Key, who last week said he was “holding hands with Winston” over the issue, yesterday laid down the gauntlet to Peters.
“I dare him to go out there and say he will not under any conditions form a government with Labour, even if Labour’s policy is to raise the super age from 2020, not in the three-year period from 2014 to 2017.
“I dare him to say he will not, because he’s tricky and he’ll find a way all around all of that stuff.”
But Peters took exception. “Tricky am I? I never worked for a company that took the American people to the cleaners and then went broke and got the American people to bail them out,” he said, referring to Key’s time with investment company Merrill Lynch.
He said NZ First would not do a deal with another party 2 1/2 years out from the next election, and the challenge showed National was in trouble.
Key was “running out of friends, support and excuses”, Peters said.
Peters also hit back at Key’s comments on the infamous teapot tape – that NZ First’s supporters were dying off – saying they knew they couldn’t trust Key any more than previous National leaders who had lifted the age of entitlement and raised the surcharge rate.
“This is about people’s lives, not some sort of tawdry deal in the dealers’ room.”
While super wasn’t a deal-breaker next election, he said asset sales were. “Everybody knows it’s a bottom line. We walked out over the sale of Wellington airport, and we would not go down that road again.”
I’m disappointed to see the same old political pointscoring crap from both Key and Peters on this. Super is one issue that needs wideranging cross-party discussions – with open minds at this stage.
Both Peters and Key have fobbed off addressing this now, saying nothing needs to hapen until next decade anyway. Except that many people who will retire next decade need to know what to expect and what to plan for.
And it will take some time to discuss and work out how to go forward with Super for the next half century.
If Key wins next election or Peters holds the balance of power in the next Government does that mean ignoring Super until 2017? Not if I (and a lot others) can help it.
I assume the last line of your contribution is in fact a deliberate attempt at generating mirth, it certainly got the larffs going here,
Despite the ‘polls’ telling us all, (as usual), that NZFirst are registering a miserly 2-3% there’s not many i should imagine who contribute to the Standard who believe that Peters and NZFirst are polling less then 5% and will definitely be in the Parliament after the 2014 election,
There-in lies your answer, not in how much shall we rip off the workers nearing the end of their working lives by AGAIN raising the age of Pension entitlement but in how shall we re-define our economic activity so as to enable the status quo to continue vis a vis superannuation payments,
Here is ONE simple fact that would aid in ensuring the affordability of superannuation, the sale of State Owned Assets and the further plan by Slippery the Prime Minister to GIVE AWAY shares in the assets sold as a loyalty scheme for those who hold the shares sold for a set period is simply an attack on the Governments ability to raise revenue from the income of those assets,
You would achieve a far more sympathetic audience should you (a) spend your energies as a supporter of the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ convincing the Leader of your party to withdraw His support for Asset Sales and (b) examining the taxation system and the income tax cuts of the last 3 decades as to why superannuation has come under attack by continuous calls for cut-backs,
Your Leader, the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ has supported all this tax cutting and as Minister of Revenue has indulged in much cutting of taxes that have not been widely publicized which have further served to place more of the tax burden onto the Have Nots to the benefit of the Haves,
Had not the current Slippery lead National Government supported by your own leader the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ cut the taxes of the HAVES in 2009 and instead continued to make payments into the dedicated superannuation fund there would be no need for there to be a discussion about the age of entitlement for superannuation at all,
Your calls for some form of cross party discussion on this subject are both futile and puerile and the only discussion needed with National at this point is just how long they can be expected to be the Opposition after the 2014 election,(my pick another 9)…
The talking points are never on the core issue that is, we can afford the current super,
We just have to fund it via “printing” of our sovereign currency…
Any discussion around having to give up one thing in order to have another, is the age old divide and conquer, give with one hand , take with the other, so the plebs continue to argue and not see the obvious solution..
None of the parties are are talking about it, because they either genuinely don;t know its an option, or they do know, and wont discuss it as the consequences would be too dire to them personally.
Our politics is a disgrace, it has to be taken back from these lying, two faced con artists we allow, and some even endorse to stealing our country from in front of our faces to hand to those who put them in position.
Ahh, was that the case which went to court and which is now widely quoted as articulating the legal standard for “consultation”:
“Consultation must allow sufficient time, and a genuine effort must be made. It is a reality not a charade. The concept is grasped most clearly by an approach in principle. To “consult” is not merely to tell or present. Nor, at the other extreme is it to agree. Consultation does not necessarily involve negotiation toward an agreement, although the latter not uncommonly can follow, as the tendency in consultation is to seek at least consensus. Consultation is an intermediate situation involving meaningful discussion. ….. ‘Consultation involves the statement of a proposal not yet fully decided upon, listening to what others have to say, considering their responses and then deciding what will be done.’ …..Implicit in the concept is a requirement that the party consulted will be (or will be made) adequately informed so as to be able to make intelligent and useful responses. It is also implicit that the party obliged to consult, while quite entitled to have a working plan already in mind, must keep its mind open and be ready to change and even start afresh.”
