“It was always going to take a special kind of leader to pick up Ted Kennedy’s mantle as senior Senator from Massachusetts—champion of working families and scourge of special interests. Elizabeth Warren never lets us forget that the work of taming Wall Street’s irresponsible risk taking and reforming our financial system is far from finished. And she never hesitates to hold powerful people’s feet to the fire: bankers, lobbyists, senior government officials and, yes, even presidential aspirants.
Elizabeth Warren’s journey from janitor’s daughter to Harvard professor to public watchdog to U.S. Senator has been driven by an unflagging determination to level the playing field for hardworking American families like the one she grew up with in Oklahoma. She fights so hard for others to share in the American Dream because she lived it herself.”
+1 Chooky. But Clinton has the name recognition – we’re unlikely to see Warren throw her hat in the ring this time around.
The problem this election is that Clinton looks such a sure thing for the Democratic nomination, who is likely to challenge her for the role? Probably Biden, and others of a similar calibre. Those who have future intentions are unlikely to want to soil their image by being an also-ran now. However, the party primary elections are a large part of the USA presidential contest. Without a credible opponent, Clinton is unlikely to get as much media coverage of her primary campaign, and so will be at a disadvantage against whatever man is chosen as the republican face.
I’d have to consider that damning with faint praise (or maybe not so faint). As for the American Dream – yeah, you have to be asleep to believe it. Hilary represents the interests that Warren fights.
Have reposted at the top of Open Mike so as many people as possible hear of this.
“Bad luck or no coincidence? Unite Union’s office has been broken into, equipment stolen and smashed. It’s not in the news, only on Joe Carolan’s Facebook page.
That is despicable, but surely not unexpected. I hope Unite has better computer security than physical security. If the stolen laptops contain member/ donor info then this will be very bad for them.
Maybe Campbell Live will have a segment on this tonight? It’d fit in well with the coverage they’ve been doing on the struggle against zero-hours.
No wonder Key is trying to shut down Campbell Live.
The rest of the media is just ignoring this story.
Guess reality TV is more important news.
What a joke the media has become.
Thanks for drawing that to our attention Paul, I go here for current news, never read, listen, or watch the shit the media puts out as news.
If this was politically motivated, lets hope it blows up in their face like Watergate. But there is one thing for sure, can’t see out media doing investigative journalism like Watergate.
Whilst we are on the subject of political intimidation and break ins, does anyone know if Nickey Hager has had his gear returned that was confiscated by the police?
Sony’s top copyright lawyer, Aimee Wolfson, said it was “not at all unimaginable” that the internet tycoon would avoid extradition or even successfully defend himself in the United States.
Emails relating to the Dotcom case were revealed by WikiLeaks yesterday in a database of emails hacked from the global entertainment giant.
Those relating to the Dotcom case show Sony to be less sure privately about the criminal and civil charges facing the internet entrepreneur than the bullish public attitude from the Hollywood studios.
Crunch-time for Sony came mid-2014 when the Hollywood studios filed papers in New Zealand courts to restrain Dotcom’s assets.
Ms Wolfson recommended Sony pull back from the joint action against Dotcom in New Zealand.
The other five studios went ahead.
p.s Viacom has already sued You Tube/Google and lost. A File sharing business is not copy write infringement!
That’s why they are seizing his assets so that he can’t defend himself.
Great to have the John Key and the armed defenders and GCSB on the NZ taxpayer
dollar doing all that work for the five studio execs for their civil action.
Even if you do not like Dotcom what is being done here is morally wrong.
“Even if you do not like Dotcom what is being done here is morally wrong.”
Exactly. I can’t even be bothered saying whether I like the guy or not. It’s irrelevant. I wonder if we’ll get another epic film made in Aotearoa as homage to FJK and to thank him for his efforts on behalf of Hollywood and Wall St? Maybe something about the plucky son of a Jewish refugee who single handedly took on Al Peter File bin Sabin, the head of an international terrorist ring threatening our children, and made Aotearoa safe for our national icons, such as the plastic buzzy bee?
Interesting timing for the release of such a story. Is it designed so that ‘consumers’ of the MSM get a little more scared and therefore are more likely to support Key’s deployment of troops to support the club?
Hermann Goering’s quote seems opportune.
“Why of course the people don’t want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don’t want war. The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
So true in NZ today Paul. Not only works for Key re terrorist “threat” but also for criminal “threat” hence tougher sentencing. “Look out! They are just behind you! Run. But we tough Government will protect you, but only if you vote for us.”
Claims of terrorists by government need to be treated the same as claims by whitebaiters about whitebait….. flip it 180 degrees and you will have it roughly right….. look in the completely opposite direction.
but of course most never do – they believe what they are told….. and hence never catch whitebait
I was upset that last night Radio New Zealand CEO announced that RNZ would be joining the I-Heart club and in future all three of their stations would be available on the I-Heart app. Just checked they are there now. Trouble is I see this as a win for NZME in that the RNZ icons will be surrounded by the likes of Newstalkzb and all their other stations. But from Radio NZ’s point I doubt that many commercial listeners will be tempted to cross the divide and sample non commercial radio. RNZ had a perfectly usable app of their own. I wonder just what convinced their board that it would be a good idea to join this commercial con job. Wait a minute just checked the latest board of governors for RNZ – self explanatory really
The NZLP position has been out for a couple of years, chooky. We want openness and transparency first and foremost. To put it simply, the LP wants to know what’s actually in the document before it supports or opposes it.
The NZ Labour Party should come out openly and oppose the TPPA!…because quite clearly there is no openness….and no openness is intended in TPPA discussions and decisions
The rest of the left has come out and opposed the TPPA!
The Labour Party should be taking a stand to oppose the TPPA …and NOT stay sitting on the fence…and in so doing supporting Nactional and the corporates.
New Zealanders and Labour supporters need the Labour Party to take an unequivocal stand opposing the TPPA! ( not least of all to show up Nactional )
…Norm Kirk would have!…the TPPA negotiations are an attack on New Zealand sovereignty
The Labour Party is not really opposed to the way this is being negotiated because they themselves have been in office where international negotiations have been conducted in secrecy. They are smart enough to realise that this is the way these things are done.
Fascinating. No doubt you’ll have a whole raft of citations for saying Big Norm would have opposed the TPP. Or maybe not if you’re just plucking his name out of the ether. In actual fact Kirk started the process of negotiating trade deals in Asia and Oz to cover for the loss of exports to the UK after they joined the common market.
I suspect Kirk would have agreed with the NZLP’s current position which is that no such deal should be done in secret.
I doubt that Norm kirk would have supported the process of the TPPA…and I suspect he would have joined the other New Zealand left parties in opposing the TPPA outright
Conclusion: The NZ Labour Party is not a left party
..it does not support the stand of other New Zealand left parties
..the NZLP does not oppose the stand of the Nacts and the corporates in secret negotiations which undermine our NZ sovereignty…in so doing it is supporting the John key Nact government
We know why they want to keep it secret because any knowledge of its contents would make the deal very unpopular.
But despite their best efforts to keep it secret Wikileaks has told us what is in key parts of the deal like the investment chapter.
We know that the main purpose of the TPPA is to give giant corporates much more control over client states so as to protect their profits.
Just look at how NAFTA has worked.
Do you think that Norm Kirk would have approved of NAFTA?
Nah.
NAFTA turned Mexico and Canada into economic slaves of the US. The TPPA will turn the whole of the Pacific rim minus China into a slave camp for the USA.
