this afternoon was the buttonholing of Jacinda Ardern by Mahathir Mohamad, and his urging her to beware of Chinese influence in the Pacific. Host Jim Mora noted that “the Australians” have spoken out against China’s aggression. Mora made that statement without any discernible irony in his voice.
Near the end of this risible segment, the one participant with a conscience, comedian James Nokise, says what anyone with an I.Q. above room temperature would have been thinking. He obviously decided to ignore the rules: such plain speaking is utterly verboten on this dog of a program. His radical statement of the truth elicits a ringing silence from Mora, who is happy to laugh at the plight of political dissidents, and Heather Roy, a former ACT member of parliament…..
JIM MORA: And then there were those, aah, AWKWARD moments at the East Asia Summit in Singapore
HEATHER ROY: Mmmmmm.
JIM MORA: —when the Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad began BENDING the ear of our prime minister about Chinese attempts to dominate the South China Sea, and the reporters were ushered out of the roo-hoo-hoo-om! [guffawing, followed by extended intake of breath]… It’s interesting, I mean, if push DOES come to shove in the South China Sea—we’ve asked this before—what sould, what should New Zealand do, because the P.M. says we’re not taking SIDES here?
HEATHER ROY: [deep sigh to indicate moral seriousness] Hmmmmm.
JAMES NOKISE: What exactly CAN we do? Probably an uncomfortable question for New Zealanders. I mean are we gonna send our three ships and no planes that we have, to intimidate China?
MORA: Well, Australia trades a lot with China, and [deep intake of breath] has still told China in fairly plain language that it’s being AGGRESSIVE. I guess you could say Australia is using harder wo-o-o-ords.
JAMES NOKISE: Well if anyone knows about aggressive use of internment camps it’s probably the Australians, isn’t it.
…Awkward silence….
HEATHER ROY: [nervously] Heh, heh.
MORA: [breathes deeply to indicate annoyance and perplexedness] It’s INTERESTING though—-
HEATHER ROY: Yeeaahhhh….
MORA: Sorry, no you were gonna say what?
HEATHER ROY: It IS very interesting, and New Zealand is heavily dependent on the South China Sea, you know….[…]…. I don’t think we can afford to just completely IGNORE this. Ahhhhhhmmm, tut, if you look at what happens with the MILITARY, ahh, there’s a freedom of navigation operations where the, the basis of that is maintaining your position… [bores on for a seeming eternity, actually another minute]…
Later in the program, Heather Roy the former ACT M.P. claimed, contra all evidence, that “the Americans treat veterans very well.”
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/2018671565/taking-sides-over-the-south-china-sea
Comedians often bring the unpalatable to the table. It’s their job in a way. Well done James.
Frankie Boyle is a perfect example of that. And in this country, Guy Williams….
You seem to forget that RNZ has always only catered for mainstreamers. Ardern could probably get her head around it, but she has to play to her crowd, right? When in doubt, be a typical politician & duck the issue.
If she were a true leader, she’d be fronting on behalf of our foreign policy credentials & independent stance – representing the entire country on the issue, not just Labour deadheads. She could remain cautious in noting that the South China Sea is not in our region, but explain that she understands why Malaysia is trying to share their regional concern with us. She could reasonably mention that other countries in that region share Malaysia’s concern, and cite those such as Japan and the Phillipines that have issued foreign policy statements in recent years expressing their concerns.
A true leader of Aotearoa would go further. Issuing a declaration of principle is required: China is creating a security threat in that region, perception that it is attempting a strategy of covert imperialism by means of establishing control over sea routes in contravention of international law is valid and we support those countries that are affected and threatened. Not taking sides is wimping out. She is presumably using public service advice as an excuse to do so. Poor leadership is the result.
It’s a global issue and not a regional one. The South China Sea is ~3.5 million square kilometres of international ocean. China’s actions are against all international law as it stands.
If China manages to annex it or even just a large portion of it then other nations will be doing the same and the law will be one which cannot be enforced. China seems to be doing it because they don’t think that the international community will do anything about it. Unfortunately, history proves them right. After all, the international community has never held the US to account for it’s crimes against international law.
This is a wealth grab and it’s actually grabbing potential wealth from the other nations surrounding The South China Sea.
You seem to forget that RNZ has always only catered for mainstreamers.