Wellington International Airport Limited and others v Air New Zealand [1993] 1 NZLR 671, at p. 675. Judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered by McKay J quoting McGechan J in the High Court in Air New Zealand and others v Wellington International Airport Limited and others, HC, Wellington, CP 403-91, Jan 6, 1992
Winston Peters – our Muhammed Ali dancing like a butterfly etc. and well-dressed and urbane at the same time. And quick thinking with credit of the past to back him up and diminish the failings.
He can’t be talked down by any one I believe, even when he is wrong. Has he ever admitted to being wrong, I can’t remember?
Yes, Pete, I do not always agree with you, but here I think you make a fair case.
In general, I am somewhat alarmed by the rejoicing of the Left in a recent run of victories. Beware of the perils of prematurely predicting triumph in 2012. Key shows no signs of allowing anything to bother him, rather he looks as smugly confident as ever. Life was always going to be tougher for him in the first months after an election. In the year of the next election, 2014, there will arrive all the usual sweeteners that appeal to self-interest. Depend upon it too, that human memories tend to be remarkably short concerning less attractive government policies (as has been the case over the intention to mine conservation land and that huge protest in the first term).. Presently, the Christchurch quake is viewed as anything like a disaster, it is seen instead as the main plank for restructuring the economy. National has gone down in recent polls, but when you look at them you will understand why Key is happy. He would have expected much worse, for not much short of half the country appears still to stand behind its “saviour figure” even when he could do nothing right. (Even John Armstrong calls this “a miracle”). The polls could well pick up within short time as ruffled feathers settle.
We dare not lose vigilance, for there is a lengthy and tough slog ahead. Fortunately Key and cronies do not win every round, but what we have to look out for is a last round knock-out. So, let’s be happy with successes, without being carried away by overly-confident stances. Key is very far from being conquered and has not yet, by any means, already lost the next election. He has sufficient support to keep right on gambling as wont, without great fear of losing at the last. I most certainly do not in the least favour him or the gang he so dominates, but think this is a suitable time, not to sound negative, but to offer reasonable warning. As the Scout motto goes, “Be prepared”!
On Q+A this morning Tony Ryall repeated several times that at least of 51% Government ownership will be enshrined in legislation. It’s good to hear that clearly expressed.
Ryall also said that 85-90% New Zealand ownership was likely.
There is plenty of scaremongering about “selling everything overseas”, but there is nothing to support these claims.
There is nothing but opposition conjecture to suggest that private and institutional investors – and many of us via Kiwisaver accounts – will not retain most of ther 49% of shares above the enshrined Government 51%.
Petey I think it is a waste of time trying to educate you on this issue as past attempts have failed. But here goes:
1. Every single share that is sold means that the Government’s finances get worse.
2. There is no legal restriction on overseas interests owning 49%.
3. Every single share sold to an overseas interest will mean the balance of payments will worsen.
4. Even thought the Government may own 51% the Board will still be constrained to act in the financial best interests of the shareholders, not the country.
5. The Government has only promised to retain 51% of voting rights, not of the ownership.
1. Based on what?
2. That may or may not end up being the case, but I haven’t seen anything supported by facts suggesting overseas ownership getting close to 49% .
4. How is that different to now?
5. That wasn’t a promise, legislation is still in progress.
Which just makes either Ryall or Slippery the Prime Minister the ‘bigger’ of the Liars over the issue of asset sales???,
Ryall pontificating that 51% of the assets will remain Government owned, or, Slippery insinuating that those who buy the shares in the assets who then retain the shares for a 2 year period will be ‘given’ shares as a loyalty scheme???,
Both of them cannot be right or perhaps Slippery is planning some more sleight of hand trickery with a new share issue after the asset sales program is carried out….
Can anyone out there offer a clear ‘common use’ explanation of the Government’s declaration that it is 51% of the voting rights not the total share parcel that will remain in NZ hands?
I understand this to be a very different kettle even though the fish still stink and yet the distinction, especially in the Media, seemed to last only a few days then it all reverted to the the 51% ownership message. Like the majority of Kiwis I do not own stocks and profess to have little accurate knowledge of their machinations. All i do know is they are tools, and like all tools it is how they are utilized that defines their productivity. When it comes to the current contractors, i do not trust their workmanship or their invoicing.
Wake up wont you???, if Ryall is saying 51% of assets will remain in Government ownership while Slippery is saying that there will be a loyalty scheme for those who retain their (stolen goods) shares for 2 years of 1 for every 15 shares held then they cannot both be right can they,
My question to you is simple and encompasses nothing but when the fuck will you wake up to the fact that this Slippery lead National Government are nothing but shysters and the salesmen on any used car lot in this land have far more credibility…
Have you really???, your ‘way’ seems to lack efficacy then doesn’t it when we have Slippery saying there will be a share ‘giveaway’ one day and Ryall saying there will be 51% of Government ownership another there is a mile of dishonesty inherent in the both statements wouldn’t you say???
