WTF? They voted for this? A charter school receives state funding of $19,664 a student compared to the average state and integrated school funding of $7000 a student.
comparing the funding of a small charter school, to the “average” state funding of all public schools is rather disingenuous at best. Given a new state school and a new charter school of the same size, both schools will be funded exactly the same.
Fuck off dickhead. You are the liar. What part of “get funded the same” can’t you get your fucking thick head around. Jesus, arguing with cats makes more sense than you do sometimes.
Meh. You’re an untrustworthy neoliberal shill. Same neolib formula of taking public money and pocketing it for private profit. Its not even creative, its cookie cutter.
Anway, profit signals drive the economy, and these signals are important for the efficient operation of markets. We should have more for profit providers in education. Over teh next decade that will happen. There is no alternative.
Anyway, manipulation of profit signals by vested interests drive the economy into the ground, and thus it is important that these signals are not taken as the be all and end all of how we organise our society . We should remove the profit motive from education. Over the next decade that will happen. There is no alternative.
Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, SSpylands. Your sad devotion to that ancient Free Market religion has not helped you conjure up a single supporting fact, or given you enough clairvoyance to make reliable predictions.
not quite – the reply was “I find your lack of faith disturbing”, then T stepped in to stop DV mime-choking the only yank at the table. Fecking pc-gone-mad Tarkin and his wuss liberal intelligensia ways 🙂
So i am an asshole now for telling the truth? You know when you have well and truly got the better of you when you resort to that kind of crap.
show me i’m wrong, show me where charter schools get more money than state schools. and don’t give me that start up costs bollocks that DTB did below, because state schools are able to get start-up costs as well.
Private sector enterprises are motivated by profits, and these ones especially by taking tax payers money and putting them into privateer’s pockets.
It is yet another transfer of public monies away from public institutions into the private sector. Yet another re-run of the neoliberal formula that we have seen time and time again.
Charter schools will be a nice little earner for an entrepreneur/s, and they can be kept not-for-profit because the people running them will ensure that they take a nice big amount in salary and have useful vehicles that can be owned by the school , and possibly they will have a company that owns the furniture and then the school can lease it back from them.
Now that’s a good one, there is a profit on top of the cost price made when leasing the furniture to the school, and the lease costs are paid by the school year after year back to the private company.
Some charter schools may achieve much but it appears that there won’t be the same surveillance and bureaucratic checks on the teachers as there are in state schools, or on the running of the schools. What will come out in ten to twenty years will be some doozy stories. Some children will be glorified by their success, and some would be villified if anyone knew what dodgy methods had been adopted. ‘Power, unchecked, tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.’
Oops, thanks, yes you are quite correct – the comment I made can be justified. Indeed, I should have written that I wasn’t providing any- not that it was lacking justification. 🙂
That is a question that i don’t really know the answer to. But at a guess, I would say it is because they are aiming at teaching and helping the lowest 20% of achievers. The majority of whom are from impoverished backgrounds who’s parents are unable to afford as actual “private” education.
That is a question that i don’t really know the answer to.
What you really mean is that you don’t want to admit the reason why they need state funding – they want the guaranteed profits that state funding provide.
no, that is not what i really mean thanks very much. i thought putting words into other people mouths is a ban-able offence on this site.
there is no guaranteed profit, they are funded in the same way that public schools are. if they meet their obligations and student performance is as expected, and they can make a profit then good on them. i very much doubt there will be large profits, and if so i would be certain that you would see the funding models changed to reflect that.
The only reason these shitty outfits exists is to divert funds out of the tax payers pockets into private hands, exactly as per the US charter schools model.
Lets assume they are funded the same way. How would they then make any profit? They’d need to do something cheaper than the state system or alternatively obtain funding from other sources. Right?
So if they do it cheaper what does that mean to your mind?
Funding from other sources? Why then do they want the same state funding?
You’ll need to explain how charter schools (with any profit motive) will provide better education? I do not see how it is possible.
If it is a not for profit then presumably it is some sort of special interest school. The thing that special interest schools have that the state system does not is they get to choose pupils so do not need to provide the same level of social service. For this privilege they should not receive the same level of state funding. I think they should receive some as I’ll assume the parents still pay taxes but not to the same level as the state system.
How would they then make any profit?
i don’t know. they may not actually be driven by profit. I guess when the first charter school makes a profit we will see how they did it and if it had any negative effect on educational outcomes.
You’ll need to explain how charter schools (with any profit motive) will provide better education? I do not see how?
sorry man, no idea. I don’t work in education so ill leave it to them. All i was doing was pointing out the inaccuracies of the first comment around funding levels.
The thing that special interest schools have that the state system does not is they get to choose pupils
I was not aware of this. I was under the impression that one of the reasons they get funded the same is that they cannot turn away any child that applies.
If you are correct, then i agree they should not get funded the same.
charter schools will receive per-pupil funding from the government just like regular state schools do, however, they will be established and operated by “non-profit, community organisations including Iwi and Pacific Island groups, school trustees, faith-based educational organisations, and not-for-profit and for-profit management groups.”
i think the key is in the words “not-for-profit”. There are also “for profit management groups”, but as i said, i doubt there will be large profits and the majority will be not-for-proffit.
i thought putting words into other people mouths is a ban-able offence on this site.
I didn’t put words in your mouth – I just translated what you said. And, yes, that is actually what you said once the full paragraph was taken into account.
charter schools will receive per-pupil funding from the government just like regular state schools do
If that was true then these schools wouldn’t be getting huge, upfront start-up costs covered by the government which they don’t have to pay back.
i think the key is in the words “not-for-profit”.
/facepalm
The owners of Sanitarium is a not-for-profit group but Sanitarium makes a huge profit.
Methinks you missed the irony in that cartoon phil… “First they banned some misogynist thugs, and I did not object because I was not a misogynist thug.”
“..as in..whose next..?”
Hopefully anyone else with a recent history of actively inciting violence and hatred against women.
When you keep going off on a tangent and won’t consider the ACTUAL reasons immigration turned them down I’m left thinking you did fry your brain. What else should I think? You can’t read properly?
“..phil 1..fender zip..”
If it’s points you are looking for, here have 20, you want a gram with that?
Immigration had their reasons, they stated them. Accept their reasons or go fight the perceived injustice with them.
Phillis, Phillis, wah wah wah, i describe you as having the intellect of a four year old below and you turn around and prove it,
One moment it’s ”wah wah wah you don’t play nice and i am now going to toss my toys and ignore you”,
Next???, you continue with your pointless diatribe in the comment above, the filthy smack head junkies curse, a rotten brain certainly has exhibited a growing case of this in yourself in the last couple of days,
Your drivel is as pointless as your whole life seems to have been…
Wow, an actual, genuine invoking of Godwin’s Law and a slew of ad hominems in the absense of any addressing of the actual issues. And in the first reply no less. That’s pretty bad even by your standards phil.
Phillis doesn’t address the ‘issue’, choosing instead to try and drag the ‘issue’ into a constantly moving panorama of whatever neurons happen to be creating that buzzing noise inside of His cranial cavity at any given point in time,
Exactly the same as trying to have a debate with a four year old where the topic is above the child’s intellectual level, the twists and turns such a debate take are both hilarious and bizarre…
veutoviper, those images are a disturbing start to the day, over toast and coffee. Especially photo number two which made me almost choke on a crumb as I gasped in horror.
ACT has a real talent for off publicity pics, “Hillary’s Eyes” on the brothel billboard and John Boscawen balancing a lammington on his bonce and now another shaved bump head as leader to make a gruesome set with “Hideolini”.
Sorry, Rosie. I really felt the need to record these photos for posterity – and possible other uses in the months to come.
It is a slight follow-on to a discussion some of us (including Karol, Murray Olsen) had over the weekend on the ‘interesting’ bubble of MSM journalists and others that have ongoing interaction on Twitter – some of which is very revealing in respect of sources of information, allegiances etc and biases of The Herald for example. This included discussion on Glucina (The Herald’s gossip columnist) being the one to first publish Norman’s and Peters’ visits to KDC.
My comment on that thread which included the fact that Judith Collins and Nikki Kaye had been in Glucina’s Diary corporate box on Satureday is here
Have to giggle at the little bio at the top of Rachel’s Twits page, buried in the middle is this little gem,”No special Talent”,
A perfect epithet for the majority of the Heralds Jonolists, ”No special Talents” should be the motto of what has become an in-august purveyor of sleaze with the inclusion of ”Rachel”,
So, Slippery and the National Party Ministers now have besides ‘wail oils’ Blubber boy another source with which to have filth injected into the political discourse, very convenient for this election year,
The danger here for National is that the Wellington rumor mill does and always has fits and starts of ‘hot gossip’ over various MP’s indiscretions very little of which sees the light of day and becoming quickly overtaken by the next piece of salacious gossip,
If the Herald wants to have a gossip columnist run a National Party ‘dirt’ campaign on it’s opposition then it runs the risk of having all the filth of who is up who and who is not paying splashed all over Wellington in poster form…
“If the Herald wants to have a gossip columnist run a National Party ‘dirt’ campaign on it’s opposition then it runs the risk of having all the filth of who is up who and who is not paying splashed all over Wellington in poster form…”
That’s true! A few are already thinking along the lines of another Manners Mall “Pants on Fire” approach. The Natzis should really start thinking whether or not their dirt campaign is worth it – given their various pieces of dirty linen.
… but then they really are so arrogant, and believe they have an entire state apparatus under their control, they might try it on.
I bet the likes of Boger, McKinnon and various others (I think it was mentioned in passing somewhere on another thread a while ago) are starting to think they’re well out of the cesspit that the National Party has become.
Looking at your comment on the Blogsters thread, veto.
My choice of words re Key “throwing Slater to the wind” – note I wrote “wind” not wolves. It was risky, but clearly Key would prefer to talk about that rather than his role in surveillance activities. Putting it out on the “wind” means it is left to float about without knowing where it will land or the consequences – could disappear from sight, or it could result in lasting damage to Key.
With you, Karol. My “time will tell” was meant along the same lines as you say – will it disappear from sight or will it result in lasting damage to Key. My money is on is the latter. Slater is such a wild card, that this could all backfire badly.
I wasted more time as a voyeur on Twitter last night and there are a number of MSM journalists whose noses are out of joint as a result of (a) Glucina, a gossip columnist, scooping them on the Peters’ etc visits; and (b) Key stating that he talks with Slater regularly. Not a good move by Key to put these people offside.
Glucina and Slater have not been good friends in the past (to put it mildly) and this is well documented, so their apparently good relationship now is a subject of discussion/derision on the Twitter bubble, particularly with Slater’s attendance in the Diary corporate box yesterday. Apparently Glucina has been a long time supporter of Key and they also talk. And so it goes on,
It all feels like an ongoing soap opera – leaving one wondering what surprises, twists etc this week’s episodes will bring.