I’m well aware of that, Dennis. Occasionally there is real, outstanding, and courageous journalism on RNZ National, and even on the usually dreadful Panel hour: Eva Radich discomfiting Tony Blair by insisting he respond to her point that the attack on Iraq was illegal, Kim Hill driving the neocon William Shawcross into a fit of volcanic anger [1], Gordon Campbell challenging the glib and uninformed Richard Griffin over his prejudiced and thoughtless comments about Hugo Chavez and eliciting a groveling backdown and on-air retraction, and (more recently) Paula Penfold calling out the head of the New Zealand Defence Forces as a “coward”. [2]
All too often, however, as you rightly point out, RNZ National is anything but a forum of debate, affording an uncontested space for some of the ugliest and cleverest ideologues on the planet. [3]
[1] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/william-shawcross-explodes-in-rage-at.html
[2] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-disturbing-story-behind-willie.html
[3] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01082011/#comment-358776
Your point is well-made. I was just having a bitch at them. Having lived in alternative Aotearoa most of my life I resent their systemic discrimination against non-mainstreamers. They’ve learnt how to include other minorities in their coverage, they just can’t seem to apply the general principle!
When I’m back in town, I’ll post the Maritime Trade numbers that transit the SCS and greater Pacific Region and the possible effects it would have on the NZ economy. Any NZ exports for the SEA region goes through the Singapore hub, the same is for some our MER exports/imports have to go through the Singapore hub. If China does manage close access to SCS or degrade access to the SCS then the economies of Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and some degree the Canada and the US will be effected. In turn this will effect our traditional trading/ allies and including Australia, so what happens in the SCS is our concern as it would effectively stuff up the NZ economy especially what the Neo Lib/ Con economic theory has done to NZ over the last 30 odd years.
Unless we start to diverse our economy like our Kirk, Rowling, old Piggy and some degree Lamb burger Moore said in the 70’ and early/ mid 80’s, then we are fucked as we have ran down all aspects of the economy and the NZDF. Our Sea Lanes Of Communications (SLOC’s) are our life blood and heart and soul of the greater NZ economy.
Alex Swney writes about Karel Sroubek. Interesting…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12161233
Scum. It is just about 2019. No excuses for the racist, disgusting scum who are members of Hawera Mt View Lions Club.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/108671695/outrage-at-lions-club-decision-to-wear-blackface-at-hawera-community-parade
I wish you lot didn’t live in our country.
I doubt they are racist disgusting scum but there’s no doubt it was a daft thing to do which has no doubt offended many.
They may have forgotten what century they’re living in – what was deemed OK decades ago is no longer OK.
No it wasn’t daft ha ha. They knew it was wrong and they still did it. Disgusting racist scum.
Proof
“”What’s wrong with that? Some small-minded, bigoted person has called us racist, threatened to bash us up; it’s not worth replying to,” Joy Babington said.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/108671695/lions-club-decision-to-wear-blackface-at-hawera-community-parade-not-racist
Standard playbook for racists so far. Never takes long till the racists are the victims ffs piss off you lot you’re views are off.
You seem to be struggling. Here are some links to help you out.
https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2014/10/29/7089591/why-is-blackface-offensive-halloween-costume
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface
https://theconversation.com/amp/explainer-why-blackface-and-brownface-offend-65881
https://www.dosomething.org/us/campaigns/just-dont-wear-blackface
Reducing generations of deprivation and suffering to a fucking caricature has never been OK, fucko.
“Reducing generations of deprivation and suffering to a fucking caricature has never been OK, fucko.”
Yet was and still is not uncommon.
I agree, a few misguided hayseeds from the hick town of Hawera.
There is no malice here. Just incredibly poor judgement.
You been to the naki ? Red neck casual racists are thick on the ground over there. They spat on the mayor for supporting Maori wards.
No, Hawera are definitely racist.
Just go have a drink in a local bar and get them talking. Likewise Kaponga, Stratford and Inglewood.
We did a gig in Kaponga, 3 – THREE fights in one show. Young white rugby players.
Inglewood, where friends of the groom sodomised him for an engagement present…
Hawera, where a middling white act gets rapturous applause, and an incredible Maori talent barely gets a smattering of light applause.
Where the Maori waitress came to my hotel to avoid the white bosses advances, but he followed her there, and it took hours for him to leave even after a wee talking to.