There is only one method whereby the National Party can be kept even slightly honest and that is to keep them as tame pets on the Opposition benches, as for Slippery the Prime Minister there is NO hope,
From the time prior to the 2008 election when Slippery uttered the words ”National will not be raising GST” there has been an unending stream of utter Bullshit emanating from the mouth of the Prime Minister thatr marks His scorecard as being a Compulsive most whom believe the more of it you tell the less the people will be able to detect and prove to be such,
Can anyone out there offer a clear ‘common use’ explanation of the Government’s declaration that it is 51% of the voting rights not the total share parcel that will remain in NZ hands?
I will give it a go. Section 45R of the MOM Bill said the following:
“(1)No Minister who is a shareholder in a mixed ownership model company may take any of the following actions if it would result in the Crown holding less than 51% of the voting rights in the company:
(a)sell or otherwise dispose of any shares in the company held in the Minister’s name:
(b)permit shares in, or other securities of, the company to be allotted or issued to any person.”
See that it says “voting rights”. This is entirely different to shares. Theoretically a company could have non voting shares sold so that in a $5 billion dollar company there would be 4,999,999,949 privately owned shares and 51 publicly owned shares.
The Crown dividend stream would be minimal.
Ryall’s comments directly contradict the provisions in the Bill.
and as I mention below in another post — all the assets of said company could be sold off without any protection .. maybe this will be the true coming of age of Treaty of Waitangi when everyone might begin to see we are protected by it, and it alone …
this is a such a slippery and duplicitous bunch of money men.
Yes this business of 51% simple majority of 2% over the others is badly flawed and too simple for country’s complex decisions. We need more weight on one side than the other – say 60-40.
where are the provisions to prevent the companies being stripped of their assets then ?? without this protection, the 51% is meaningless … and also, where are the provisions to prevent dilution so the 51% becomes completely meaningless ?? nothing is at it seems … nothing ….
It is not about whether they will be in overseas or NZ hand’s to me, that is not the issue. The issue here is that its about important infrastructure falling into private hands, where profit will override any public or social good, and lets face it, power is too valuable to society for it to be run by the private sector.
‘Mum and dad’ shareholders will demand higher dividends, and the rest of will end up paying more and more and more in power prices with blackout after blackout thrown in. If you dont belive it, look at Telecom, its because those same shareholders have demanded dividend after dividend after dividend that we have crap broadband at high prices, broadband which is shunted through cables dating back to the 1920’s. And if you go out of town, you have to either have dial up, or a hugely expensive mobile connection. Do you really want to have the same people who own rental properties in Christchurch and rent them out at such high rates that their tenants cannot afford anything else to be owning our power companies?
it is also very amusing to note that anytime his little affair is mentioned on his blog he deletes the post and pretends nothing was said.
I love it when a moralising sod like Cam falls and then will not allow any discussion on it. Can you imagine if this had have been a Labour supporter or MP? He would be posting and sermonizing about it all day long.
But I do feel sorry for his wife. Not only is she married to a man of dubious looks, she is also married to a cheater.
That’s not what I said. I said I have no sympathy for her. If she wants to leave him and get a benefit, she’d better hurry before this government applies the anti beneficiary policies the two of them support and does away with social welfare completely. I’ll save my sympathy for the men, women and children of the class that those two attack. Anyway, for all we know, he had his sordid affair with her blessing. Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.
For a useful view on positive ways of thinking and improving ourselves so we are more life fulfilled, reach our potential and take up the unrealised opportunities, and our society the same, there has been a good discussion on Radionz this a.m. between Chris Laidlaw and Kerry Spackman as below.
10:06 Kerry Spackman – Answering Big Questions
Dr Kerry Spackman is a neuroscientist, TV presenter and mental trainer for high profile sportspeople including Formula 1 World Champions, Olympic Gold Medallists and the All Blacks. His new book ‘The Ant and the Ferrari: Lifting the Hood on Truth, Society and the Universe’ (Harper Collins NZ) deals with philosophy and ethics amongst other subjects.
Also
9:40 Saras Sarasvathy – Entrepreneurship
Saras Sarasvathy is Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Professor Sarasvathy was in Wellington this week speaking at the 2012 International Council for Small Business World Conference.
I think it is important for politically inclined bloggers to think of one positive idea a day!
Lower the cost of Super not the age of entitlement screwing over younger tradies and manual labourers.
Means test now with a sliding pay scale and lower the payouts. $350 pw is over generous and $560 for couples is beyond ridiculous. You can’t live expensively if you didn’t save for it. State built cheap single/double units for those unprepared in retirement or who refuse to relocate from expensive cities.
Lower the costs not the age. We can’t keep paying for Grandma to visit the grandkids in Oz twice a year.
It is the younger tradies and manual labourers that will be screwed over by raising the age.
It is those who are too physically or mentally stuffed to continue working, after working at demanding jobs all their lives, but havn’t reached the level of near death required to get a benefit, who will be screwed.
All right for those in undemanding paper shuffling jobs, to talk about later retirement.
Yep. There are loads of over 65s making well over $1000 a week from income plus super. Can’t agree on paying more tax to keep super the same. It’s a personal thing but if I was to pay more tax on my (meagre) income I’d rather it went elsewhere.
