“So this time Labour’s beating the housing drum, playing to its constituents who don’t and will probably never own a home, by getting at the fat cats that do. To an extent it’s a politics of envy. Only trouble is to play that game you’ve got to be on firm ground and Andrew Little’s example actually made him the envy of those struggling to get on to the home ownership ladder.”…..
Soper has always been a dog. Will never forget the time he tried to take over a meeting between Winnie and John McCain in Washington DC for some bitchiness he harboured against Winnie. Winnie turned Rotty’. Ordered the scruffy terrier hack out of the room. Was beautiful to watch the hack roundly fail in his attempt to look ‘Da Man’……
“And with his promise this week to cut the tax dodges for landlords, rents are bound to rise making it even harder for those who are trying to scrape together an ever increasing deposit.”
and from http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/05/its_land_not_owners_who_are_the_problem.html
Problem for me with this uneducated sensationalism is that it is based on a very small minority of landlords that would be negatively geared ( and for those landlords in the 50+ properties would be companies that should losses be incurred would carry over these until profitable when they would be liable for taxes so this is not applicable for to such companies),
Some of those individuals who are incurring losses, the IRD has legislation that these would not comply as a profitable going concern and that their “business case” is based on loss making but compensated by a capital gain, and under this situation the capital gain is taxable income.
And the situation of being negatively geared has been reduced with banks requiring 40% deposit, so the 80-95% mortgage does not apply.
Remember he is one of the gnats lapdogs and his misses got her job with Duncan because she is buddy wuddy with uncle john and the gnats and by the way what is the age difference as he is quick to put the boot into others this fellow.
I switch of anything he is on, sop- a he is just as bad if not worse than listening to Larry Williams on the radio same old bias self opinionated and one sided bullshert
Then we have hoskings using his TV role state owned TV1 to advocate for the gnats he has been a bit quieter since his mate uncle john left hooray!
Back in the day I was unfortunate enough to have some mutual friends with this horrible little man and wound up at a dinner party with him. The food was beautiful but the conversation was dire thanks to him! What a self opinionated loudmouthed ethic-free twit!
“What is it about New Zealand’s economic mentality that is so fatally and stupidly drawn to boom and bust?
You’d think the tourism industry would have a wee shufti over at the dairy wallahs, take a deep breath, and ask themselves how they’re going to avoid the same problems with rapid and unmanageable expansion.”…..
“What is it about New Zealand’s economic mentality that is so fatally and stupidly drawn to boom and bust?”
It’s the famous Anglo-American economic tradition to make cheap bulk commodities, which we inherited and have always held to.
DoC should make it clear that all New Zealand citizens and residents can do any Great Walk free of charge, and charge the bejeezus out of the tourists.
“DoC should make it clear that all New Zealand citizens and residents can do any Great Walk free of charge, and charge the bejeezus out of the tourists.”
Get a reality check Ad. No one is going to to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
More the Nats don’t want to upset all their donors in the lower end of the tourism industry. I think that’s what you mean by “the goose that lays the golden egg”
Reality is that if a $100 border tax is going to kill the profit on a tour operator’s punter, there’s fuck all for the country in that punter either.
We’ve got a government, and industry that is only interested in numbers, more more and more. Nothing about yield, just greater numbers.
Lucky then we have bloggers like No Right Turn to give us the real information.
“National is finally promising to tackle the housing crisis by building some houses, with plans to “build 34,000 new Auckland houses”. Except that when you scratch the surface, its not all its cracked up to be. Firstly, those houses are being built by demolishing 8,300 existing homes, so the total is only 26,000. Secondly, it includes already announced and underway (and in some cases, built) projects in Tamaki, Northcote and Point England – so they’re back to re-announcing old news to get a new headline. Thirdly, two thirds of those houses will be sold to speculators rather than being state houses – so we’re looking at a program to bulldoze and sell off state homes. And finally, its over ten years, with a deadline on the never-never so National can avoid accountability – just as with their climate change, renewable electricity, and water quality promises. In short, its the usual story: PR as a substitute for policy, spin as a substitute for action. Because the goal isn’t to fix the bloody problem, but simply to generate positive headlines.”
It is no right turn that is not telling the truth.
In particular suggesting that two thirds will be sold to speculators. Unless of course you consider first home buyers to be speculators.
