Ha! All those years of kissing National Ministers arse could not save Rawdon, now a lawyer reckons he could sue, but I don’t recall Rawdon sticking up for Campbell.
Oh the irony as a lawyer reckons he can sue for ‘humiliation and personal blah blah blah…’ which is pretty much the shit he’s been dishing out to anyone not aligned to his idol shonky on national tv.
& no wonder the National Ministers are adament about not looking into the cheap Chinese steel, they have threatened our exports if an inquiry goes ahead.
“China has threatened “retaliatory measures” against New Zealand trade, warning it will slow the flow of dairy, wool and kiwifruit imports.
The world’s biggest trading nation is angry at New Zealand inquiries into a glut of Chinese steel imports flooding the market; the Chinese believe New Zealand is part of a US-led alliance to target Chinese national interests.
The behind-the-scenes threat comes just days before the arrival of US Vice President Joe Biden in New Zealand, forcing government and commerce officials to scramble to open urgent talks with China. New Zealand is angry that China should take such a combative approach, and is asking that it desist.”
I liked the ‘NZ is angry’ but what are we going to do? Our whole economy is out of balance & China can buy it’s milk from anywhere, basically China calls the shots.
“But somehow, China learned of the application – and it is taking retaliatory action.”
“Joe Biden landed on the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier in the South China Sea on Friday, where he told crew, “we’re going to be active in the region as long as all of you are alive”.” Jeebus,….
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, cruel.
The lonely life of Daniel Bindner
He walked the streets and slept where he could shelter. Public spaces were his home and lots of people looked at him – but few actually saw him. Cherie Howie traces the last journey of Daniel Bindner, the man who tragically died in a recycling bin.
And the media does not seem to be caring enough to get his name correct.
Earlier the Herald headline to the article linked to above spelt his name as “Binder” but then used “Bindner” in the text. The headline has now been amended to “Bindner” to align with the text. But if you google “Daniel Binder” or “Daniel Bindner” the links to the reports on his death use both spellings. My quick search of the reports failed to discover any that revealed which spelling is correct.
In such a sensitive situation, you would have thought/hoped that the least they could do if get his name correct.
Lydia Ko does well and is not top story on sports news on a different company to Veitch’s media outfit.
On many, many occasions New Zealand sports people do well who do not get mentioned by Veitch or any attention let alone extensive, from him and his lot. Some rugby league player uses drugs or scratches his butt (his own not Veitch’s) and its all huff and puff, bluster and bullshit, a big story.
People should not mistake Veitch’s work as being all about sport or the sportspeople. They are incidental, it is all about him
Independence and Freedom vs economic and political dependence
“When you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas” Benjamin Franklin
“Politics is concentrated economics” V.I. Lenin
“Politics is war by other means” N. Clauswitz
“New Zealand and China were “at peace” on trade issues – but apparently not” Stuff.co.nz
“Peace in our time” N. Chamberlain
Will the Nats pull out of the Free Trade Deal with China?
China makes a military expansion and exclusive territorial grab for the large part of Pacific Ocean bordered by Vietnam and the Philippines misnamed the South China Sea.
The US expands their exclusive economic Co-Prosperity Sphere for the Pacific known as the TPPA, while New Zealand resumes closer economic and military ties with the West including resuming US warship visits and manoeuvres in New Zealand waters.
None of this goes on in a vacuum.
Notoriously, Winston Peters who at the time was fine with signing a Free Trade Agreement with China when the Chinese military was shooting down peaceful protesters in the streets of Tibet, is now questioning the relationship. Peters unaware of his own monstrous hypocrisy, cites Chinese military expansionism into the South China Sea.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said China was “monstering” Fonterra, Zespri and the NZ steel industry. “And as for the upgrade of the trade agreement, it’s all dependent on what stance we take on the South China Sea. That’s the reality of it now.
“I can’t believe the ministers haven’t talked. You’ve got officialdom and business operating in isolation from government.”
As Britons vote to leave the EU, maybe we could take a page from their book, and rethink our policy on doing exclusive trade deals with any of the Superpowers.
NZ has been cultivating a one dimensional relationship with China focussed on trade and money. That’s not enough strategically, when it is clear that China is the rising power of the Pacific for the 21st Century.
Poor old John Key who sees everything in terms of money, out of his depth on the horns of a political dilemma and with no moral compass to guide him. He is probably pondering which Super Power he can afford to offend the least?
Not to mention avoiding stepping on the toes of the Dairy industry which got zip out of the TPP, and which is heavily reliant on the Chinese market.
I already provide the Yanks with Kiwi cannon fodder and am letting their war ships back into our ports, what more do they want?
