Open Mike 17/03/2017
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- Support in place for people connected to Auckland COVID-19 casesWith a suite of Government income support packages available, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni is encouraging people, and businesses, connected to the recent Auckland COVID-19 cases to check the Work and Income website if they’ve been impacted by the need to self-isolate. “If you are required to ...5 days ago
- Statement on passing of former PNG PM Sir Michael SomarePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed her condolences at the passing of long-serving former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. “Our thoughts are with Lady Veronica Somare and family, Prime Minister James Marape and the people of Papua New Guinea during this time of great ...6 days ago
- Speech to the National Māori Housing Conference 2021E te tī, e te tā Tēnei te mihi maioha ki a koutou Ki te whenua e takoto nei Ki te rangi e tū iho nei Ki a tātou e tau nei Tēnā tātou. It’s great to be with you today, along with some of the ministerial housing team; Hon Peeni Henare, the ...6 days ago
- Drone project to aid protection of Māui dolphinThe Government is backing a new project to use drone technology to transform our understanding and protection of the Māui dolphin, Aotearoa’s most endangered dolphin. “The project is just one part of the Government’s plan to save the Māui dolphin. We are committed to protecting this treasure,” Oceans and Fisheries ...6 days ago
- New water regulator board announced as major Government reform moves forwardMajor water reform has taken a step closer with the appointment of the inaugural board of the Taumata Arowai water services regulator, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says. Former Director General of Health and respected public health specialist Dame Karen Poutasi will chair the inaugural board of Crown agency Taumata Arowai. “Dame ...6 days ago
- North Auckland gets public transport upgradeThe newly completed Hibiscus Coast Bus Station will help people make better transport choices to help ease congestion and benefit the environment, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said today. Michael Wood and Phil Goff officially opened the Hibiscus Coast Bus Station which sits just off the ...6 days ago
- Supporting work to protect Northland reserveNew funding announced by Conservation Minister Kiri Allan today will provide work and help protect the unique values of Northland’s Te Ārai Nature Reserve for future generations. Te Ārai is culturally important to Te Aupōuri as the last resting place of the spirits before they depart to Te Rerenga Wairua. ...6 days ago
- Critical step to new housing deal for Pacific communitiesToday the Government has taken a key step to support Pacific people to becoming Community Housing providers, says the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. “This will be great news for Pacific communities with the decision to provide Pacific Financial Capability Grant funding and a tender process to ...6 days ago
- Consultation opens on proposed Bay of Islands marine mammal sanctuaryConservation Minister Kiri Allan is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on a proposed marine mammal sanctuary to address the rapid decline of bottlenose dolphins in Te Pēwhairangi, the Bay of Islands. The proposal, developed jointly with Ngā Hapū o te Pēwhairangi, would protect all marine mammals of the ...7 days ago
- Three District Court Judges appointedAttorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges. Two of the appointees will take up their roles on 1 April, replacing sitting Judges who have reached retirement age. Kirsten Lummis, lawyer of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with jury jurisdiction to ...7 days ago
- Government announces list of life-shortening conditions guaranteeing early KiwiSaver accessGovernment announces list of life-shortening conditions guaranteeing early KiwiSaver access The Government changed the KiwiSaver rules in 2019 so people with life-shortening congenital conditions can withdraw their savings early The four conditions guaranteed early access are – down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s disease and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder An alternative ...7 days ago
- Reserve Bank to take account of housing in decision makingThe Reserve Bank is now required to consider the impact on housing when making monetary and financial policy decisions, Grant Robertson announced today. Changes have been made to the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s remit requiring it to take into account government policy relating to more sustainable house prices, while working ...7 days ago
- Investment to reduce cochlear implant waitlistThe Labour Government will invest $6 million for 70 additional adult cochlear implants this year to significantly reduce the historical waitlist, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Cochlear implants are life changing for kiwis who suffer from severe hearing loss. As well as improving an individual’s hearing, they open doors to ...1 week ago
- Māori wards Bill passes third readingThe Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill passed its third reading today and will become law, Minister of Local Government Hon Nanaia Mahuta says. “This is a significant step forward for Māori representation in local government. We know how important it is to have diversity around ...1 week ago
- Government delivers 1,000 more transitional housing placesThe Government has added 1,000 more transitional housing places as promised under the Aotearoa New Zealand Homelessness Action Plan (HAP), launched one year ago. Minister of Housing Megan Woods says the milestone supports the Government’s priority to ensure every New Zealander has warm, dry, secure housing. “Transitional housing provides people ...1 week ago
- Second batch of Pfizer/BioNTech doses arrives safely – as the first vaccinations take place in the...A second batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived safely yesterday at Auckland International Airport, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “This shipment contained about 76,000 doses, and follows our first shipment of 60,000 doses that arrived last week. We expect further shipments of vaccine over the coming weeks,” Chris Hipkins said. ...1 week ago
- $18 million for creative spaces to make arts more accessibleThe Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni has today announced $18 million to support creative spaces. Creative spaces are places in the community where people with mental health needs, disabled people, and those looking for social connection, are welcomed and supported to practice and participate in the arts ...1 week ago
- Moriori Claims Settlement Bill passes first readingTreaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little today welcomed Moriori to Parliament to witness the first reading of the Moriori Claims Settlement Bill. “This bill is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work from all the parties involved. “I am delighted to reach this significant milestone today,” Andrew ...1 week ago
- Government action reduces child poverty22,400 fewer children experiencing material hardship 45,400 fewer children in low income households on after-housing costs measure After-housing costs target achieved a year ahead of schedule Government action has seen child poverty reduce against all nine official measures compared to the baseline year, Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty ...1 week ago