Where addressing racism ironically was interpreted as actual racist material and encouraged with free drinks, lunch invites, and back slaps.
Good old boys.
I could get back on stage as a front to do a documentary of small town NZ. People open up to comics after a show. It’d be a helluva expose but make a country full of enemies.
Of white, middle class, polite society, racists.
“Former New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd called it “absolutely disgusting”, and ex-MP and Maori activist Hone Harawira said he wanted to “smash the racist motherf**kers”.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/lions-club-deletes-facebook-page-after-using-blackface-in-parade.html
A tricky exam question for National MPs, particularly their (current) Leader and Deputy-Leader:
Paula Bennett: “What does trivial mean?”
“Is it acceptable for a reporter to go on and on because he hasn’t got an answer out of the President?” Obviously Jim Mora thinks it’s NOT acceptable.
The Panel, RNZ National, Thursday 8 November 2018
Jim Mora, Penny Ashton, Bernard Hickey, Caitlin Cherry
Penny Ashton gets very heated as she criticizes Donald Trump, in the face of Mora’s infuriatingly complacent, barely disguised support for the Groper in Chief. Mora’s disdainful and patrician attitude, and his infuriatingly complacent observations seem designed to goad, taunt, and vex her.
BERNARD HICKEY: Last time we had unemployment this low, mortgage rates were eleven per cent.
MORA: ELEVEN per cent?!?!?
PENNY ASHTON: And I heard that they were like NINETEEN or TWENTY per cent in the eighties a lot of the time.
……
MORA: Minor news, um, from the, um, MID-TERMS in the United States, before we get to the big issues. Fox News, under a headline “Democrat Agenda” featured Lenin with a red flag and a hammer and sickle—
PENNY ASHTON: Oh, good LO-O-O-ORD.
MORA: Unless that is FAKE news, but it seemed to be genuine. The celebrity endorsements by the way—I don’t know why I mention, perhaps it’s because you’re here—
PENNY ASHTON: [sarcastic snicker] Yeah! That’s right.
MORA: —FLOPPED. Um, from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé in Tenness—, Tennessee and Texas.
PENNY ASHTON: But DID they flop? I wouldn’t think you would say that Beto would—is that how you say his name?—Beeto, Beto?
MORA: Beto.
PENNY ASHTON: Beto—was a FLOP. Like he got SO CLOSE in a theoretically very red state. He also, it feels like he was starting his run for President, is what a lot of people are saying. I mean, and I just sort of think, that yes, okay they didn’t win, but it was close, and they rattled the cage, and I think that that’s SOMETHING.
MORA: It’s puzzling..[baffled sigh]… how come Beyoncé didn’t, uh, tell her millions of followers to vote for Beto until about four o’clock in the afterNOON?
PENNY ASHTON: I know, but also it’s so puzzling isn’t it, that that would be what it would take to GET you to do that, is something, but you know, there’s no point lamenting that sort of shenanigans, IS there?
MORA: And in a SIGN of the digital times, South Carolina’s state newspaper the Post had to go to press before the final result, and it announced: “Katie Arrington is going to Washington”. The first woman in Congress for twenty-five years in South Carolina, but in fact her lead was pulled ba-a-a-ack, and she ISN’T going to Washington. And, Bernard, you can imagine the agony of the subs as they tried to make that decision! [laughing]
BERNARD HICKEY: “Who-o-o-o-oops!”
MORA: Hur, hur!
BERNARD HICKEY: “Hold the presses!”
MORA: I know, they couldn’t hold them any longer!
BERNARD HICKEY: It’s like that famous headline, was it “Dewey Wins”? um, from nineteen—
MORA: Oh yeah.
PENNY ASHTON: And they QUOTED that I think.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeah, yeah…
PENNY ASHTON: Yea-aah.
….Pause…..
MORA: Jeff Sessions has been sacked by Donald Trump, we’ll talk about that. And Donald Trump got REALLY upset with a persistent CNN reporter Jeff Acosta.
MORA: So Mister Acosta’s press credentials, ahhhh, have now been revoked by the White House, it’s claimed he placed his HANDS on the intern in the video from which this audio’s takennnn….