Is the rightwing of Labour so desperate to keep in the US good books that it is blind to the real content of the TPPA?
Labour’s stand on ‘democracy’ when that ‘democracy’ is denied by another NACT term trading off NZ sovereignty is a pathetic pretext for its gutless fawning on the 1%.
They show that, since the late 1990s, median wages increased in Canada and decreased in the US. At least, that’s the interpretation of the blogger.
That says to me that capital movements between the two countries have, predictably, lowered the overall cost in wages by shifting business to Canada (which, despite improvements in the median rate, still has the lower wage rate).
In sum – and given the larger population of the US – doesn’t that mean that the overall effect of NAFTA (if that is the principal factor causing these movements in the median wage rate as you seem to imply) has been to decrease the return to labour and increase the return to capital? (When the two countries are taken together).
The obvious difference is that the TPPA is not a free trade deal. It’s a corporate control and loss of sovereignty deal. Please tell us what Kirk’s equivalent of the Investor Dispute Tribunals was, where we could have been sued for making law that impinged on corporate profits?
This ‘we’. What’s that about? I’m not having a dig here, but I’ve noticed you using the possessive form of ‘we’ when talking about the Labour Party on a few occasions. Assuming you aren’t an official spokesperson for NZ Labour… and knowing that your thoughts aren’t those of all Labour Party members…
My point is that it’s enough of an arse for people around here to constantly reiterate they write in a personal capacity without some-one suddenly bandying the possessive ‘we’ around the show.
To easy voter concern, Labour could announce support of NZF’s Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill, which aims to ensure there is no investor-state dispute settlement in international agreements.
The World Bank did not cause the disruptions to these poor people. It was the authorities in the nations involved. Most of these are democratic as far as I can tell. Why is the World Bank responsible when these people’s elected representatives are the ones failing them?
If the World Bank had kept to its policies those local authorities wouldn’t have got the money thus the World Bank is as culpable as the local authorities.
The IMF and the World Bank flood the unaccountable elites of a country with hundreds of millions, load up the nation with debt, and Gossie is surprised it doesn’t go well.
Gossie probably thinks it’s all working well. After all, the deserving rich are getting richer while the lazy poor are getting what’s coming to them /sarc.
This information was posted last night on the Daily Review by Adrian:
The SAME two National sycophants dressed in blue were in two completely different places within a minute !
Observe the video at 1:00 and 1:53.
The two Nat women simply went (or were asked to go) to another spot to repeat the charade. They changed the way they stood before to shake hands with Key: At 1:00 the older woman is on the left, but at 1:53, on the right!
The stupid National propaganda crooks probably thought they could fool all the people all the time!
The less-than-heartening alternative is that these are two genuine Nat fans, who thought nothing of rushing around to another venue in order to meet up with FJK again…. (the “thought nothing” would be indicative of their usual mode then)
Just a reminder that tomorrow is record store day. Of course, every day is vinyl day in the Putake whare, but it would be great if Standardistas could pop into these fine emporiums and spin the black circle:
I live in an 51 square metre apartment in central Auckland. Space for a vinyl spinner doesn’t exist. Email, books, music, and video all exist in virtual machines on the same box that is the primary server for The Standard.
I have boxes of CDs and DVDs stored at relatives already after I ‘backed’ them up onto my drive (and the offsite archive). These days I just get the digital forms rather than adding to redundant plastics.
I have a difficulty in using up 1TB of data although that will probably change at some point in the nearish future (re-learning programming so I can get a few projects done).
I can use a terabyte with ease. That is what my laptops have these days.
A very fast way to fill up hard drives is to start using virtual machines for developing software projects. You can get them configured exactly for requirements and not have them go sour on you as you add one more “essential” software package or game.
Then have a pile of them around with different variants of operating systems for testing.
I’ve been in the mood this morning; AK79, Cherry Red compilation Pillows and Prayers, London Calling and side four of Sandinista. And I’ve got some Sonny Okosun and Sunny Ade for the crucial post lunch energiser. Put the needle to the groove, party people!
Appealing to false nonsense (Nicola only wants to break up the UK…SNP brought down Labour when Nicola was 9 years old because like, there were absolutely no other parties in Westminster voting against Labour in 1979…ruling out a coalition the SNP has already said it has no interest in etc).
Both are failing badly because both of them abandoned their roots. That the Labour Party in Scotland looks close to be being wiped out by a party that has grafted itself onto those abandoned roots should be a wee bit of a heads up for NZ Labour.
But I’ll bet they just cover their ears and eyes and carry on failing, on the premise that they only have to fail less than the Nats to form a government…and people wonder why ‘no-one’ gives a fuck any more?
A common impression within NZLP ‘higher ups’ is that voters barely care about or even remember the 1980s Rogernomics years and Labour’s role in bringing the neoliberal trojan horse into the gates of the country.
Oh, I know they see no need to apologise as a process of making a very public break from the past.
That as it may be, any refusal to learn very simple lesson from just a cursory glance at the state of Labour in Scotland is fucked up to the nth degree.
Andrew Little could also do worse than view that latest BBC leaders debate and pay particular attention to the audience reaction on progressives offering support and Labour posturing, given that only 5% of the audience would have been people intending to vote SNP and maybe another few percent voting for either the Greens or Plaid Cymru.
Is that why they won’t apologise for Rogernomics? Because they think no one remembers? I always thought it was because they were proud of having done it.
“His deadly opponent was Nicola Sturgeon. He could have been easy meat for her deft jibes, but with a powerful defence of the union, he more than survived; he might even have retrieved some Scottish votes.
Miliband’s team will be rightly delighted. At every outing he grows in strength and confidence. Once he thought presentation didn’t matter – now he knows better.”
Aye well, that’s according to Polly Toynbee on Ed. You read her pale pink banner waving columns? Of course she would talk up Miliband.
And then there’s the next one down, Deborah Orr on Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon certainly played a blinder.
…she also made Miliband look like the lucky guy who could bask in her charisma if only he’d stop being such a boring ol’ PM in waiting.
But regardless of what various pundits have to say, I’ve just watched the entire debate and noted that Nicola was the only one to get loud cheers from the audience and interestingly, when Ed played the ‘they want to break up this country’ card….nothing. In fact, overall, Ed got not a lot in the way of applause or affirmation from the audience.
At the close of the 90 minutes, Miliband turned his fire on his absent rival, saying:
“David Cameron refused to come and debate tonight, but I have got a message for him. David, if you think this election is about leadership, then debate me one on one. I believe my ideas, my vision for the country are better for the working families of Britain. If you disagree, then prove it. Debate me and let the people decide.”
How did the challengers fare in the final TV debate? Guardian columnists’ verdict
In a Survation/Mirror poll, the only snap verdict on the contest,
Miliband was declared the winner with 35%; Sturgeon, 31%; the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, 27%; the Green party leader, Natalie Bennett, 5%; and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood, 2%.
When people were asked who “won” the debate, Ed Miliband came out on top. But, when they were asked who “performed the best”, Nicola Sturgeon won. She was on 35%, ahead of Miliband on 29% and Farage on 26%.
How do we make sense of that? Because, when asked who performed best, you may be making an objective judgment about technical debating skills (see 8.29pm) while, when asked who “won”, you may be making a more subjective judgment about the leader you favoured the most./blockquote>
Does anyone have any answers to the Mike Sabin conundrum? I am wondering why he has been able to take up his new job when he is currently under investigation – or are the Internet rumours untrue about the nature of the offences against him? The Internet has been frustratingly quiet.