Yes it is an aggregation of all prior announcement, plus new ones. Whats wrong with that? It is all about what will happen in the next ten years. It makes sense to aggregate them so people get a sense of the actual scale. Otherwise it is all lost in piecemeal announcements.
Yes, some houses are being demolished, and frankly about time. Tonah St for instance is really substandard housing.
“Yes it is an aggregation of all prior announcement, plus new ones. Whats wrong with that? ”
Ummm..? Misleading for the sake of deception, perhaps? Putting lipstick on a pig is the baser expression.
” so they’re back to re-announcing old news to get a new headline” says, I/S. He directs us to think this strategy has been used before by the National Party for reasons we can only guess at.
It is all about the plans for the next ten years. The fact some of it has been previously announced (Northcote, Tamaki) does not change that it is all about the next ten years.
One of my concerns about Nationals housing plans was that there had been a plethora of announcements, and it almost impossible to work out the overall plan.
Amy Adams has done everyone a favour by pulling it all together, then announcing it as an overall plan.
That means it is possible to compare the packages of both major parties, which has now been done, including on the lead item of The Standard.
Because there have been previous announcements, you know some of the houses will be started within the next year, rather than just planned.
On reflection I imagine Labours housing plans also include these projects.
Then why’s it including all their plans for the last nine years? (Which didn’t work either)
One of my concerns about Nationals housing plans was that there had been a plethora of announcements, and it almost impossible to work out the overall plan.
I’m reasonably certain that’s done on purpose so that they can continue to lie in all of the confusion that they create.
Because there have been previous announcements, you know some of the houses will be started within the next year, rather than just planned.
Ah, no, we don’t know that. Many of the ones that have been announced haven’t been built and never will be. Managed to funnel lots of wealth to some National’s major donors though.
On reflection I imagine Labours housing plans also include these projects.
@ Wayne But when they are demolishing 8,000 houses as part of the 34,000 this is simply lying. You could at least acknowledge this Wayne or you are simply trolling.
Most of the houses in question will be sold at market value; the others are “affordable” at $650k. Little was spot-on on Morning Report this AM when he said this was “smoke and mirrors”.
What’s interesting here is that people like Hoskin say the Labour/Green bloc will not win the election on the housing issue yet Amy Adams finds it necessary to lie through her teeth with announcements like this to defend the government’s position.
I love Labour’s new policy to abolish tax write-offs for housing speculators. A strong and bold policy that will push resources into productive investment. This “mum and dad” investors terminology is crap-they are speculators buying houses whether they are buying one extra house or ten.
“when they are demolishing 8,000 houses as part of the 34,000 this is simply lying. You could at least acknowledge this Wayne or you are simply trolling”
How is it a lie when Amy Adams has it front and centre of her press release?
Who cares ! national screwed over akl so badly it’s a ceremonial position with virtually no actual power and control.
Hide and key made sure that they appointed the CCO chiefs of which I note some rats already jumping ship such as akl transport.
Other mates like Jim, I plundered kiwirail, Quinn enjoy highly paid do nothing roles also, goffs just making noise and pointing out the obvious really which gets the nactiods and their media muppets all frothy and righteous.
Ethiopia ahead of NZ on Childrens Rights Statistics/Index, NZ standing at 158th out of 165, it is sobering reading ?
We are not going particularly well with our young people here in NZ especially with our 94,000 unemployed youth aged between 15-24 years old, but we do hold the Rugby World Cup ?
“The Government has confirmed that countries not signed up to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, including the United States, will be able to reap the benefit of concessions New Zealand has made on pharmaceuticals.
Yet New Zealand will not benefit from better access to the US market in return, because president Donald Trump pulled it out of the pact.”
Oh the intel came from Israel? No wonder they were mad about the Russians getting hold of it. They don’t want Baathist Syria to beat Salafism, they want it to fall to Salafism, so that they have the pretext to pour the IDF out of the Golan heights and annex some more Lebensraum for their US, UK, and RSA born ‘settlers’. Then they will ‘miraculously’ make some ‘archaeological’ ‘discoveries’ within said Lebensraum which proves that ancient Hebrews once lived there, which is generally their out of the can pretext for taking other people’s land on a permanent basis
[lprent: You appear to have missed the point of the post – which was about missing the point. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Bigotry? Continue, I’m looking forward to it. You do realise that some of us need more than just SJW buzzwords to do much more than raise an eyebrow, right?
Why do you think I said that about SMs response to CJ?
Context boy, context!