PENNY ASHTON: I watched it, she GRABBED the microphone out of his hand quite VIOLENTLY, and he put his hand out while she did that. And then people are saying online that it was ASSAULT. I mean, it’s, it’s like, oh honestly, it’s bad behavior all ROUND, it feels like to me.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeaaahh, the, the, the photographs, I’ve seen the Reuters photographs of the incident, make it clear that he was simply trying to hold on to the mike.
PENNY ASHTON: Yeah. Yeah. And then she was being very rou—, you know,
BERNARD HICKEY: Mmmm.
PENNY ASHTON: Oh hey, he just, he’s just sort of such a repellent, I know that you’ve had, you’ve had listeners writing in, saying that your Panelists are so biased against Trump—
MORA: Yes, I’ll GET to that.
PENNY ASHTON: This is the man that said that, um, you know, he was gonna try and soften his rhetoric. And that’s what he comes out with, because he can’t help himself. And to me, it’s just, he keeps going on about CNN’s ratings dropping, but they’re NOT, so, you know, fake news, fake news.
MORA: Ha ha ha ha. Ha!
PENNY ASHTON: You are the fake news, sir, and this is what happens.
MORA: In—
PENNY ASHTON: How does it work? How do they dismiss people? Like, you know, I don’t know how it works in New Zealand. You’re in the press; if, if, if, you know, Jacinda goes, “Enough from you now”—
MORA: Yes I wanna ASK you that—
PENNY ASHTON: —are you supposed to STOP?
MORA: I wanna ask you that, because, in Trump’s, errr, errr, Trump’s CREDIT, he takes questions, lots more questions than Barack Obama or George Bush used to DO.
PENNY ASHTON: [skeptically] Well that’s interesti-i-ing.
MORA: Is it acceptable for a reporter to go on and on because he hasn’t got an answer out of the President? What do you think?
BERNARD HICKEY: Uh, I, I think it i-i-i-is, and it’s the job of the, um, responder to answer the question.
PENNY ASHTON: Mmm.
BERNARD HICKEY: Or at least make clear that they’re not going to answer the question because they don’t want to.
PENNY ASHTON: And not to descend into insults. Obviously.
BERNARD HICKEY: Yeah. And I must say, I’ve been in the press gallery now for six years, and have, you know, interviewed CEOs and Ministers for TWENTY years. I very rarely see a situation where someone walks out of an interview or refuses to answer a question. And John Key in particular, but also, um, Bill English, AND Jacinda Ardern all pride themselves on basically exhausting questions, i.e. stand there until the questions stop, and then leaving.
PENNY ASHTON: Right, okay. That’s certainly not his—
BERNARD HICKEY: And when they cut them off it’s actually really rare and noteworthy.
MORA: [audible intake of breath to indicate displeasure]
PENNY ASHTON: I mean, especially because people are ATTACKING journalists and things like this, you know, there’s actually been physical violence, and things, and he is INCITING this, and I just find it, I mean it’s what he DOES, isn’t it.
BERNARD HICKEY: It’s the next level, um, awfulness, and it’s really dangerous, actually.
PENNY ASHTON: Yeah, totally.
BERNARD HICKEY: I mean, there’s been bombs sent to CNN—
PENNY ASHTON: Yep.
BERNARD HICKEY: Ah, um, journalists have been harassed, and he’s created this environment where Saudi Arabia thought it was okay to, to kill and dismember a journalist who walked into their—-
MORA: Hang on! Are you trying to say that Saudi Arabia did that, ahhh, to Mister Khashoggi because of what Mis—
BERNARD HICKEY: Not beCAUSE of Trump, but they felt enabled to do it because of what Trump had said.
MORA: Okay, –t’s an interesting claim.
PENNY ASHTON: I liked the guy from—
BERNARD HICKEY: And they haven’t been punished by the way.
PENNY ASHTON: No.
BERNARD HICKEY: A major ally of America.
PENNY ASHTON: I liked the guy from NBC who immediately stood up for, um, so what’s that guy’s name again?
BERNARD HICKEY: Jim Acosta.
PENNY ASHTON: That, thank you. Acosta. That’s an interesting one for that situation isn’t it! Ah, anyway, he stood up for him and said he’s nothing but professional and a good guy, which I thought was great, immediately after that.
MORA: Here’s a little bit more audio of, uh, likely House Leader and leading Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
MORA: Is that the great FIB of politics? Along with the vow to be bipartisan and to end division?