Life and politics is indeed often like a soap opera.
The Glucina-Key link is an interesting one – and it is “neoliberal” to the core.
The thing about the whole “neoliberal” revolution in the 1980s and beyond, is that it has been cleverly multi-pronged: changing the centre of politics, as well as wider discourses,values and attitudes via the news media, education system, the entertainment media, etc.
They intensified or increased the whole infotainment thing – so news became more entertaining, but also, so that”neoliberal” values became more firmly embeded within entertainment generally.
Have a vet appointment soon (one of my dogs, not me) but will search out the Key-Glucina link again when I return.
Re the whole infotainment thing – personality politics is part and parcel of this; and links in with my discourse with Disreali Gladstone further down this thread.
You alert us to these disturbing images in the name of service to the Greater Good. I didn’t get a chance to read that article that you linked to, but read your comments and had a squizz at the twit photo’s posted by this Glucina person. (I also don’t go anywhere near the Herald so your explanations are helpful to me)
But more disturbing than the images alone is the links, bonds/ relationships between media and government ministers, politicians, whale yuck etc in a social setting and taking note of who will be pulling the strings. If those images are shamelessly available for all to see, exactly what is going on behind closed doors? These people need flushing out and their agenda’s exposed!
Have to say, I have much admiration and respect for Madeleine Sami and wondered what of earth she was doing hanging out with such horrid people. Hopefully she is just gathering new comedy material for the next series of Super City.
Targets for ridicule on so many levels ….
– the Nouveau Riche
– the Plagiarists
– the Slutty Moles
– the Holier than Thou
– Bad Taste (from whatever/whichever ‘class’ you have an affinity with)
– the Movers and Shakers liable to be embarassed by a slug’s presence on a Blue Rinse cocktail circuit.
– a couple of excuses for Chris Finlayson to prove hisself down with the dirty and normal (a la ‘some of my best friends are Murrays)
…… on so many levels.
Slop is slop when it comes down to it – no matter how it’s served up – no matter how much paprika is applied
Nothing wrong with it, the Rodney Hide likeness is appropriate.
As for the second photo of Bennett and Slater? I’m wondering WHY anyone would want to stand close to Slater, he’s toxic. Is he blackmailing MP’s in order to get photographed with them? Mixing with such a disgusting creep should be damaging politically surely..
What I don’t get is people seem to -like- Slater. I can understand a politician thinking he’s useful (a la Key), but people like Collins and Bennett seems to enjoy his company.
… and as an understatement, he doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person.
Collins and Bennett like Blubber Boy because they think the same way he does, using intellectual equipment of pretty much the same potency. Keith Holyoake wouldn’t recognise the NAct of today.
Whyte and his wife probably are a loving couple and having fun.
But politics 101 – if you want to be taken seriously as a politician concerned with the weightier matters of politics, don’t put yourself in a position where a photo like that is taken and freely available (eg via social media).
Boris Johnson has become the most popular politician in the UK solely because he ignored that so called rule you just made up. And it’s not to do with his policies because they’re bluer than anything post-Thatcher. No, it’s because he seems jovial and real and does stupid shit (all planned though no one knows).
Similarly, the most popular politician in NZ (John Key) also has been photographed and filmed doing stupid shit and if anything became more popular for it because he seems like the ordinary Kiwi.
Your rule is bad and you should feel bad. Whyte can be the philosopher king on policy and look like a fool having fun with his wife and probably do just fine.
And by just fine, I mean probably stop ACT from dying for one more election by 0.1% of the vote.
Well DG, you may believe in and support personality politics – I don’t. IMO personality politics ares shallow and dangerous, as indicated by the inciduous undermining of democracy and the real role of government in both NZ and the UK as a result of the focus on personalities, rather than issues.
In actual fact, I quite like what I have read of Whyte and his wife – a breath of fresh air. But my instincts are that that will be his downfall, and that he will not be long in political world as a result. Fresh air and openness such as that expressed by Whyte to date rarely survives the cut and thrust of politics.
As for “Your rule is bad and you should feel bad”, LOL. How old are you? 8 years old sprung to mind. It is actually quite good advice, and I don’t feel bad.
Oh, I don’t approve of personality politics. There’s a difference between approving it and noticing that it does seem to work.
I find it amusing you think one single photo of him sticking his tongue out will be his downfall. Not wanting to repeal all employment laws, nope, just this photo.
And “your _ is bad and you should feel bad” is a reference that is now 11 years old. So if I was 8, I wouldn’t even have been born when it entered internet discourse.
Your entire response to that comment is flawed with: “Because it gets who you want into power?”
I’m currently going to vote Labour, albeit reluctantly. Probably. Maybe… I don’t know. I’m a floating voter.
That’s doesn’t change the fact that it’s “good politics” (in a strategical sense). It’s bad governance, policy, humanity, but if politics is a contest to win the election, it’s good politics.
Politics isn’t some high-minded ideal. I wish it was. But it never will be. Democracy isn’t designed in a way to punish people who practice the Dark Arts.
Francis Urquhart will always be there in politics.
Hmm it appears that in your definition of ‘politics’ – a type of strategy without regard for the effects that strategy has on the system – it would be ‘good politics’ for example, for you to say that you were ‘reluctantly voting for Labour’ when in fact you have no such intention – rather it is just something for you to say so that people think you are somewhat ‘on their side’ and remain more receptive to your comments.
“Politics isn’t some high minded ideal”
Well clearly not according to you, yet you and I both experience the direct benefits right now and every day from those who in the past have acted politically with some high-minded ideals in mind – so I don’t think it is very high minded of you to dismiss such a notion out of hand.
This is merely discussion. This isn’t some argument. I can’t win. I don’t get a prize for besting you all in debate. Money doesn’t sprout from my computer screen.
This is politics
It is a discussion about politics
What is so ‘awfully silly’?
That I suggest you might pay the type of political games that you say you don’t like yet appear to think effective?
Or that I imply politics can be about high-minded ideals by suggesting that we experience benefits from those who followed high-minded ideals in the past?
I guess you were simply referring to your notion of being denied a prize and money spouting from your computer screen.
@ DG You can try and frame it as racism …”Weird” and “SUSPICIOUS” are better words!
It is very WEIRD ….this UK Cambridge philosopher import…suddenly jetted in and INSERTED into NZ politics to rack up support for the dying/dead horse Neo Lib ACT Party….and SUSPICIOUS!
ACT’s revival which in turn John Keys National Party depends on to be re-elected…
(especially as Key has been caught continually spying on Winston … illegally? and certainly illegitimately…..Winston who wont be going into coalition with Key after this violation of his privacy)
You’re lumping in different cultures (Mrs Whyte is west African) and Polynesian and saying that Mrs Whyte looked genuine. The assertion in your comment being that sticking your tongue out and having darker skin than a Caucasian is all you need to do to look genuinely Polynesian.
Which is offensive on several different levels.
So yeah, I’m going to call you out for the racism.
You’re lumping in different cultures (Mrs Whyte is west African) and Polynesian and saying that Mrs Whyte looked genuine. The assertion in your comment being that sticking your tongue out and having darker skin than a Caucasian is all you need to do to look genuinely Polynesian.
Well, he or she could mean that they appear to be going for the Pūkana in a misguided attempt to ingratiate themselves.
you are an idiot DG….i stick out my tongue a lot ( as a sign of disrespect to authority…usually behind their backs ) and I have Maori ancestry ….so dont project your British Oxford / Cambridge colonialist put down ‘racist’ crap on me!( …..poking tongue out to you at present time)…get worried when Maori turn their backs to you , lift up their skirts and bare their buttocks ….and …give you a great big BROWN EYE!
…i was just as saying she looked real and comfortable sticking out her tongue and he didnt…nothing racist about it !
….and I still think it is weird and suspicious him jetting in from UK Cambridge …..to try and revive the NZ political dead horse ACT!
” effectively acknowledge that Michael Cullen had done something right in his stewardship of the Government’s finances in the past nine years.
Having condemned his predecessor for many years for paying off debt too quickly, English said: “I want to stress that New Zealand starts from a reasonable position in dealing with the uncertainty of our economic outlook.”
“In New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that Government has been saving up for,” he told reporters at the Treasury briefing on the state of the economy and forecasts.
English pointed to a graph of the debt track since 1972 and projected five years out from today.
The recent low was 17 per cent of GDP and the ghastly projection for 2013 is 33.1 per cent and possibly worse, under what Treasury calls a “downside scenario” – 38.6 per cent.
Unemployment is forecast to rise to 6.4 per cent in 2010 and deficits forecast to be $2.4 billion to $3.5 billion larger over the 2010 to 2013 years than forecast just before the election.
In the midst of the horrible outlook and depressing uncertainty about how bad it might get, English was forced to change his message about his inheritance from Labour because it was more important to inject some sense of positivity into the situation. He needed to do it for both political reasons and for real financial reasons.
As Labour finance spokesman David Cunliffe said yesterday, too much negativity could drive confidence down even further.
Of the plan that Cunliffe demanded of English today, the Finance Minister said: “The plan in essence is quite simple, that is to maintain significant short-term stimulus in the economy, to protect people from the sharp edge of recession and secondly to get on with the job of raising our longer term growth prospects…with some urgency.”
Tax cuts are on the way; decisions will be made in the New Year on which infrastructure projects will be brought forward and English and Prime Minister John Key will be meeting chief executives of Government departments this afternoon to give them the bad news: don’t ask for any more money in Budget 2009 because you won’t get it.”
But talking of such rogues [quotes from ODT link below]:
Two boats, a 14m commercial fishing vessel and a smaller pleasure boat, both draped with banners from pro-drilling group ProGas Otago, sat just off St Clair Beach while an anti-drilling protest was held on the beach. The Otago Surfing Championships and Otago Surf Life Saving Championships were also being held nearby.
It is understood that while the boats were there surf life-savers received unconfirmed reports from surfers there was something in the water and that fish guts were being thrown from the boats, which surfers were concerned could attract sharks.
Witnesses saw surf life-savers speak to the men on the boats, the larger of which was shortly afterwards seen doing what witnesses described as ”donuts” in the water. When contacted, Grant Godbaz, secretary of the South Coast Boardriders Association, which was hosting the Otago Surfing Championships, said the incident was a ”recipe for disaster”.
He said the boat did its turns within about 20m of surfers, who were genuinely concerned for their safety.
Thanks for that Pasupial – the picture painted by the actions of the oil pushers speaks a thousand words about their attitudes toward the lives of others; and shows they are the type of people who shouldn’t be listened to.