- Entries open for the 2021 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence AwardsIt’s time to recognise the outstanding work early learning services, kōhanga reo, schools and kura do to support children and young people to succeed, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins says. The 2021 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards are now open through until April 16. “The past year has reminded us ...1 week ago
- Jobs for Nature benefits three projectsThree new Jobs for Nature projects will help nature thrive in the Bay of Plenty and keep local people in work says Conservation Minister Kiri Allan. “Up to 30 people will be employed in the projects, which are aimed at boosting local conservation efforts, enhancing some of the region’s most ...1 week ago
- Improvements to the Holidays Act on the wayThe Government has accepted all of the Holidays Act Taskforce’s recommended changes, which will provide certainty to employers and help employees receive their leave entitlements, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood said the Government established the Holidays Act Taskforce to help address challenges with the ...1 week ago
- NZ’s credit rating lifted as economy recoversThe Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and faster than expected economic recovery has been acknowledged in today’s credit rating upgrade. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) today raised New Zealand’s local currency credit rating to AAA with a stable outlook. This follows Fitch reaffirming its AA+ rating last ...1 week ago
- Speech to National Remembrance Service on the 10th anniversary of the Christchurch earthquakeTena koutou e nga Maata Waka Ngai Tuahuriri, Ngai Tahu whanui, Tena koutou. Nau mai whakatau mai ki tenei ra maumahara i te Ru Whenua Apiti hono tatai hono, Te hunga mate ki te hunga mate Apiti hono tatai hono, Te hunga ora ki te hunga ora Tena koutou, Tena ...1 week ago
- Government reaffirms urgent commitment to ban harmful conversion practicesThe Minister of Justice has reaffirmed the Government’s urgent commitment, as stated in its 2020 Election Manifesto, to ban conversion practices in New Zealand by this time next year. “The Government has work underway to develop policy which will bring legislation to Parliament by the middle of this year and ...1 week ago
- New creative service aims to benefit 1,000 peoples’ careersMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Social Development Hon Carmel Sepuloni today launched a new Creative Careers Service, which is expected to support up to 1,000 creatives, across three regions over the next two years. The new service builds on the most successful aspects of the former Pathways to ...2 weeks ago
- Honey exporters busy meeting surging demandOverseas consumers eager for natural products in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic have helped boost honey export revenue by 20 percent to $425 million in the year to June 30, 2020, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says. “The results from the latest Ministry for Primary Industries’ 2020 Apiculture Monitoring ...2 weeks ago
- Government delivers more wellbeing support for young peopleThanks to more than $10-million in new services from the Government, more rangatahi will be able to access mental health and addiction support in their community. Minister of Health Andrew Little made the announcement today while visiting Odyssey House Christchurch and acknowledged that significant events like the devastating earthquakes ten ...2 weeks ago
- Government eases visa restrictions for visitors in New ZealandTwo month automatic visitor visa extension for most visitor visa holders Temporary waiver of time spent in New Zealand rule for visitor stays Visitor visa holders will be able to stay in New Zealand a little longer as the Government eases restrictions for those still here, the Minister of Immigration ...2 weeks ago
- Push for sustainable tourism gathers paceThe Tourism and Conservation Ministers say today’s report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) adds to calls to overhaul the tourism model that existed prior to COVID19. “The PCE tourism report joins a chorus of analysis which has established that previous settings, which prioritised volume over value, are ...2 weeks ago
- Government extends dietary supplements regulationsThe Government is providing certainty for the dietary supplements industry as we work to overhaul the rules governing the products, Minister for Food Safety Dr Ayesha Verrall said. Dietary supplements are health and wellness products taken orally to supplement a traditional diet. Some examples include vitamin and mineral supplements, echinacea, ...2 weeks ago
- Government criticised for 'rolling maul' vaccine strategy
Cabinet ministers have been sitting on advice regarding a nationwide vaccination schedule for weeks, but have yet to finalise or publish a complete plan. ...41 mins ago - A pipeline of talented women leaders
An innovative programme to find and develop 25 exceptional young women leaders is open again for nominations. Eleanor Black outlines one student's experience Isabella Ieremia clearly remembers being sat down as a new law student and told that because she was a woman of colour there would be people who would ...2 hours ago - The problem with switching to EVs
The Climate Change Commission report highlights electrifying our transport system as a priority, but Alan Brent lays out the potential burdens of switching to EVs without properly considering their 'end-of-life' impacts. ...2 hours ago - Why we should vaccinate Pacific Islands early
Collin Tukuitonga explains why vaccinating New Zealand citizens of the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau early is a good investment Rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine is in its early stage in New Zealand and pressure is on the Government to make priorities which, as I have made very clear before, must ...2 hours ago - The “book of the year” is actually pants
ReadingRoom named Jane Ussher's natural history book the best book of 2020. Nonsense, argues Mike Dickison I used to work out amongst bears and wolves. Back in 1990 I was given a bench press and weights, but there was no room in the flat. A colleague pointed out there was ...2 hours ago - Louise Duncan defies huge odds on ride to Tokyo
Once close to death, Louise Duncan has overcome the severe impacts of meningococcal meningitis and is back in the saddle - riding dressage for New Zealand and on the verge of the Tokyo Paralympics. In her last year at secondary school, Louise Duncan’s life changed overnight. While sitting at home in ...2 hours ago - PM's 'kindness' must extend to Covid costs
Nobody should have to choose between putting food on the table and keeping the rest of the country safe from Covid-19. But for some that’s a reality as lockdowns continue to hit vulnerable communities - and it’s the National Party that’s responding to their plight, writes political editor Jo Moir. ...2 hours ago - The stagnating little Capital
Wellington tags itself “The Coolest Little Capital in the World”, but it's been stagnating for years. ...2 hours ago - Crunch time for homeowners who deferred mortgage payments in downturn
The Finance Minister is worried about the risk that interest-only home loans pose to the country's financial stability – and that's just the half of it This month is crunch time for home-owners and investors who signed up for the Government's mortgage deferral scheme in last year's economic downturn. In ...2 hours ago - The TVNZ merger could improve RNZ, or destroy it. Let’s ensure it’s not the latter