PENNY ASHTON:
BERNARD HICKEY: Yes, yes. Like the current government’s um, pledge to, um, “reform the Official Information Act to make it much more transparent.” Nothing has happened. ….
MORA:
PENNY ASHTON: I think the way that they operate, as a nation, for their political system is crazy.It’s something like Democrats got seven per cent more of the popular vote in this election, you know, and then that doesn’t translate, does it, because of the way that their system is. It’s just—-
MORA: But it doesn’t translate in other countries, sometimes either.
PENNY ASHTON: Oh absolutely, I mean, sometimes, WELL! I mean, some, I feel like this one is one of the more, well, I suppose it’s the one that gets the most publicity. But the extremity to which people can be stymied. Like Barack, well everyone, you had somebody writing and saying “Oh what did OBAMA do?” He couldn’t do anything EITHER, because of the same system blocking things, being able to, you know,…[continues defending the indefensible for extended time]…
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/20181108
Is it acceptable to publish 1676 words in an article which took nearly six screens to scroll past?
I always enjoy Morrissey’s perceptive, clever and witty transcripts.
Good, but is there another way to access this information? Can it be linked to, can it be edited, can it be left as a link to a radio site with succinct commentary from the poster as to its content?
It is, after all, a transcript of other peoples’ argument that if written as an argument would be well reduced by the editor’s pen.
Next, we’ll be having transcripts of an MP’s Hansard on the Standard, the full ten minutes, with interjections, Speaker’s interventions and personal asides.
If more feel like you, Ed, then I’ll just continue to scroll past. Part of that problem for me is that continuity of the flow of responses is broken by having to scroll so far, and the logical thread is interrupted.
120 words, btw.
Fair point, actually. You’re not the first person to complain about my long transcripts. That’s one reason I have created my blog: to put up the whole transcript, and to put up just a highlighted segment on fora like The Standard.
I’ve broken my own guidelines, and your telling me off is a timely corrective. I’ll be briefer in future.
All the best, mac.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/11/is-it-acceptable-for-reporter-to-go-on.html
Cheers, Morrissey. If I know where to go to get your transcriptions and a little taster or pointer, then that is good for Ed and me.
Thanks Ed. Love you too.
Thanks for counting, mac!
Love you.
Paste to a word processor and let the machine do the counting…………
I write a regular 300 word article for a newsletter. I know that it is read, and therefore worthwhile for me to produce.
The word counter limits me in being more succinct than is my first draft over-written and wordy as it is, and is a valuable editing tool.
This rubbish why oh why ???????
Could they move on to Kissinger, please?
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The last surviving leaders of the communist Khmer Rouge regime that brutally ruled Cambodia in the 1970s were convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes Friday by an international tribunal.
Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were sentenced to life in prison, the same punishment they are already serving after earlier convictions at a previous trial for crimes against humanity connected with forced transfers and mass disappearances. Cambodia has no death penalty.
Both men have suggested they were targets of political persecution. Nuon Chea was considered the main ideologist of the Khmer Rouge and the right-hand man of the group’s late leader, Pol Pot, while Khieu Samphan served as the head of state, presenting a moderate veneer as the public face for the highly secretive group.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/last-khmer-rouge-leaders-found-guilty-genocide-get-life-terms-n937071?
Console yourself @ Joe90. While there are a good number influenced by his ideology, there’ll be an even greater number lining up to piss on his grave.
(Energy – including the emotional – is a finite resource as things stand – use it wisely)
And in breaking, snapping sensational news, the CIA has concluded the Saudi Crown Prince ORDERED the death.
Is anyone surprised?
Now, don’t forget your bone saw.
I won’t – I have an ex-wife who once had to attend a few gruesome post-mortems, then come home and pretend normal humanity and dump her load. Not surprising some things don’t last.
But you know …… yea/nah
Shit! I almost forgot the > preface and the OWT.
Sorry, should’ve been clearer – paraphrasing MSB’s instructions to his butcher boys.
China boots invited media from Pacific Island leaders meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping … Chinese State Broardcaster CCTV only media allowed to record.
“To be told that we’re not allowed is undermining our press freedom, we have press freedom in this country.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-16/media-kicked-out-of-xi-jinping-pacific-leaders-meeting/10506666
ooooooh you xenophobic racist you! Fake news even!