…”It’s interesting that the Prime Minister so quickly blamed the Gulen movement. Now, who is this movement? The cleric lives in the US. Well, that is the movement that reportedly funds the Hillary Clinton campaign. Certainly there will be people in Ankara not wishing for a Clinton presidency anytime soon given that so many supporters right now are being arrested. There are ties here that show how complex the events of the past 12 hours are….
‘Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan demands US arrest exiled cleric Gülen amid crackdown on army – as it happened’
there is some noise out there which suggests that Erdogan has made a decision to take Turkey closer to the Middle East and Russia, and away from Europe and NATO.
“Elaborating on the idea that Erdoğan may have staged the coup attempt, Aslandogan said Friday’s events did not match the pattern of previous coups.
“The coup appears to be poorly planned,” he said, “very poorly executed and everything seems to be playing into Erdoğan’s hands. There are many big question marks of how [this attempted coup] was executed.””
Mmm?
I was going to write a post headed “A Turkish Coo?” (Coo being the vernacular for cow…in some places). Anyway I have no time today, but
Did anyone hear any demands being made by any coup plotters?
Was there a spokesperson speaking on behalf of coup leaders?
Did anyone claim responsibility for launching the coup attempt?
Astonishing as it might seem, I’m wondering if the whole caboodle was stage managed by Erdogan as a precursor to eliminating political enemies.
In videos of troops, I’ve seen bewildered young boys in uniform waving nervously at crowds waving Turkish flags. And people opposing the presence of the army, just walking up to a tank and clambering atop, or hanging off a tanks front end – it just doesn’t fit with any scenes I’ve seen of coups.
We know that in coups a presidential palace or a parliament gets shelled – tick.
We know that popular leaders (well, Chavez) can call on the populace to thrwart a coup – tick.
Could be Hollywood.
So yeah. Maybe over the next wee while I’ll look for stuff and form a better informed opinion, but for now I’m calling bullshit on the coup and reckoning it was staged as an excuse to purge.
The question “who wins” from this coup is the easy one to answer.
From Zero Hedge:
Or, to summarize, the military said Erdogan’s power consolidation justifies the attempted coup; Erdogan said the coup justifies further consolidation of power.”
General Akin Öztürk, who served as commander of Turkey’s air force, was arrested Saturday in connection with the failed coup. At least five other generals were detained.
The good news is that it has been announced that there will be trial. This could be one of the most dramatic court trials in recent world history.
Hopefully, the motives of the coup makers will be examined under cross examination. And revealed to the world.
The Turkish prosecutor’s office has announced that Gen. Öztürk and his alleged partners would be tried on charges of treason.
History in the making.
Dramatic footage of the alleged Turkish coup leader in custody and handcuffed speaking into a smart phone to give the order for his troops to surrender to the civil authorities.
Watch the chaos as Turkish soldiers try to take over a civilian news room but are overpowered and disarmed. One reporter puts a heavily armed soldier in a headlock and holds him down near a desk.
Some of the plotters have sought Asylum in Greece.
Again there will be a legal hearing, this time to decide the worth or not of their claim for asylum.
Hopefully, while the world looks on, the motives and reasons behind the coup will be brought out under proper cross examination and defendant testimony.
Again this is history in the making.
Being held in a jurisdiction independent of Turkey there will be less chance of the Greek hearing being a stage managed show trial that provides the answers that the Turkish government wants.
Interestingly the military dictator of Egypt who was supported and helped into power by the US, blocked a US sponsored motion in the United Nations that the democratically elected government of Turkey should be respected.
One of the largest charter schools chains in the USA is run by the Gulen movement. So (US) tax payer money disappears into these charters with the rules around charter chains so lax, and unenforced anyway, that noone knows where the money goes.
“The Turkish government has indirectly criticized its NATO ally, the US, for providing a safe haven for Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara blames for masterminding Friday’s military coup attempt. The cleric is currently living in self-imposed exile in the States.
“I do not see any country that would stand behind this man, this leader of the terrorist gang, especially after last night. The country that would stand behind this man is no friend to Turkey. It would even be a hostile act against Turkey,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told reporters on Saturday, as Turkey was recovering from overnight violence…
(question : is Gulen a fundamentalist Islamic with ties to Saudi as well as USA?)
paid the car parking fee at Middlemore hospital, ovef the weekend the price has risen 11%, this at time when we are being continually reminded of low inflation.
Well that didn’t last long: After a day filled with gleeful ridicule of its idiotic logo, the “TP Flag” logo quietly vanished from Donald Trump’s campaign website.