I don’t want to paint too bleak a picture; on the beach we could barely read their banners on the boats. Utterly irresponsible action by the Juggernaut captain regarding the surfers though.
For balance here are some links to articles about the Banners on the Beach about Waipounamu/ South:
Even though the numbers in the ODT have been upgraded from 300 (Saturday) to 500+, that’s only 5% of what it needs to be:
“University of Otago physics Associate Professor Bob Lloyd… believed 2000 protesters would be needed at Moeraki, 10,000 at Dunedin and 100,000 at an Auckland protest to make an impact on decision making.”
Just watched paul henry enabling john key in a supposed talk about policies of 2014. You can see why they got henry back on. Nothing of any consequence but strictly to make key look good. “Yup, I did just say yup to obama”. God give me strength. What a tragic puff piece. I had read a romantic homage to key by prebble who stated that key didn’t talk about anything political while on golf course but here key is saying he did discuss some issues. They need to get on the same song sheet. Also tragic simon bridges trying to be belittling and sneering about Green’s policy of solar power on houses. Doesn’t work, he just looks and sounds silly trotting out the standard unoriginal “just printing money” snigger. However he is good for a chuckle.
American billionaires are flooding PBS and NPR with “documentaries” with titles like “Pension Peril” and “Unintended Consequences: Evils of the Welfare System”.
millions of unsuspecting viewers wholly unaware that the PBS “reporting” they are watching is not objective news, but instead an ideological advertisement funded by a billionaire trying to manipulate public policy
+1 ianmac. The psychological study of trolling is interesting indeed. Nice tie in with topic du jour of Supreme Troll whale oil and photo op’s with people that really shouldn’t be seen with him, if decency prevailed – which clearly it doesn’t in Camp Gnat.
Laughs out loud from this mornings ‘Matty and Mike show’ on Nine to Noon this morning, the final word went to Hooton,
”Russell Normans just announced policy is a good one”, that should have the Beehives 9th floor apoplectic with rage, more than one of this mornings lamington’s may have become a deadly device seemingly designed as a tool of aphyxsiation by a terrorist organization despicably disguised as the local tuck shop,
What tittilation of angst, anger, or, arrogance will the spin-meisters of the 9th floor try this week to try and regain the political initiative from the Opposition,
Bridges effort last night via the TV3News was akin to the little child lost in the wilderness beseeching calling for His mummy,
”Its printing money”, ”its printing money” simply proving to the Sunday night audience that Slippery the Prime Minister isn’t lacking for competition when it comes to having a vast area of vacant space upstairs in the cranial cavity…
Yep saw Bridges. I thought he might be a bit drunk as his weird accent seemed even weirder. Subsidy indeed? National have given $30mil to Rio, millions to Skycity, and millions for the Green’s house insulation scheme, millions in subsidy to the Film Industry and according to Matthew millions to the meat industry very recently. Hypocrisy is rampant.
Inquiry into the Government’s decision to negotiate with SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited for an international convention centre.
………………
1: The Auditor-General has a small shareholding in SkyCity so she has not been involved in this inquiry.
New Zealand Auditor-General Lyn Provost fails to disclose this rather significant ‘conflict of interest’ when I ask her to conduct an urgent inquiry into the failure of OFCANZ to do ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill:
On 21 November 2013
I have received your email and will consider your request.
Lyn Provost
21 November 2013
I want an URGENT investigation by the OAG into the failure of OFCANZ to do ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill (not sure if it yet has Royal Assent).
This Treasury reply confirms that OFCANZ come under Police – which are a ‘Public Entity’.
18 Inquiries by Auditor-General
(1)The Auditor-General may inquire, either on request or on the Auditor-General’s own initiative, into any matter concerning a public entity’s use of its resources.
………………..
On 31 January 2014, I received this reply from New ZealandAuditor-General Lyn Provost, to my question ‘are you still a shareholder in Sky City’:
Penny
There is no change in position from June 2012.
Lyn Provost
Lyn Provost, Controller and Auditor-General
Office of the Auditor-General Te Mana Arotake
Level 2, 100 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
PO Box 3928, Wellington 6140
Again – file under – ‘You Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up’!
Please note that there will be a LOT more to come on this matter….
I read that donkeyotey referrred to Kiwis in Oz as guest workers and reciprocal pensions as nice to haves.
Well he might as well realise that he is just a guest prime ministrer and will be a nice to have get gone.
And as soon as the smart people in the National party realise that key and slater and the rest are the precursors to a gangster state then the sooner the country can get back to business.
I was thinking about likes and buttons under the comments and thought that I couldn’t see their value here. But I thought again and put a para in one of my random comments. I’ll put it here so it might get counted in the thinking on this.
Perhaps we do need ‘likes’ for the comments, so that those who do the work and present information, know that they have been looked at and the work read and absorbed, and importantly that interest has been taken, even if no-one feels it is necessary to respond with a plus, an icon or a comment.
I’ll have a look around for one that I can configure to show likes only.
I also have to make sure that it doesn’t cause too much extra load on the database server. Caching in the memcache and/or the database query cache would be the ideal.
Thanks lprent There were quite a few comments for and against which I understand but have decided that what you suggested above would be justified, would need numbers I think though.
And that’s really all that is needed, a button that increases number of ‘reads’. That count would be feedback and encouraging for those trying to add to our spectrum of knowledge input.
I thought I wanted likes/dislikes but after looking at some other sites it did influence my view of what I read negatively so changed my mind. Likes would be good though.
Do not know if this is easy but collapsable trees for threads would be good. Like Thunderbird has for e-mail conversations. Makes it easier to follow a particular thread and comment on the right one. The numbering is useful to a point but fails once a thread gets long.
What does like or like/dislike do for any conversation? I couldn’t give a fuck if somebody ‘likes’ something I’m saying – I want to know their thoughts on the matter in question.
And if there’s no response, then either everyone reading it agrees….everyone reading it thinks it’s bullshit/unrelated or whatever….or nobody’s reading it. Doesn’t really matter which of those scenarios is the accurate one on any given comment, does it?
edit example – Joe90 doesn’t tend to attract follow up comment, but from the occasions that they do, it’s probably reasonable to assume a fair few people click through to the links provided.
Just a heads up if anyone is interested in attending a lecture from Natalie Nicholles – an economics consultant from NEF – New Economics Foundation (London).
Auckland Council is hosting her talk within the Auckland Conversations programme, and it is free to attend. Just register on their site. Wed 26th Feb, Town Hall @ 5.30pm.
NEF tagline is “Economics as if people and the planet mattered”. Some of their publications have been discussed on The Standard in the past.
Update: Event is full, waitlist is all you get now.
thanks for the link. read some of the site and have bookmarker it. liked this. how refreshing
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The drought, Brazil’s worst in decades, is a catastrophe.
In economic terms, it was the fourth-worst natural disaster to hit the planet last year, costlier than even the western United States drought, for a total cost of almost $9 billion, according to insurance analyst Aon Benfield, which researches natural disasters worldwide.
Not much of it, weka. The area called the sertão has had droughts since forever. There are aquifers, but unless you’re a local politician, you don’t have the money to get at the water. When you fly over that area, you see brown with a few lush patches now and then. That’s how you know where the local “colonels” live. There’s not much agroindustry in that area, which is the Northeast of Brazil. The agroindustry is in the South, Southeast, and Central West of the country. Even further north, near the Amazon rainforest, the farming has not really been industrialised. They clear the forest and plant for a couple of years before it loses all the nutrients.
What is new is that the PT (Worker’s Party) trucks in some water, so that at least the people survive. Despite all their problems, they have lifted many people out of absolute poverty. This is why I have no time for anyone who says they are just the same as the other parties.
There is some evidence that climate change is making the droughts worse, but the sertão has not been terraformed. It’s basically like it was 200 years ago.
Thanks for posting that joe90. It was funny hearing the rural accent of the Northeast again. Last time I was there, I looked at raising some money to put a well down in one of the villages, but I wasn’t successful. Maybe one day.
Cast your mind back, if you are able, to the era B.NACT (Before NACT).
You know, the period that English lauded for its good financial management.
It was also the period when the RWNJ’s were decrying MMP for installing a government dog being wagged by its tail.
So we get Charter Schools. I cannot recall the philosophy being shouted from the rooftops by any of the 58 National MPs. In fact the movement belonged entirely to ACT. Yet, it would appear, their one mp, the soon to be disgraced Banks, has Hekia Parata and Key so tightly by the fuzzies that she and some of her cronies appear to believe that the schools are the best thing since sliced bread…
@ logie 97….not so much Banks as private PR company lobbyists…..Catherine Isaacs (former Roger Kerr and what was the Round Table) in cahoots with USA business interests…this is what ACT is all about …overseas business interests that want to get their reptilian pincers into New Zealand and its assets
Or maybe Colin Craig is trying to stay relevant the only way he knows how – by jumping in to the mud and shouting “Look at me!” because he has nothing substantive to add
I think it’s the right thing to do, Craig’s being discriminated against by the certain factions of left because he’s a Christian.
Unless he jumps on it, the left will keep pushing the he’s a Christian therefore he’s homophobic and a misogynist, which in all probability is blatant lie.
I’d say Craig is pretty pissed with Norman trying to drag his name through the mud, which is why he’s taking action.
Russell needs to engage his brain before opening his mouth, expensive mistake to make for the Ocker.
Well if you’d heard Colin Craig talking to Mary Wilson on Checkpoint this afternoon you’d know that his resolve to pursue Russel Norman is because apparently Norman has been saying things that will make people “feel negatively” about him. Provoking negative feelings ? Hardly, indeed decidedly not, actionable. Is this a Judith Collins stunt which like hers re Little and Mallard will be played and played then dropped effectively ? Probably right up to the election for the playing and thereafter for the dropping ?
You seem to be getting that feeling a lot, lately.
Given that a court case would be good news for norman on purely political grounds, might I suggest that you’re simply projecting the worries you have for the polished turd we have as pm? Much of the glitter is falling off.
I mean, if you thought that the opposition leaders weren’t a threat to the government, you’d be gloating about how sad it was that they are the best labgrn have to choose leaders from. But by trying to foment infighting and paranoia, you’re just conceding that the election is in doubt for wee Johnny no-Mates.
—Moon-landing denier, kiddy-whacker and gay-baiter COLIN CRAIG, speaking to Mary Wilson Checkpoint, Radio NZ National, Monday 17 February 2014, 5:20 p.m.
More liars….
No. 39 George W. Bush: “We will be standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq until their hopes for freedom and liberty are fulfilled.”
No. 38 Jeremy Hansen: “I read a great column by Paul Thomas in the Herald….”
No. 37 Alan Seay: “You know, we respect the rights of people to protest….”