(/sarc)
Try that line on the student that was so bullied by local social media by parents in China and Collins-aligned acolytes that demanded she vote gNatz
(otherwise she’d no longer be able to buy a NuZull house or launder a wee bit of suspiciously obtained filthy lucre).
The long arm of, (Orivida and), the CCP
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-04/the-chinese-communist-partys-power-and-influence-in-australia/8584270
Seems some of the Australian press aren’t afraid to “mention the war” …
But then, there were attempts to muzzle that too!
How odd!
[Mike] Joy is the editor of a new book, From Mountains to Sea: Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis looking at the problem of freshwater, which he says is grave.
“The freshwater crisis is our industrialisation of the landscape and it’s ended up with these two worlds,” he says.
“We have this amazing conservation estate with the most beautiful pristine rivers and lakes in the world and a lowlands where we have some of the most degraded and polluted lakes and rivers in the world.”
He says this tendency to “silo” means we lose track of the bigger picture.
“We’ve got real lack of leadership. I find we could reduce the number of cows we have in the country – say, a 20 percent reduction – and we would get in most places a 40 percent reduction in the amount of nitrate pollution that comes from that.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018670839/mike-joy-solving-nz-s-freshwater-crisis
“It strikes me with great clarity that if you look at the problems in isolation they each seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.”
– Mike Joy.
You can purchase a copy here; (Only $16).
https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/mountains-sea
I will – note that it is another Bridget Williams bright spark.
As Ed seems MIA today… a cheerful Weekend read FYA!…
“With wildfires, heat waves, and rising sea levels, large tracts of the earth are at risk of becoming uninhabitable. But the fossil-fuel industry continues its assault on the facts.”
– Bill McKibben
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/11/26/how-extreme-weather-is-shrinking-the-planet
Puritarian’s aren’t happy.
It wasn’t a coincidence that moments after Nancy Pelosi promised progressive House leaders more power in the next Congress, a host of liberal groups announced they were supporting her for speaker.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who is expected to co-chair the House Progressive Caucus next year, left a Thursday night meeting with Pelosi in the Capitol and proclaimed that her members would have more seats on powerful committees and more influence over legislation.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/16/pelosi-speaker-progressives-congress-998595
I think this is a cheap shot on my part but I liked this juxtaposition of news headings at RNZ.
Mainfreight’s overall profit up 22 percent
New Zealanders losing millions to scammers, new data shows
Freight Transport & Logistics | Mainfreight NZ
https://www.mainfreight.com/nz/en/nz-home.aspx
Around town, or around the world, with over 250 branches and an extensive global agent network Mainfreight delivers wherever your product needs to go.
Views from Mainfreight chief:
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/mainfreights-plested-gives-recipe-nz-including-capital-gains-tax-performance-pay-teachers-b
(Not to be confused with Mainzeal, which has the Fairy Shipley National touch.)
Mainzeal failed while parent made billions – Newsroom
Oct 24, 2018 – Richina, the Chinese parent company of failed NZ construction company Mainzeal, owns assets potentially worth billions of dollars, according …
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/23/288481/mainzeal-failed-while-parent-made-billions
Need more rakes…
This is the sort of rake that he knows about.
In a historical context, a rake (short for rakehell, analogous to “hellraiser”) was a man who was habituated to immoral conduct, particularly womanising.
Often, a rake was also prodigal, wasting his (usually inherited) fortune on gambling, wine, women and song, and incurring lavish debts in the process.
Rake (stock character) – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_(stock_character)
All the rakes were required on the east coast,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/nyregion/nyc-snowstorm-traffic-commute.html
The NJ governor is tacking flack.
https://twitter.com/GarySzatkowski/status/1063495537591271425
Some of the best political analysis you can hear.
..the…death…of…the…kilo… yup, fucking riveting…
/
I found the whole show fascinating.
George’s views on Brexit and poverty in the UK were enlightening.
Roger Highfield, a director from the Science Museum, spike in the subject of the kilo.He was was fascinating and informative. I learnt a lot.
Yet, I doubt you listened as you prejudged the whole thing.
For a 28 year old, you come over as very closed minded.