Threats from China to put tariffs on Kiwi dairy, wool and kiwifruit have left exporters concerned about the repercussions for them, should the government continue with their investigations into alleged steel dumping.
So much for free-trade with China.
Time to simply dump the illusion that there was any free-trade at all.
‘Tis OK Draco. McClay will sort it.
“Trade Minister Todd McClay says he will be asking officials to contact the Chinese embassy in Wellington to clarify its position on competition issues.
He was commenting about news reports that China could take retaliatory action against dairy and kiwifruit exports from New Zealand if a formal investigation into alleged steel dumping by China is launched by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment….” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11676215
“Chinese ambassador Wang Lutong said there was no issue with the imported steel quality but the embassy had been discussing the industry’s concerns with New Zealand authorities.”
Yet…
“Prime Minister John Key has downplayed fears of a trade war from China if sanctions are slapped on its steel, saying he has received “no indication” the world superpower is upset with New Zealand.”
Bloody Hell Bill English was rubbish on Q & A today. All he could come up with was that the housing crisis was all Auckland City Council’s fault because they won’t let a city of 2 million people spread out to be larger than say, Los Angeles with 18 million or be the same size as London with 13 million. In spite of the fact we’re told constantly that land supply is not the main driver of house price inflation. The problem is the lack of actual, fucking houses.
This is good sense from the National perspective – they look forward to crucifying Labour on housing and running a dead parrot about their housing solution from opposition “you stunned it, just as it was waking up”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/82035780/you-can-buy-a-three-bedroom-home-for-under-600000-in-auckland-as-long-as-youre-a-nz-citizen
However, to qualify for first-home Welcome Home mortgages and KiwiSaver HomeStart grants, the houses need to be under $550,000, which builders don’t believe is possible.
The GJ Gardner Homes Franklin/Papakura franchise has now taken up the challenge and is prepared to build 24 homes in the Belmont subdivision in Pukekohe and 12 in Papakura, but the price will be $578,250.
And
The most recent figures from QV put the median house price in Auckland at $975,087. If the Special Housing Area legislation was applied to this figure rather than the September 2015 median, the maximum house price would be $731,315. This is now in complying for a SHA,developers hav to archive as being affordable 😜
So policies implemented by the govt to solve the housing “non crisis” are not working, anyone in the development industry could have told the ministers,but from my experience our ministers have consulted and been photographed but never asked for our comments.
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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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
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 ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, 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. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 24 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
John Key is the strongest argument for restoring the checks and balances of an upper house in this country.
no, Roger Douglas was.
+1
Yes that just what we want another lot with there snouts in the trough.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11675990
Ha! All those years of kissing National Ministers arse could not save Rawdon, now a lawyer reckons he could sue, but I don’t recall Rawdon sticking up for Campbell.
Oh the irony as a lawyer reckons he can sue for ‘humiliation and personal blah blah blah…’ which is pretty much the shit he’s been dishing out to anyone not aligned to his idol shonky on national tv.
& no wonder the National Ministers are adament about not looking into the cheap Chinese steel, they have threatened our exports if an inquiry goes ahead.
“China has threatened “retaliatory measures” against New Zealand trade, warning it will slow the flow of dairy, wool and kiwifruit imports.
The world’s biggest trading nation is angry at New Zealand inquiries into a glut of Chinese steel imports flooding the market; the Chinese believe New Zealand is part of a US-led alliance to target Chinese national interests.
The behind-the-scenes threat comes just days before the arrival of US Vice President Joe Biden in New Zealand, forcing government and commerce officials to scramble to open urgent talks with China. New Zealand is angry that China should take such a combative approach, and is asking that it desist.”
I liked the ‘NZ is angry’ but what are we going to do? Our whole economy is out of balance & China can buy it’s milk from anywhere, basically China calls the shots.
“But somehow, China learned of the application – and it is taking retaliatory action.”
are they also going to take “retaliatory measures’ against Australia?
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-steel-china-idUSKCN0XK05C
“Joe Biden landed on the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier in the South China Sea on Friday, where he told crew, “we’re going to be active in the region as long as all of you are alive”.” Jeebus,….
wait until Killary is POTUS
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, cruel.
The lonely life of Daniel Bindner
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11675921
And the media does not seem to be caring enough to get his name correct.
Earlier the Herald headline to the article linked to above spelt his name as “Binder” but then used “Bindner” in the text. The headline has now been amended to “Bindner” to align with the text. But if you google “Daniel Binder” or “Daniel Bindner” the links to the reports on his death use both spellings. My quick search of the reports failed to discover any that revealed which spelling is correct.
In such a sensitive situation, you would have thought/hoped that the least they could do if get his name correct.