The non-commercial future of the merged entity must be secured, argues Better Public Media Trust chair Myles Thomas – and there’s a way to do it that won’t cost the government a cent.TVNZ and RNZ are to be merged. We know this much from several statements from the broadcasting and ...2 hours ago - New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccine programme is still largely a secretThe government has released few details about this country’s Covid-19 vaccine programme as it progresses. Overseas, meanwhile, countries are increasingly ambitious in their public goals to get jabs out. Justin Giovannetti reports.New Zealand’s vaccine programme will move to its second stage next week as the families of border workers become ...2 hours ago
- Global dairy trades see prices at seven-year high
Business & Investing: More smiles for dairy farmers as global prices surge again, Plus a new leader for the Super Fund board ...2 hours ago - Lockdown loneliness
For many people, especially those who rely on community for friendship, Level 3 lockdown is a depressing and lonely time "You just think, 'Oh, not again'." It's Auckland's fourth time locking down because of Covid-19, but for many it's not just about being locked inside; it's being locked out of ...2 hours ago - Myanmar presents a united resistance
The military is showing little sign of backing down, but the coup could have the unintended consequence of unifying Myanmar society in opposition, across significant ethnic divisions. ...3 hours ago - GDP is V-shaped, but not yet good. These three graphs tell the story
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University There’s one graph that sums up both the good and not-yet-as-good detailed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at Wednesday’s national accounts press conference. It’s a graph of the level of Australia’s ...6 hours ago - View from The Hill: Despite his denial, Christian Porter will struggle with the ‘Caesar’s wife...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Christian Porter’s denial of the historical rape allegation is unequivocal, but it won’t draw a line under the issue for him or for the Morrison government. Porter declares he’s determined to stay in his job, ...7 hours ago
- GDP is V-shaped, but not yet good. These three graphs show us howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University There’s one graph that sums up both the good and not-yet-as-good detailed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at Wednesday’s national accounts press conference. It’s a graph of the level of Australia’s ...7 hours ago
- GDP is V-shaped, but not yet good. These three graphs tell us howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University There’s one graph that sums up both the good and not-as-good detailed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at Wednesday’s national accounts press conference. It’s a graph of the level of Australia’s ...8 hours ago
- Has Christian Porter been subjected to a ‘trial by media’? No, the media did its job of being a ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Aside from his strenuous denials of the rape allegation against him, the central point made by Attorney-General Christian Porter at his media conference was that he had been the ...9 hours ago
- Statement Regarding Whale Oil Defamation Trial
The New Zealand Food & Grocery Council (NZFGC) is pleased to hear this long-running Court proceeding is effectively now at an end. However, NZFGC wishes to reiterate it did not pay anyone to write any stories on its behalf on Whale Oil, or any other ...9 hours ago - Has Christian Porter been subjected to a ‘trial by media’? No, the media did its job responsiblySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Aside from his strenuous denials of the rape allegation against him, the central point made by Attorney-General Christian Porter at his media conference was that he had been the ...10 hours ago
- Australia’s recovery is V-shaped, but the GDP shows we’ve more to doSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University There’s one graph that sums up both the good and not-as-good detailed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at Wednesday’s national accounts press conference. It’s a graph of the level of Australia’s ...10 hours ago
- The Bachelor NZ power rankings: Moses has rosesEveryone’s a winner on The Bachelor NZ (well, apart from the four women sent packing). Tara Ward delivers the first power rankings of the new season.Find out who got Jane and Duncan’s first impression roses in this week’s episode of The Real Pod. Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you ...11 hours ago
- Covid-19: Government rejects full wage for isolation paymentsThe government has poured cold water over calls to pay 100 percent of a person's wages for two weeks if they have been told to self-isolate. ...12 hours ago
- Attorney-General Christian Porter declares alleged rape ‘did not happen’ – and he won’t stan...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Attorney-General Christian Porter has identified himself as the minister accused of historical rape but declared categorically that the 1988 claimed assault “simply did not happen”. A highly emotional Porter told a Perth he had not ...12 hours ago
- We all hope for a ‘good death’. But many aged-care residents are denied proper end-of-life careSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Davina Porock, Professor of Nursing, Director of Centre for Research in Aged Care, Edith Cowan University Death is inevitable, and in a civilised society everyone deserves a good one. It would therefore be logical to expect aged-care homes would provide superior end-of-life ...12 hours ago
- In Victoria, animal abuse may soon be considered a form of family violence. Here’s why that matter...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristin Diemer, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne A woman’s decision to leave a violent and abusive relationship is a complex process. She first needs to consider the risks to her and her children. Paradoxically, taking that step towards safety is ...13 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Our Neanderthal AncestryEssay by Keith Rankin. Homo sapiens neanderthalensis Mr._N. Creative Commons, Pressebilder Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, https://www.neanderthal.de/de/urmenschen.html I’m a neanderthal man You’re not a neanderthal girl Let’s make hybrid love In this neanderthal world [with apologies to Hotlegs, 1970] Homo Stupidus? After my partner read Dan Salmon’s novel Neands – written during ...14 hours ago
- Senator Hanson-Young’s defamation win reminds us how the law can silence sexual slurs and raise su...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Lake, Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University Former senator David Leyonhjelm today lost his appeal against a defamation ruling and must pay A$120,000 compensation to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young for his comments that she should “stop shagging men”. “It is hard and ...14 hours ago
- Crushing defeat for Dirty Politics PR man with apology to defamed academicsCarrick Graham has made a full apology for defaming a trio of academics in hit pieces on Cameron Slater’s Whale Oil blog, in order to settle court proceedings. Alex Braae reports. One of the last chapters of Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book has been closed, with PR man Carrick Graham admitting ...14 hours ago
- Our Response To Covid 19 Lockdown: Toddlers In The Sandpit!...15 hours ago
- Guttered: a joyful immersion and subversion of expectations between the bowling lanesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Peters, Senior Lecturer in Drama, Flinders University Review: Guttered, directed by Michelle Ryan. Restless Dance Theatre for Adelaide Festival. We are greeted at the entrance of Kingpin Norwood. Seasoned bowlers make a beeline for shoe hire while teens flock to the ...15 hours ago
- While Case L waits for an apology, the govt announces support for women’s rugby and an extension o...