Now your projecting and deflecting like a rank amateur who can’t comprehend the relevance of context vs ‘at least be funny’ when throwing a naked insult
Brakes are on the handle bars, and no amount of back peddle can prevent the inevitable
Dude, we’re not two gentlemen meeting in a sparring contest with mutual respect.
I regard you as a vacuous jerk whose ego writes cheques his IQ can’t cash. You don’t deserve graciousness, and I require neither your respect nor your approval. In fact, affirmation from such a source would normally require deep introspection as to where my life went astray.
Here of course it’s all about choice for union busting sake.
Another week, another round of evidence that providing parents with more “school choice,” especially the kind that lets them opt out of public schools, is not a very effective vehicle for ensuring students improve academically or that taxpayer dollars are spent more wisely.
The latest evidence comes from a study of the voucher program in Washington, DC that allows parents to transfer their children from public to private schools at taxpayer expense. The study found that students “who attended a private school through the program performed worse on standardized tests than their public school counterparts who did not use the vouchers,” reports the New York Times.
This study adds to others – from Ohio, Indiana, and Louisiana – finding that school vouchers have negative impacts on students.
Despite these results, many proponents of school choice contend the purpose of school choice was never about generating better results. It’s about choice for choice’s sake.
So Russia has done and is doing more to fight isis than anyone else and trump shares intelligence on isis and this is somehow a problem? Only if you buy into the russia as supreme evil meme. Trump has done plenty wrong but collaborating on the battle against isis is eminently sensible. This and his stance on tpp. Some say even a broken clock is correct twice…
[lprent: It looks like you missed the point of the post as well. Perhaps you could try reducing your self-indulgent wanking some time and actually read what people write. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Comey memos coming out now – trump toast – death by 1000 cuts and we are up to 100 or so by now – not bad for just over 100 days. Whatever you do don’t mention Russia that peace loving utopia where everyone has a full tummy – Putin must be slysmiling at all this trumpstuff.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Read that a few days back and did some digging. There’s a prof at Washington University looks at ‘deep time’. The story goes like this – each mass extinction has been accompanied by rises in atmospheric CO2. (One was an impact that also had increasing CO2 levels)
The CO2 has come from basalt flows in the past. (eg – the Siberian Traps). Today we’ve got industry smoke stacks and cars. Anyway. As temp increases, the poles heat far faster than the tropics, the temperature differential that drives ocean currents is lost and oxygen doesn’t get mixed into the deep ocean.
As the existing oxygen in the ocean is used up, they become stagnant and a breeding ground for bacteria that give off hydrogen sulphide. And that then kills just about everything everywhere. (Mammals more so than reptiles apparently which was why we got dinosaurs – off the back of mammals getting ‘totaled’ 200 odd million years back)
Anyway, as that’s unfolding, that same loss of temperature differential kills the jet stream. And that means that weather doesn’t form or move. (The jet stream is already slowing and meandering which is giving rise to prolonged droughts etc)
The figure of 1000ppm was suggested as the atmospheric concentration that accompanies all that crap…not necessarily the level that triggers it. We’re at 400+ and rising at about 2ppm per year.
With current warming, we have ‘locked in’ sea level rise of over 1 metre with some respected quarters suggesting we may be looking at 1.5m by as soon as 2050. Now, how much of the worlds agriculture is on flood plains – ie, at sea level?
Will National’s willingness to proceed with the TPP (as initially negotiated) become a major election issue?
McClay said countries would discuss whether the TPP as negotiated should stay in place – NZ’s preferred route – or the deal should be renegotiated now the US has quit.
The existing text of the TPP has all the toxic rules a good number of New Zealanders opposed. Bringing into question the Government’s position. Moreover, how badly will it hurt National in the polls?
Shocking. Would be good for Labour to publicly condemn Natz wasting time and money trying to resurrect this zombie deal that is NOT a good deal for NZ especially destructive for copy write and medicine and for the neanderthal ISDS clauses.
Shocking indeed. And yes, the silver lining is the opposition should be able to capitalize off this.
The Government is taking a risk trying to resurrect this with the elections only months away. There is a good chance voters will express their discontent at the polling booths come election day.
Did the insult posing as a question lift your self esteem?
I don’t spend energy trying to rationalize such ‘events’, because really…who ‘knows’
You don’t!