Good article about the very serious challenges facing Britain with regards to Brexit: http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2016/07/14/everything-you-need-to-know-about-theresa-may-s-brexit
Short version: it might be 5 years until Article 50 is signed.
Meanwhile, Corbyn’s position on this still seems to be to sign article 50 ASAP.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,
It looks like the UK ‘Blairites” are turning on each other now.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/16/owen-smith-angela-eagle-labour-contest-anti-corbyn
Unbelievable this man gets a pulpit to preach on this subject.
Tony Veitch: Sexism in NZ sporting media alive and well
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11675947
Oh but he apologised and is very sorry.
Course he is sorry cause he got vilified.
Poor Tony Hah
The morally and ethics of the nz MSM wrapped up in one sad example of a man, tony vetch.
Lydia Ko does well and is not top story on sports news on a different company to Veitch’s media outfit.
On many, many occasions New Zealand sports people do well who do not get mentioned by Veitch or any attention let alone extensive, from him and his lot. Some rugby league player uses drugs or scratches his butt (his own not Veitch’s) and its all huff and puff, bluster and bullshit, a big story.
People should not mistake Veitch’s work as being all about sport or the sportspeople. They are incidental, it is all about him
China FTA vs TPPA,
War vs Peace
Independence and Freedom vs economic and political dependence
“When you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas” Benjamin Franklin
“Politics is concentrated economics” V.I. Lenin
“Politics is war by other means” N. Clauswitz
“New Zealand and China were “at peace” on trade issues – but apparently not” Stuff.co.nz
“Peace in our time” N. Chamberlain
Will the Nats pull out of the Free Trade Deal with China?
China makes a military expansion and exclusive territorial grab for the large part of Pacific Ocean bordered by Vietnam and the Philippines misnamed the South China Sea.
The US expands their exclusive economic Co-Prosperity Sphere for the Pacific known as the TPPA, while New Zealand resumes closer economic and military ties with the West including resuming US warship visits and manoeuvres in New Zealand waters.
None of this goes on in a vacuum.
Notoriously, Winston Peters who at the time was fine with signing a Free Trade Agreement with China when the Chinese military was shooting down peaceful protesters in the streets of Tibet, is now questioning the relationship. Peters unaware of his own monstrous hypocrisy, cites Chinese military expansionism into the South China Sea.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10498592
As Britons vote to leave the EU, maybe we could take a page from their book, and rethink our policy on doing exclusive trade deals with any of the Superpowers.
“A pox on all their houses” W. Shakespeare
NZ has been cultivating a one dimensional relationship with China focussed on trade and money. That’s not enough strategically, when it is clear that China is the rising power of the Pacific for the 21st Century.
sign of things to come?
‘Mammoth blade-wielding ‘God of War’ statue unveiled in China (PHOTOS, POLL)’
https://www.rt.com/viral/351647-guan-yu-china-statue/
‘Monster statues: China’s gigantic tribute to god of war and other bizarre effigies (PHOTOS)’
https://www.rt.com/news/333749-giant-weird-statues-photos/
not a very friendly interpretation from some quarters there.
Guan Yu has been deified over the centuries as a General who embodied the highest principles of loyalty, honour, righteousness and brotherly love.
Who plays a major role in the Chinese classic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
http://www.a3guo.com/renwu/shu/Guan%20Yu.htm
+1
Obama said that the TPPA was a means of holding China at bay in the Pacific. China might yet circumnavigate TPPA.
imagine an Asia Pacific trade agreement…which ignores China
This is the US game of attempting to isolate China while offering no recompense in return.
Poor old John Key who sees everything in terms of money, out of his depth on the horns of a political dilemma and with no moral compass to guide him. He is probably pondering which Super Power he can afford to offend the least?
Not to mention avoiding stepping on the toes of the Dairy industry which got zip out of the TPP, and which is heavily reliant on the Chinese market.
I already provide the Yanks with Kiwi cannon fodder and am letting their war ships back into our ports, what more do they want?
What to do? What to do?
‘Astonishing NATO nations did not come to aid of Erdogan govt’
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/351644-nato-nations-aid-erdogan/
…”It’s interesting that the Prime Minister so quickly blamed the Gulen movement. Now, who is this movement? The cleric lives in the US. Well, that is the movement that reportedly funds the Hillary Clinton campaign. Certainly there will be people in Ankara not wishing for a Clinton presidency anytime soon given that so many supporters right now are being arrested. There are ties here that show how complex the events of the past 12 hours are….