Our Beehive Bulletin The news we expected to find – no, the news we thought we might find – was not there when we checked the Beehive website this morning. It was an acknowledgement from our kindly PM that maybe she had been a tad unkindly when she failed to ...16 hours ago - Dirty PR Exposed In Whale Oil Defamation TrialThree public health advocates are relieved that their long-standing Whale Oil defamation trial against Cameron Slater, Carrick Graham, Katherine Rich and the Food and Grocery Council has finally concluded and they are pleased that the truth has come out. Shane ...16 hours ago
- Haiti’s Ongoing Struggle for Uninterrupted Democracy against International InterventionismSource: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage Tamanisha J. John From Miami, Florida Overview Towards the latter months of 2018, “Kot Kòb Petwo Karibe a?” (“Where is the PetroCaribe money?”) became a rallying cry for Haitians demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse. Haitian protestors charged Moïse with ...16 hours ago
- COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Extension Announcement Good For Working PeopleThe Council of Trade Unions welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Finance today to extend the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. The payment will protect jobs for businesses affected by the recent rise in alert levels. Applications to the Wage ...16 hours ago
- NZ Risks Being On The Wrong Side Of History On “vaccine Apartheid”A response from the Minister of Trade to a letter from 42 organisations and noted experts regarding a proposed waiver to WTO intellectual property rules shows that New Zealand risks being on the wrong side of history. "88 percent of WTO members ...17 hours ago
- Were families of Covid-19 contacts required to isolate?
Analysis: The return to lockdown and the contact tracing of Case M has been overshadowed by a furore over confusing communications to members of the Papatoetoe school community. Marc Daalder lays out who was told to isolate and when Although it was rule-breaking by Case M - who developed symptoms ...17 hours ago - Ten things you should be watching on StarThere are 435 films and 155 series on new Disney+ bolt-on service Star – where on earth do you start? Sam Brooks selects some highlights. What is Star? The short version is that Disney have put a lot of their considerable archival catalogue – movies and series alike – online, ...18 hours ago
- Biden is already carving out a different Middle East policy from Trump — and even ObamaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Rich, Senior lecturer in International Relations and Security Studies, Curtin University The Biden administration hasn’t wasted time in making a significant shift in US policy toward the Middle East. Over the past week, the US has launched reprisal strikes against Iranian ...18 hours ago
- Lots of law, not enough order — the government must be clearer about dealing with COVID rule-break...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato New Zealand’s COVID-19 response might be the envy of the world, but that hasn’t stopped New Zealanders themselves getting angry about it this week. In short, there appeared to have been breaches of isolation ...18 hours ago
- The last of the Wailers
Bunny Wailer, the last of Jamaican trio the Wailers to die, was considered one of the senior statesmen of reggae and Rastafarianism, writes Graham Reid The death of Neville Livingston at 73 – better known as Bunny Wailer – means there are now no surviving members of the famous Jamaican ...18 hours ago - Pining for St Kilda instead of Moscow: The Cherry Orchard grapples with our cultural inheritanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University Review: The Cherry Orchard, directed by Clare Watson. Black Swan State Theatre Company for the Perth Festival. Stories get told over and over, each version sitting atop every other in a never-ending palimpsest. ...18 hours ago
- Dairy price lift will give fillip to regional economies and fortify Fonterra’s confidence in press...
Our dairy provinces are reverberating to the news that prices soared at the latest Fonterra GDT auction. The prosperity this brings to the regions will provide a significant counterbalance to the loss of earning power in the tourism sector because of the pandemic. The average price at the auction climbed ...18 hours ago - Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: The symptoms of the UK Covid variant, in seven languagesHow to recognise possible symptoms of the new B.1.1.7 variant of Covid-19, in illustrated form, in seven different languages.Our Covid-19 coverage is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support the ongoing work, please donate here. In April 2020, Toby and Siouxsie created a symptoms chart so people could ...19 hours ago
- Dirty Politics case close to settlement
One of the final public battles over the Nicky Hager book Dirty Politics - a defamation trial over the defunct Whaleoil blog site - could be over within hours of its High Court opening today. Tim Murphy reports. A long-running defamation case against former Whaleoil blogger Cameron Slater and PR man ...19 hours ago - Prime Minister Led Move That Will Lead To Desecration Of Mataharehare – “It’s A Rich Man......19 hours ago
- Te Waihanga Looks At State Of Play Of Infrastructure In The Resource Recovery And Waste SectorNew Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga’s latest discussion document looks at the state of play of infrastructure in the resource recovery and waste sector. One of a series of reports into key infrastructure sectors, it highlights some of ...19 hours ago
- Support Grows For Workers To Be Paid 100% Through COVID CrisisE tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, says that workers should not lose out on pay when they are required to self-isolate, or otherwise miss work, because of COVID-19. E tū has been calling for workers’ wages to lead the ...19 hours ago
- Please excuse Chris Tse as he freaks out over these poetry finalistsThe shortlist for the prestigious Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry, which carries prize money worth $10,000, was made public this morning. Our poetry editor Chris Tse is ecstatic. Here’s a sobering statistic: since 2001, only two non-Pākehā poets have won the poetry category at the book awards – David ...19 hours ago
- Tiny ‘flying Penguins’ Need Greater Attention On Land And At Sea...20 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern And This Labour Government Ok With Leaving People BehindOver the weekend Jacinda Ardern appeared on Newshub The Nation and made some problematic comments about lifting people out of poverty, saying the Labour government has prioritised targeting families with children. “This is the problem - Jacinda Ardern and this ...20 hours ago
- New Zealand Cohort Life Tables: March 2021 UpdateCohort life tables track the mortality experience of people born in each year from 1876. Visit our website to read this information release and to download CSV: New Zealand cohort life tables: March 2021 update CSV files for download ...21 hours ago
- A wish list for all that capital gains tax revenue, which doesn’t existUnlike most developed countries, New Zealand doesn’t have a capital gains tax. But if we did, it would bring in billions worth of revenue over the next five years. Here are some of the things you could spend that money on.There’s little point dwelling on things that didn’t happen. Lamenting ...21 hours ago
- Hutt City Council Matter Is Dirty Politics At Its FinestThe public attacks and investigations against a Hutt City Councillor asking questions about allegations relating to the Mayor, look more like a vindictive witch hunt than a Council striving for good ethical standards, says the Taxpayers’ Union . “For ...21 hours ago