Prententing to ‘know’, or trying to rationalize…is fruitless IMO
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Perhaps if you’d read the post and the notice at the end of it then you would have realized what it was about and not irritated me by blathering irrelevant nonsense. ]
Trump is bowing down to his masters. Sharing confidential information from Five Eyes, and carrying on in an unprecedented manner with the Kremlin stooges in the White House as photos show, which were not meant for the eyes of US citizens. This latest breech by by Trump is a big concern not only to the Democrats in Congress but Trump’s fellow Republicans. Why is Trump so friendly with the Russians? Perhaps it has something to do with who has been financing TTO. Money laundering out of Russia and big loans from a German bank, has given Trump massive support when his commercial empire was crumbling.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Trump noise show continues. Pense for President! Wow, Israeli secrets divulged to Russia and leaked to the press. Coz Russoa would have told then too! Are we saying Russia leaked them to undermine Trump and give Pense the Whitehouse, thought Russia and Israel weren’t friendly, why would Russia want a fundamental christian in the Whitehouse when the far christian rig are one of Isreals biggest friends. So, who leaked and why can Trump trust nobody.
If Trump makes a habit of disclosing ‘facts’, on top of his fake facts, he’ll just put Congres and allies out of sorts and Pense in charge. Like that wasn’t the plan!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Parsing the difference between the DGAF lies coming from some parts of the Chump administration, and the ordinary misdirection by weasel words of those with at least a vestigial sense of shame that makes them want to later be able say “I didn’t technically lie”.
Who’s doing the collection, sales bottling marketing distributio, Taking the risk on capital etc I suggest that where the profits go, the public resource just enjoys a royalty, ie the water
What’s with the Auditor General Martin Mathews now in the firing line by Winnie. Winnie says under his watch as Head of the Ministry of Transport a female employee embezzled three quarters of a million. She was brought to the attention of Mr Mathews on more than one occasion over financial anomalities but he did not intervene. Now he is our Auditor General. It could only happen in New Zealand. I wonder how much auditing is being done and how much scrutiny is being applied to the nation’s books these days. Wonders will never cease. No wonder Winnie is having an apoplexy tiss wizz over it.
All parties are to blame – the committee who selected him had Trevor Mallard representing Labour along with other representatives – Little says nobody was aware of this happening in the MOT when the decision was made to elect him Auditor General. . WTF
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Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
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We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…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 ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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 ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
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The depths of journalism.
Barry Soper pimping for this wretched government.
“So this time Labour’s beating the housing drum, playing to its constituents who don’t and will probably never own a home, by getting at the fat cats that do. To an extent it’s a politics of envy. Only trouble is to play that game you’ve got to be on firm ground and Andrew Little’s example actually made him the envy of those struggling to get on to the home ownership ladder.”…..
it’s embarrassing to read.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11857277
Soper has always been a dog. Will never forget the time he tried to take over a meeting between Winnie and John McCain in Washington DC for some bitchiness he harboured against Winnie. Winnie turned Rotty’. Ordered the scruffy terrier hack out of the room. Was beautiful to watch the hack roundly fail in his attempt to look ‘Da Man’……
“And with his promise this week to cut the tax dodges for landlords, rents are bound to rise making it even harder for those who are trying to scrape together an ever increasing deposit.”
and from
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/05/its_land_not_owners_who_are_the_problem.html
Problem for me with this uneducated sensationalism is that it is based on a very small minority of landlords that would be negatively geared ( and for those landlords in the 50+ properties would be companies that should losses be incurred would carry over these until profitable when they would be liable for taxes so this is not applicable for to such companies),
Some of those individuals who are incurring losses, the IRD has legislation that these would not comply as a profitable going concern and that their “business case” is based on loss making but compensated by a capital gain, and under this situation the capital gain is taxable income.
And the situation of being negatively geared has been reduced with banks requiring 40% deposit, so the 80-95% mortgage does not apply.
Remember he is one of the gnats lapdogs and his misses got her job with Duncan because she is buddy wuddy with uncle john and the gnats and by the way what is the age difference as he is quick to put the boot into others this fellow.
I switch of anything he is on, sop- a he is just as bad if not worse than listening to Larry Williams on the radio same old bias self opinionated and one sided bullshert
Then we have hoskings using his TV role state owned TV1 to advocate for the gnats he has been a bit quieter since his mate uncle john left hooray!
Back in the day I was unfortunate enough to have some mutual friends with this horrible little man and wound up at a dinner party with him. The food was beautiful but the conversation was dire thanks to him! What a self opinionated loudmouthed ethic-free twit!