[Enough of the ageism Ed. And I’ll while I’m here, can you please give a brief intro to videos? eg ‘George Galloway discusses Brexit, the Tory meltdown, and the need for a snap election on his UK radio show’. Gives the reader some relevant context, which is good manners in my book. Cheers, TRP.]
Thank you Ed.
+ 1.
Galloway is a brave and brilliant man.
A true socialist hero.
And a true democratic hero.
Looks like the British are finding out that Europe is like Hotel California.
“You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPtz5qN7HM
That is so apt Ed.
The UN goes to war on UK’s austerity.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/16/uk-austerity-has-inflicted-great-misery-on-citizens-un-says
39 years of neoliberalism.
8 years of austerity.
Last year, Niue caught the attention of the world by announcing its intention to protect 40 per cent of this blue estate from fishing and other activities that might compromise it.
In this, Niue leads the world. The United Nations Development Programme is promoting 10 per cent marine protection by 2020. The United Kingdom is more ambitious, advocating 30 per cent by 2030. New Zealand, by contrast, currently protects less than one per cent of its exclusive economic zone.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/from-taro-to-tourism/?t=_8f1367a7fb80fcefbdd4ab19634c48c6&campaign_id=
How’s Niue going to do that?
Very good question Gabby, they probably would call on the AusG and NZG to help out. The RNZN have too few hulls and the RNZAF airframes atm to do its current mandated task, let alone short notice taskings.
From the Washington Post via The Herald,
Mohammed’s private condemnation of the slain journalist stood in contracts to his government’s public comments, which mourned Khashoggi’s killing as a “terrible mistake” and a “tragedy.”
Am I being trivial.
“The positive outcome of this study is that we have a metric to assess the ratcheting up of ambition. Civil society, experts and decision-makers can use this to hold their governments accountable, and possibly undertake climate litigation cases as happened recently in the Netherlands,” he said. “This metric translates the lack of ambition on a global scale to a national scale. If we look at the goal of trying to avoid damage to the Earth, then I am pessimistic as this is already happening. But this should be a motivation to ratchet up ambition and avoid global warming as much and as rapidly as possible. Every fraction of a degree will have a big impact.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/16/climate-change-champions-still-pursuing-devastating-policies-new-study-reveals
on target…not
California, you are next to Mexicans in Trump’s eyes!!!!
New action and encouragement for Taranaki region and a number of other moves shown on the link.
15 November 2018
PGF to support commercialisation at Taranaki sawmill
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will provide a loan of up to $1.8 million to TaranakiPine to allow the company to diversify and create new jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon-shane-jones
Kia kaha to all the people who are letting the world’s governments know we have to take human caused climate change very seriously and act now to prevent a catastrophic disaster on a PLANET scale that is preventable with a bit of cooperation on a Planet SCALE.
How I decide if a story is fact or fiction is I look for the motive everyone has a motive for there actions. Then I look to see if the writer or the person being written about has a conflict of interest. “The Humane Caused Climate Change Debate “.
The %99 of OUR Worlds Scientist what is there motive for there point of view about Climate change most of these people are 50 years old + they have been reporting about the bad effects of climate change for 30 years + . What’s in it for them the TRUTH is what’s Scientist look for that is a Scientist motive for there words on Climate change.
You see the Truth is the core role of a Scientist they are asked or ask them selves Qustion’s about OUR World and then they set out to find the FACT about that question and publish the Truth and then the rest of the scientific community around the world scrutinize there answers to the question hence it is proven to be the truth or not. You see the scientist know what is going on in our world they are the people who care about our future they are instinctively the truth tellers of the world whom have been kept inside a square box by the greedy power hungry neo liberal capitalist of the world who only goal is more power or to do anything anything to keep that power weather billion’s of human lives are put at extreme risk or not .
Now lets look at The neo climate change deniers what’s there motive greed money power control we see billions of dollars of oil barons money pour into the climate change deniers hip pocket this money reaches to the far ends of the Earth putting everyone whos views are not the same as there’s into a BOX of deceit and lies .
Who cares if they are making billions of people’s lives a misery with there deceit.
There are heaps of story’s of the bad side effects of carbon on the peoples health and Papatunuku Mother Earth and her Beautiful health and all our future and still these IDIOTS peddle there LIES Hence ECO MAORI is making a stand for all our future as I CAN SEE THE BIG PICTURE. P.S the % 001 of climate change deniers motive is money.
