Open mike 17/05/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 17th, 2015 - 76 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

76 comments on “Open mike 17/05/2015 ”

  1. esoteric pineapples 1

    I thought Andrew Little gave a good interview with Brent Edwards on National Radio’s Focus on Politics last Friday evening – arguing for business growth but with employees benefiting as well, and that National has blown economic opportunities since in government. If Mark Shaw was to be the new male co-leader for the Greens, that could make for a good combo.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/focusonpolitics/audio/201754613/focus-on-politics-for-15-may-2015

  2. a recommended-listen is ‘parliament this week’ which played about 7.20 this morn..(rnz..)

    ..it covered a select committee where the head of reserve bank and wingmen were questioned..

    ..both robertson and norman asked good questions..

    ..and the reserve bank head uttered ominous warnings about what will happen if the dairy price does not rebound..

    (10% of dairy farms straight down the gurgler..)

    ..and the whole conversation is predicated on that price returning in about a yr..

    ..now..colour me fucken gobsmacked..r we to take it that the head of the reserve bank..and robertson..and norman..

    ..are not aware of the perfect-storm just starting to lick at the edge of the dairy industry..?..on two fronts..?

    ..are not aware of the predictions for the current market-glut driving prices down – to last for the next five years..?

    ..do they all not know this..?..they sure as hell aren’t planning for it..

    ..the other front in that perfect storm is the big players (china etc..) gearing up big-time – to inevitably produce an ocean of milk..

    ..how can anyone look at those two irrefutable-facts – and not know/realise what deep shit the dairy industry/the banking industry/the economy are lurching into..?

    (..property-bubble – dairy-bubble..bubbles bubbles everywhere..)

    ..and/but that the head of our reserve bank – and the cited political-luminaries – seem to have no idea of what is bearing down upon us..

    ..disturbs me quite a bit..

    ..how could it not..?

    and please..!..if anyone reading this has any influence with iwi thinking of plunging their treaty settlement money into the ‘white gold’ of dairy..

    ..cd u plse ask them to just wait for awhile..

    (and if for no other reasons – than there will be..starting in about a years’ time..lots of over-geared dairy farm coming up for auction..

    ..cashed-up iwi will be able to join foreigners – in picking over the corpses..

    ..buying in now..wd be madness..

    ..that ‘white gold’ is really just tarnished-gilt..)

    • b waghorn 2.1

      and please..!..if anyone reading this has any influence with iwi thinking of plunging their treaty settlement money into the ‘white gold’ of dairy..

      ..cd u plse ask them to just wait for awhile..

      I know a guy who owned a farm and sold, it just after he sold it and while his money was still in the bank word on the street was that land prices were going to drop in the near future , so he decided to sit and wait.
      The opposite happened and he’s been unable to get back in since .
      While I think it’s likely there will be some come up for auction farmers are very good at riding out tough times . It will be more likely they will sell there grazing blocks , reduce there stock numbers and go back to all grass production (which is a good thing) and reduce staff numbers.

      • phillip ure 2.1.1

        but the reality is that the good-times for dairy are over…

        ..those prices will not come back…

        (and i haven’t even gone near the impending arrival of mu-free – the faux/animal-free-dairy indistinguishable from the real stuff – much cheaper to produce – doesn’t need to be refrigerated..

        ..so that perfect-storm for dairy farmers really has three fronts..)

        • b waghorn 2.1.1.1

          No doubt there’s some big head winds the biggest being the removal of the production controls in Europe.

          • phillip ure 2.1.1.1.1

            plus china and brazil – to name just two behemoths…

            ..both are investing big-time in dairy..

            ..our industry..down at the bottom of the world..

            ..is fucked…

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.2

            Actually, I think the biggest is that the US has been seriously increasing milk production. Then there’s what’s happening in China:

            However Australia raises the alarm: “Within five years, those massive Aussie cow exports to China will get that country self-sufficient. Within 10-15 years, it will become one of our major competitors,” claims Darryl Cardona, COO of United Dairy Power. Indeed, according to Euromonitor, with a value of $70 billion in 2019, the Chinese dairy market will have overtaken the American one as the world’s No.1. From then on, the Chinese dairy sector which had started from nowhere 20 years earlier, would be an exporting hub, endowed with an unbeatable economy of scale and pricing power…

            And Australia isn’t the only country that’s been exporting cows to China.