#whatswithsabinsnewjob
(Yes, I am fascinated with the Sabin story – mostly because I wondered how on earth Brook Sabin was able to continue to work at TV3 without a conflict of interest being declared during Election 2014.)
‘Shanghai CRED Real Estate Co. has purchased a New Zealand resort hotel as well as an adjacent vineyard and golf course which it plans to develop and promote to wealthy Chinese tourists.
The resort “can provide the sort of holiday experience that high-income Chinese and other international tourists are seeking,” Guo Gui, general manager of Shanghai CRED, said in the statement. His company has been involved with similar properties in China and will promote Carrington through its many tourism contacts, he said.
Shanghai CRED bought the 1,100-hectare (2,700-acre) property from a U.S.- based owner, it said in the statement. The purchase price was treated as confidential when the Overseas Investment Office granted consent in July, and isn’t being disclosed, Cedric Allan, a New Zealand spokesman for the buyer, said in a telephone interview today.’
“Shanghai CRED is one of Shanghai’s largest property development companies. Their purchase of the 1,100 hectare (2,718 acre) Peppers Carrington resort – which includes a seaside golf course and vineyard – is the first significant Chinese investment in New Zealand’s tourism sector. The New Zealand government is targeting a fivefold increase in the number of Chinese visitors to New Zealand by 2018.
The Chapman Tripp team advised on the acquisition, Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consent, the structuring of Shanghai CRED’s New Zealand entities and employment contracts and is assisting with immigration requirements.
Partner Bill Sandston led the team, which included senior associate Tessa Kennings and solicitor Ruonan Duan.
Bill Sandston said: “Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approval and Chinese language skills were integral to the deal’s success and we are one of the few full-service law firms able to support our clients in this way.
“Our work for Shanghai Cred, as well as our representation of Shanghai Pengxin in its Crafar Farms purchase and current takeover bid for Canterbury dairy farmer Synlait Farms, reinforces our reputation for acting on Chinese investors’ most complex OIO approvals.”
Just on a tangent… that resort, purchased by foreigners, to cater to the foreigners exclusive wealthy elite when they need a break, will do jack-shit for NZ.
A few cleaners and staff on minimum wage possible. That’s it.
All profit, which derives in bulk from our whenua, will go back to those foreign lands. In fact I would guess that pretty much all payments made for staying at the resort will be made back in those foreign lands and never even cross our borders.
Plus – that locality has had plans in the past for an international airport.
The foreigners will fly in directly, fly out again, and no money or anything will land in NZ itself.
In the comments below the NBR article, for what it is worth…
“The word on the Northland vine is that there will by 600+ properties built as a possible gated community, with the resort flying in rich Chinese to play among the dunes.
Guess we will not be welcome and it is a shame Winnie can not stop this debacle because, despite assurances, I can not see us us locals being invited unless it is as local help.
OIO has a lot to answer for — they are screwing NZ and selling off its carcass.
We thought that the north was safe from this kind of treachery. Seems not.”
I heard a story that the chief witness in a case, a female police officer, has gone overseas. I do not know if this is true and I am not saying it has anything to do with Sabin. What I will say is that the NAct Party is filthier than I had thought possible.
Interesting, Murray. Pity you won’t be in a certain place on Monday, but if there is a ‘meeting’ it may turn out to be a short session with the legals only to extend certain remand provisions. I understand that this extension would have been outside the brief of the Auckland HC dealing with the appeal against disclosure,
[Are you here or there? Hope all goes well – Princess Alex? – I have everything crossed for good news.]
If everyone with a family or personal connection to an MP was forbidden from being a journalist we’d have a very small press gallery. Possibly non-existent.
Triumph the puppet takes on party PR hacks after a leaders debate in run up to the 2004 US election. I hadn’t seen this before, but I got more than one actual lol from this. Recommended.
Internally within Labour it has generally (although not universally) been finally recognised that a CGT is a dead rat which voters will not swallow.
More importantly though, Labour have not put together a comprehensive and cohesive housing and accomodation programme for NZ yet. It’s still very bitsy and unfocussed.
That’s good to hear (re CGT). Although, they took their time coming around.
It does sound as if Labour are still putting things together.
LVR restrictions are the way to go,. Regional flexibility is also a plus, but they will also have to avert investors ability to leverage off equity, otherwise LVR restrictions will become toothless.
Now we require to get the Greens in tune to put forward a united front.
Not only will it reduce risk (for both the borrower and lender) it also slows speculation and in turn increases savings. Removing the need for a CGT and compulsory KiwiSaver – win-win.
Additionally, as it removes the heat out of the property market, it gives the Reserve Bank scope to lower the OCR, thus taking pressure off the NZ dollar.
Bill, for some reason I can’t reply directly to your ‘we’ question above. I use we as a possessive on an occasion because I’m a proud Labour party member. We members share ownership of the party, so it’s not grammatically inappropriate usage when talking about things like settled policy. However, if I’m talking about a LP MP’s press release or caucus activity in general, I wouldn’t use the possessive because I’m a step (or two) removed.
Yeah, I think I understand why you use it…in line with ‘we won’ when in actual fact the person saying it was sitting on their chuff watching the Black Caps or who-ever on the TV.
My sole thought is that in relation to commenting on ‘ts’, it can be a less than helpful habit when used in relation to political parties given the bullshit that’s thrown this way by some who claim ‘ts’ is a mouthpiece of this or that political entity.
As an aside, no policy is ever settled, is it? I mean, policy remits to conference and what have you… 😉
Good point about TS! Hadn’t thought of it from that perspective. Mind you, most of the most obsessive about the supposed TS/LP link are folk like WO, PG and Bomber who know it’s not true anyway.
I’ve been trying to think of other situations where I’d use ‘we’ like that. Not many, really. The only comparable situation is that when talking about football; I will say things like ‘we all hope Big Sam gets sacked’ as if I have a Borg like connection to every other West Ham fan in the universe.
As a followup to the Compass takeover of the SDHB meals on wheels program, which I commented on yeterday:
Dr Hearn, of Dunedin, said he would wait and see what happened before deciding whether to quit the service he has provided for the ”best part of 20 years”.
”I think many drivers will find themselves wishing to continue to assist the elderly and disabled, but unwilling to shore up the profits of a private corporation…
Dr Hearn took exception to board chairman Joe Butterfield’s reported comments yesterday that volunteers who quit the service would be doing a ”disservice”.
”Meals on wheels drivers are hardly likely to be encouraged by an approach that really amounts to little more than a silly effort to bully drivers,” he said.
So assuming that the Nats do appoint an overseer (who Coleman denies will be called a; “commissioner”) to the SDHB to adminster the funding cuts, the paper savings of the Compass contract will be a high priority for their approval. Then there’s the question of; how much Compass may have donated to certain election campaigns, but I’m not a forensic accountant able to follow concealed money trails.
…so to put it into a nutshell the Nacts starve the Southland District Hospital Board of taxpayer money for health
…so it goes into deficit
….and then has to jettison ‘meals on wheels’ to a private money making company… (one of Nact’s cronyist friends?)
….and its $23 million John key is putting in of New Zealand taxpayer money to change our New Zealand flag against our will ?! ( surveys show New Zealanders dont want their flag changed, especially the RSA and young NZers…they like our flag)
…this $23 million could go into ‘meals on wheels’ and kids lunches in schools ( you know Hone and Metiria’s lunches in schools Bill that the Nacts voted down)
“Conservative Party candidates are bankrolled by hedge fund donations siphoned to Westminster from lucrative tax havens including the Cayman Islands, new analysis suggests…”.