Please be kind enough to advise where you get your figures from.
To earn $1,000 per week = $52,000 pa would require a capital of approx $1,500,000, earning net after tax about 3.25% which is what the banks will give you today (4.25% gross).
the question is whether your extra 2% tax is best spent going to people aged 65 and 66, who can work and many of whom can, or on education and poverty etc.
My point is more that our tax rate is hardly high. Especially for the highest earners.
A small adjustment across the board and we could address education, poverty, and the retirement age.
I think there is a negative attitude towards tax. Which there should be if it’s not used well; but if it was used to provide a higher standard of living for everybody it should be seen as a benefit.
Still I do appreciate there is the problem of an aging society, New Zealanders leaving NZ too quick, and people living older. But, what are the actual benefits of our supposed technological advance since the industrial revolution. People are working longer and for a whole have a worse quality of life.
I find it a bit weak of labour to suggest we need to raise the age. It’s hardly an innovative idea. However, it is an idea and shows a willingness to confront the issue. The same can’t be said from National who want to put their heads in the sand.
We went from a situation where pretty much only men worked too both women and men having to work full time to afford a house. That’s not progress.
And now the idea is to get people working to an even older age.
With all the extra workers we should be working 20 hour weeks. I guess we just work more now to pay for i phones and lcd tv’s.
NRT makes a good point, consider the income demographics of those calling for the raising of the age of entitlement for superannuation,
Then consider the income demographics of those who have gained the most financially from Governments of the past 30 years,
And next consider the income demographic of where more and more elections are fought and won between the 2 major political party’s,
Snap, the 3 category’s above are all one and the same, the bloated middle class unwilling to give up any of the major financial gains they have managed to accrue whilst playing off against each other Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in the elections are hardly going to quietly accede to giving up any of those gains in either taxation or Government benefit, (working for families), without first trying to have ‘some-one’ else painted as the ‘problem’ to be the focus of Government cost cutting…
But now, despite the rise of social media, fewer prominent voices within China are able to make the case for a systemic overhaul that would prepare the nation for long-term prosperity on sturdier foundations.
What’s meant by “sturdier foundations” is the same foundations that just caused the global economy to collapse.
This bit is also interesting:
“It’s not a good time to speak out for reforms, but it’s a good time to speak out against them,” said Li Shuguang, a professor at the China University of Politics and Law. “The government doesn’t encourage debate.”
Sounds exactly like what is happening here with state asset sales being rushed through.
Here’s something pretty funny – Slater’s started channeling Brian Tamaki. This is what he said today to someone who thanked him for his Daily Proverb: “So often I look to Proverbs and the text is there that is appropriate for the day.” I think Slater might be looking to be our next big cult leader. I can’t wait. Someone should do a comedy skit on it. There’s enough material for it already. Bloody priceless.
heres something funny.
news of the buyout of Crafar farms coming out on Sunday night teevee.
either they have been working all weekend to reach this decision or “they” knew on Friday but decided to hold it back.
which is it?
Something that struck me today was, that Marae Investigate and the news on One were reporting, that Pita Sharpless (pun allowed) is warming to the Crafar Farms sale deal. A visit to some enterprising people associated with Penxhin Shanghai appears to have given him and others some “comfort”. Now there is even talk of selling back two of the farms to Maori farming interests.
Now, what was all this about initially? Was there not this desperate situation that the farms had to be sold, and that this Mainland Chinese corporation, which only has indirect interests and involvement in farming, was the best and only acceptable bidder?
Was this not supposed to be an “investment” to bring some added economic activity and value to NZ?
Or is this now not rather turning out to be a smart “real estate” deal, where on-selling may bring about some gain of sorts to the new owner, now turned seller again?
I am perplexed about what goes on in NZ.
Also The Nation reported about the “Dragonz” as being “Asian” (or rather Mainland Chinese) migrants that can deliver a great potential for economic development, enhancing exports and thus getting involved in establishing ties to the giant “market” of over 1.4 billion people in Mainland China. A week earlier Huawei Corp. was portrayed in more favourable light, well, given they paid TV3 journos the trip to China and back.
That corporation is not so popular in Australia, the US, UK and some other countries now, due to suspicions of abusing hard- and or software for “spying”.
A young Mainland Chinese entrepreneur was today presented on ‘The Nation” to have discovered a great enterprising opportunity to translate NZ real estate ads into Chinese, so Mainland Chinese would find it easier buying houses and else here.
So that is the great economic contributions presented. I am sure there are more constructive things happening, but please tell me about them, I did not see any on ‘The Nation’ this morning.
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TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
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 iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
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Ah, Winston! He has the ready answers! Key should be careful about taking him on:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7116517/Peters-fires-back-at-PM-about-pension
I’m disappointed to see the same old political pointscoring crap from both Key and Peters on this. Super is one issue that needs wideranging cross-party discussions – with open minds at this stage.
Both Peters and Key have fobbed off addressing this now, saying nothing needs to hapen until next decade anyway. Except that many people who will retire next decade need to know what to expect and what to plan for.