            The thing about agriculture is that pretty much every country can do it and it really doesn’t take any special knowledge.

            • b waghorn 2.1.1.1.2.1

              “”The thing about agriculture is that pretty much every country can do it and it really doesn’t take any special knowledge.””
              You’re right it just takes the ability to feed them which could become harder with gcc and bee population collapse . Although I was told the other day that European country’s have at times dumped grain into the Atlantic to keep supply controlled so there’s still plenty of food out there.
              With the beef prices high and milk crashing the yanks are likely to kill a lot of there stock which might help prices a bit in the short term.

      • Colonial Rawshark 2.1.2

        I know a guy who owned a farm and sold, it just after he sold it and while his money was still in the bank word on the street was that land prices were going to drop in the near future , so he decided to sit and wait.
        The opposite happened and he’s been unable to get back in since .

        Nah that man got out lucky as far as I can see. Did he make a solid tax free capital gain when he sold? Does he have enough money to live comfortably, albeit not extravagantly, for the rest of his life? Then what’s the problem.

        In this financial bubble game of musical chairs, say the music is going to stop 5 minutes in, and there are definitely not going to be enough chairs for everyone.

        You pull out of the game 4 minutes in, a minute from disaster, but you are now safe yourself.

        Are you then going to spend the next one minute jealous that the music is still playing, everyone else still seems to be having plenty of fun and wishing that you were still in there in the soon to be over game, with them?

        Fuck no, that’s the wrong way to think about it. As will become clear shortly.

        • Chooky 2.1.2.1

          the smart farmers realised 10 years ago that dairy was a short term gold rush

          …and did NOT go into debt!….and some even sold their dairy potential land up for a whacking good price and bought many more acres of mixed crop and sheep hill country farms

          ….so it is not as if this was unexpected!

          …this Jonkey Nact govt has been negligent!….and short sighted!

        • b waghorn 2.1.2.2

          “Nah that man got out lucky as far as I can see. Did he make a solid tax free capital gain when he sold? Does he have enough money to live comfortably, albeit not extravagantly, for the rest of his life? Then what’s the problem.””
          I don’t know his financial situation and wouldn’t tell you if I did. He’s had to go back to having a boss which has its pluses but who really enjoys being owned.
          His reasons for selling were because the only way to get into ownership was to buy way the hell out in the middle of nowhere and he hoped to get onto a easier block in a handier spot.

    • Clemgeopin 2.2

      I do not understand the wisdom of our government and farmers allowing the export of LIVE cows, bull and sheep to overseas countries such as China and the Middle East as has been happening now! Isn’t that a short sighted idea? Do any of you know what is the logic of doing that? Isn’t it smarter and better to sell and export the golden eggs, rather than the goose that lays them?

      • b waghorn 2.2.1

        There’s a lot of money to be made buy the farmers supplying high quality stock to China etc I guess that it also keeps prices up for stock here to because it would stop over supply in the local market.
        People used to go on about how our helping other country’s with kiwifruit will kill the industry but it hasn’t happened.
        Its all tied up with opening up markets IMO good PR and all that.

        • Clemgeopin 2.2.1.1

          “Its all tied up with opening up markets IMO good PR and all that”

          What does that even mean? Can you explain?

          • b waghorn 2.2.1.1.1

            Just like the latest sheep to the desert bribe sending our stock and expertise has been used by government and business’s to open up markets and target free trade for years.

            • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1.1.1.1

              And the end result will be less trade as the country that we want to open up for trade will become ever more self-sufficient.