My Good God ! On Campbell Live tonight – in answer to the question “Should Teina Pora get compensation ?” – 12% of respondents say “No”. It beggars belief !
Fetid, hardcore, classist, racist, whatever…….bastards. That can be the ONLY explanation. Makes you pray that they or theirs will personally fall victim to a grave miscarriage of justice on the scale suffered by Teina Pora. Wait…..I hear the primal scream. As I did from worshippers at the temple of TheGodKey in my own family. When my neice, her partner and 18 month old child fell innocent victims to TheGodKey’s 90 day law. Given 5 days to relocate their life from a backblocks farm where they’d ‘enjoyed’ 79 days of modest dwelling accommodation. Charity, but only when it’s you or yours !
Meanwhile a certain ‘hard man’ former detective, for many years a legend in the police force, lives a well-pensioned, comfortable life in retirement. A man who shuts the door of his clinker-brick retirement dwelling in the face of whichever media team calls. With 20 years of Teina Pora’s life on his hands. To the facile and embarrassingly ignorant who will niggle……”Well he did confess……” (quite fine to prey on the weak is it ?) – even as the investigation proceeded there were other detectives who were decidedly uncomfortable with what to them was obviously a fit-up.
Sadly the certain retired detective was of such seniority and such a legend, as in any gang, he could command submission by his subordinates. The now retired detective “had his man”. Who could challenge that ?
Recall seeing him at Papakura District Court at least a couple of decades ago. With gruff majesty, aloofly dispensing ‘acknowledgment’ to young cop after young cop. All lined up nervously semi-genuflecting in his presence.
“Like another cigarette Teina ?”
“Would it help if I pointed out a house Teina ?”
20 years of an innocent man’s life……Det. Steve Rutherford…….who “always gets his man”……..callously adding to the ‘Det. Steve Rutherford Legend’ ? Fukn hell ! Angry Angry !
For those worried about our dependence on housing and dairy as the main economic drivers in NZ, this is a great radio piece about Banks Peninsula sheep farmers who are co-operating into a sort of wool appellation district, and melding with their European customers. It could be an example that is a model for others. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife#audio-20175185
Chris Chamberlain (above left) is chairman of the Banks Peninsula Farms Wool Growers company. He also runs a sheep and beef property with his wife Jacqui near Port Levy on Banks Peninsula. “It was originally started from the farm discussion group we had running on the Peninsula. We were just disillusioned with the price of wool and we decided to be proactive and ask the question, why?”…
Richard Barnett (above right) is one of 40 or so shareholders in Banks Peninsula Farms Wool Growers Limited. He farms with his wife Clare across the bay from the Chamberlains. “One of the problems wool growers in general have had is that we’ve been kept very well divided and not badly served, but it’s been in a lot of other people’s interests to keep us rather ignorant of the wool growing, processing and marketing process”
It’s a detailed interesting doco style interview. They are doing better though it’s hard yards apparently, but they know the problems it seems and forewarned etc. Good on them and I hope they continue on their upward trend.
Thanx Chooky. I am regularly looking at TS and your comments are also interesting, and knowledgable and insightful. If we can keep informing ourselves and others we’ll all get a clearer picture to back any submissions, ideas we take forward, and inform the choices at our next election. There is just so much I haven’t known, or understood fully.
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…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
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 ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
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Elizabeth Warren named in Time Magazine top 100 most influential people.
And Hillary Clinton wrote the piece praising her. http://time.com/3823064/elizabeth-warren-2015-time-100/
“It was always going to take a special kind of leader to pick up Ted Kennedy’s mantle as senior Senator from Massachusetts—champion of working families and scourge of special interests. Elizabeth Warren never lets us forget that the work of taming Wall Street’s irresponsible risk taking and reforming our financial system is far from finished. And she never hesitates to hold powerful people’s feet to the fire: bankers, lobbyists, senior government officials and, yes, even presidential aspirants.
Elizabeth Warren’s journey from janitor’s daughter to Harvard professor to public watchdog to U.S. Senator has been driven by an unflagging determination to level the playing field for hardworking American families like the one she grew up with in Oklahoma. She fights so hard for others to share in the American Dream because she lived it herself.”
Elisabeth Warren would make a far better US President than Hilary Clinton…who is a hawk…
…and Hilary Clinton wants to up the USA propaganda information war…as if it had not got the world into enough wars, especially the Middle East
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBsALgjLK0U
…does this mean that Hilary Clinton wants to censor or restrict the internet?
+1 Chooky. But Clinton has the name recognition – we’re unlikely to see Warren throw her hat in the ring this time around.
The problem this election is that Clinton looks such a sure thing for the Democratic nomination, who is likely to challenge her for the role? Probably Biden, and others of a similar calibre. Those who have future intentions are unlikely to want to soil their image by being an also-ran now. However, the party primary elections are a large part of the USA presidential contest. Without a credible opponent, Clinton is unlikely to get as much media coverage of her primary campaign, and so will be at a disadvantage against whatever man is chosen as the republican face.
As a cartoonist recently expressed: 330M American citizens and somehow it again comes down to a choice between a Bush and a Clinton.
Heh.
for some amusement, here’s one of Hillary’s recent campaign stunts falling over
http://www.dcclothesline.com/2015/04/16/flash-hillarys-dinner-with-ordinary-iowans-was-a-fake/
I’d have to consider that damning with faint praise (or maybe not so faint). As for the American Dream – yeah, you have to be asleep to believe it. Hilary represents the interests that Warren fights.
Whoever makes it to the White House will represent those interests… anyone else won’t get within cooee!
Malcolm Evans is drawing some brilliant cartoons on ANZAC Day at the moment
Patriotism and Truth
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/17/malcolm-evans-anzac-day/
For King and Club
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/16/malcolm-evans-for-king-and-club/
Does anyone know if his cartoons are published in a newspaper or magazine?
There used to be a cartoonist who signed ‘Evans’ who had regular cartoons on the editorial page of The Press (alternating with Al Nisbett, I think).
I don’t get The Press now so don’t know if ‘Evans’ is still one of their cartoonists.
From the style and signature, it certainly seems to be the same ‘Evans’.
never ever forget that the defence forces answer to the crown not us. We are not the crown.
the crown does not hesitate to turn its armies on the people. History is littered with it.
don’t trust them
Amirite posted this at 7 p.m. yesterday evening.
Have reposted at the top of Open Mike so as many people as possible hear of this.
“Bad luck or no coincidence? Unite Union’s office has been broken into, equipment stolen and smashed. It’s not in the news, only on Joe Carolan’s Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/solidarityjoe/posts/10152725245132601?fref=nf“
That is despicable, but surely not unexpected. I hope Unite has better computer security than physical security. If the stolen laptops contain member/ donor info then this will be very bad for them.
Maybe Campbell Live will have a segment on this tonight? It’d fit in well with the coverage they’ve been doing on the struggle against zero-hours.
No wonder Key is trying to shut down Campbell Live.
The rest of the media is just ignoring this story.
Guess reality TV is more important news.
What a joke the media has become.
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/unite-unions-office-robbed-trashed-2015041705#axzz3XVXK7TV4
Of course you have no evidence of Key trying to close it down do you?
Irrelevant. Capitalist forces are at work. The free market at the end of a truncheon.