And it will take some time to discuss and work out how to go forward with Super for the next half century.
If Key wins next election or Peters holds the balance of power in the next Government does that mean ignoring Super until 2017? Not if I (and a lot others) can help it.
You’d know all about point scoring and controlling a debate with your behaviour Petey, just delete what’s not desired….too easy.
I assume the last line of your contribution is in fact a deliberate attempt at generating mirth, it certainly got the larffs going here,
Despite the ‘polls’ telling us all, (as usual), that NZFirst are registering a miserly 2-3% there’s not many i should imagine who contribute to the Standard who believe that Peters and NZFirst are polling less then 5% and will definitely be in the Parliament after the 2014 election,
There-in lies your answer, not in how much shall we rip off the workers nearing the end of their working lives by AGAIN raising the age of Pension entitlement but in how shall we re-define our economic activity so as to enable the status quo to continue vis a vis superannuation payments,
Here is ONE simple fact that would aid in ensuring the affordability of superannuation, the sale of State Owned Assets and the further plan by Slippery the Prime Minister to GIVE AWAY shares in the assets sold as a loyalty scheme for those who hold the shares sold for a set period is simply an attack on the Governments ability to raise revenue from the income of those assets,
You would achieve a far more sympathetic audience should you (a) spend your energies as a supporter of the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ convincing the Leader of your party to withdraw His support for Asset Sales and (b) examining the taxation system and the income tax cuts of the last 3 decades as to why superannuation has come under attack by continuous calls for cut-backs,
Your Leader, the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ has supported all this tax cutting and as Minister of Revenue has indulged in much cutting of taxes that have not been widely publicized which have further served to place more of the tax burden onto the Have Nots to the benefit of the Haves,
Had not the current Slippery lead National Government supported by your own leader the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ cut the taxes of the HAVES in 2009 and instead continued to make payments into the dedicated superannuation fund there would be no need for there to be a discussion about the age of entitlement for superannuation at all,
Your calls for some form of cross party discussion on this subject are both futile and puerile and the only discussion needed with National at this point is just how long they can be expected to be the Opposition after the 2014 election,(my pick another 9)…
The talking points are never on the core issue that is, we can afford the current super,
We just have to fund it via “printing” of our sovereign currency…
Any discussion around having to give up one thing in order to have another, is the age old divide and conquer, give with one hand , take with the other, so the plebs continue to argue and not see the obvious solution..
None of the parties are are talking about it, because they either genuinely don;t know its an option, or they do know, and wont discuss it as the consequences would be too dire to them personally.
Our politics is a disgrace, it has to be taken back from these lying, two faced con artists we allow, and some even endorse to stealing our country from in front of our faces to hand to those who put them in position.
“.. the sale of Wellington airport ..”
Ahh, was that the case which went to court and which is now widely quoted as articulating the legal standard for “consultation”:
“Consultation must allow sufficient time, and a genuine effort must be made. It is a reality not a charade. The concept is grasped most clearly by an approach in principle. To “consult” is not merely to tell or present. Nor, at the other extreme is it to agree. Consultation does not necessarily involve negotiation toward an agreement, although the latter not uncommonly can follow, as the tendency in consultation is to seek at least consensus. Consultation is an intermediate situation involving meaningful discussion. ….. ‘Consultation involves the statement of a proposal not yet fully decided upon, listening to what others have to say, considering their responses and then deciding what will be done.’ …..Implicit in the concept is a requirement that the party consulted will be (or will be made) adequately informed so as to be able to make intelligent and useful responses. It is also implicit that the party obliged to consult, while quite entitled to have a working plan already in mind, must keep its mind open and be ready to change and even start afresh.”
Wellington International Airport Limited and others v Air New Zealand [1993] 1 NZLR 671, at p. 675. Judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered by McKay J quoting McGechan J in the High Court in Air New Zealand and others v Wellington International Airport Limited and others, HC, Wellington, CP 403-91, Jan 6, 1992
Winston Peters – our Muhammed Ali dancing like a butterfly etc. and well-dressed and urbane at the same time. And quick thinking with credit of the past to back him up and diminish the failings.
He can’t be talked down by any one I believe, even when he is wrong. Has he ever admitted to being wrong, I can’t remember?
Yes, Pete, I do not always agree with you, but here I think you make a fair case.
In general, I am somewhat alarmed by the rejoicing of the Left in a recent run of victories. Beware of the perils of prematurely predicting triumph in 2012. Key shows no signs of allowing anything to bother him, rather he looks as smugly confident as ever. Life was always going to be tougher for him in the first months after an election. In the year of the next election, 2014, there will arrive all the usual sweeteners that appeal to self-interest. Depend upon it too, that human memories tend to be remarkably short concerning less attractive government policies (as has been the case over the intention to mine conservation land and that huge protest in the first term).. Presently, the Christchurch quake is viewed as anything like a disaster, it is seen instead as the main plank for restructuring the economy. National has gone down in recent polls, but when you look at them you will understand why Key is happy. He would have expected much worse, for not much short of half the country appears still to stand behind its “saviour figure” even when he could do nothing right. (Even John Armstrong calls this “a miracle”). The polls could well pick up within short time as ruffled feathers settle.