Williams, Hoskings Garner or Soper?
Soper – and I ignore Garner totally – he’s as thick as a brick!
Have you heard his sidekick Richardson. He makes Garner look intelligent and Hosking appear left wing.
No – heaven help us, I haven’t! Is he related to Ruth perhaps?
Never listen to ZB or watch TVNZ or watch Garner in the morning.
Makes for a less polluted day.
The heights of journalism.
Rachel Stewart speaking truth to power.
“What is it about New Zealand’s economic mentality that is so fatally and stupidly drawn to boom and bust?
You’d think the tourism industry would have a wee shufti over at the dairy wallahs, take a deep breath, and ask themselves how they’re going to avoid the same problems with rapid and unmanageable expansion.”…..
Read it all here.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11856866
“What is it about New Zealand’s economic mentality that is so fatally and stupidly drawn to boom and bust?”
It’s the famous Anglo-American economic tradition to make cheap bulk commodities, which we inherited and have always held to.
DoC should make it clear that all New Zealand citizens and residents can do any Great Walk free of charge, and charge the bejeezus out of the tourists.
“DoC should make it clear that all New Zealand citizens and residents can do any Great Walk free of charge, and charge the bejeezus out of the tourists.”
Get a reality check Ad. No one is going to to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Many countries charge a “tourist tax” and don’t kill that goose, Johan. There’s no reason why NZ shouldn’t, ‘cept National.
Well past time that DoC started to make some proper gold out of them – out of tourists.
More the Nats don’t want to upset all their donors in the lower end of the tourism industry. I think that’s what you mean by “the goose that lays the golden egg”
Reality is that if a $100 border tax is going to kill the profit on a tour operator’s punter, there’s fuck all for the country in that punter either.
We’ve got a government, and industry that is only interested in numbers, more more and more. Nothing about yield, just greater numbers.
The dominate ideology – Liberal economics.
It’s amazing how a headline can hide the truth.
‘Govt to build 34,000 homes.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11857181
Lucky then we have bloggers like No Right Turn to give us the real information.
“National is finally promising to tackle the housing crisis by building some houses, with plans to “build 34,000 new Auckland houses”. Except that when you scratch the surface, its not all its cracked up to be. Firstly, those houses are being built by demolishing 8,300 existing homes, so the total is only 26,000. Secondly, it includes already announced and underway (and in some cases, built) projects in Tamaki, Northcote and Point England – so they’re back to re-announcing old news to get a new headline. Thirdly, two thirds of those houses will be sold to speculators rather than being state houses – so we’re looking at a program to bulldoze and sell off state homes. And finally, its over ten years, with a deadline on the never-never so National can avoid accountability – just as with their climate change, renewable electricity, and water quality promises. In short, its the usual story: PR as a substitute for policy, spin as a substitute for action. Because the goal isn’t to fix the bloody problem, but simply to generate positive headlines.”
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/05/the-usual-story.html
Sadly, however, many people will not read past the Herald Editor’s headline.
And therein lies the problem.
Any progressive government must reform the media so corporations do not have their present level of control over the message people hear,
It is no right turn that is not telling the truth.
In particular suggesting that two thirds will be sold to speculators. Unless of course you consider first home buyers to be speculators.
Yes it is an aggregation of all prior announcement, plus new ones. Whats wrong with that? It is all about what will happen in the next ten years. It makes sense to aggregate them so people get a sense of the actual scale. Otherwise it is all lost in piecemeal announcements.
Yes, some houses are being demolished, and frankly about time. Tonah St for instance is really substandard housing.
“Yes it is an aggregation of all prior announcement, plus new ones. Whats wrong with that? ”
Ummm..? Misleading for the sake of deception, perhaps? Putting lipstick on a pig is the baser expression.
” so they’re back to re-announcing old news to get a new headline” says, I/S. He directs us to think this strategy has been used before by the National Party for reasons we can only guess at.
Why is it misleading?
It is all about the plans for the next ten years. The fact some of it has been previously announced (Northcote, Tamaki) does not change that it is all about the next ten years.
One of my concerns about Nationals housing plans was that there had been a plethora of announcements, and it almost impossible to work out the overall plan.
Amy Adams has done everyone a favour by pulling it all together, then announcing it as an overall plan.