              • Macro

                Exactly!
                I began my working career in the research branch of what was then the Dairy Board. We had hundreds of herd testers around the country sampling the milk out put of every cow in the country. Not only that we had the ancestory of every cow and bull and those that were the less efficient we eventually culled from the national herd. This was how NZ increased its milk production per cow over all other countries. As well as having a climate (at that time) that was sustainable for milk production in certain regions.*
                Shipping years of genetic development overseas is simply ludicrous as we give away our competitive advantage for nothing.**

                * Dairying in the Waikato – once the supreme dairying region of NZ has suffered 4 droughts in the past 5 years. Dry matter production has fallen 20% from 15 tonne to 12 tonne per hectare. With the cost of production rising to over $5 / kg the profit margin is approaching negative territory.
                The summer of 2015-16 looks likely with a continuing El Nino (Jan15 – April15 hottest 4 months on record )to be even dryer than before.
                Only fools will invest in Dairying in NZ in the future.
                ** Incidentally NZers seems to think that NZ is one of the major players in Dairying! We certainly punch above our weight with respect to output per cow and our production costs are comparatively low by international standards (overlooking externalities like highly polluted rivers and massive GHG emissions and short lived animals as the cost of poisoned animals (Urea sprayed on grass and Roundup sprayed on grass and Maize just prior to the making of silage). But we are really small players on the International stage. 9th overall well behind India.
                http://www.nddb.org/English/Statistics/Pages/Milk-Production-across-countries.aspx

        • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1.2

          People used to go on about how our helping other country’s with kiwifruit will kill the industry but it hasn’t happened.

          No, it doesn’t destroy the industry – it destroys trade in that industry as other countries no longer need to import from us because they either grow them themselves or import from somewhere closer. The industry here will still exist to provide for the local market.

          This really should apply to all products and produce as the locally produced stuff will be just as good as the imported stuff while being cheaper because of the lack of added transport costs.

  3. Charles 3

    This is addressed to Phil, or anyone else who’s interested, regarding the idea about Iwi delaying investment in dairy, owing to the future looking to be what it is.

    For some reason the reply button isn’t showing, so can’t tag it on.

    Just as a thought experiment i.e. phil’s opinion stands unchallenged:

    Two days ago I was chatting to a bloke who is Ngati Tuwharetoa – that’s Taupo/Rotorua area. He was in as much of a bind as the rest of us when it comes to dealing with our daily challenges. Turns out, almost half his tribe, and by tribe I only mean the “officially recorded people who say they belong”, is under the age of fifteen. They number roughly 30,000. This isn’t something isolated. The local tribe round here was almost “offically” non-existent ten years ago. Now they’re recorded as up around 1000.
    Now if you were an Iwi leader, I’d think you’d be aware of that fact in far greater detail – both the opportunity and potential crisis. So let’s say you have cash to spend, and the choice is invest now to prepare for your young people growing up, or wait, as would seem prudent (using pakeha perspective), keep your cash, but infringe your cultural values (e.g. neglect the value of and spiritual element of the land to maori) and risk a crisis with your young people. Tough choices.

    So as a thought experiment, if delaying buying land that you know is going to devalue, that you know the “plant” of the purchase will devalue, maybe even become useless, what do you also plan to do with that purchase, within that unfavourable environment, to save your community/people?

    • i think a good choice for iwi would be to look at what james cameron has done in the wairarapa..

      ..where he has bought large dairy farms – and has converted them back to growing real food..

      ..he is experimenting with lots of different crops..to see what works best..and i understand he is also making the results of those growing-experiments available online..for free..

      ..and i am sure that if approached by iwi – that cameron (or his staff) would be happy to advise/help/consult..

      so yes..of course iwi should invest in land..(and then grow real food..)..

      ..but timing is all…and buying that land at the height of the dairy-bubble – is not advisable..

      ..and preparing for a future where there is no river of white-gold – is really recommended..

      • The Murphey 3.1.1

        Q. Might Cameron be experimenting with GMO ?

        Q. What could prevent him doing so ?

      • Chooky 3.1.2

        +100 pu….i always find stimulating reading your comments and arguments…and the way you say it !…you are one of the best commenters here….(although I sometimes have strong disagreements with you)

        ….iwi should be very wary about the dairy industry…not least of all because of the degradation to the rivers and land ( that the OLD Maori treasured and which sustained them spiritually and economically)

        ….now is the time to be experimenting with new crops and food production…and following the lead of James Cameron ….and the lead of ag scientific and marketing advisors from universities such as Lincoln

        …in other words proceeding with great caution and with expert university advice

      • DoublePlusGood 3.1.3

        Milk is actually food, FYI.