We dare not lose vigilance, for there is a lengthy and tough slog ahead. Fortunately Key and cronies do not win every round, but what we have to look out for is a last round knock-out. So, let’s be happy with successes, without being carried away by overly-confident stances. Key is very far from being conquered and has not yet, by any means, already lost the next election. He has sufficient support to keep right on gambling as wont, without great fear of losing at the last. I most certainly do not in the least favour him or the gang he so dominates, but think this is a suitable time, not to sound negative, but to offer reasonable warning. As the Scout motto goes, “Be prepared”!
On Q+A this morning Tony Ryall repeated several times that at least of 51% Government ownership will be enshrined in legislation. It’s good to hear that clearly expressed.
Ryall also said that 85-90% New Zealand ownership was likely.
There is plenty of scaremongering about “selling everything overseas”, but there is nothing to support these claims.
There is nothing but opposition conjecture to suggest that private and institutional investors – and many of us via Kiwisaver accounts – will not retain most of ther 49% of shares above the enshrined Government 51%.
“There is plenty of scaremongering about “selling everything overseas”, but there is nothing to support these claims.”
Telecom. Rail. Air NZ. Those who don’t remember their history are doomed to repeat it. Or become Tory shills.
Petey I think it is a waste of time trying to educate you on this issue as past attempts have failed. But here goes:
1. Every single share that is sold means that the Government’s finances get worse.
2. There is no legal restriction on overseas interests owning 49%.
3. Every single share sold to an overseas interest will mean the balance of payments will worsen.
4. Even thought the Government may own 51% the Board will still be constrained to act in the financial best interests of the shareholders, not the country.
5. The Government has only promised to retain 51% of voting rights, not of the ownership.
1. Based on what?
2. That may or may not end up being the case, but I haven’t seen anything supported by facts suggesting overseas ownership getting close to 49% .
4. How is that different to now?
5. That wasn’t a promise, legislation is still in progress.
Contact energy!!!
And the return from Contact has been 4% per year over the 12 years.
Which just makes either Ryall or Slippery the Prime Minister the ‘bigger’ of the Liars over the issue of asset sales???,
Ryall pontificating that 51% of the assets will remain Government owned, or, Slippery insinuating that those who buy the shares in the assets who then retain the shares for a 2 year period will be ‘given’ shares as a loyalty scheme???,
Both of them cannot be right or perhaps Slippery is planning some more sleight of hand trickery with a new share issue after the asset sales program is carried out….
There’ll be plans to sell the rest later.
Can anyone out there offer a clear ‘common use’ explanation of the Government’s declaration that it is 51% of the voting rights not the total share parcel that will remain in NZ hands?
I understand this to be a very different kettle even though the fish still stink and yet the distinction, especially in the Media, seemed to last only a few days then it all reverted to the the 51% ownership message. Like the majority of Kiwis I do not own stocks and profess to have little accurate knowledge of their machinations. All i do know is they are tools, and like all tools it is how they are utilized that defines their productivity. When it comes to the current contractors, i do not trust their workmanship or their invoicing.
Ryall didn’t mention voting rights this morning, all his statements were clearly on 51% ownership.
thank you Pete George for proving my point that the issue of ownership is not being accurately and honestly communicated by the Government.
Wake up wont you???, if Ryall is saying 51% of assets will remain in Government ownership while Slippery is saying that there will be a loyalty scheme for those who retain their (stolen goods) shares for 2 years of 1 for every 15 shares held then they cannot both be right can they,
My question to you is simple and encompasses nothing but when the fuck will you wake up to the fact that this Slippery lead National Government are nothing but shysters and the salesmen on any used car lot in this land have far more credibility…
I’ve already woken up to the fact that there are ways of helping keep them honest.
Have you really???, your ‘way’ seems to lack efficacy then doesn’t it when we have Slippery saying there will be a share ‘giveaway’ one day and Ryall saying there will be 51% of Government ownership another there is a mile of dishonesty inherent in the both statements wouldn’t you say???
There is only one method whereby the National Party can be kept even slightly honest and that is to keep them as tame pets on the Opposition benches, as for Slippery the Prime Minister there is NO hope,
From the time prior to the 2008 election when Slippery uttered the words ”National will not be raising GST” there has been an unending stream of utter Bullshit emanating from the mouth of the Prime Minister thatr marks His scorecard as being a Compulsive most whom believe the more of it you tell the less the people will be able to detect and prove to be such,
Bullshit that is…
There are ways of keeping them honest. I haven’t seen you use any of them. What I have seen is you defending the NACTs dishonesty.
Freedom
Can anyone out there offer a clear ‘common use’ explanation of the Government’s declaration that it is 51% of the voting rights not the total share parcel that will remain in NZ hands?
I will give it a go. Section 45R of the MOM Bill said the following:
(a)sell or otherwise dispose of any shares in the company held in the Minister’s name:
(b)permit shares in, or other securities of, the company to be allotted or issued to any person.”