No. 36 Paul Dykzeul: “No we won’t be changing the Listener; it’s got a terrific editor….”
No. 35 Mark Jennings: “I think Paul’s a bright guy and he will be able to bring a discipline to his performance….”
No. 34 Willie Jackson: “I thought we’d been sensitive with her yesterday….”
No. 33 Supt. Bill Searle: “I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best….”
No. 32 Sonny-Bill Williams: “It’s good to get the win over Papua-New Guinea, a strong Papua-New Guinea side, aahhhh….”
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Craig’s defamation suit is further proof his party will sink at these elections. Far worse will be said about him further down the track and if he’s going to take umbrage at things like that then wait till the politicians and media really start attacking him.
Which leaves Key’s coalition hydra short one head.
the thing is, craig can either win or lose.
Norman can either win or lose.
If norman loses, craig looks petty and norman takes a wee hit in the polls, but craigs a dick so not too much of a hit.
If craig loses, he looks even nuttier and norman’s opinions are seen to be confirmed (even though that might not be the actual determination of the case).
And then there’s the fact that craig is now a politician, which raises his case’s difficulty level.
I think it’s one of those situations where Norman can’t lose – because no matter what happens, he is only alienating the extreme right with his stated view of Colin Craig. It shouldn’t affect Green Party support whatsoever and only serves to highlight the rabid foaming attack poodle that is Colin Craig.
is colin craig constipated or does he have trouble with his y-fronts and his zipper. anyway to quote that old kids rhyme he should jump into the closet three times and only come out twice!
I saw it too. Sometimes it’s just that an author publishes a post earlier than they intended, hitting the publish button by mistake. Maybe he hasn’t finished writing or editing the post yet…?
Ok, enough is enough, your not normally this long in compling a list of thrush, and all my others faults you deem me to have. I shall save you the bother. I shall offski for self imposed exile in KiwiLog.
I picked this up from the Blog list at the side of the page. Some comments on possible changes at Kiwibank on-line set up wondering whether they are in the best interests of the bank and the country. I hope that we don’t have some little Kiwi manager thinking that he/she has to recommend a big overseas company because that will make them look sophisticated and important and possibly cheap.
The ideal solution is, of course, for Kiwibank to wake up to the very strong local development talent, hire them in and give them true power and air cover to reinvent banking, piece by piece and digital-first. It’s that approach is good enough for the entire UK government, it’s good enough for a tiny antipodean retail bank.
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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. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
WTF? They voted for this? A charter school receives state funding of $19,664 a student compared to the average state and integrated school funding of $7000 a student.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11203597&ref=mobile
comparing the funding of a small charter school, to the “average” state funding of all public schools is rather disingenuous at best. Given a new state school and a new charter school of the same size, both schools will be funded exactly the same.
Wrong. These private schools need far more funding than public schools because they have to take their cut of profits.
And millions of public tax payers money has already been poured into promoting these profit making private schools.
Just total waste, a money sucking exercise by privateers, enabled by the National Government.
Wrong. Once again, public schools and charter schools are both funded in the same way.
You’re a fucking liar. Or a sophist. Regardless. FOR PROFIT charter schools either get paid more, or they take SHORT CUTS to cheapen kids’ educations.
So which is it?
Fuck off dickhead. You are the liar. What part of “get funded the same” can’t you get your fucking thick head around. Jesus, arguing with cats makes more sense than you do sometimes.
Meh. You’re an untrustworthy neoliberal shill. Same neolib formula of taking public money and pocketing it for private profit. Its not even creative, its cookie cutter.
I think the term you’re looking for C.V is pirates. Oh they may have letters of marque, don’t change what they are.
Schrillglands go back to propaganda school 5 eyed f/wit
How does $18,000 odd per pupil work out cheaper than $6,000 to $7,000 per pupil.
They don’t get more funding than public schools.
Anway, profit signals drive the economy, and these signals are important for the efficient operation of markets. We should have more for profit providers in education. Over teh next decade that will happen. There is no alternative.
the economy is a part of the world not the other way round
or..
education isnt about settings up competition for the sake of profit
what drives good education isnt the same thing which drives good business
Here Srylands, I fixed it for you:
Anyway, manipulation of profit signals by vested interests drive the economy into the ground, and thus it is important that these signals are not taken as the be all and end all of how we organise our society . We should remove the profit motive from education. Over the next decade that will happen. There is no alternative.
No you are wrong.
Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, SSpylands. Your sad devotion to that ancient Free Market religion has not helped you conjure up a single supporting fact, or given you enough clairvoyance to make reliable predictions.
Hmmmmm reminds me of Governor Tarkin chiding Lord Vader…
not quite – the reply was “I find your lack of faith disturbing”, then T stepped in to stop DV mime-choking the only yank at the table. Fecking pc-gone-mad Tarkin and his wuss liberal intelligensia ways 🙂
@ Srylands
No you are
[That is the problem with comments lacking any justification: two can play at that game 🙂 ]
Your comment seems incredibly well justified, blue leopard. The rubbish that the 5 eyed monkey taps out randomly, on the other hand……
The problem with arseholes like Shitlands and Andrew is that they have been tasked with destroying any basis for fact based discussion.
To them, lies and facts are completely interchangeable and their only preference is the one which wins the oligarchs more power and money.
So i am an asshole now for telling the truth? You know when you have well and truly got the better of you when you resort to that kind of crap.
show me i’m wrong, show me where charter schools get more money than state schools. and don’t give me that start up costs bollocks that DTB did below, because state schools are able to get start-up costs as well.
Of course you’re telling lies.
Private sector enterprises are motivated by profits, and these ones especially by taking tax payers money and putting them into privateer’s pockets.
It is yet another transfer of public monies away from public institutions into the private sector. Yet another re-run of the neoliberal formula that we have seen time and time again.
so that’s a no then on the show me i’m wrong call. good to know, thanks for playing.
Hey you smug shit, we all know what you K Street Righties are up to.
Private for profit organisations where public monies are going into privateers hands.
Thanks, but we’ve seen this same neoliberal episode over and over again.
Charter schools will be a nice little earner for an entrepreneur/s, and they can be kept not-for-profit because the people running them will ensure that they take a nice big amount in salary and have useful vehicles that can be owned by the school , and possibly they will have a company that owns the furniture and then the school can lease it back from them.
Now that’s a good one, there is a profit on top of the cost price made when leasing the furniture to the school, and the lease costs are paid by the school year after year back to the private company.
Some charter schools may achieve much but it appears that there won’t be the same surveillance and bureaucratic checks on the teachers as there are in state schools, or on the running of the schools. What will come out in ten to twenty years will be some doozy stories. Some children will be glorified by their success, and some would be villified if anyone knew what dodgy methods had been adopted. ‘Power, unchecked, tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.’
Yep. Brilliant. Leasing computers and tablets, office space; admin staff and cleaners all well above minimum wage and all friends and family.
You see these arent real “entrepreneurs”. They are merely old fashioned scammers and rorters. The basis of the modern neolib Right Wing.
@ Murray Olsen
Oops, thanks, yes you are quite correct – the comment I made can be justified. Indeed, I should have written that I wasn’t providing any- not that it was lacking justification. 🙂
Why does a private for-profit business need state funding?
That is a question that i don’t really know the answer to. But at a guess, I would say it is because they are aiming at teaching and helping the lowest 20% of achievers. The majority of whom are from impoverished backgrounds who’s parents are unable to afford as actual “private” education.
But as it said, a complete guess.
What you really mean is that you don’t want to admit the reason why they need state funding – they want the guaranteed profits that state funding provide.
no, that is not what i really mean thanks very much. i thought putting words into other people mouths is a ban-able offence on this site.
there is no guaranteed profit, they are funded in the same way that public schools are. if they meet their obligations and student performance is as expected, and they can make a profit then good on them. i very much doubt there will be large profits, and if so i would be certain that you would see the funding models changed to reflect that.
Your rationale is a fictional nonsense.
The only reason these shitty outfits exists is to divert funds out of the tax payers pockets into private hands, exactly as per the US charter schools model.
Lets assume they are funded the same way. How would they then make any profit? They’d need to do something cheaper than the state system or alternatively obtain funding from other sources. Right?
So if they do it cheaper what does that mean to your mind?
Funding from other sources? Why then do they want the same state funding?
You’ll need to explain how charter schools (with any profit motive) will provide better education? I do not see how it is possible.
If it is a not for profit then presumably it is some sort of special interest school. The thing that special interest schools have that the state system does not is they get to choose pupils so do not need to provide the same level of social service. For this privilege they should not receive the same level of state funding. I think they should receive some as I’ll assume the parents still pay taxes but not to the same level as the state system.
How would they then make any profit?
i don’t know. they may not actually be driven by profit. I guess when the first charter school makes a profit we will see how they did it and if it had any negative effect on educational outcomes.
You’ll need to explain how charter schools (with any profit motive) will provide better education? I do not see how?
sorry man, no idea. I don’t work in education so ill leave it to them. All i was doing was pointing out the inaccuracies of the first comment around funding levels.
The thing that special interest schools have that the state system does not is they get to choose pupils
I was not aware of this. I was under the impression that one of the reasons they get funded the same is that they cannot turn away any child that applies.
If you are correct, then i agree they should not get funded the same.
They aren’t funded the same.
They are funded to ensure that the privateers make profits and to siphon money away from public institutions.
Its the same multi-decade neoliberal episode rerun over and over again.
and to add to that:
charter schools will receive per-pupil funding from the government just like regular state schools do, however, they will be established and operated by “non-profit, community organisations including Iwi and Pacific Island groups, school trustees, faith-based educational organisations, and not-for-profit and for-profit management groups.”
what are charter schools?
i think the key is in the words “not-for-profit”. There are also “for profit management groups”, but as i said, i doubt there will be large profits and the majority will be not-for-proffit.
I didn’t put words in your mouth – I just translated what you said. And, yes, that is actually what you said once the full paragraph was taken into account.
If that was true then these schools wouldn’t be getting huge, upfront start-up costs covered by the government which they don’t have to pay back.
/facepalm
The owners of Sanitarium is a not-for-profit group but Sanitarium makes a huge profit.
Maxim.org
Another multinational millionaire funded right wing neoliberal economics think tank
Fuck your K-Street kind and the horse you rode in on.
herald cartoonist ‘nails’ my concerns about the banning of the rap-group…
..as in..whose next..?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11203620
phillip ure..
Well legit refugees are next! They plan on putting them in a Fijian Jail – its the final solution
Methinks you missed the irony in that cartoon phil… “First they banned some misogynist thugs, and I did not object because I was not a misogynist thug.”
“..as in..whose next..?”
Hopefully anyone else with a recent history of actively inciting violence and hatred against women.
ah..well..if they need a permanent member of the banning-committee..