Thanks for drawing that to our attention Paul, I go here for current news, never read, listen, or watch the shit the media puts out as news.
If this was politically motivated, lets hope it blows up in their face like Watergate. But there is one thing for sure, can’t see out media doing investigative journalism like Watergate.
Whilst we are on the subject of political intimidation and break ins, does anyone know if Nickey Hager has had his gear returned that was confiscated by the police?
That, on the face it, is out and out TERRORISM
“the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.”
As just posted below – look in the complete opposite direction to find the truth… http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17042015/#comment-1001391…. ignore Rebecca Kitteridge 180 degrees
A terrorist attack has just occurred.
From Granddaddy Herald about Dotcom….
Sony’s top copyright lawyer, Aimee Wolfson, said it was “not at all unimaginable” that the internet tycoon would avoid extradition or even successfully defend himself in the United States.
Emails relating to the Dotcom case were revealed by WikiLeaks yesterday in a database of emails hacked from the global entertainment giant.
Those relating to the Dotcom case show Sony to be less sure privately about the criminal and civil charges facing the internet entrepreneur than the bullish public attitude from the Hollywood studios.
Crunch-time for Sony came mid-2014 when the Hollywood studios filed papers in New Zealand courts to restrain Dotcom’s assets.
Ms Wolfson recommended Sony pull back from the joint action against Dotcom in New Zealand.
The other five studios went ahead.
p.s Viacom has already sued You Tube/Google and lost. A File sharing business is not copy write infringement!
That’s why they are seizing his assets so that he can’t defend himself.
Great to have the John Key and the armed defenders and GCSB on the NZ taxpayer
dollar doing all that work for the five studio execs for their civil action.
Even if you do not like Dotcom what is being done here is morally wrong.
+100 saveNZ….
“Even if you do not like Dotcom what is being done here is morally wrong.”
Exactly. I can’t even be bothered saying whether I like the guy or not. It’s irrelevant. I wonder if we’ll get another epic film made in Aotearoa as homage to FJK and to thank him for his efforts on behalf of Hollywood and Wall St? Maybe something about the plucky son of a Jewish refugee who single handedly took on Al Peter File bin Sabin, the head of an international terrorist ring threatening our children, and made Aotearoa safe for our national icons, such as the plastic buzzy bee?
lol…sounds like you should be film director of heavy satire and farce…if I had the money i would definitely back you
‘Threat of terrorist attack in NZ increases.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11434089
Interesting timing for the release of such a story. Is it designed so that ‘consumers’ of the MSM get a little more scared and therefore are more likely to support Key’s deployment of troops to support the club?
Hermann Goering’s quote seems opportune.
“Why of course the people don’t want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don’t want war. The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
So true in NZ today Paul. Not only works for Key re terrorist “threat” but also for criminal “threat” hence tougher sentencing. “Look out! They are just behind you! Run. But we tough Government will protect you, but only if you vote for us.”
Claims of terrorists by government need to be treated the same as claims by whitebaiters about whitebait….. flip it 180 degrees and you will have it roughly right….. look in the completely opposite direction.
but of course most never do – they believe what they are told….. and hence never catch whitebait
it is so f&*^ing simple
I was upset that last night Radio New Zealand CEO announced that RNZ would be joining the I-Heart club and in future all three of their stations would be available on the I-Heart app. Just checked they are there now. Trouble is I see this as a win for NZME in that the RNZ icons will be surrounded by the likes of Newstalkzb and all their other stations. But from Radio NZ’s point I doubt that many commercial listeners will be tempted to cross the divide and sample non commercial radio. RNZ had a perfectly usable app of their own. I wonder just what convinced their board that it would be a good idea to join this commercial con job. Wait a minute just checked the latest board of governors for RNZ – self explanatory really
Where does the New Zealand Labour Party stand on the TPPA?
The Greens, NZF and Mana/Int are all opposed to the TPPA
Why doesn’t Andrew Little and the Labour Party come clean?…and spell it out
Why the NZ Labour Party needs to take a stand and say “no” to the TPPA!…it is more than just a trade deal…it affects the sovereignty of New Zealand
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/opinion/dont-keep-trade-talks-secret.html?_r=2
Come on NZ Labour Party!
I know where Norm Kirk would stand on the TPPA
Under Andrew Little is the NZ Labour Party now a party for the corporates?
..and the take over of sovereign countries and democracies?
Is the New Zealand Labour Party a left wing party or a right wing party?
“Under Andrew Little is the NZ Labour Party now a party for the corporates?”
It has been since Lange.
“..and the take over of sovereign countries and democracies?”
It’s far less worried about this than it should be.
“Is the New Zealand Labour Party a left wing party or a right wing party?”
A right wing party. Any more questions I can answer?
What we already know about the TPPA is more than enough to be firmly opposed to it. Labour’s position is a cop out.
Thanks mr for those concise answers to my questions
…i can now see i wont be voting Labour …even although i joined the Labour Party to support Cunliffe
…I want to vote for a real Left Party that takes NZ sovereignty and Democracy seriously
Agreed, Chooky!
[r0b: odd name / handle – what browser are you using?]
Another oddity…. Umm that looks like character encoding. I will fix that this evening.
The NZLP position has been out for a couple of years, chooky. We want openness and transparency first and foremost. To put it simply, the LP wants to know what’s actually in the document before it supports or opposes it.
http://campaign.labour.org.nz/our_position_on_the_tpp
Not good enough!
The NZ Labour Party should come out openly and oppose the TPPA!…because quite clearly there is no openness….and no openness is intended in TPPA discussions and decisions
The rest of the left has come out and opposed the TPPA!
The Labour Party should be taking a stand to oppose the TPPA …and NOT stay sitting on the fence…and in so doing supporting Nactional and the corporates.
New Zealanders and Labour supporters need the Labour Party to take an unequivocal stand opposing the TPPA! ( not least of all to show up Nactional )
…Norm Kirk would have!…the TPPA negotiations are an attack on New Zealand sovereignty
The Labour Party is not really opposed to the way this is being negotiated because they themselves have been in office where international negotiations have been conducted in secrecy. They are smart enough to realise that this is the way these things are done.
The rest of NZ don’t think that they should be negotiated in secret and that we should have a say in the outcome.
It’s called democracy.
Fascinating. No doubt you’ll have a whole raft of citations for saying Big Norm would have opposed the TPP. Or maybe not if you’re just plucking his name out of the ether. In actual fact Kirk started the process of negotiating trade deals in Asia and Oz to cover for the loss of exports to the UK after they joined the common market.
I suspect Kirk would have agreed with the NZLP’s current position which is that no such deal should be done in secret.
I doubt that Norm kirk would have supported the process of the TPPA…and I suspect he would have joined the other New Zealand left parties in opposing the TPPA outright
Conclusion: The NZ Labour Party is not a left party
..it does not support the stand of other New Zealand left parties
..the NZLP does not oppose the stand of the Nacts and the corporates in secret negotiations which undermine our NZ sovereignty…in so doing it is supporting the John key Nact government
🙄
♫♪clowns to the left of you, jokers to your right♫♫
TPR you are being disingenuous at best.
The TPPA is not quite secret is it?
We know why they want to keep it secret because any knowledge of its contents would make the deal very unpopular.
But despite their best efforts to keep it secret Wikileaks has told us what is in key parts of the deal like the investment chapter.
We know that the main purpose of the TPPA is to give giant corporates much more control over client states so as to protect their profits.
Just look at how NAFTA has worked.