See that it says “voting rights”. This is entirely different to shares. Theoretically a company could have non voting shares sold so that in a $5 billion dollar company there would be 4,999,999,949 privately owned shares and 51 publicly owned shares.
The Crown dividend stream would be minimal.
Ryall’s comments directly contradict the provisions in the Bill.
and as I mention below in another post — all the assets of said company could be sold off without any protection .. maybe this will be the true coming of age of Treaty of Waitangi when everyone might begin to see we are protected by it, and it alone …
this is a such a slippery and duplicitous bunch of money men.
Yes this business of 51% simple majority of 2% over the others is badly flawed and too simple for country’s complex decisions. We need more weight on one side than the other – say 60-40.
where are the provisions to prevent the companies being stripped of their assets then ?? without this protection, the 51% is meaningless … and also, where are the provisions to prevent dilution so the 51% becomes completely meaningless ?? nothing is at it seems … nothing ….
It is not about whether they will be in overseas or NZ hand’s to me, that is not the issue. The issue here is that its about important infrastructure falling into private hands, where profit will override any public or social good, and lets face it, power is too valuable to society for it to be run by the private sector.
‘Mum and dad’ shareholders will demand higher dividends, and the rest of will end up paying more and more and more in power prices with blackout after blackout thrown in. If you dont belive it, look at Telecom, its because those same shareholders have demanded dividend after dividend after dividend that we have crap broadband at high prices, broadband which is shunted through cables dating back to the 1920’s. And if you go out of town, you have to either have dial up, or a hugely expensive mobile connection. Do you really want to have the same people who own rental properties in Christchurch and rent them out at such high rates that their tenants cannot afford anything else to be owning our power companies?
Edit: reply to PG above
Delicious….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10813552
Well, well, well. I enjoyed that article, made my day. AND – Whaleoil declined to comment. That in itself is a first!
it is also very amusing to note that anytime his little affair is mentioned on his blog he deletes the post and pretends nothing was said.
I love it when a moralising sod like Cam falls and then will not allow any discussion on it. Can you imagine if this had have been a Labour supporter or MP? He would be posting and sermonizing about it all day long.
But I do feel sorry for his wife. Not only is she married to a man of dubious looks, she is also married to a cheater.
I don’t feel sorry for his wife at all. She supports the sleazy dog and thinks she benefits from some of his reflected glory.
No woman deserves to be cheated on.
That’s not what I said. I said I have no sympathy for her. If she wants to leave him and get a benefit, she’d better hurry before this government applies the anti beneficiary policies the two of them support and does away with social welfare completely. I’ll save my sympathy for the men, women and children of the class that those two attack. Anyway, for all we know, he had his sordid affair with her blessing. Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.
Yes she may have welcomed the affair to avoid contact with the foulness of the oilily creep.
[While Slater really does not rate any consideration from us … no-one is doing themselves any favours with this kind of pointless speculation. RL]
RedLogix;
Right you are.
Anyone getting involved with a foul creep slithering around in oil deserves our sympathy.
I’ve been wondering when this shit would start to come out…
For a useful view on positive ways of thinking and improving ourselves so we are more life fulfilled, reach our potential and take up the unrealised opportunities, and our society the same, there has been a good discussion on Radionz this a.m. between Chris Laidlaw and Kerry Spackman as below.
10:06 Kerry Spackman – Answering Big Questions
Dr Kerry Spackman is a neuroscientist, TV presenter and mental trainer for high profile sportspeople including Formula 1 World Champions, Olympic Gold Medallists and the All Blacks. His new book ‘The Ant and the Ferrari: Lifting the Hood on Truth, Society and the Universe’ (Harper Collins NZ) deals with philosophy and ethics amongst other subjects.
Also
9:40 Saras Sarasvathy – Entrepreneurship
Saras Sarasvathy is Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Professor Sarasvathy was in Wellington this week speaking at the 2012 International Council for Small Business World Conference.
I think it is important for politically inclined bloggers to think of one positive idea a day!
Lower the cost of Super not the age of entitlement screwing over younger tradies and manual labourers.
Means test now with a sliding pay scale and lower the payouts. $350 pw is over generous and $560 for couples is beyond ridiculous. You can’t live expensively if you didn’t save for it. State built cheap single/double units for those unprepared in retirement or who refuse to relocate from expensive cities.
Lower the costs not the age. We can’t keep paying for Grandma to visit the grandkids in Oz twice a year.
So you think that having the lowest senior poverty rate is unacceptable?
Funny.
It is the younger tradies and manual labourers that will be screwed over by raising the age.
It is those who are too physically or mentally stuffed to continue working, after working at demanding jobs all their lives, but havn’t reached the level of near death required to get a benefit, who will be screwed.
All right for those in undemanding paper shuffling jobs, to talk about later retirement.
I’d happily pay 2 percent more tax to keep super at the same age. Surely most would?
If you work past the age of 65 you shouldn’t be getting super.
Yep. There are loads of over 65s making well over $1000 a week from income plus super. Can’t agree on paying more tax to keep super the same. It’s a personal thing but if I was to pay more tax on my (meagre) income I’d rather it went elsewhere.