..i’m sure you’d be up for it..eh..?
..you might even get a uniform..
..or at the very least..some epaulets and an insignia..
..eh..?
..and is there a little glow of self-satisfaction/mutual-back-slapping amongst you all..?
..’we sure stopped them..from performing..!’..
..and then..’who shall we target next..?..quick..!..someone get the gig-guide..!..and a song-lyrics website..!
..we’ll start in the sixties..and move forward from there..!..
..let’s set up an email-tree..!..’
..and you a green..?..eh..?
..whoar..!..
..so that eco-fascist label does apply..?..
.i always thought it was just a rightwing slur..
..and those stockings of yours are so very very blue..aren’t they..?
..for a green..
..phillip ure..
Bloody hell, forgot to have your morning bong?
-Artistic freedom comes with responsibilities, it’s not a licence to be reckless-
and which minor beaurucrat gets to decide what is ‘responsible’..
..and what is not not ‘reckless’..?
..(i mean..are you bloody listening to yrslf/ves..?..)
phillip ure..
Inciting violence is reckless. Rappers using a concert and Twitter to urge fans to harass a woman who objected to their act is reckless.
Keith was/is reckless with his own health. If immigration suspected he was going to traffic drugs into the country he may have been turned down also.
If you have/are busted for possession of drugs the U.S. may deny you access to their shores.
“..Inciting violence is reckless..”
the rolling stones:..streetfighting man..?
“..the time is right for violent revolution..’
a list of other artists as long as yr arm..
..phillip ure..
You keep concentrating on lyrics, but immigration didn’t deny Odd Future entry because of their lyrics. The reasons given were <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/236110/rappers-banned-from-entering-nz">Inciting violence and for using a concert and Twitter to urge fans to harass a woman who objected to their act.
stop trying to ‘egg’ it..
..this was an exercise in moral-panic/censorship..
..nothing more..
..nothing less..
..and the further the distance gets from it..
..the more shabby it will seem..
..and..who are you targeting next..?
..and why didn’t you target eminem..?
..you fucken hypocrites..!
..phillip ure..
🙄
I now believe you when you (all too often) proudly state that you fried your brain with crack.
@ fender..
..really..?..that’s all you’ve got..?
..slaggng me over my drug/crack-habits of 20 + yrs ago..?
..oh well..that’s clearly you/this argument done and dusted..eh..?
..a retreat into wholesale ad-hom always signifies that..
..phil 1..fender zip..
..(and..have a history of using/getting out of it’..on alcohol..do you..?..
..no brain-damage there tho’..eh..?..
..you blue-stockinged/book-burning hypocrite/fool..you..!..)
..phillip ure..
When you keep going off on a tangent and won’t consider the ACTUAL reasons immigration turned them down I’m left thinking you did fry your brain. What else should I think? You can’t read properly?
“..phil 1..fender zip..”
If it’s points you are looking for, here have 20, you want a gram with that?
Immigration had their reasons, they stated them. Accept their reasons or go fight the perceived injustice with them.
as a final word to fender..
..you and bad are as bad as the worst of the bottom-dwellers @ the kiwiblog-swamp..
..and that shit you are so bravely slinging from yr positions of anonymity..
..is just really splattering right back all over yr anonymous selves..eh..?
..read yr words..then go read the shit there..
..and see how you would be so much more at home there..
..there are so many more of yr sort..there..
..and i did say that was a ‘final’ word..
..you can now go and stand with bad in the fuck-off-corner..
..eh..?
..like with him..
..i can’t be bothered dealing with a fucken intellectual-vaccuum..
..phillip ure..
“Final word”
Good, fuck off you idiot. McFlock summed you up perfectly last week when he called you a “sanctimonious prick”.
Wail-oil will be glad to have you around, someone more pig-headed than himself.
Phillis, Phillis, wah wah wah, i describe you as having the intellect of a four year old below and you turn around and prove it,
One moment it’s ”wah wah wah you don’t play nice and i am now going to toss my toys and ignore you”,
Next???, you continue with your pointless diatribe in the comment above, the filthy smack head junkies curse, a rotten brain certainly has exhibited a growing case of this in yourself in the last couple of days,
Your drivel is as pointless as your whole life seems to have been…
i wonder what dave dobbyn thinks about all this..?
..given his long record as an osr..
..an ‘old-skool-reckless’..?
..and how about those talking heads..?
..’burning down the house’..(!)
..now..if that isn’t an incitement to the young/dumb/impressionable to engage in serial-arson..
..i’m a blue-stockinged-censor..!
..i ban..therefore i am..?
..phillip ure..
But who decides the limits of that freedom or what is art for that matter
well, is inciting violence and harassment “art”? Maybe it could be.
Is armed robbery “art”? Maybe it could be.
But if I say my actions are “art”, does that mean every country needs to grant me a visa despite those actions?
In this case Immigration NZ did. In another case as Karol illustrates the courts did
Phillis, a four year old’s explanation of why we should be promoting violence???…
Wow, an actual, genuine invoking of Godwin’s Law and a slew of ad hominems in the absense of any addressing of the actual issues. And in the first reply no less. That’s pretty bad even by your standards phil.
Phillis doesn’t address the ‘issue’, choosing instead to try and drag the ‘issue’ into a constantly moving panorama of whatever neurons happen to be creating that buzzing noise inside of His cranial cavity at any given point in time,
Exactly the same as trying to have a debate with a four year old where the topic is above the child’s intellectual level, the twists and turns such a debate take are both hilarious and bizarre…
screw yr ‘godwins’-law’..(that silencing false-construct/cliche)
..you act like a book-burning fascist..
..and i’ll call you a book-burning fascist..
..and how is that lyrics-website ‘reckless–language search going..?
..or are they the only ones..?
..the rolling stones are coming soon..
..whoar..!
..’holy rolling-stones ‘reckless’-lyrics..!..batman..!..”
..quick..!..to the email-tree…!
..and like i said before..and you a green..eh..?
..what is the green party position/policy on book-burning/banning of ‘reckless’-lyrics/lyricists..?
..or are you just a reactionary outlier in that party..?
..i bloody hope it’s the latter..
phillip ure..
didyaknow keith richards got busted for smuggling a load of smack into toronto..?
..and that he has been a ‘reckless’ role-model for impressionable young new zealanders..
..since forever..?
..where will you draw the ‘reckless’-line..?
..phillip ure..
I am looking forward to seeing this photo of the new Act leader and his wife on ACT party billboards in the lead-up to the general election
https://twitter.com/RachelGlucinaNZ/status/434931063664545793/photo/1/large
Yesterday in the Herald’s Diary corporate box. Apparently the Diary (Rachel Glucina) had a separate box from the Herald’s main corporate box.
And another great photo of “in people” in the Diary box at the Nines yesterday. Another one for billboards.
https://twitter.com/RachelGlucinaNZ/status/434941700776009728/photo/1/large
veutoviper, those images are a disturbing start to the day, over toast and coffee. Especially photo number two which made me almost choke on a crumb as I gasped in horror.
They look made for each other, don’t they
two peas in a pod…………..
The horror! WhaleSpew and Pullyer Benefit.
ACT has a real talent for off publicity pics, “Hillary’s Eyes” on the brothel billboard and John Boscawen balancing a lammington on his bonce and now another shaved bump head as leader to make a gruesome set with “Hideolini”.
exactly!
Sorry, Rosie. I really felt the need to record these photos for posterity – and possible other uses in the months to come.
It is a slight follow-on to a discussion some of us (including Karol, Murray Olsen) had over the weekend on the ‘interesting’ bubble of MSM journalists and others that have ongoing interaction on Twitter – some of which is very revealing in respect of sources of information, allegiances etc and biases of The Herald for example. This included discussion on Glucina (The Herald’s gossip columnist) being the one to first publish Norman’s and Peters’ visits to KDC.
My comment on that thread which included the fact that Judith Collins and Nikki Kaye had been in Glucina’s Diary corporate box on Satureday is here
http://thestandard.org.nz/john-key-blogsters-and-the-dotcom-leaks/#comment-773616
Glucina’s Twitter account also includes photos of Collins and Kaye in the box on Saturday.
https://twitter.com/RachelGlucinaNZ
But the two photos I posted today are much more mind-blowing.
Have to giggle at the little bio at the top of Rachel’s Twits page, buried in the middle is this little gem,”No special Talent”,
A perfect epithet for the majority of the Heralds Jonolists, ”No special Talents” should be the motto of what has become an in-august purveyor of sleaze with the inclusion of ”Rachel”,
So, Slippery and the National Party Ministers now have besides ‘wail oils’ Blubber boy another source with which to have filth injected into the political discourse, very convenient for this election year,
The danger here for National is that the Wellington rumor mill does and always has fits and starts of ‘hot gossip’ over various MP’s indiscretions very little of which sees the light of day and becoming quickly overtaken by the next piece of salacious gossip,
If the Herald wants to have a gossip columnist run a National Party ‘dirt’ campaign on it’s opposition then it runs the risk of having all the filth of who is up who and who is not paying splashed all over Wellington in poster form…
“If the Herald wants to have a gossip columnist run a National Party ‘dirt’ campaign on it’s opposition then it runs the risk of having all the filth of who is up who and who is not paying splashed all over Wellington in poster form…”
That’s true! A few are already thinking along the lines of another Manners Mall “Pants on Fire” approach. The Natzis should really start thinking whether or not their dirt campaign is worth it – given their various pieces of dirty linen.
… but then they really are so arrogant, and believe they have an entire state apparatus under their control, they might try it on.
I bet the likes of Boger, McKinnon and various others (I think it was mentioned in passing somewhere on another thread a while ago) are starting to think they’re well out of the cesspit that the National Party has become.
Looking at your comment on the Blogsters thread, veto.
My choice of words re Key “throwing Slater to the wind” – note I wrote “wind” not wolves. It was risky, but clearly Key would prefer to talk about that rather than his role in surveillance activities. Putting it out on the “wind” means it is left to float about without knowing where it will land or the consequences – could disappear from sight, or it could result in lasting damage to Key.
With you, Karol. My “time will tell” was meant along the same lines as you say – will it disappear from sight or will it result in lasting damage to Key. My money is on is the latter. Slater is such a wild card, that this could all backfire badly.
I wasted more time as a voyeur on Twitter last night and there are a number of MSM journalists whose noses are out of joint as a result of (a) Glucina, a gossip columnist, scooping them on the Peters’ etc visits; and (b) Key stating that he talks with Slater regularly. Not a good move by Key to put these people offside.