- ‘This one was personal’: Mihi Forbes on the new Tainui wars documentaryThe latest documentary in the New Zealand Wars series hit different for presenter Mihingarangi Forbes. She explains why to Leonie Hayden.Content warning: contains descriptions of the murder of women and children, and sexual assault.The military campaign by the British Crown to suppress Māori sovereignty and acquire Māori land for the ...22 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – March 03 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Covid: Govt messaging, blame, compliance Branko Marcetic (Democracy Project): We’ve cut the Govt slack for its own Covid missteps, so let’s do the same for workers Josie Pagani (Stuff): Let’s ...22 hours ago
- The Liberals face electoral wipeout in WA, but have 3 good reasons to keep campaigningSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Drum, Lecturer Politics and International Relations, University of Notre Dame Australia Time is running out for the Western Australian Liberal Party. Polling points to a massive Labor landslide at the upcoming state election on March 13. Following last month’s Newspoll, which ...23 hours ago
- Chinese-Australians have a sense of dual ‘belonging’: Lowy pollSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A substantial minority of Chinese-Australians have experienced a backlash from the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 deterioration in bilateral relations, according to a survey from the Lowy Institute. In the poll, 37% said they had ...23 hours ago
- I’m a sexual assault counsellor. Here’s why it’s so hard for survivors to come forward, and wh...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neeraja Sanmuhanathan, Senior Sexual Assault Counsellor, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Lecturer in Counselling, University of Notre Dame Australia As a senior sexual assault counsellor working with Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, I often sit across from people on the worst day of ...23 hours ago
- Think all your plastic is being recycled? New research shows it can end up in the oceanSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monique Retamal, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney We all know it’s wrong to toss your rubbish into the ocean or another natural place. But it might surprise you to learn some plastic waste ends up in the ...23 hours ago
- We can see the gender bias of all-boys’ schools by the books they study in EnglishSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cody Reynolds, Researcher & Educator, University of Newcastle “She’s more crazy than she is female.” So declared a senior student in a furious critique of Sylvia Plath’s poetry. The classroom was entirely male, myself included. As the teacher, I mediated discussion but ...23 hours ago
- Prepare, connect, care: essential steps for new students to manage and enjoy uni lifeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Stokes, Senior Lecturer in Digital and Information Literacy (Education Futures), University of South Australia Starting university is usually a time of hope focused on bright futures. This year feels different. As cities move in and out of lockdown, new students are ...23 hours ago
- NZ’s Climate Change Commission needs to account for the huge potential health benefits of reducing...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Wilson, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago The Climate Change Commission’s recent draft report and recommendations has helped to kick-start an extremely important process. But, as others have argued, there remain serious questions about its narrow view and lack of ...24 hours ago
- Live updates, March 3: ‘An encouraging sign’ – no new Covid-19 cases overnightLive coverage of the snap lockdown and the search for a source of the latest infection. Auckland is now at alert level three, NZ at level two. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.45am: ‘An encouraging sign’ – no new Covid-19 cases overnightThere are no new community cases of Covid-19 this morning, ...24 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Pharmac review unlikely to give patient advocates what they wantGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pharmac review unlikely to give patient advocates what they want, feedback shows confusion on managed isolation communication, and National wants more generous Covid leave scheme.An independent review into Pharmac has been announced, and will focus on how and how quickly ...1 day ago
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If Boa Esporte get rid of this bloke, the ACT Party and/or Garth McVicar’s S.S. Trust would no doubt snap him up as a spokesman….
https://www.balls.ie/football/brazilian-goalkeeper-murderer-361142
You have that exactly wrong. Those are anti-crime, not pro-crime, groups.
A.
Speaking of which, Maybe Garth should invite Stuart Nash aboard.
Calling for prisoners to scalp a fellow inmate…bold statement from a member of the Labour Party, Spokesperson for Police, no less, not that Labour seem to mind. Certainly I would have thought that a call to gross violence would be a no-no. But then I’m not a member of the Labour Party.
“Nash went on to suggest that a fellow inmate should scalp Smith.
“Scalping is associated with American Indians but it was actually started by Europeans.
“Perhaps someone in jail who isn’t too fond of monsters who destroy little boys[sic] lives by stealing their innocence in the worst way possible could reintroduce Mr Smith to the practise[sic].””
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11820250
When is Nash going to realise that acting like a huge dick won’t give him one?
That is on a par with another brutal and mindless comment that men tend to make and that is implying male rape when they talk about not dropping the soap in the shower apparently because you are vulnerable when you bend over to pick it up.
Gloating over some miscreant and wishing them bad experiences is descending to their level, and if Nash did that then he should be kicked out of Labour. I thought it was considered at one time, or was it a commenter who felt that Gnashonal was his true home.
If an unrepentant and unreconstructed pedophile like Phillip John Smith was to meet a sticky and untimely end behind bars I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. That fucker has no shame and no remorse. I’d be concerned that it indicated a wider failure of corrections to be able to control the prison system, but as for Smith, nah. To late mate. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
And that, dear Standardistas, is where Mr. Nash comes in. His job is to innoculate Labour from the law and order brigade and charges of being namby-pamby liberals soft on the crims. Over on pundit.co.nz Andrew Geddis is suggesting Smith should lay a complaint under the harmful digital communications act. I think Smith should lay a complaint, and Andrew Geddis ought to act as his lawyer. Because having a loathed pedophile and well known ivory tower academic ganing up on a politician who is hardline on law and order is, my gentle friends, electoral paydirt, a vote winning bonanza for Nash and Labour that has the added benefit of shutting down any sort of attack on Labour from National and ACT.
You do realise that there are all sorts of people in prison, for all sorts of crimes of varying consequence, even the very occasional white collar criminal, and that the majority of them will one day be walking the streets again.
You think that letting prisons become some sort of Apocalypse Now Gulag or slaughter house, where anything goes, is going to churn out the kind of people you want in society?? You think we can ‘select’ from the outside which prisoners should get brutalised??
Okey dokey, good luck with that. Taking Mexico, or Russia or Thailand or France or America as your prison model is not the path to a good nights sleep.
I guess the NZ immigration dept loves internet
pirates and surveillanceentrepreneurs.Sounds like a career criminal to me who should have had his residence dropped years ago.
INZ are only targeting ‘low value’ (money-wise) people at the moment. As one lawyer put it recently: “flushing the pool” . Flushing the pool so the whole shady system can carry on fleecing a new batch of people.