Clandestino
Please be kind enough to advise where you get your figures from.
To earn $1,000 per week = $52,000 pa would require a capital of approx $1,500,000, earning net after tax about 3.25% which is what the banks will give you today (4.25% gross).
I read the comment as over 65’s who were still working (income) plus Super earnt over $1000 per week, not Interest on investments + Super
Rental properties can return 6%-8% net.
the question is whether your extra 2% tax is best spent going to people aged 65 and 66, who can work and many of whom can, or on education and poverty etc.
My point is more that our tax rate is hardly high. Especially for the highest earners.
A small adjustment across the board and we could address education, poverty, and the retirement age.
I think there is a negative attitude towards tax. Which there should be if it’s not used well; but if it was used to provide a higher standard of living for everybody it should be seen as a benefit.
Still I do appreciate there is the problem of an aging society, New Zealanders leaving NZ too quick, and people living older. But, what are the actual benefits of our supposed technological advance since the industrial revolution. People are working longer and for a whole have a worse quality of life.
I find it a bit weak of labour to suggest we need to raise the age. It’s hardly an innovative idea. However, it is an idea and shows a willingness to confront the issue. The same can’t be said from National who want to put their heads in the sand.
We went from a situation where pretty much only men worked too both women and men having to work full time to afford a house. That’s not progress.
And now the idea is to get people working to an even older age.
With all the extra workers we should be working 20 hour weeks. I guess we just work more now to pay for i phones and lcd tv’s.
Agreed, though I can’t see it ever happening!
As I/S points out, what super crisis?.
http://www.norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/what-superannuation-crisis.html
Thanks Joe, interesting.
NRT makes a good point, consider the income demographics of those calling for the raising of the age of entitlement for superannuation,
Then consider the income demographics of those who have gained the most financially from Governments of the past 30 years,
And next consider the income demographic of where more and more elections are fought and won between the 2 major political party’s,
Snap, the 3 category’s above are all one and the same, the bloated middle class unwilling to give up any of the major financial gains they have managed to accrue whilst playing off against each other Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in the elections are hardly going to quietly accede to giving up any of those gains in either taxation or Government benefit, (working for families), without first trying to have ‘some-one’ else painted as the ‘problem’ to be the focus of Government cost cutting…
This made me laugh:
What’s meant by “sturdier foundations” is the same foundations that just caused the global economy to collapse.
This bit is also interesting:
Sounds exactly like what is happening here with state asset sales being rushed through.
Marketwatch.com posts opinion piece the “Myth of Perpetual Growth is Killing America”
This is a website run by the Wall Street journal, believe it or not.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/myth-of-perpetual-growth-is-killing-america-2012-06-12
So much for Slater’s “family man” bullshit: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10813552
has kweewee pissed off back to Hawaii yet?
Here’s something pretty funny – Slater’s started channeling Brian Tamaki. This is what he said today to someone who thanked him for his Daily Proverb: “So often I look to Proverbs and the text is there that is appropriate for the day.” I think Slater might be looking to be our next big cult leader. I can’t wait. Someone should do a comedy skit on it. There’s enough material for it already. Bloody priceless.
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/06/daily-proverbs-3/
heres something funny.
news of the buyout of Crafar farms coming out on Sunday night teevee.
either they have been working all weekend to reach this decision or “they” knew on Friday but decided to hold it back.
which is it?
Something that struck me today was, that Marae Investigate and the news on One were reporting, that Pita Sharpless (pun allowed) is warming to the Crafar Farms sale deal. A visit to some enterprising people associated with Penxhin Shanghai appears to have given him and others some “comfort”. Now there is even talk of selling back two of the farms to Maori farming interests.
Now, what was all this about initially? Was there not this desperate situation that the farms had to be sold, and that this Mainland Chinese corporation, which only has indirect interests and involvement in farming, was the best and only acceptable bidder?
Was this not supposed to be an “investment” to bring some added economic activity and value to NZ?
Or is this now not rather turning out to be a smart “real estate” deal, where on-selling may bring about some gain of sorts to the new owner, now turned seller again?
I am perplexed about what goes on in NZ.
Also The Nation reported about the “Dragonz” as being “Asian” (or rather Mainland Chinese) migrants that can deliver a great potential for economic development, enhancing exports and thus getting involved in establishing ties to the giant “market” of over 1.4 billion people in Mainland China. A week earlier Huawei Corp. was portrayed in more favourable light, well, given they paid TV3 journos the trip to China and back.
That corporation is not so popular in Australia, the US, UK and some other countries now, due to suspicions of abusing hard- and or software for “spying”.
A young Mainland Chinese entrepreneur was today presented on ‘The Nation” to have discovered a great enterprising opportunity to translate NZ real estate ads into Chinese, so Mainland Chinese would find it easier buying houses and else here.
So that is the great economic contributions presented. I am sure there are more constructive things happening, but please tell me about them, I did not see any on ‘The Nation’ this morning.
Be mindful with investment policies, I presume.