That means it is possible to compare the packages of both major parties, which has now been done, including on the lead item of The Standard.
Because there have been previous announcements, you know some of the houses will be started within the next year, rather than just planned.
On reflection I imagine Labours housing plans also include these projects.
Then why’s it including all their plans for the last nine years? (Which didn’t work either)
I’m reasonably certain that’s done on purpose so that they can continue to lie in all of the confusion that they create.
Ah, no, we don’t know that. Many of the ones that have been announced haven’t been built and never will be. Managed to funnel lots of wealth to some National’s major donors though.
i doubt it.
” piecemeal announcements” indeed.
And 8,300 is “some”?
That’s some “some”!
@ Wayne But when they are demolishing 8,000 houses as part of the 34,000 this is simply lying. You could at least acknowledge this Wayne or you are simply trolling.
Most of the houses in question will be sold at market value; the others are “affordable” at $650k. Little was spot-on on Morning Report this AM when he said this was “smoke and mirrors”.
What’s interesting here is that people like Hoskin say the Labour/Green bloc will not win the election on the housing issue yet Amy Adams finds it necessary to lie through her teeth with announcements like this to defend the government’s position.
I love Labour’s new policy to abolish tax write-offs for housing speculators. A strong and bold policy that will push resources into productive investment. This “mum and dad” investors terminology is crap-they are speculators buying houses whether they are buying one extra house or ten.
“when they are demolishing 8,000 houses as part of the 34,000 this is simply lying. You could at least acknowledge this Wayne or you are simply trolling”
How is it a lie when Amy Adams has it front and centre of her press release?
https://beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-build-34000-new-houses-auckland
That’s Tonar St, for those that don’t live in the Shore bubble.
its called recycling Ed
Now Phil Goff has ensured he is a one term mayor, anyone got any idea on a good replacement?
Who cares ! national screwed over akl so badly it’s a ceremonial position with virtually no actual power and control.
Hide and key made sure that they appointed the CCO chiefs of which I note some rats already jumping ship such as akl transport.
Other mates like Jim, I plundered kiwirail, Quinn enjoy highly paid do nothing roles also, goffs just making noise and pointing out the obvious really which gets the nactiods and their media muppets all frothy and righteous.
Yeah, I noticed that. Typical neo-liberal giving away our wealth without even consulting with us.
Ethiopia ahead of NZ on Childrens Rights Statistics/Index, NZ standing at 158th out of 165, it is sobering reading ?
We are not going particularly well with our young people here in NZ especially with our 94,000 unemployed youth aged between 15-24 years old, but we do hold the Rugby World Cup ?
which index?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11857119
Seems odd, even if they did go by worst case.
[citation needed]
“The Government has confirmed that countries not signed up to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, including the United States, will be able to reap the benefit of concessions New Zealand has made on pharmaceuticals.
Yet New Zealand will not benefit from better access to the US market in return, because president Donald Trump pulled it out of the pact.”
Brilliant.
Oh the intel came from Israel? No wonder they were mad about the Russians getting hold of it. They don’t want Baathist Syria to beat Salafism, they want it to fall to Salafism, so that they have the pretext to pour the IDF out of the Golan heights and annex some more Lebensraum for their US, UK, and RSA born ‘settlers’. Then they will ‘miraculously’ make some ‘archaeological’ ‘discoveries’ within said Lebensraum which proves that ancient Hebrews once lived there, which is generally their out of the can pretext for taking other people’s land on a permanent basis
[lprent: You appear to have missed the point of the post – which was about missing the point. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Didn’t do a very good job of hiding your bigotry there CJ.
Bigotry? Continue, I’m looking forward to it. You do realise that some of us need more than just SJW buzzwords to do much more than raise an eyebrow, right?
What a little mind you have!
Says the chap who uses his pseudonym to count his brain cells…
That’s your incorrect interjection, seeking an opportunity…and flailing once again…
Because you ‘don’t understand’, is not an excuse..
At least make a funny interjection, if you must continue to be wrong!
I totally understood that your entire comment was to say stunned mullet had a little mind.
And now when it’s flipped back you say “at least make a funny interjection”.
Does your hypocrisy cause your stupidity, or vice versa?
Gordon Bennett, that’s poor
Why do you think I said that about SMs response to CJ?
Context boy, context!