Glucina and Slater have not been good friends in the past (to put it mildly) and this is well documented, so their apparently good relationship now is a subject of discussion/derision on the Twitter bubble, particularly with Slater’s attendance in the Diary corporate box yesterday. Apparently Glucina has been a long time supporter of Key and they also talk. And so it goes on,
It all feels like an ongoing soap opera – leaving one wondering what surprises, twists etc this week’s episodes will bring.
Life and politics is indeed often like a soap opera.
The Glucina-Key link is an interesting one – and it is “neoliberal” to the core.
The thing about the whole “neoliberal” revolution in the 1980s and beyond, is that it has been cleverly multi-pronged: changing the centre of politics, as well as wider discourses,values and attitudes via the news media, education system, the entertainment media, etc.
They intensified or increased the whole infotainment thing – so news became more entertaining, but also, so that”neoliberal” values became more firmly embeded within entertainment generally.
Indeed, indeed.
Have a vet appointment soon (one of my dogs, not me) but will search out the Key-Glucina link again when I return.
Re the whole infotainment thing – personality politics is part and parcel of this; and links in with my discourse with Disreali Gladstone further down this thread.
Must go for now…
No need to apologise veutoviper 🙂
You alert us to these disturbing images in the name of service to the Greater Good. I didn’t get a chance to read that article that you linked to, but read your comments and had a squizz at the twit photo’s posted by this Glucina person. (I also don’t go anywhere near the Herald so your explanations are helpful to me)
But more disturbing than the images alone is the links, bonds/ relationships between media and government ministers, politicians, whale yuck etc in a social setting and taking note of who will be pulling the strings. If those images are shamelessly available for all to see, exactly what is going on behind closed doors? These people need flushing out and their agenda’s exposed!
Have to say, I have much admiration and respect for Madeleine Sami and wondered what of earth she was doing hanging out with such horrid people. Hopefully she is just gathering new comedy material for the next series of Super City.
wife looks nice..(.like her expression )…..not sure about the Cambridge educated import (to try and revive dead horse ACT)
lol….Bennett and Slater ….another lovely couple…. NACT look like a refined middle class lot ….NOT.( more like a bunch of crooks and con artists)
Targets for ridicule on so many levels ….
– the Nouveau Riche
– the Plagiarists
– the Slutty Moles
– the Holier than Thou
– Bad Taste (from whatever/whichever ‘class’ you have an affinity with)
– the Movers and Shakers liable to be embarassed by a slug’s presence on a Blue Rinse cocktail circuit.
– a couple of excuses for Chris Finlayson to prove hisself down with the dirty and normal (a la ‘some of my best friends are Murrays)
…… on so many levels.
Slop is slop when it comes down to it – no matter how it’s served up – no matter how much paprika is applied
What’s wrong with the first photo?
Looks like Whyte and his wife are having fun and are a loving couple. OH NO HOW TERRIBLE BECAUSE THEY DON’T SHARE MY POLITICS!
Nothing wrong with it, the Rodney Hide likeness is appropriate.
As for the second photo of Bennett and Slater? I’m wondering WHY anyone would want to stand close to Slater, he’s toxic. Is he blackmailing MP’s in order to get photographed with them? Mixing with such a disgusting creep should be damaging politically surely..
What I don’t get is people seem to -like- Slater. I can understand a politician thinking he’s useful (a la Key), but people like Collins and Bennett seems to enjoy his company.
… and as an understatement, he doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person.
“… and as an understatement, he doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person.”
I agree wholeheartedly.
As an aside, I feel sorry for John Boscawen, if only he had agreed to shave his head…
He’d have to shave the lamington off first.
I think he’s using that inside his skull nowadays..
Collins and Bennett like Blubber Boy because they think the same way he does, using intellectual equipment of pretty much the same potency. Keith Holyoake wouldn’t recognise the NAct of today.
Whyte and his wife probably are a loving couple and having fun.
But politics 101 – if you want to be taken seriously as a politician concerned with the weightier matters of politics, don’t put yourself in a position where a photo like that is taken and freely available (eg via social media).
Boris Johnson has become the most popular politician in the UK solely because he ignored that so called rule you just made up. And it’s not to do with his policies because they’re bluer than anything post-Thatcher. No, it’s because he seems jovial and real and does stupid shit (all planned though no one knows).
Similarly, the most popular politician in NZ (John Key) also has been photographed and filmed doing stupid shit and if anything became more popular for it because he seems like the ordinary Kiwi.
Your rule is bad and you should feel bad. Whyte can be the philosopher king on policy and look like a fool having fun with his wife and probably do just fine.
And by just fine, I mean probably stop ACT from dying for one more election by 0.1% of the vote.
Well DG, you may believe in and support personality politics – I don’t. IMO personality politics ares shallow and dangerous, as indicated by the inciduous undermining of democracy and the real role of government in both NZ and the UK as a result of the focus on personalities, rather than issues.
In actual fact, I quite like what I have read of Whyte and his wife – a breath of fresh air. But my instincts are that that will be his downfall, and that he will not be long in political world as a result. Fresh air and openness such as that expressed by Whyte to date rarely survives the cut and thrust of politics.
As for “Your rule is bad and you should feel bad”, LOL. How old are you? 8 years old sprung to mind. It is actually quite good advice, and I don’t feel bad.
Oh, I don’t approve of personality politics. There’s a difference between approving it and noticing that it does seem to work.
I find it amusing you think one single photo of him sticking his tongue out will be his downfall. Not wanting to repeal all employment laws, nope, just this photo.
And “your _ is bad and you should feel bad” is a reference that is now 11 years old. So if I was 8, I wouldn’t even have been born when it entered internet discourse.
“Oh, I don’t approve of personality politics. There’s a difference between approving it and noticing that it does seem to work.”
And there is a difference between noticing that it does seem to work and condoning it by calling it ‘good politics’.
Please see my response to this linked comment if you wish to know what I think of that attitude
Your entire response to that comment is flawed with: “Because it gets who you want into power?”
I’m currently going to vote Labour, albeit reluctantly. Probably. Maybe… I don’t know. I’m a floating voter.
That’s doesn’t change the fact that it’s “good politics” (in a strategical sense). It’s bad governance, policy, humanity, but if politics is a contest to win the election, it’s good politics.
Politics isn’t some high-minded ideal. I wish it was. But it never will be. Democracy isn’t designed in a way to punish people who practice the Dark Arts.
Francis Urquhart will always be there in politics.
Hmm it appears that in your definition of ‘politics’ – a type of strategy without regard for the effects that strategy has on the system – it would be ‘good politics’ for example, for you to say that you were ‘reluctantly voting for Labour’ when in fact you have no such intention – rather it is just something for you to say so that people think you are somewhat ‘on their side’ and remain more receptive to your comments.
“Politics isn’t some high minded ideal”
Well clearly not according to you, yet you and I both experience the direct benefits right now and every day from those who in the past have acted politically with some high-minded ideals in mind – so I don’t think it is very high minded of you to dismiss such a notion out of hand.
This isn’t politics.
This is merely discussion. This isn’t some argument. I can’t win. I don’t get a prize for besting you all in debate. Money doesn’t sprout from my computer screen.
Gosh, this has gotten awfully silly.
This is politics
It is a discussion about politics
What is so ‘awfully silly’?
That I suggest you might pay the type of political games that you say you don’t like yet appear to think effective?
Or that I imply politics can be about high-minded ideals by suggesting that we experience benefits from those who followed high-minded ideals in the past?
I guess you were simply referring to your notion of being denied a prize and money spouting from your computer screen.
@ DG….is NACT now going for the Polynesian vote?
wife looks genuine tongue sticking out ….Cambridge import is trying to mirror her expression
….ingratiating?
Well, that’s a nice side of casual racism to start the week off with.
@ DG You can try and frame it as racism …”Weird” and “SUSPICIOUS” are better words!
It is very WEIRD ….this UK Cambridge philosopher import…suddenly jetted in and INSERTED into NZ politics to rack up support for the dying/dead horse Neo Lib ACT Party….and SUSPICIOUS!
ACT’s revival which in turn John Keys National Party depends on to be re-elected…
(especially as Key has been caught continually spying on Winston … illegally? and certainly illegitimately…..Winston who wont be going into coalition with Key after this violation of his privacy)
….very weird and suspicious goings on
You’re lumping in different cultures (Mrs Whyte is west African) and Polynesian and saying that Mrs Whyte looked genuine. The assertion in your comment being that sticking your tongue out and having darker skin than a Caucasian is all you need to do to look genuinely Polynesian.
Which is offensive on several different levels.
So yeah, I’m going to call you out for the racism.
Well, he or she could mean that they appear to be going for the Pūkana in a misguided attempt to ingratiate themselves.
you are an idiot DG….i stick out my tongue a lot ( as a sign of disrespect to authority…usually behind their backs ) and I have Maori ancestry ….so dont project your British Oxford / Cambridge colonialist put down ‘racist’ crap on me!( …..poking tongue out to you at present time)…get worried when Maori turn their backs to you , lift up their skirts and bare their buttocks ….and …give you a great big BROWN EYE!
…i was just as saying she looked real and comfortable sticking out her tongue and he didnt…nothing racist about it !
….and I still think it is weird and suspicious him jetting in from UK Cambridge …..to try and revive the NZ political dead horse ACT!
How charming.
@DG….hope that is not racist sarcasm from you
…actually it is not meant to be charming….it is meant to be insulting, especially to phonies
They could be copying the Warriors logo.
Man a warning Please on the second pic. Slater and Pullyer benefit. AArrggggggggg
Good time to remind people
bill english…
” effectively acknowledge that Michael Cullen had done something right in his stewardship of the Government’s finances in the past nine years.
Having condemned his predecessor for many years for paying off debt too quickly, English said: “I want to stress that New Zealand starts from a reasonable position in dealing with the uncertainty of our economic outlook.”
“In New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that Government has been saving up for,” he told reporters at the Treasury briefing on the state of the economy and forecasts.
English pointed to a graph of the debt track since 1972 and projected five years out from today.
The recent low was 17 per cent of GDP and the ghastly projection for 2013 is 33.1 per cent and possibly worse, under what Treasury calls a “downside scenario” – 38.6 per cent.
Unemployment is forecast to rise to 6.4 per cent in 2010 and deficits forecast to be $2.4 billion to $3.5 billion larger over the 2010 to 2013 years than forecast just before the election.
In the midst of the horrible outlook and depressing uncertainty about how bad it might get, English was forced to change his message about his inheritance from Labour because it was more important to inject some sense of positivity into the situation. He needed to do it for both political reasons and for real financial reasons.
As Labour finance spokesman David Cunliffe said yesterday, too much negativity could drive confidence down even further.