It’s all very reminiscent of dawn raids after car assembly went into decline.
They have to keep all those Private Tertiary Institutions, immigration ‘consultants’ running on black money, and below minimum wage employers running after all.
Damn sight cheaper than properly resourcing the Labour Inspectorate and INZ.
Lie, bullshit and attract them here, fleece, then boot, rinse, start again
(/sarc)
Who wants environmental protection or health and social services when you can have a nice big army…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/16/donald-trump-immigration-budget-healthcare-plans-congress?CMP
Poverty is one way to encourage people to join the armed forces. It’s been used for centuries to do so.
Having work along side the yanks on operations and peacetime it show’s and they are the most poorly payed in western world. We aren’t allow to discuss our pay rates when we work along side them BTW that goes for the Kiwis as well. For example what my US counterpart makes in a year, I make in 6mths and that’s without deployment money.
Well, so much for Trump’s promises to not go to war all the time.
And it seems that his agenda is very much to reduce the size of of then US government to pre civil war levels.
He seems to be doing a reasonable job on his campaign promises, one of which was reducing involvement in wars.
I can’t stand Trump, but he seems to be at least in Europe telling N.A.T.O. allies to take more responsibility for their own defence. In that sense it is fair enough as the first priority of any nation is to protect their civilian population from attack by another country.
In saying that though, in some respects Trump is ratcheting UP the pressure on other nations, such as China, Iran and North Korea.
In the case of China, I think Trump has been winding up Beijing. Whilst billions of dollars in trade shall continue to flow between the countries, what if things got so bad that one or the other slapped an export ban on all but their largest exports? That would rock the markets.
Unless I have missed something Trump is not keen on the nuclear deal that got hammered out in 2015. And that should bother people massively, because in doing so, he is in effect sanctioning Bibi’s poisonous anti-Iran rhetoric and giving the Ayatollahs munitions in a propaganda war that they simply do not deserve.
,
.
A return to hard power with a $54 billion increase in defence spending, cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid, bombs, lots of bombs, and a ramping up of covert drone strikes is reasonable?.
The weeklong blitz in Yemen eclipsed the annual bombing total for any year during Obama’s presidency. Under the previous administration, approval for strikes came only after slow-moving policy discussions, with senior officials required to sign off on any action. The Trump administration has proven much quicker at green-lighting attacks.
google cache
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has given the Central Intelligence Agency secret new authority to conduct drone strikes against suspected terrorists, U.S. officials said, changing the Obama administration’s policy of limiting the spy agency’s paramilitary role and reopening a turf war between the agency and the Pentagon.
[…]
The Obama administration put the military in charge of pulling the trigger to promote transparency and accountability. The CIA, which operates under covert authorities, wasn’t required to disclose the number of suspected terrorists or civilian bystanders it killed in drone strikes. The Pentagon, however, must publicly report most airstrikes.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-gives-cia-new-authority-to-direct-drone-strikes-on-terrorists-2017-03-13
Let’s have some context on Yemen before we blame it all on Trump.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18582:Trump-Admin.-Moves-from-Direct-Support-to-Direct-Bombing-in-Yemen
That’s before even Trump was in office. But I do agree Trump is getting the US more involved which is not good for anyone, and goes against what he said while campaigning.
Benjamin has also pointed out before that Obama increased the number of drone strikes by 8 times since George Bush. Making him out as “holier than thou” is very problematic.
Yes, let’s have some context – him and his mob plan to finance their hard power, and push defence beyond the current 20% of federal spending, by slashing funding for science, the environment, climate research, art, public broadcasting, national parks, healthcare, public health, education, meals on wheels, school lunches, low income housing, occupational health and safety, public transport, oversight of banking and finance, regional assistance, economic development, etc, etc,…
/
https://newrepublic.com/minutes/141394/meet-mick-mulvaney-trump-goon-wants-poor-kids-go-hungry
https://qz.com/933398/in-donald-trumps-america-first-budget-the-american-military-comes-first/
Oh, and more context…
edit: more context
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7EEq9iWoAAl20y.jpg
Yep he is going to make sure the military are beholden – that’ll sway some of them on the day of reckoning – the day that they chose who they are.
according to this your Peace bringing Tumps is doing that
https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/25604-drone-strikes-up-432-percent-under-donald-trump
Quote:
As reported by Micah Zenko:
During President Obama’s two terms in office, he approved 542 such targeted strikes in 2,920 days — one every 5.4 days. From his inauguration through today, President Trump had approved at least 36 drone strikes or raids in 45 days — one every 1.25 day
snip
Here’s the story as told by Foreign Policy online on March 9:
After a week of punishing airstrikes loosed on al Qaeda in Yemen that saw 40 targets go up in flames and smoke, American pilots took a breather the past two nights, watching the dust settle.
The weeklong blitz in Yemen eclipsed the annual bombing total for any year during Obama’s presidency. Under the previous administration, approval for strikes came only after slow-moving policy discussions, with senior officials required to sign off on any action. The Trump administration has proven much quicker at green-lighting attacks.
Of course, you can’t say President Trump has broken all his promises. After all, during a campaign appearance in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, candidate Trump swore (literally) that he would “Bomb the shit out of” the Islamic State (AKA ISIS). “I’d blow up every single inch, there would be nothing left. We’ll get Exxon to come in there and in two months … I’ll take the oil,” Trump boasted at that same event in November 2015.
snip
About a month after the deadly raid resulted in the death of a SEAL Team member, U.S. forces were back in the area, continuing the killing. Here’s the report according to Digital Journal:
According to residents, U.S. forces carried out “indiscriminate shelling” of the area on March 2-3, killing numerous civilians, including Ahmed and Mohammed al-Khobze, two brothers, ages 10 and 12. Pentagon spokesperson Capt. Jeff Davis said U.S. forces carried out more than 30 strikes in 36 hours, exceeding the 32 confirmed drone strikes in Yemen all of last year. Over the past two years, U.S.-backed Saudi Arabian aerial bombardment has killed thousands of Yemeni civilians, with more than a third of Saudi attacks hitting civilian sites.
then there is this
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-cia-power-drone-strikes-military-a7628561.html
The CIA can now kill potential terror suspects with drone strikes after being granted new powers by President Donald Trump, according to a new report.