Do you think that Norm Kirk would have approved of NAFTA?
Nah.
NAFTA turned Mexico and Canada into economic slaves of the US. The TPPA will turn the whole of the Pacific rim minus China into a slave camp for the USA.
Is the rightwing of Labour so desperate to keep in the US good books that it is blind to the real content of the TPPA?
Labour’s stand on ‘democracy’ when that ‘democracy’ is denied by another NACT term trading off NZ sovereignty is a pathetic pretext for its gutless fawning on the 1%.
A slave camp – really???
What have wages in Canada done since NAFTA came in to force?
I think it’s got a new name.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/21/pf/labor-trafficking/index.html
These graphs might help answer that question for you
http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2013/09/trends.html
Interesting graphs.
They show that, since the late 1990s, median wages increased in Canada and decreased in the US. At least, that’s the interpretation of the blogger.
That says to me that capital movements between the two countries have, predictably, lowered the overall cost in wages by shifting business to Canada (which, despite improvements in the median rate, still has the lower wage rate).
In sum – and given the larger population of the US – doesn’t that mean that the overall effect of NAFTA (if that is the principal factor causing these movements in the median wage rate as you seem to imply) has been to decrease the return to labour and increase the return to capital? (When the two countries are taken together).
I may be wrong.
This graph also suggests average wages in Mexico haven’t fallen to Slave levels (at least since 2000)
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/mexico/wages
Where are the 2M Mexican farmers who lost their farms after NAFTA represented in those wage statistics?
Or do you now have to look up Californian illegals wage statistics to find them?
The obvious difference is that the TPPA is not a free trade deal. It’s a corporate control and loss of sovereignty deal. Please tell us what Kirk’s equivalent of the Investor Dispute Tribunals was, where we could have been sued for making law that impinged on corporate profits?
This ‘we’. What’s that about? I’m not having a dig here, but I’ve noticed you using the possessive form of ‘we’ when talking about the Labour Party on a few occasions. Assuming you aren’t an official spokesperson for NZ Labour… and knowing that your thoughts aren’t those of all Labour Party members…
My point is that it’s enough of an arse for people around here to constantly reiterate they write in a personal capacity without some-one suddenly bandying the possessive ‘we’ around the show.
@ te reo putake
To easy voter concern, Labour could announce support of NZF’s Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill, which aims to ensure there is no investor-state dispute settlement in international agreements.
+100…but they dont…they are a pale imitation of Nact…they are not really the Left at all
…the sooner people realise this the better and vote for the Greens , Mana/Int or NZF the better….these parties need to form a Left coalition
Labour has had a proud tradition but now is the time to face up to reality
This is depressing – Very.
Very good journalism, but a very depressing story all the same.
How the world bank failed the poor.
http://www.icij.org/project/world-bank/how-world-bank-broke-its-promise-protect-poor
The World Bank did not cause the disruptions to these poor people. It was the authorities in the nations involved. Most of these are democratic as far as I can tell. Why is the World Bank responsible when these people’s elected representatives are the ones failing them?
If the World Bank had kept to its policies those local authorities wouldn’t have got the money thus the World Bank is as culpable as the local authorities.
The IMF and the World Bank flood the unaccountable elites of a country with hundreds of millions, load up the nation with debt, and Gossie is surprised it doesn’t go well.
Gossie probably thinks it’s all working well. After all, the deserving rich are getting richer while the lazy poor are getting what’s coming to them /sarc.
Can National fool all the people all the time?
This information was posted last night on the Daily Review by Adrian:
The SAME two National sycophants dressed in blue were in two completely different places within a minute !
Observe the video at 1:00 and 1:53.
The two Nat women simply went (or were asked to go) to another spot to repeat the charade. They changed the way they stood before to shake hands with Key: At 1:00 the older woman is on the left, but at 1:53, on the right!
The stupid National propaganda crooks probably thought they could fool all the people all the time!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67521779/i-wont-pick-up-phone-key-dismisses-peters
The less-than-heartening alternative is that these are two genuine Nat fans, who thought nothing of rushing around to another venue in order to meet up with FJK again…. (the “thought nothing” would be indicative of their usual mode then)
And there are only two NAct fans in Dargaville – I find that endearing.
Also, Osbourne amusingly checks his empty wrist for the time. Super sharp, that bunch.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is record store day. Of course, every day is vinyl day in the Putake whare, but it would be great if Standardistas could pop into these fine emporiums and spin the black circle:
http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues?country=New%20Zealand
For my sins, here is the first rekkid I bought:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCcaP5z4xbg
Mmmm, groovy and philosophical at the same time. Nice.
I live in an 51 square metre apartment in central Auckland. Space for a vinyl spinner doesn’t exist. Email, books, music, and video all exist in virtual machines on the same box that is the primary server for The Standard.
8Tb in a RAID6 stores a *lot* of encrypted data.
I have the answer to your space problem, Lprent!
http://www.mixfoundation.co.nz/dj-slipmats-and-accessories/stokyo-soundwagon.html
Of course I then have to store the vinyl. 😈
I have boxes of CDs and DVDs stored at relatives already after I ‘backed’ them up onto my drive (and the offsite archive). These days I just get the digital forms rather than adding to redundant plastics.
I have a difficulty in using up 1TB of data although that will probably change at some point in the nearish future (re-learning programming so I can get a few projects done).
I can use a terabyte with ease. That is what my laptops have these days.
A very fast way to fill up hard drives is to start using virtual machines for developing software projects. You can get them configured exactly for requirements and not have them go sour on you as you add one more “essential” software package or game.
Then have a pile of them around with different variants of operating systems for testing.
@TRP.. you sad old git !
Join the club. 😆
I’ve been in the mood this morning; AK79, Cherry Red compilation Pillows and Prayers, London Calling and side four of Sandinista. And I’ve got some Sonny Okosun and Sunny Ade for the crucial post lunch energiser. Put the needle to the groove, party people!
Did Nicola Sturgeon just wipe the floor with Ed Miliband? This clip from last night’s UK debate suggests she did 🙂
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/16/miliband-sturgeon-final-tv-debate-anti-tory-coalition
Appealing to false nonsense (Nicola only wants to break up the UK…SNP brought down Labour when Nicola was 9 years old because like, there were absolutely no other parties in Westminster voting against Labour in 1979…ruling out a coalition the SNP has already said it has no interest in etc).
Not going to fly Ed. Not going to fly.
Sounds remarkably like the Labour Party here over the last few years of them failing badly.
They’re exactly like the NZ Labour Party.
Both are failing badly because both of them abandoned their roots. That the Labour Party in Scotland looks close to be being wiped out by a party that has grafted itself onto those abandoned roots should be a wee bit of a heads up for NZ Labour.
But I’ll bet they just cover their ears and eyes and carry on failing, on the premise that they only have to fail less than the Nats to form a government…and people wonder why ‘no-one’ gives a fuck any more?
A common impression within NZLP ‘higher ups’ is that voters barely care about or even remember the 1980s Rogernomics years and Labour’s role in bringing the neoliberal trojan horse into the gates of the country.
Oh, I know they see no need to apologise as a process of making a very public break from the past.
That as it may be, any refusal to learn very simple lesson from just a cursory glance at the state of Labour in Scotland is fucked up to the nth degree.
Andrew Little could also do worse than view that latest BBC leaders debate and pay particular attention to the audience reaction on progressives offering support and Labour posturing, given that only 5% of the audience would have been people intending to vote SNP and maybe another few percent voting for either the Greens or Plaid Cymru.