      • Maui 3.1.4

        Thanks Phillip for mentioning what James Cameron is doing, I had been wondering what he was doing with that land of his. I just did a search and found this article on what he’s been up to: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/67572692/james-cameron-snaps-up-organic-empire

        Should be good for the health of Lake Wairarapa anyway.

    • weka 3.2

      “So as a thought experiment, if delaying buying land that you know is going to devalue, that you know the “plant” of the purchase will devalue, maybe even become useless, what do you also plan to do with that purchase, within that unfavourable environment, to save your community/people?”

      Pretty simple. Stop treating land as a financial investment and buy land that will grow food for the people that live there, nourish the spiritual and cultural values of those people, and create small enterprises so that people can make a living. In perpetuity. That’s what Pākehā need to learn pretty bloody fast. I get why some iwi leaders are into the Pākehā model, but it’s unsustainable and doomed and any financial profit comes at the expense of others.

      • Psycho Milt 3.2.1

        Small enterprises, sure, but tribes having land that grows food for the people who live there is called “subsistence agriculture” and is a recipe for poverty and misery everywhere it’s applied.

        • phillip ure 3.2.1.1

          what cameron is doing is testing for the viability of commercial-crops –

          – not some hippie subsistance-farming..do pay attention..!

          ..so it makes perfect sense for iwi and others to take what he is offering for free..

          ..dairy is down the toilet..and what we do next is crucially important..

          ..cameron is the right man in the right place at the right time..

          ..we should be grateful he is doing it..

          ..as poliicians wouldn’t have a fucken clue..

          • Psycho Milt 3.2.1.1.1

            The comment was in reply to weka, not you – unless Cameron is eschewing the idea of ‘financial profit’ from farming.

            • Ariadne 3.2.1.1.1.1

              So what’s on your mind lately?

              How are you ‘in general’?

              Do you like when we communicate?

        • weka 3.2.1.2

          “Small enterprises, sure, but tribes having land that grows food for the people who live there is called “subsistence agriculture” and is a recipe for poverty and misery everywhere it’s applied.”

          As opposed to the poverty and misery that exists now in the land of export, cash crop, market driven economy that iwi are being encouraged to take part in? How’s that working out?

          Besides I think you have probably misunderstood what I was referring to. Growing food was shorthand for providing for the people directly instead of relying on artificial means. People do it all the time.

  4. Molly 4

    Interesting conversation with someone over the weekend involved in organising the tangihanga for Sir Paul Reeves.

    Sir Paul Reeves had, with immense grace and foresight, prearranged much of the event in advance, as he came towards the end of his life. He had organised to lie in State at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the tangihanga, before going to the Cathedral for the funeral.

    This required an immense effort for the community, who in coordination with AUT, NZ Army and Navy managed to pull this off. As it was a state funeral, the Department of Internal Affairs contacted those involved to talk about the schedule and the budget during the preliminary organisational phase.

    Officials from that department, instead of visiting the venue in Grafton, required representatives to attend a meeting at the Nova hotel in Greenlane. You can imagine how disconcerting and uncomfortable it would be to have the responsibility of arranging a state funeral, and to be involved in making sure protocols for the Anglican Church and tikanga are followed – and then be required to take time out to attend a corporate styled meeting in the midst of it.

    During the meeting, the officials broached the subject of the schedule and enquired if there was a space available for a government representative to speak. There was uncertainty about why or who would speak, but one of the attendees advised the officials that there is one person who would not be welcome – John Key.

    A communication arrived the next day informing the organisers that the Dept of Internal Affairs would not be paying for the tangihanga, and that the money would come out of the Te Puni Kokiri budget.

    I have very little reason to query the veracity of this story.

    I am no longer surprised at the cronyism of our government, but was momentarily disconcerted by the sheer pettiness shown.

  5. AsleepWhileWalking 5

    “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone”.

    – David Cameron speaking to the National Security Council, 13 May 2015

    • Halfcrown 5.1

      So the saying by right wing prats “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” has now just flown out of the window.

    • b waghorn 5.2

      I find that one of the most ominous things I’ve heard it can only mean full surveillance.
      Mind you I googled travargo the other day had a quick look and left and now I’m getting emails from them despite not contacting them in any way.
      So were being watched buy the computers already.