Now your projecting and deflecting like a rank amateur who can’t comprehend the relevance of context vs ‘at least be funny’ when throwing a naked insult
Brakes are on the handle bars, and no amount of back peddle can prevent the inevitable
Why do you think I made the comment about your pseudonym matching your number of brain cells?
Context, dear boy, context!
And please don’t call me “context boy” in the future. It’s not like you wear a cape and insist everyone calls you “Cogent Argument Man”.
Good job, McFlock
That was quite a funny retort!
Well, the first one went over your head, so I had to make it obvious and use an old Zucker/Abrams pattern.
No surprise in the lack of graciousness..
Obvious….Yes, quite so!
Dude, we’re not two gentlemen meeting in a sparring contest with mutual respect.
I regard you as a vacuous jerk whose ego writes cheques his IQ can’t cash. You don’t deserve graciousness, and I require neither your respect nor your approval. In fact, affirmation from such a source would normally require deep introspection as to where my life went astray.
Yellow-eyed penguins will disappear from mainland within 40 years, warn researchers
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/south-island/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503933&objectid=11857519
Here of course it’s all about choice for union busting sake.
Another week, another round of evidence that providing parents with more “school choice,” especially the kind that lets them opt out of public schools, is not a very effective vehicle for ensuring students improve academically or that taxpayer dollars are spent more wisely.
The latest evidence comes from a study of the voucher program in Washington, DC that allows parents to transfer their children from public to private schools at taxpayer expense. The study found that students “who attended a private school through the program performed worse on standardized tests than their public school counterparts who did not use the vouchers,” reports the New York Times.
This study adds to others – from Ohio, Indiana, and Louisiana – finding that school vouchers have negative impacts on students.
Despite these results, many proponents of school choice contend the purpose of school choice was never about generating better results. It’s about choice for choice’s sake.
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/05/evidence-school-choice-hurts-student-performance.html
So Russia has done and is doing more to fight isis than anyone else and trump shares intelligence on isis and this is somehow a problem? Only if you buy into the russia as supreme evil meme. Trump has done plenty wrong but collaborating on the battle against isis is eminently sensible. This and his stance on tpp. Some say even a broken clock is correct twice…
[lprent: It looks like you missed the point of the post as well. Perhaps you could try reducing your self-indulgent wanking some time and actually read what people write. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Stop triggering people with reality bro.
Comey memos coming out now – trump toast – death by 1000 cuts and we are up to 100 or so by now – not bad for just over 100 days. Whatever you do don’t mention Russia that peace loving utopia where everyone has a full tummy – Putin must be slysmiling at all this trumpstuff.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Thanks just saw all the movement to om ☺
I like how he insulted us, but not you 🙂
Yeah I liked that too ☺
Me too
Four legs good, two legs bad, etc.
Realpolitik good, woo woo bad.
woo woo goes the train
blah blah go the putinescca
Still can’t Mossad the Assad; still can’t put the boot in the Putin.
Oceans are at the ‘edge’ of losing all oxygen
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=11855362
Read that a few days back and did some digging. There’s a prof at Washington University looks at ‘deep time’. The story goes like this – each mass extinction has been accompanied by rises in atmospheric CO2. (One was an impact that also had increasing CO2 levels)
The CO2 has come from basalt flows in the past. (eg – the Siberian Traps). Today we’ve got industry smoke stacks and cars. Anyway. As temp increases, the poles heat far faster than the tropics, the temperature differential that drives ocean currents is lost and oxygen doesn’t get mixed into the deep ocean.
As the existing oxygen in the ocean is used up, they become stagnant and a breeding ground for bacteria that give off hydrogen sulphide. And that then kills just about everything everywhere. (Mammals more so than reptiles apparently which was why we got dinosaurs – off the back of mammals getting ‘totaled’ 200 odd million years back)
Anyway, as that’s unfolding, that same loss of temperature differential kills the jet stream. And that means that weather doesn’t form or move. (The jet stream is already slowing and meandering which is giving rise to prolonged droughts etc)
The figure of 1000ppm was suggested as the atmospheric concentration that accompanies all that crap…not necessarily the level that triggers it. We’re at 400+ and rising at about 2ppm per year.
With current warming, we have ‘locked in’ sea level rise of over 1 metre with some respected quarters suggesting we may be looking at 1.5m by as soon as 2050. Now, how much of the worlds agriculture is on flood plains – ie, at sea level?
I’ll stop now…;-)
Will National’s willingness to proceed with the TPP (as initially negotiated) become a major election issue?