Is that why they won’t apologise for Rogernomics? Because they think no one remembers? I always thought it was because they were proud of having done it.
And thats very plausible as well.
A good result for Labour, apparently:
“His deadly opponent was Nicola Sturgeon. He could have been easy meat for her deft jibes, but with a powerful defence of the union, he more than survived; he might even have retrieved some Scottish votes.
Miliband’s team will be rightly delighted. At every outing he grows in strength and confidence. Once he thought presentation didn’t matter – now he knows better.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/16/challengers-final-tv-debate-general-election-columnists-verdict
There’s only one result which counts. And it’s coming up soon.
Aye well, that’s according to Polly Toynbee on Ed. You read her pale pink banner waving columns? Of course she would talk up Miliband.
And then there’s the next one down, Deborah Orr on Sturgeon
But regardless of what various pundits have to say, I’ve just watched the entire debate and noted that Nicola was the only one to get loud cheers from the audience and interestingly, when Ed played the ‘they want to break up this country’ card….nothing. In fact, overall, Ed got not a lot in the way of applause or affirmation from the audience.
At the close of the 90 minutes, Miliband turned his fire on his absent rival, saying:
“David Cameron refused to come and debate tonight, but I have got a message for him. David, if you think this election is about leadership, then debate me one on one. I believe my ideas, my vision for the country are better for the working families of Britain. If you disagree, then prove it. Debate me and let the people decide.”
How did the challengers fare in the final TV debate? Guardian columnists’ verdict
In a Survation/Mirror poll, the only snap verdict on the contest,
Miliband was declared the winner with 35%; Sturgeon, 31%; the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, 27%; the Green party leader, Natalie Bennett, 5%; and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood, 2%.
Hmm.
RT: Assange says Scottish independence seen as national security threat by UK spies
Full range of covert activities and “dirty tricks” against the SNP and its MPs and leaders could be expected.
http://rt.com/uk/250105-scotland-referendum-surveillance-assange/
I do like how Nicola Sturgeon presents herself.
Looks like Syriza is rapidly running out of options. It will have to break one of the their key election pledges.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/16/greece-moves-step-closer-to-grexit-after-imf-snub
Varoufakis speaks at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, April 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhcYW_Ae9YE
I’d say that was all to the good especially as it’s obviously the rest of Europe, especially Germany, that’s pushing Greece from The Euro.
Does anyone have any answers to the Mike Sabin conundrum? I am wondering why he has been able to take up his new job when he is currently under investigation – or are the Internet rumours untrue about the nature of the offences against him? The Internet has been frustratingly quiet.
#whatswithsabinsnewjob
(Yes, I am fascinated with the Sabin story – mostly because I wondered how on earth Brook Sabin was able to continue to work at TV3 without a conflict of interest being declared during Election 2014.)
We are all pretty much in the dark about what is going on re Sabin and have to wait to see how things play out in the meantime.
This is another interesting article yesterday on the NBR website where it seems the Northland resort where Sabin now works has refused to talk.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/sabin-linked-luxury-resort-goes-ground-over-new-ceo-jb-171490
Hmm, dodgy ex-National MP now CEO of high-end luxury Chinese property development enterprise.
Who’d have thunk it.
November 9th 2013…
‘Shanghai CRED Real Estate Co. has purchased a New Zealand resort hotel as well as an adjacent vineyard and golf course which it plans to develop and promote to wealthy Chinese tourists.
The resort “can provide the sort of holiday experience that high-income Chinese and other international tourists are seeking,” Guo Gui, general manager of Shanghai CRED, said in the statement. His company has been involved with similar properties in China and will promote Carrington through its many tourism contacts, he said.
Shanghai CRED bought the 1,100-hectare (2,700-acre) property from a U.S.- based owner, it said in the statement. The purchase price was treated as confidential when the Overseas Investment Office granted consent in July, and isn’t being disclosed, Cedric Allan, a New Zealand spokesman for the buyer, said in a telephone interview today.’
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-11-09/shanghai-cred-buys-new-zealand-resort-eyes-chinese-tourists
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/201345/Carrington.pdf
“Shanghai CRED is one of Shanghai’s largest property development companies. Their purchase of the 1,100 hectare (2,718 acre) Peppers Carrington resort – which includes a seaside golf course and vineyard – is the first significant Chinese investment in New Zealand’s tourism sector. The New Zealand government is targeting a fivefold increase in the number of Chinese visitors to New Zealand by 2018.
The Chapman Tripp team advised on the acquisition, Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consent, the structuring of Shanghai CRED’s New Zealand entities and employment contracts and is assisting with immigration requirements.
Partner Bill Sandston led the team, which included senior associate Tessa Kennings and solicitor Ruonan Duan.
Bill Sandston said: “Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approval and Chinese language skills were integral to the deal’s success and we are one of the few full-service law firms able to support our clients in this way.
“Our work for Shanghai Cred, as well as our representation of Shanghai Pengxin in its Crafar Farms purchase and current takeover bid for Canterbury dairy farmer Synlait Farms, reinforces our reputation for acting on Chinese investors’ most complex OIO approvals.”
http://www.chapmantripp.com/news/Pages/Chapman-Tripp-advises-on-China%27s-first-big-tourism-investment-in-New-Zealand.aspx
Just on a tangent… that resort, purchased by foreigners, to cater to the foreigners exclusive wealthy elite when they need a break, will do jack-shit for NZ.
A few cleaners and staff on minimum wage possible. That’s it.
All profit, which derives in bulk from our whenua, will go back to those foreign lands. In fact I would guess that pretty much all payments made for staying at the resort will be made back in those foreign lands and never even cross our borders.
Plus – that locality has had plans in the past for an international airport.
The foreigners will fly in directly, fly out again, and no money or anything will land in NZ itself.
How is that good for us? Does anyone know?
wrong. so very very wrong.
In the comments below the NBR article, for what it is worth…
“The word on the Northland vine is that there will by 600+ properties built as a possible gated community, with the resort flying in rich Chinese to play among the dunes.
Guess we will not be welcome and it is a shame Winnie can not stop this debacle because, despite assurances, I can not see us us locals being invited unless it is as local help.
OIO has a lot to answer for — they are screwing NZ and selling off its carcass.
We thought that the north was safe from this kind of treachery. Seems not.”
I heard a story that the chief witness in a case, a female police officer, has gone overseas. I do not know if this is true and I am not saying it has anything to do with Sabin. What I will say is that the NAct Party is filthier than I had thought possible.
Interesting, Murray. Pity you won’t be in a certain place on Monday, but if there is a ‘meeting’ it may turn out to be a short session with the legals only to extend certain remand provisions. I understand that this extension would have been outside the brief of the Auckland HC dealing with the appeal against disclosure,
[Are you here or there? Hope all goes well – Princess Alex? – I have everything crossed for good news.]
If everyone with a family or personal connection to an MP was forbidden from being a journalist we’d have a very small press gallery. Possibly non-existent.
Light relief: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11dao5_triumph-at-spin-alley-2004-10-20_fun
Triumph the puppet takes on party PR hacks after a leaders debate in run up to the 2004 US election. I hadn’t seen this before, but I got more than one actual lol from this. Recommended.
The Greens claim it was the lone political voice supporting a capital gains tax on property.
Little is now wisely talking about LVR restrictions.
Therefore, does that mean Labour have dropped the notion of a CGT?
Internally within Labour it has generally (although not universally) been finally recognised that a CGT is a dead rat which voters will not swallow.