Seventy people have been arrested as thousands of demonstrators occupied five bridges in central London to voice their concern over the looming climate crisis.
Protesters, including families and pensioners, began massing on five of London’s main bridges from 10am on Saturday. An hour later, all the crossings had been blocked in one of the biggest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the UK in decades. Some people locked themselves together, while others linked arms and sang songs.
By 2pm the blockade of Southwark Bridge had been abandoned and protesters moved from there to Blackfriars Bridge, where organisers said they were soon to move west towards Westminster Bridge.
Climate protesters glue hands to UK government building
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Demonstrators occupied Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges.
The Metropolitan police said all the bridges had since reopened.
A spokesman said: “There have been over 70 arrests for obstruction of the Highway Act and Bail Act offences.”
Demonstrators have now gathered in Parliament Square to hear speeches. Roger Hallam, one of the strategists behind the actions, told the Guardian he felt the protest had been fantastic. Ka kite ano link below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/17/thousands-gather-to-block-london-bridges-in-climate-rebellion
Kia ora R&R that was a good view on tangata whenua O Aotearoa whakapapa Patara
I see that the person who was shouting free speech while some on was talking and mentioned the rugby player was a paid neo troll Guy.
People coming here and preaching race hate speech and being stopped by our action’s in there tracks is not anti free speech its protecting the people from there hate full word’s that can influence some to behave badly Golirz
Its good that maori culture and other cultures are being finally respected by most people but I still get heads turning when I use maori in a shop not all heads turn but still one or two Ka kite ano P.S my megaphone is quite loud I just have to be carefull what I use it for
Kia ora Marae Yes Maori TV need’s to keep up to the future I say we need to find maori stars and promote them music stars what ever Shane.
My views are we need to draw in the viewers and use the internet and Maori TV together to get more people learning our cultures maybe team up with our Pacific cousins to get this one should be researching around Papatunuku to see what work’s in other country’s and duplicate it .
I say a Screen TV and multimedia is a easy to to learn te reo or anything from may be team up with the education sector to come up with tools that help teach te reo .
Kevin I want to see positive story’s on maori about on our TV Screen’s hence the Maori Star’s need to be created Kevin I know some have been deliberately suppressing our rising maori stars . Ka kite ano P.S Tini I have discovered NZONSCREEN its a good site to find old maori movies but there are some Ngati Porou story’s that I can not access
Some Eco Maori music for the minute .
Here you go the carbon men trying to cheat us once again by they to get laws made so they can hide there emissions data typical neo liberal capitalist so much for transparency they will let us burn in there carbon emissions .
The Australian oil and gas lobby is pushing to limit public information about greenhouse gas emissions from liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, a move that contradicts the global industry’s pledge to increase transparency about their impact on the climate.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (Appea) has called for LNG plants to be able to apply for emissions data to be withheld from the public on the grounds that releasing it could help its competitors overseas. It has been backed by Chevron, which operates the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG developments in Western Australia.
The push follows the federal government reporting that the booming LNG sector is the main driver of Australia’s growing emissions. Ka kite ano link below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/16/nothing-to-hide-oil-and-gas-lobby-pushes-to-limit-data-on-its-emissions
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/problem-in-waiting-why-natural-gas-will-wipe-out-australias-emissions-gains
Kia ora Newshub looks like only one black team won this weekend well losing is part of sports Rugby is a fast growing Sport’s.
That is correct we don’t need to chose sides we want to see World harmony the Yin Yang a nice balanced happy healthy world.
That’s working outside the square box the Whangara homeless helping to building there own homeless shelter ka pai Carol Peter’s .
I bet fuel prices are higher here in Aotearoa than they are in France.
Its really good that the World is drinking less wine and Alcohol its a substance that when consumed need to be respected we seen what Alcohol does to the unborn child.
The Bosnian refugee crises is a crying shame all the refugee crises around Papatunuku should not be happening in 2018.
The Peter Blake trust is doing a great job showing our beautiful creatures of Tangaroa using new tec virtual reality ka pai .
Tawhirimate is showing its awesome power with that tornado in Aotearoa today .
Thanks to Fiao o Fa amausili and Linda for there long career’s playing for the Black Ferns Kia ka Ladies
Good wins to Ireland and France plenty of happy fans ka pai.
Ka kite ano