      • greywarshark 5.2.1

        @ bwaghorn
        Did you put them into your Facebook references or something? They are a travel information company aren’t they. Perhaps there is some connection through FB or similar.

        • b waghorn 5.2.1.1

          No just a quick Google looked at it for a minute max then the next day they turned up in the promotions part of my g.mail as a ad. So there is a link there with Google but at no point did I actively make contact. I wouldn’t say its got me worried but it’s hardening my conviction that anything you do online should be self moderated because fuck knows who’s looking.
          Yes there a travel agency

  6. both peters and turei performed well on q & a..

    ..given how labour are still stuck up that neoliberal backwater – turei and peters are the de-facto leaders of the opposition..

    • greywarshark 6.1

      To hear Turia Fitzsimons and Brash on the budget-to-come and needed economic reforms, listen on Radionz this a.m.
      at –
      10:25 Pre-Budget Panel
      On Thursday Finance Minister Bill English will deliver his seventh budget. Few people will be expecting any real surprises. Budgets these days tend to be steady-as-you-go affairs with little in the way of major announcements or wallet altering policies. But if the Government were of a mind to introduce some radical economic reforms what should they be? Former leader of the National and ACT parties Don Brash; former co-leader of the Greens Jeanette Fitzsimons, and former Maori Party co-leader and cabinet minister Tariana Turia discuss the economic reforms they believe would most benefit Aotearoa/New Zealand.

    • Clemgeopin 6.2

      Stop constantly putting your boot into Labour. You are suffering from Hooton’s biass disease. Smoke it off.

      • phillip ure 6.2.1

        elsewhere i said robertson asked good questions – credit where credit is due..

        – what have i said about little/labour that is incorrect..?

  7. greywarshark 7

    Recent news from Radionz.
    Oz escorts more undesirables away from their shores.
    Boo and Pistol – begone. TINA. We in Oz can’t possibly offer quarantine services to someone who is obviously a wealth creator doing things rather than profiting from gains made by a computer running programs betting on financial movements or mining something.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/273792/johnny-depp%27s-dogs-leave-australia
    and
    Heard speaking on TPPA was some lawyer whose voice and tone fully matched the lies and confabulations he presented on how states always paid close attention to
    ensuring any treaties they entered into would be very good for their interests. He also stated that it would be a good thing for states to have their sovereignty over-ruled.
    He sounded more like an actor trying to sound like a slimy, lying, disingenuous hound than an actual person.

    I think I heard it on here which I have not had time to listen to again yet.
    Listen – 12.14 mins http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201754684
    One of the most controversial aspects of the massive multi-country Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, is the Investor State Dispute settlement clause – or ISDS. We hear from both sides of the ‘loss of sovereignty’ debate.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201754684/trans-pacific-partnership-and-investor-state-disputes

  8. greywarshark 8

    By the way all who want a good quality radio service from RadioNZ, which I imagine is most of the readers here, will no doubt have visited their new on-line comment section.

    If not do visit it, it is on a program called Discourse I think, and they explain how it works so you can add your thoughts. They want comment on their own News and from the listings of presented news at present they have a number of subjects to choose from
    which are indicated in the News listings with the word COMMENT at the bottom.

    Here is the link http://rnztalk.nz/

  9. Clemgeopin 10

    Matthew Hooton, the crap commentator.

    On Q and A this morning, the topic was the Auckland housing crisis. Peters and Turei were interviewed. During the panel discussion, Hooton kept putting his boot into Labour several times, when Labour was not even involved in the interviews at all.

    I felt Hooton, the so called ‘expert’ about everything, is a completely biased crap of an AH commentator with an agenda.

    Can’t TVNZ get some intelligent, objective, knowledgeable and fair minded commentators and real experts for their panel discussions instead of this professional nincompoop?

    • b waghorn 10.1

      I didn’t see much of it but as much as I hate to agree with anything hooton says a full cgt on all assets is the way to go, of course he lost the plot and said that it should be paid on yearly valuation instead of at sale time.
      Even if a cgt doesn’t cool the market the tax should be getting collected.

      • phillip ure 10.1.1

        i agree cgt on all assets..