Of the plan that Cunliffe demanded of English today, the Finance Minister said: “The plan in essence is quite simple, that is to maintain significant short-term stimulus in the economy, to protect people from the sharp edge of recession and secondly to get on with the job of raising our longer term growth prospects…with some urgency.”
Tax cuts are on the way; decisions will be made in the New Year on which infrastructure projects will be brought forward and English and Prime Minister John Key will be meeting chief executives of Government departments this afternoon to give them the bad news: don’t ask for any more money in Budget 2009 because you won’t get it.”
What? The oil and gas industry mounting a travelling rogue’s show???
CC
What oil and gas industry traveling rogue’s show?
But talking of such rogues [quotes from ODT link below]:
Two boats, a 14m commercial fishing vessel and a smaller pleasure boat, both draped with banners from pro-drilling group ProGas Otago, sat just off St Clair Beach while an anti-drilling protest was held on the beach. The Otago Surfing Championships and Otago Surf Life Saving Championships were also being held nearby.
It is understood that while the boats were there surf life-savers received unconfirmed reports from surfers there was something in the water and that fish guts were being thrown from the boats, which surfers were concerned could attract sharks.
Witnesses saw surf life-savers speak to the men on the boats, the larger of which was shortly afterwards seen doing what witnesses described as ”donuts” in the water. When contacted, Grant Godbaz, secretary of the South Coast Boardriders Association, which was hosting the Otago Surfing Championships, said the incident was a ”recipe for disaster”.
He said the boat did its turns within about 20m of surfers, who were genuinely concerned for their safety.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/291885/surfers-worried-protest-boats
Thanks for that Pasupial – the picture painted by the actions of the oil pushers speaks a thousand words about their attitudes toward the lives of others; and shows they are the type of people who shouldn’t be listened to.
BL
I don’t want to paint too bleak a picture; on the beach we could barely read their banners on the boats. Utterly irresponsible action by the Juggernaut captain regarding the surfers though.
For balance here are some links to articles about the Banners on the Beach about Waipounamu/ South:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/291884/beach-protests-send-drilling-message
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9728208/Protesters-hit-South-Island-beaches
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/9729828/Protests-on-the-beaches
Even though the numbers in the ODT have been upgraded from 300 (Saturday) to 500+, that’s only 5% of what it needs to be:
“University of Otago physics Associate Professor Bob Lloyd… believed 2000 protesters would be needed at Moeraki, 10,000 at Dunedin and 100,000 at an Auckland protest to make an impact on decision making.”
+1 blue leopard
CC, The news that NZ Oil and Gas are doing tours of classroom’s in Taranaki?
Oh yeah – travelling road show! Same difference.
Just watched paul henry enabling john key in a supposed talk about policies of 2014. You can see why they got henry back on. Nothing of any consequence but strictly to make key look good. “Yup, I did just say yup to obama”. God give me strength. What a tragic puff piece. I had read a romantic homage to key by prebble who stated that key didn’t talk about anything political while on golf course but here key is saying he did discuss some issues. They need to get on the same song sheet. Also tragic simon bridges trying to be belittling and sneering about Green’s policy of solar power on houses. Doesn’t work, he just looks and sounds silly trotting out the standard unoriginal “just printing money” snigger. However he is good for a chuckle.
David Sirota has a big expose on public broadcasting in the US:
American billionaires are flooding PBS and NPR with “documentaries” with titles like “Pension Peril” and “Unintended Consequences: Evils of the Welfare System”.
And that’s public tv ….
Pando’s republican backers Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel will be thrilled at their success in de-funding public broadcasting.
/
;[Update 14th Feb 2014: Following Pando’s exposé, PBS has announced it will return John Arnold’s $3.5m donation.]
Funny that Trolls have disturbing Psychological problems. The trolls who visit this site sort of fit some profiles. Read all about it!
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2014/02/internet_troll_personality_study_machiavellianism_narcissism_psychopathy.html
+1 ianmac. The psychological study of trolling is interesting indeed. Nice tie in with topic du jour of Supreme Troll whale oil and photo op’s with people that really shouldn’t be seen with him, if decency prevailed – which clearly it doesn’t in Camp Gnat.
Laughs out loud from this mornings ‘Matty and Mike show’ on Nine to Noon this morning, the final word went to Hooton,
”Russell Normans just announced policy is a good one”, that should have the Beehives 9th floor apoplectic with rage, more than one of this mornings lamington’s may have become a deadly device seemingly designed as a tool of aphyxsiation by a terrorist organization despicably disguised as the local tuck shop,
What tittilation of angst, anger, or, arrogance will the spin-meisters of the 9th floor try this week to try and regain the political initiative from the Opposition,
Bridges effort last night via the TV3News was akin to the little child lost in the wilderness beseeching calling for His mummy,
”Its printing money”, ”its printing money” simply proving to the Sunday night audience that Slippery the Prime Minister isn’t lacking for competition when it comes to having a vast area of vacant space upstairs in the cranial cavity…
Yep saw Bridges. I thought he might be a bit drunk as his weird accent seemed even weirder. Subsidy indeed? National have given $30mil to Rio, millions to Skycity, and millions for the Green’s house insulation scheme, millions in subsidy to the Film Industry and according to Matthew millions to the meat industry very recently. Hypocrisy is rampant.
John Key t shirt
https://www.facebook.com/292488220883016/photos/pb.292488220883016.-2207520000.1392591928./430408380424332/?type=3&theater
Oh. Took a minute. I must be very slow Tiger.
Articles about Cameron Slater on the front page right now: 5
Plus one about the Herald featuring a photo of Cameron Slater
He’s got to be loving this!
Herald idolizes 2x convicted criminal
Herald idolizes 2x convicted criminal
You won’t read this on ‘The Daily Blog’! 🙂
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/lion-witch-and-len-browns-wardrobe-sf-151866
#11 by Penny Bright
How many people know that the Auditor-General Lyn Provost is a SHAREHOLDER in Sky City?
http://www.oag.govt.nz/2013/skycity
Deputy Auditor-General’s overview
Inquiry into the Government’s decision to negotiate with SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited for an international convention centre.
………………
1: The Auditor-General has a small shareholding in SkyCity so she has not been involved in this inquiry.
New Zealand Auditor-General Lyn Provost fails to disclose this rather significant ‘conflict of interest’ when I ask her to conduct an urgent inquiry into the failure of OFCANZ to do ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill:
On 21 November 2013
I have received your email and will consider your request.
Lyn Provost
21 November 2013
I want an URGENT investigation by the OAG into the failure of OFCANZ to do ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill (not sure if it yet has Royal Assent).
This Treasury reply confirms that OFCANZ come under Police – which are a ‘Public Entity’.
18 Inquiries by Auditor-General
(1)The Auditor-General may inquire, either on request or on the Auditor-General’s own initiative, into any matter concerning a public entity’s use of its resources.
………………..
On 31 January 2014, I received this reply from New ZealandAuditor-General Lyn Provost, to my question ‘are you still a shareholder in Sky City’:
Penny
There is no change in position from June 2012.
Lyn Provost
Lyn Provost, Controller and Auditor-General
Office of the Auditor-General Te Mana Arotake
Level 2, 100 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
PO Box 3928, Wellington 6140
Again – file under – ‘You Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up’!
Please note that there will be a LOT more to come on this matter….
Penny Bright
(For more exposure on the role of the Auditor-General in propping up the bogus Transparency International NZ – have a look at this – http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz/files/Honour%20Roll%20researchers%20TINZ.pdf )
Loved this article!…GO Penny!
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/lion-witch-and-len-browns-wardrobe-sf-151866
I read that donkeyotey referrred to Kiwis in Oz as guest workers and reciprocal pensions as nice to haves.
Well he might as well realise that he is just a guest prime ministrer and will be a nice to have get gone.
And as soon as the smart people in the National party realise that key and slater and the rest are the precursors to a gangster state then the sooner the country can get back to business.
+100
I was thinking about likes and buttons under the comments and thought that I couldn’t see their value here. But I thought again and put a para in one of my random comments. I’ll put it here so it might get counted in the thinking on this.
Perhaps we do need ‘likes’ for the comments, so that those who do the work and present information, know that they have been looked at and the work read and absorbed, and importantly that interest has been taken, even if no-one feels it is necessary to respond with a plus, an icon or a comment.
I’ll have a look around for one that I can configure to show likes only.
I also have to make sure that it doesn’t cause too much extra load on the database server. Caching in the memcache and/or the database query cache would be the ideal.
Thanks lprent There were quite a few comments for and against which I understand but have decided that what you suggested above would be justified, would need numbers I think though.
And that’s really all that is needed, a button that increases number of ‘reads’. That count would be feedback and encouraging for those trying to add to our spectrum of knowledge input.
can you do number of times viewed? I’m guessing not cos that’s just the page, no way of telling for each post?
I thought I wanted likes/dislikes but after looking at some other sites it did influence my view of what I read negatively so changed my mind. Likes would be good though.
Do not know if this is easy but collapsable trees for threads would be good. Like Thunderbird has for e-mail conversations. Makes it easier to follow a particular thread and comment on the right one. The numbering is useful to a point but fails once a thread gets long.
What does like or like/dislike do for any conversation? I couldn’t give a fuck if somebody ‘likes’ something I’m saying – I want to know their thoughts on the matter in question.
And if there’s no response, then either everyone reading it agrees….everyone reading it thinks it’s bullshit/unrelated or whatever….or nobody’s reading it. Doesn’t really matter which of those scenarios is the accurate one on any given comment, does it?
edit example – Joe90 doesn’t tend to attract follow up comment, but from the occasions that they do, it’s probably reasonable to assume a fair few people click through to the links provided.
“What does like or like/dislike do for any conversation?”
Agree it does nothing for the conversation but what I was saying is it did something to me as a reader and I did not like what it did.
Likes are something I’d only use to agree with the comment. Other people may use them differently so may not be useful.
Just a heads up if anyone is interested in attending a lecture from Natalie Nicholles – an economics consultant from NEF – New Economics Foundation (London).
Auckland Council is hosting her talk within the Auckland Conversations programme, and it is free to attend. Just register on their site. Wed 26th Feb, Town Hall @ 5.30pm.
NEF tagline is “Economics as if people and the planet mattered”. Some of their publications have been discussed on The Standard in the past.
Update: Event is full, waitlist is all you get now.
Seems like there is a hunger for something which is not neoliberal.
Why are our political parties avoiding that fact like the plague?