The new authority – said to have been granted shortly after Mr Trump’s inauguration – takes drone strikes out of the sole control of the military, sparking fears about accountability.
Under the drone policy of the Obama administration, the CIA could find a suspect, but the armed forces would carry out the actual strike.
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/09/more-troops-in-syria-trump-orders/
boots on the ground in syria
http://peoplesvoice.ca/2017/03/16/us-puts-boots-on-the-ground/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445801/donald-trump-syria-troop-deployments-regional-leverage
http://observer.com/2017/03/dennis-kucinich-donald-trump-adds-troops-war-syria/
but i am sure he is gonna follow up on his promise of beautiful healthcare for all, school choice for all, investment into infrastructure, job creation and the likes, o hang on, no he does not.
He gave to the military, he gave to the customs and immigration, and he is making sure that the US Americans are going to be paying for his beautiful wall. Yeah, right.
You know, at some stage one stops to listen to the blahblahbalh that comes out of Trumps bloated face, but one rather pays attention to what Trump and his enablers in Congress and Senate are actually doing.
And as always Digby says it the best
http://digbysblog.blogspot.co.nz/2017/03/trumps-american-carnage-agenda.html
” That’s right, we’re spending millions to ferry that asshole back and forth to Florida every week-end and millions more to keep his super model wife at arms length in his golden tower in New York. But they’re going to starve old people and kids. Literally. ”
Cause meals on wheels and heating assistance to poor and low income people only created dependence and if they want a warm bed and three square meals they just join the Armed Forces and for sure they will never be used in an actually war.
Bless yer little cotton socks.
Context.
/
Yes context. Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen are wrecked countries with millions of lives affected and a Democrat president presided over a lot of the destruction. But hey let’s blame it all on the Donald.
We’re not blaming it all on The Donald – we’re blaming the upramp of bombing under his presidency on him and that’s all because that is his responsibility.
As for those countries – The US spent decades destroying them so that they could loot them.
The US has only one export really, death and destruction. and now its Trump turn. And that is what a lot of us have always said, and it is what he is doing now.
No more blaming this or that, time to own this shit.
And for what its worth, he was always quite vocal about what he was gonna do. He actually spoke about it, but i guess no one wanted to hear this, and besides, emails, and she devil who will start world war three, despite the fact that we have yet to finish world war 1.
if you have a spare 40 minutes, Fareed Zakaria’s documentary on Putin is well worth watching if you want a different picture than the one crafted by Kremlin controlled media
As Chinese reliance on foreign oil imports increases, news that the China Investment Corporation and China National Petroleum Corporation is preparing to take a majority stake in Aramco:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-16/china-saudis-said-to-discuss-cic-cnpc-investment-in-aramco-ipo-j0bynknm
Did I just feel the world tilt a fraction?
AIPAC, Israel’s national strategic asset, financed the hate machine.
But AIPAC has done more than just tolerate the U.S. tilt toward extreme and often xenophobic views. Newly released tax filings show that the country’s biggest pro-Israel group financially contributed to the Center for Security Policy, the think-tank that played a pivotal role in engineering the Trump administration’s efforts to impose a ban on Muslim immigration.
http://lobelog.com/aipac-gave-60k-to-architect-of-trumps-muslim-ban/
Looks like Teresa May just made a howler of a Freudian slip. In rejecting any talk about a second independence referendum for Scotland, she elevated the need for a focus on BREXIT talks with the EU, but said…
Hardly the words of a unionist to be separating one country out from the union, now, is it? Any unionist worth their salt would have quite naturally – effortlessly – said something like “the right deal for Scotland and the right deal for the rest of the UK”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/16/may-sets-up-battle-with-sturgeon-as-she-rejects-referendum-demand
One pollie tells another how it is with renewable energy. Normally I’m just meh watching pollies grandstanding, but this is just gorgeous.
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/03/south-australias-premier-just-ripped-the-federal-government-a-new-one-on-renewable-energy/
High tourist numbers are outpacing the necessary infrastructure according to this article.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-16/americans-sleep-in-maori-hall-as-tourists-overwhelm-new-zealand
Business and other personal travel was the second top export after dairy products to June last year.
https://www.nzte.govt.nz/en/invest/statistics/
Tourist arrivals increased each year under this National government, with Key as minister. National is still promoting an industry full of low value low wage jobs. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/tourist-arrivals
Another reason to change the government. Labour for example is committed to a productive and innovative economy with high value high wage jobs.
https://www.labourparty.org.nz/sites/default/files/New%20Zealand%20%20Labour%20Party%20Policy%20Platform.pdf
High value, high wage jobs. Oh yeah. Probably all in the computer industry.
Exactly what have you in mind to ensure that there are the hv-hw jobs Labour? Lovely talking point, but the reality is in the middle of the Pass the Parcel game. Every election and sometimes between we get to take another layer off, I wonder what will be in the centre at the finish, probably a defunct smartphone with dud batteries and none made currently that will fit. That’s what suckers like us in NZ get.
Went to hear Gareth Morgan last night. He isn’t planning any smart government intervention to aid employment. Just adjust the crazy setting of the market and she’ll be right.
Can’t get things right the first time with a new initiative, the second time – nah?, the third time – what was it that we were trying to achieve last time?
The fourth time – oh that’s old hat now things will be different in the future, more flexible, changing with new vistas opening up that we haven’t even thought of yet. But people are almost starving, sleeping in the streets! Well that is progress isn’t it, there is always a fall out and it takes time for the economy to adjust and to retrain new people, and let’s face it some of those on the streets can’t even write, so how can they expect to find employment, etc etc.
Looked at Redline item on employment USA style.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/trumps-america-death-in-an-alabama-factory-for-us8-50-an-hour/
Elsea was not an Ajin employee. She was employed through a staffing agency, Alliance Total Solutions. About 250 of the almost 800 workers at the Ajin’s plant were temps.
These companies pushed their inexperienced workers to the end. In her last weeks, Elsea worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, hoping to qualify for a full-time position and an hourly wage of about $12, according to the Financial Times.