More importantly though, Labour have not put together a comprehensive and cohesive housing and accomodation programme for NZ yet. It’s still very bitsy and unfocussed.
That’s good to hear (re CGT). Although, they took their time coming around.
It does sound as if Labour are still putting things together.
LVR restrictions are the way to go,. Regional flexibility is also a plus, but they will also have to avert investors ability to leverage off equity, otherwise LVR restrictions will become toothless.
Now we require to get the Greens in tune to put forward a united front.
LVR?
Loan-to-value ratio restrictions. In short, requiring higher deposits from property investors.
There is nothing really wrong with that…only a mug would get a home loan with no deposit.
It’s really the way forward, Millsy.
Not only will it reduce risk (for both the borrower and lender) it also slows speculation and in turn increases savings. Removing the need for a CGT and compulsory KiwiSaver – win-win.
Additionally, as it removes the heat out of the property market, it gives the Reserve Bank scope to lower the OCR, thus taking pressure off the NZ dollar.
Bill, for some reason I can’t reply directly to your ‘we’ question above. I use we as a possessive on an occasion because I’m a proud Labour party member. We members share ownership of the party, so it’s not grammatically inappropriate usage when talking about things like settled policy. However, if I’m talking about a LP MP’s press release or caucus activity in general, I wouldn’t use the possessive because I’m a step (or two) removed.
Yeah, I think I understand why you use it…in line with ‘we won’ when in actual fact the person saying it was sitting on their chuff watching the Black Caps or who-ever on the TV.
My sole thought is that in relation to commenting on ‘ts’, it can be a less than helpful habit when used in relation to political parties given the bullshit that’s thrown this way by some who claim ‘ts’ is a mouthpiece of this or that political entity.
As an aside, no policy is ever settled, is it? I mean, policy remits to conference and what have you… 😉
Good point about TS! Hadn’t thought of it from that perspective. Mind you, most of the most obsessive about the supposed TS/LP link are folk like WO, PG and Bomber who know it’s not true anyway.
I’ve been trying to think of other situations where I’d use ‘we’ like that. Not many, really. The only comparable situation is that when talking about football; I will say things like ‘we all hope Big Sam gets sacked’ as if I have a Borg like connection to every other West Ham fan in the universe.
We means we when its up to me.
We means me when its up to thee.
Is that not ABC says TRP.
As a followup to the Compass takeover of the SDHB meals on wheels program, which I commented on yeterday:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/339379/volunteers-unhappy-meals-plan
However, the SDHB has its own problems and may not end up having the final say (even if they are convinced by the outcry against the scheme):
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/339385/sdhb-serious-freefall
So assuming that the Nats do appoint an overseer (who Coleman denies will be called a; “commissioner”) to the SDHB to adminster the funding cuts, the paper savings of the Compass contract will be a high priority for their approval. Then there’s the question of; how much Compass may have donated to certain election campaigns, but I’m not a forensic accountant able to follow concealed money trails.
…so to put it into a nutshell the Nacts starve the Southland District Hospital Board of taxpayer money for health
…so it goes into deficit
….and then has to jettison ‘meals on wheels’ to a private money making company… (one of Nact’s cronyist friends?)
….and its $23 million John key is putting in of New Zealand taxpayer money to change our New Zealand flag against our will ?! ( surveys show New Zealanders dont want their flag changed, especially the RSA and young NZers…they like our flag)
…this $23 million could go into ‘meals on wheels’ and kids lunches in schools ( you know Hone and Metiria’s lunches in schools Bill that the Nacts voted down)
….where is the Labour Party on this?
This is pretty shocking…it couldnt be happening in NZ as well could it?…surely not….but how would we know?
….such a kerfuffle was made of Dotcom’s donations to the Int/Mana Party….but what were the Nacts up to?
‘Tories bankrolled by hedge funds in offshore tax havens, new analysis shows’
http://rt.com/uk/250325-tories-bankrolled-hedgefunds-industry/
“Conservative Party candidates are bankrolled by hedge fund donations siphoned to Westminster from lucrative tax havens including the Cayman Islands, new analysis suggests…”.
– See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/16/the-daily-blog-open-mic-thursday-16th-april-2015/#comment-282742
My Good God ! On Campbell Live tonight – in answer to the question “Should Teina Pora get compensation ?” – 12% of respondents say “No”. It beggars belief !
Fetid, hardcore, classist, racist, whatever…….bastards. That can be the ONLY explanation. Makes you pray that they or theirs will personally fall victim to a grave miscarriage of justice on the scale suffered by Teina Pora. Wait…..I hear the primal scream. As I did from worshippers at the temple of TheGodKey in my own family. When my neice, her partner and 18 month old child fell innocent victims to TheGodKey’s 90 day law. Given 5 days to relocate their life from a backblocks farm where they’d ‘enjoyed’ 79 days of modest dwelling accommodation. Charity, but only when it’s you or yours !
Meanwhile a certain ‘hard man’ former detective, for many years a legend in the police force, lives a well-pensioned, comfortable life in retirement. A man who shuts the door of his clinker-brick retirement dwelling in the face of whichever media team calls. With 20 years of Teina Pora’s life on his hands. To the facile and embarrassingly ignorant who will niggle……”Well he did confess……” (quite fine to prey on the weak is it ?) – even as the investigation proceeded there were other detectives who were decidedly uncomfortable with what to them was obviously a fit-up.
Sadly the certain retired detective was of such seniority and such a legend, as in any gang, he could command submission by his subordinates. The now retired detective “had his man”. Who could challenge that ?
Recall seeing him at Papakura District Court at least a couple of decades ago. With gruff majesty, aloofly dispensing ‘acknowledgment’ to young cop after young cop. All lined up nervously semi-genuflecting in his presence.
“Like another cigarette Teina ?”
“Would it help if I pointed out a house Teina ?”
20 years of an innocent man’s life……Det. Steve Rutherford…….who “always gets his man”……..callously adding to the ‘Det. Steve Rutherford Legend’ ? Fukn hell ! Angry Angry !
For those worried about our dependence on housing and dairy as the main economic drivers in NZ, this is a great radio piece about Banks Peninsula sheep farmers who are co-operating into a sort of wool appellation district, and melding with their European customers. It could be an example that is a model for others.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife#audio-20175185
Chris Chamberlain (above left) is chairman of the Banks Peninsula Farms Wool Growers company. He also runs a sheep and beef property with his wife Jacqui near Port Levy on Banks Peninsula. “It was originally started from the farm discussion group we had running on the Peninsula. We were just disillusioned with the price of wool and we decided to be proactive and ask the question, why?”…
Richard Barnett (above right) is one of 40 or so shareholders in Banks Peninsula Farms Wool Growers Limited. He farms with his wife Clare across the bay from the Chamberlains. “One of the problems wool growers in general have had is that we’ve been kept very well divided and not badly served, but it’s been in a lot of other people’s interests to keep us rather ignorant of the wool growing, processing and marketing process”
It’s a detailed interesting doco style interview. They are doing better though it’s hard yards apparently, but they know the problems it seems and forewarned etc. Good on them and I hope they continue on their upward trend.
interesting …thanks greywarshark
Thanx Chooky. I am regularly looking at TS and your comments are also interesting, and knowledgable and insightful. If we can keep informing ourselves and others we’ll all get a clearer picture to back any submissions, ideas we take forward, and inform the choices at our next election. There is just so much I haven’t known, or understood fully.