        ..hoots was scaremongering there with his yearly-valuation scare-stories..of course it wd be assesed/paid at sale-time..

        ..the fucken idiot also parroted the line that ‘fonterra prices will be back to $6 again soon’..

        ..complete and utter ‘faith-based’ bullshit – that one..

        ..with both him and little being ‘followers’..

      • Clemgeopin 10.1.2

        He is playing dirty games by suggesting potentially the worst solutions that would do immense political harm to Labour and the Left progressive parties. He is a snake oil merchant. Forked tongue. Don’t take him seriously. He has a right wing political agenda. Untrustworthy and deceptive, in my opinion.

        • b waghorn 10.1.2.1

          Taxing on unrealised profit fits right in with the far right mentality that every thing should be about business they don’t understand that some one might want to own a house or run a farm because it might give them security and fullfulment they are unable to see anything past MONEY!!!!

      • Clemgeopin 10.1.3

        “I didn’t see much of it but as much as I hate to agree with anything hooton says a full cgt on all assets is the way to go”

        If Hooton is so keen on that then why does he not ask National and ACT to do that and see if they get re-elected.

        Labour has gone into election at least twice so far on a very reasonable and modest CGT proposal of 15% on the GAINS on houses when sold, excluding the primary family home. Even such a reasonable modest proposal was vehemently condemned and opposed by Key, English, Joyce and these hypocritical right wing AH commentators and the majority of voters too opposed and rejected that policy.

        • b waghorn 10.1.3.1

          It would appear the hooton was doing his job and softening people up for the nats new cgt announcement and by going to the extreme end of cgt he makes the nats plan more palatable. Checkmate labour they can’t score a single point on this or they’ll look like fools and if they attack voters for not going for cgt at the election they are insane
          I noticed a month or two ago act floated the cgt idea quietly it obviously polled OK..

        • phillip ure 10.1.3.2

          i wouldn’t put too much blame on a cgt..(as labour have clearly done – in their search for scapegoats..)

          i reckon the raising the pension age was the one that turned off the most potential labour voters..

          ..so..we have labour wanting to raise the pension age and national introduces a capital gains tax..

          ..it’s an upside down world – alice..

          ..are labour/national blurring/becoming one..?

          ..it must be all so confusing for them all..

  10. Pasupial 11

    Papanui is a state school according to their website. Why are they shoving this rancid shit in the faces of their students?

    Secondary school pupils were this week handed a pamphlet branding women in de facto relationships “cheap prostitutes” and “wicked fornicators”, and saying “death and hell” awaited those having gay sex.

    The material, produced by the American-based Bible Baptist Publications, was handed out to year 11 pupils at Christchurch’s co-ed Papanui High School during a health studies class…

    A Ministry of Education official said it was “rare” for such material to be distributed… But principal Jeff Smith said the literature was part of a resource package the school used to help encourage pupils to make “informed” relationship decisions… The school will continue to use the document.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/342483/unwed-women-cheap-prostitutes-pupils-told

    Congratulations to; “Christchurch mother Lydia Clark”, who spoke up against this. The line; “The intent of their lesson is to enable students to see there is a range of material available and that students need to make informed decisions based on that”, that the school seems to be running with, doesn’t really work when they themself are the organisation providing them with the leaflet to take home.

    • Clemgeopin 11.1

      The ODT link also says this towards the end :

      ” Ms Clark met Mr Smith, her daughter’s teacher and another senior teacher on Friday, telling the Herald on Sunday that her initial concerns came from “an unfortunate misunderstanding”.

      “The meeting has gone well. They have explained the context of the lesson in which the pamphlet was given to my daughter, and listened to and discussed my concerns,” she said.

      “It was made clear this was not an instance of anybody pushing their own religious doctrines on students.”

      The school will continue to use the document, but teachers would ensure students were clear on its context.’
      —————-
      I agree, the ‘reported’ material is shocking and despicable!
      But we do not really know the context as we have not seen the entire text or the complete lesson. Would be interesting to know why Ms Clark felt satisfied after that meeting with the Principal and teachers. The article is not very clear on that.