Possibly because they are so entrenched and so dependent on the status quo, economically speaking, that they genuinely think it’s best, for them. 😉
will be good to read any released paper?
thanks for the link. read some of the site and have bookmarker it. liked this. how refreshing
We believe that everyone seeking to influence public policy has a duty to be open about how they are funded. nef is proud to have been awarded the highest rating for funding transparency by the Who Funds You campaign.
nef’s total income for 2011/12 was £3,286,061. It was derived from 3 sources:
1. Major Grants and Donations
Tubney Charitable Trust – £400,000
The Hadley Trust – £249,769
Network for Social Change – £155,172
AIM Foundation – £135,000
European Commission – £133,603
Freshfield Foundation – £109,280
Paul Hamlyn Foundation – £92,000
The Ford Foundation and the Villum Foundation, through a partnership with Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future – £79,540
NESTA and the Cabinet Office – £77,625
The Tudor Trust – £77,400
People’s Health Trust – £67,500
OAK Foundation Ltd – £62,000
The City Bridge Trust – £40,000
Social Care Institute for Excellence – £35,160
Barrow Cadbury Trust – £34,000
New Economics Institute – £32,300
LankellyChase Foundation – £30,000
The Royal Academy of Engineering – £25,393
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – £24,500
R H Southern Trust – £23,000
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister – £20,863
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust – £20,000
Sheepdrove Trust – £17,000
Nic Marks – £15,000
Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation – £15,000
Sherwood Forest Fund – £5,000
We would also like to thank the Roddick Foundation for a generous and completely unrestricted grant.
2. Individual Supporters
Our individual supporters gave a total of £121,860 this year. No individual gave more than £5,000.
3. Earned income
For over 25 years nef has pioneered social, economic and environmental measurement. Our expertise enables us to generate additional income through consultancy services in impact evaluation and organisational development for charities, the public sector and businesses. Much of this work is carried out by our wholly-owned social enterprise, nef consulting. These contracts do not affect our research and advocacy agenda.
The disaster you’ve probably never heard of.
The drought, Brazil’s worst in decades, is a catastrophe.
In economic terms, it was the fourth-worst natural disaster to hit the planet last year, costlier than even the western United States drought, for a total cost of almost $9 billion, according to insurance analyst Aon Benfield, which researches natural disasters worldwide.
And in much of the region it’s ongoing.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/brazil/140210/drought-disaster-sertao-nordeste
It doesnt matter cos they have the football world cup and then the Olympics. That will MAKE them money to deal with a drought, right?
I wonder if you can you drink electronically created currency units? Can cattle or corn drink up electronically created currency units?
Hence the suicidal insanity of destroying our natural world in the pursuit of electronically created currency units.
I am shaking my head in disbelief on a daily basis.
To paraphrase William Adama – we never ask ourselves if we deserve to survive.
Something which should survive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ZvZQT81OY
Many species will die off but five to ten million years from now the planet will be good as new.
“It doesnt matter cos they have the football world cup and then the Olympics. That will MAKE them money to deal with a drought, right?”
Yup. I reckon the World Cup and Olympics will do for Brazil the same as what the Olympics did for Greece’s financial security.
I wonder how much of the water shortage is due to industrial agriculture.
That, climate change and the massive terraforming associated with human activity (incl industrial agriculture).
Not much of it, weka. The area called the sertão has had droughts since forever. There are aquifers, but unless you’re a local politician, you don’t have the money to get at the water. When you fly over that area, you see brown with a few lush patches now and then. That’s how you know where the local “colonels” live. There’s not much agroindustry in that area, which is the Northeast of Brazil. The agroindustry is in the South, Southeast, and Central West of the country. Even further north, near the Amazon rainforest, the farming has not really been industrialised. They clear the forest and plant for a couple of years before it loses all the nutrients.
What is new is that the PT (Worker’s Party) trucks in some water, so that at least the people survive. Despite all their problems, they have lifted many people out of absolute poverty. This is why I have no time for anyone who says they are just the same as the other parties.
There is some evidence that climate change is making the droughts worse, but the sertão has not been terraformed. It’s basically like it was 200 years ago.
Thanks for posting that joe90. It was funny hearing the rural accent of the Northeast again. Last time I was there, I looked at raising some money to put a well down in one of the villages, but I wasn’t successful. Maybe one day.
Cast your mind back, if you are able, to the era B.NACT (Before NACT).
You know, the period that English lauded for its good financial management.
It was also the period when the RWNJ’s were decrying MMP for installing a government dog being wagged by its tail.
So we get Charter Schools. I cannot recall the philosophy being shouted from the rooftops by any of the 58 National MPs. In fact the movement belonged entirely to ACT. Yet, it would appear, their one mp, the soon to be disgraced Banks, has Hekia Parata and Key so tightly by the fuzzies that she and some of her cronies appear to believe that the schools are the best thing since sliced bread…
@ logie 97….not so much Banks as private PR company lobbyists…..Catherine Isaacs (former Roger Kerr and what was the Round Table) in cahoots with USA business interests…this is what ACT is all about …overseas business interests that want to get their reptilian pincers into New Zealand and its assets
mary wilson is chopping colin craig into little tiny wee pieces..
..(for his hypocrisies..)
..you almost feel sorry for him..(i did say ‘almost’..)
phillip ure..
< a href=”http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9731587/Legal-action-over-Norman-comment”>Colin Craig launches legal action
‘Craig’s complaint relates to Norman suggesting Craig thinks that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and a gay man’s place is in the closet.’
Norman forgot to mention Craig wants to hit kids also.
Bad last couple of weeks for the Ocker
Serious mutterings must be going on within the green party about Normans performance as leader.
The dot com stupidity and now this, I have a feeling some one may be out the back sharpening the axe.
uh huh
Or maybe Colin Craig is trying to stay relevant the only way he knows how – by jumping in to the mud and shouting “Look at me!” because he has nothing substantive to add
I think it’s the right thing to do, Craig’s being discriminated against by the certain factions of left because he’s a Christian.
Unless he jumps on it, the left will keep pushing the he’s a Christian therefore he’s homophobic and a misogynist, which in all probability is blatant lie.
I’d say Craig is pretty pissed with Norman trying to drag his name through the mud, which is why he’s taking action.
Russell needs to engage his brain before opening his mouth, expensive mistake to make for the Ocker.
Well if you’d heard Colin Craig talking to Mary Wilson on Checkpoint this afternoon you’d know that his resolve to pursue Russel Norman is because apparently Norman has been saying things that will make people “feel negatively” about him. Provoking negative feelings ? Hardly, indeed decidedly not, actionable. Is this a Judith Collins stunt which like hers re Little and Mallard will be played and played then dropped effectively ? Probably right up to the election for the playing and thereafter for the dropping ?
All Christians are homophobes, etc.
Norman is just telling the truth,
If the god botherers had their way, homosexuals would be liquidated en masse.
Colin might be aiming for his audience who believe the same way that Colin is alleged to believe. Perfect Conservative Party Platform.
You seem to be getting that feeling a lot, lately.
Given that a court case would be good news for norman on purely political grounds, might I suggest that you’re simply projecting the worries you have for the polished turd we have as pm? Much of the glitter is falling off.
I mean, if you thought that the opposition leaders weren’t a threat to the government, you’d be gloating about how sad it was that they are the best labgrn have to choose leaders from. But by trying to foment infighting and paranoia, you’re just conceding that the election is in doubt for wee Johnny no-Mates.
lol
LIARS OF OUR TIME
No. 40: Colin Craig
“I’m interested in raising the level of debate.”
—Moon-landing denier, kiddy-whacker and gay-baiter COLIN CRAIG, speaking to Mary Wilson Checkpoint, Radio NZ National, Monday 17 February 2014, 5:20 p.m.
More liars….
No. 39 George W. Bush: “We will be standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq until their hopes for freedom and liberty are fulfilled.”
No. 38 Jeremy Hansen: “I read a great column by Paul Thomas in the Herald….”
No. 37 Alan Seay: “You know, we respect the rights of people to protest….”
No. 36 Paul Dykzeul: “No we won’t be changing the Listener; it’s got a terrific editor….”
No. 35 Mark Jennings: “I think Paul’s a bright guy and he will be able to bring a discipline to his performance….”
No. 34 Willie Jackson: “I thought we’d been sensitive with her yesterday….”
No. 33 Supt. Bill Searle: “I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best….”
No. 32 Sonny-Bill Williams: “It’s good to get the win over Papua-New Guinea, a strong Papua-New Guinea side, aahhhh….”
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Are you maintaining Mora watch?
Craig’s defamation suit is further proof his party will sink at these elections. Far worse will be said about him further down the track and if he’s going to take umbrage at things like that then wait till the politicians and media really start attacking him.
Which leaves Key’s coalition hydra short one head.
the thing is, craig can either win or lose.
Norman can either win or lose.
If norman loses, craig looks petty and norman takes a wee hit in the polls, but craigs a dick so not too much of a hit.
If craig loses, he looks even nuttier and norman’s opinions are seen to be confirmed (even though that might not be the actual determination of the case).
And then there’s the fact that craig is now a politician, which raises his case’s difficulty level.
I think it’s one of those situations where Norman can’t lose – because no matter what happens, he is only alienating the extreme right with his stated view of Colin Craig. It shouldn’t affect Green Party support whatsoever and only serves to highlight the rabid foaming attack poodle that is Colin Craig.
is colin craig constipated or does he have trouble with his y-fronts and his zipper. anyway to quote that old kids rhyme he should jump into the closet three times and only come out twice!
Come on, it really cant take you that long to ban me & issue your musings.
I received an email about this topic/opinion. I wanted to comment on it, but I can’t find where it is exactly! Where is it? Is it not online yet?
I am referring to :
Russel Norman to Colin Craig – Bring it on
by mickysavage
I saw it too. Sometimes it’s just that an author publishes a post earlier than they intended, hitting the publish button by mistake. Maybe he hasn’t finished writing or editing the post yet…?
May be he is consulting all of the Colin’s queen counsels first!
…i commented and it immediately went off line…disappeared into the ether….
Ok, enough is enough, your not normally this long in compling a list of thrush, and all my others faults you deem me to have. I shall save you the bother. I shall offski for self imposed exile in KiwiLog.
who was that..?
phillip ure..
I picked this up from the Blog list at the side of the page. Some comments on possible changes at Kiwibank on-line set up wondering whether they are in the best interests of the bank and the country. I hope that we don’t have some little Kiwi manager thinking that he/she has to recommend a big overseas company because that will make them look sophisticated and important and possibly cheap.
http://lancewiggs.com/2014/02/17/the-end-of-kiwibank/
The ideal solution is, of course, for Kiwibank to wake up to the very strong local development talent, hire them in and give them true power and air cover to reinvent banking, piece by piece and digital-first. It’s that approach is good enough for the entire UK government, it’s good enough for a tiny antipodean retail bank.
Rupert Murdoch scores hassle free $882M tax rebate from Aussies
What a sweet ride for the modern corporate giant.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/feb/17/rupert-murdoch-receives-882m-tax-rebate