The Tourist industry is thriving, so there should be room for better wages.
Labour’s intention to promote collective bargaining and guarantee unions a voice would be worth a try don’t you think ?
Yeah, we’re “thriving” if you just look at the metric of visitor numbers. But these are generally low yield visitors and / or markets that externalise their costs to the resident population. Often the profitability, and ability to pay any wages, let alone decent wages, is just not there.
A change in focus from greater numbers towards greater profitability would do a lot for the sustainability of our tourist industry. But that doesn’t seem to be the Nat way, just more and more of everything at decreasing returns until the whole thing goes tits up…..
Eye-opener. Special investigation by Ruby Joy, on The Daily Blog.
Bunnings car parks are welcoming (or at least don’t stop it) to people living in cars staying over night. It seems quite a big thing, with many homeless workers with vehicles using the carparks at night.
Of course they do. It means their staff don’t have an excuse to be late.
The other plus for Bunnings is that they can promote all kinds of their DIY material for people living in vehicles.
In the US it’s normal for people to overnight in vehicles in carparks of big stores and malls. There are facilities too in places, like showers and wifi, plus obviously being able to buy food etc in the morning. That’s not all homeless people, much of it is travellers.
We’re on our way.
http://wgntv.com/2017/03/10/utah-school-installs-showers-laundry-facilities-for-homeless-students/
Well hats up for Bunnings. In a crisis it’s doing something worthwhile, thank the Aussies for having flexible ideas on accommodation, houses, island paradise camps etc. Bunnings will be flavour of the month (years!) for their staff.
If only Bunnings were more respectful of their staff needs as well!
In Aussie the shop in Rockingham WA is enormous. It is almost completely “off grid” with solar panels, wind turbines, and massive rain water tanks. No plastic bags!
So some green washing there I guess – but better than nothing.
Good that they are showing some social responsibility as well – but frankly there shouldn’t be any need in a country of plenty.
At the other side of the pond (USA) the number of homeless is set to skyrocket (around 750,000) as the chump vindictively cuts funding.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/16/trump-budget-cut-eliminate-homelessness-agency
This has not yet been said today but Happy St Patrick’s Day to yez all from Mac1.
I have been thinking about Patrick’s life. What generosity of spirit and of forgiveness to go back after being enslaved and convert the irish people to Christianity.
Or was it his revenge?
@ mac 1 (11) … 🙂
marty mars
Interesting piece by Chris Trotter on the Maori King and political moves.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/03/the-maori-kings-over-mighty-subject.html
Thanks grey
“This unprecedented foray into electoral politics is reckless on at least two counts. First, the King’s disparaging reference to Mahuta’s current status betrays an inadequate grasp of the intricacies of Pakeha politics. Second, it assumes a willingness to be directed on the part of the voters of Hauraki-Waikato which may not, in practice, extend anything like as far as the polling booth.”
seems like both his points are completely subjective to me – chris wouldn’t know, let alone understand any long term goal the King may have – why would he – he just gets access to the little tiny wee dribble that goes public.
“Clearly, Morgan is convinced that the outcome of this second attempt to establish dual sovereignties within a single, unitary state will turn out very differently from the first. Moreover, he has been successful in persuading the Maori King to test his hypothesis.”
no there is no clearly at all – just the chris lens of interpretation which sadly for him has no discerning ability when confronted with Māori politics. So anything which moves us (imo or someones I respect) towards tino rangatiratanga is GOOD – will it work – not if the powers that be are against it which they are – does that mean we give up – nope that is NEVER going to happen.
“The Labour Leader, Andrew Little, and Labour’s Maori caucus, are betting that Maori voters on both the Maori and General electoral rolls are nowhere near ready to indulge the Maori Party President’s political fantasies to this extent. They are convinced that if the choice presented to Maori voters is between restarting the Land Wars of the Nineteenth Century, and winning improved access to employment, housing, education and health services in the Twenty-First, then they will opt, overwhelmingly, for the latter.”
and this is why chris has no mana when it comes to this type of analysis – it is restart the land wars or improved access to stuff. Yeah nah chris your crayon style of understanding just serves you and those like you and this is known.
Marty m
Thought you would have an opinion! But Chris makes some valid points. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.
yep there is still plenty to go on this one 🙂
YesWeCareNZ is campaigning for better health services in NZ, with a focus on this year’s election. They have various unions on board.
They are doing a road show through NZ throughout March to collect people’s stories about how our health service is working.
There’s about 10 videos of these stories on Youtube so far:
A five minute read. Well written and basically on point. (Boil the jug and sit yourself down)
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/03/new-zealand-neoliberalism-inequality-welfare-state-tax-haven/
It appears that Oravida would like to thank Nick Smith for the free water with a $50k donation to the National Party.
See that ORAVITA ARE paying for the water.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11820377
50k donation to the Nats
Snap Cinny
Today is St Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland, but countries and social movements can have their own patron saints, founders and heroes.
The Marginal Mennonite Society page on Facebook has a series of religious and social activists who may well be admired for their being in that pantheon of saints and heroes. The MMS posts regularly and most welcomely on my Facebook.
The latest post which inspired me to mention this on The Standard is the life of Bayard Rustin, a black, gay, pacifist, socialist, civil rights activist who died in 1987 aged 75.
His life resonates at so many levels for me when you read about him and his life and times.
Wikipedia has a fine article on Bayard Rustin who was born today in 1912. Inspiring stuff!
WTF is going on at Fletcher Building?
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fletcher-building-trading-halt-pending-review-construction-unit-b-200806
There appears to be more under lock & key at NBR if anyone’s got a sub.
So because I am a person who is not persuaded completely you get to label me as lazy? Really? Very professional.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Nah, I think you’re lazy because you demand to be spoonfed that which is freely available, and then you reject anyone with a spoon.
A former GSCB employee responsible for drone strikes is now overseeing MSD’s big data focus on beneficiaries and rape victims.
Anyone see a problem with this?
State targets, state scapegoats.
[lprent: No link. No reference to what you are talking about.
Hectoring tone. Acting like a astroturfing troll pushing some kind of vindictive line.
I have a problem with that. I will let this through as a topic. But you will have to do a lot better than that before I will let you off comment probation. ]