      • Pasupial 11.1.1

        It’s a reprint of a HoS article which I haven’t read, I don’t know if there’s any more info there. I still think that the school’s line fails on the basis that the students wouldn’t have the offending leaflet if the school hadn’t given it to them. I can see the merits of discussing such religious tracts in class, but giving them all a copy to take home is something else entirely.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2

      Damn, read something about the religious sex education BS that’s being taught in schools under a faux secular label put out by US religious groups. This sounds like that stuff that quite literally lies to the children about their health.

      EDIT: This one in fact

  11. Chooky 12

    More on USA Trade deals…does Obama know what he is doing?..is he a servant for the corporates?

    http://rt.com/shows/keiser-report/258185-episode-max-keiser-757/

    “In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss Obama’s ignorance, his blissful strength as he pushes for TPIP – a trade deal about which he knows remarkably little if his speech to Nike is anything to go on. In the second half, Max interviews Tina Louise Rothery, who was a candidate for the Green Party in the General Election. They discuss the Conservative win, fracking and TTIP.”

  12. North 13

    Anyone else been noticing of late news photographs of John Key which depict him terribly unattractively ? Images across a spectrum from giggling child ‘doesn’t get it’, to embarrassingly gauche fool, to arrogant prick, to cold authoritarian, to ‘fuck you !’ sinister gangster. See the photograph in this link for example – some bullshitter trying to make out the idea was all his all along……like no one knows……hello ?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11450124

    Some people somewhere deciding their feverish attachment of theistic qualities to the bullshitter is no longer apposite ?

  13. John Shears 14

    CGT is on John (notme) says so. Ha!! so now the Nats are stealing Labours ideas. Has John had a lavage?

    • ianmac 14.1

      What a cheek John Key! CGT indeed.
      (Wonder why Labour are reluctant to declare policy at this stage of the electoral cycle.)
      Of course those waiting for Capital Gains might wait 3 or 4+ years. Surely they should also pay CGT?

  14. stever 16

    I guess the CGT story has successfully drowned out the international response to NZ’s human rights failures…

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/17/un-makes-13-recommendations-to-improve-human-rights-in-new-zealand

  15. Philip Ferguson 17

    Unions and the chains that bind:
    https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/why-unions-should-not-be-affiliated-to-labour/

    Given that both Andrew Little and Grant Robertson gave speeches to chambers of commerce last week, to let business know that Labour is a better management team for capital than National, it’s yet again time for unions to rethink some basics.

  16. ianmac 18

    Compressed Air for energy storage?
    “Electricity from wind turbines and solar panels run compressors that fill man-made caverns also used for natural gas storage.

    When the pressurized air is released, it drives turbines that provide clean power when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.

    In less than a decade, annual investment in compressed air will be almost $5 billion, according to Navigant Research.”

    Who would have thought it!
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11448604

  17. Ariadne 19

    I’m not 100%, as you will already know I’m on prednisone, it’s finally working, but it is making me grouchy, numb, blank-minded and fed-up!

    Living the life as a human!

    [lprent: Based on this comment, it allows you to write better comments than the many many comments that we have been filing under “spam”. Personally I’d prefer to let the comments through, so stay on it and see how it works out. ]

  18. greywarshark 20

    On an email from Aavaz – Dalia Hashad – Avaaz
    Every day in Paraguay, two girls between the ages of 10 and 14, give birth to children conceived as a result of rape. It’s an epidemic….

    A 10-year-old girl in Paraguay was reportedly sexually abused by her stepfather for years. She appealed to the authorities for help but they did nothing to protect her. Now pregnant and being forced to have the baby, she needs our help.

    Is this civilisation in the modern year of 2015?

    And the story of the Falun Gong being killed and their organs being taken widely in China.
    It keeps being repeated. This is Hitlerist. And from a country still angry at the way that the Japanese treated them in Manchuria. A country that will not treat others better than the way they were damaged cannot demand respect.

  19. Anne 21

    Oh dear oh dear,

    Looks like 5 people turned up in Ch.Ch. for the first public meeting on the flag change.

    Not a good start John…. not a good start.

    http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/low-turnout-for-first-public-flag-change-meeting-2015051716#axzz3aO6AzZIS

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T18:18:03+00:00