McClay said countries would discuss whether the TPP as negotiated should stay in place – NZ’s preferred route – or the deal should be renegotiated now the US has quit.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/92664440/the-us-is-set-to-reap-the-benefits-of-nz-concessions–without-joining-tpp
The existing text of the TPP has all the toxic rules a good number of New Zealanders opposed. Bringing into question the Government’s position. Moreover, how badly will it hurt National in the polls?
Shocking. Would be good for Labour to publicly condemn Natz wasting time and money trying to resurrect this zombie deal that is NOT a good deal for NZ especially destructive for copy write and medicine and for the neanderthal ISDS clauses.
Shocking indeed. And yes, the silver lining is the opposition should be able to capitalize off this.
The Government is taking a risk trying to resurrect this with the elections only months away. There is a good chance voters will express their discontent at the polling booths come election day.
Did the insult posing as a question lift your self esteem?
I don’t spend energy trying to rationalize such ‘events’, because really…who ‘knows’
You don’t!
Prententing to ‘know’, or trying to rationalize…is fruitless IMO
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Perhaps if you’d read the post and the notice at the end of it then you would have realized what it was about and not irritated me by blathering irrelevant nonsense. ]
Well the so called oligarchical kleptocracy,turned down a protection racket.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/saudis-russia-sochi-olympics-terrorism-syria-2013-8?r=US&IR=T
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Whoa man, commentary like this is now designated ‘RT speak’.
Trump is bowing down to his masters. Sharing confidential information from Five Eyes, and carrying on in an unprecedented manner with the Kremlin stooges in the White House as photos show, which were not meant for the eyes of US citizens. This latest breech by by Trump is a big concern not only to the Democrats in Congress but Trump’s fellow Republicans. Why is Trump so friendly with the Russians? Perhaps it has something to do with who has been financing TTO. Money laundering out of Russia and big loans from a German bank, has given Trump massive support when his commercial empire was crumbling.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Trump noise show continues. Pense for President! Wow, Israeli secrets divulged to Russia and leaked to the press. Coz Russoa would have told then too! Are we saying Russia leaked them to undermine Trump and give Pense the Whitehouse, thought Russia and Israel weren’t friendly, why would Russia want a fundamental christian in the Whitehouse when the far christian rig are one of Isreals biggest friends. So, who leaked and why can Trump trust nobody.
If Trump makes a habit of disclosing ‘facts’, on top of his fake facts, he’ll just put Congres and allies out of sorts and Pense in charge. Like that wasn’t the plan!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
heh
Parsing the difference between the DGAF lies coming from some parts of the Chump administration, and the ordinary misdirection by weasel words of those with at least a vestigial sense of shame that makes them want to later be able say “I didn’t technically lie”.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/16/15646836/mcmaster-trump-russia-lie
It’s our water and our wildlife, therefore if we are going to allow this shouldn’t the profits also be ours?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/92665865/controversial-west-coast-water-bottling-operation-awarded-final-resource-consents
Yep. More NZ public resources going into private hands.
Who’s doing the collection, sales bottling marketing distributio, Taking the risk on capital etc I suggest that where the profits go, the public resource just enjoys a royalty, ie the water
if it goes bust who do you think will pick up the tab to dismantle the crumbling ruins?
That would be fine if it was billed at the same rate as we have to pay Metrowater here in Auckland…. but it’s more billed in magic bean territory.
Aside from that there is beauty and prosperity in having an untouched natural resource.
Some things should not be modified.
The claytons trade agreement persists.
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/05/gordon-campbell-on-dealing-with-japan-over-the-tpp/
Another outcome from overseas investment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/92687101/silver-ferns-farms-to-cut-fairton-plant-but-keep-pelt-house
What’s with the Auditor General Martin Mathews now in the firing line by Winnie. Winnie says under his watch as Head of the Ministry of Transport a female employee embezzled three quarters of a million. She was brought to the attention of Mr Mathews on more than one occasion over financial anomalities but he did not intervene. Now he is our Auditor General. It could only happen in New Zealand. I wonder how much auditing is being done and how much scrutiny is being applied to the nation’s books these days. Wonders will never cease. No wonder Winnie is having an apoplexy tiss wizz over it.
All parties are to blame – the committee who selected him had Trevor Mallard representing Labour along with other representatives – Little says nobody was aware of this happening in the MOT when the decision was made to elect him Auditor General. . WTF