‘Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan demands US arrest exiled cleric Gülen amid crackdown on army – as it happened’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara
(Recently Turkey had been trying to resume friendly relations with Russia
‘Putin Ends Russian Tourism Ban to Turkey After Erdogan Talks’
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-29/putin-lifts-ban-on-russian-tourism-to-turkey-after-erdogan-talks
‘Erdoğan has apologised for downing of Russian jet, Kremlin says’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/27/kremlin-says-erdogan-apologises-russian-jet-turkish
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/28/erdogan-russia-turkey-foreign-policy )
there is some noise out there which suggests that Erdogan has made a decision to take Turkey closer to the Middle East and Russia, and away from Europe and NATO.
“Elaborating on the idea that Erdoğan may have staged the coup attempt, Aslandogan said Friday’s events did not match the pattern of previous coups.
“The coup appears to be poorly planned,” he said, “very poorly executed and everything seems to be playing into Erdoğan’s hands. There are many big question marks of how [this attempted coup] was executed.””
Mmm?
I was going to write a post headed “A Turkish Coo?” (Coo being the vernacular for cow…in some places). Anyway I have no time today, but
Did anyone hear any demands being made by any coup plotters?
Was there a spokesperson speaking on behalf of coup leaders?
Did anyone claim responsibility for launching the coup attempt?
Astonishing as it might seem, I’m wondering if the whole caboodle was stage managed by Erdogan as a precursor to eliminating political enemies.
In videos of troops, I’ve seen bewildered young boys in uniform waving nervously at crowds waving Turkish flags. And people opposing the presence of the army, just walking up to a tank and clambering atop, or hanging off a tanks front end – it just doesn’t fit with any scenes I’ve seen of coups.
We know that in coups a presidential palace or a parliament gets shelled – tick.
We know that popular leaders (well, Chavez) can call on the populace to thrwart a coup – tick.
Could be Hollywood.
So yeah. Maybe over the next wee while I’ll look for stuff and form a better informed opinion, but for now I’m calling bullshit on the coup and reckoning it was staged as an excuse to purge.
Erdogan purges 2745 judges and prosecutors
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-16/erdogans-counter-coup-begins-turkey-purges-2745-judges-prosecutors-arrests-hundreds
The question “who wins” from this coup is the easy one to answer.
From Zero Hedge:
Or, to summarize, the military said Erdogan’s power consolidation justifies the attempted coup; Erdogan said the coup justifies further consolidation of power.”
Who gave the orders?
Military coups don’t come out of nowhere they usually have ranking military individuals at their core who give the orders to the troops.
Who are they?
Have they been identified?
What are their names and rank?
Have they been detained?
Have they been killed?
Where are the bodies?
Are they alive?
Are they still at large in Turkey?
Are they being sought?
Have their photos been circulated or published?
Have they fled the country?
Which country?
Syria?
Russia?
Iran?
The US?
The answers to these questions will tell us a lot about the true nature of the failed coup attempt in Turkey.
It seems that some of the coup makers including their alleged leader have been taken into Turkish custody and will be put on trial for Treason.
The good news is that it has been announced that there will be trial. This could be one of the most dramatic court trials in recent world history.
Hopefully, the motives of the coup makers will be examined under cross examination. And revealed to the world.
History in the making.
Dramatic footage of the alleged Turkish coup leader in custody and handcuffed speaking into a smart phone to give the order for his troops to surrender to the civil authorities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyzMFxBVzaU
You don’t often see an admiral in handcuffs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfMK5q20jsw
Watch the chaos as Turkish soldiers try to take over a civilian news room but are overpowered and disarmed. One reporter puts a heavily armed soldier in a headlock and holds him down near a desk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWpb3G_kkfU
Some of the plotters have sought Asylum in Greece.
Again there will be a legal hearing, this time to decide the worth or not of their claim for asylum.
Hopefully, while the world looks on, the motives and reasons behind the coup will be brought out under proper cross examination and defendant testimony.
Again this is history in the making.
Being held in a jurisdiction independent of Turkey there will be less chance of the Greek hearing being a stage managed show trial that provides the answers that the Turkish government wants.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3693369/Fleeing-coup-Uprising-leaders-land-helicopter-Greece-seek-asylum-Turkish-leaders-demand-treacherous-officers-extradited.html
Interestingly the military dictator of Egypt who was supported and helped into power by the US, blocked a US sponsored motion in the United Nations that the democratically elected government of Turkey should be respected.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-un-idUSKCN0ZW0ZN?mod=related&channelName=worldNews
Where all the threads end up will be very interesting to know.
One of the largest charter schools chains in the USA is run by the Gulen movement. So (US) tax payer money disappears into these charters with the rules around charter chains so lax, and unenforced anyway, that noone knows where the money goes.
A 2012 article about the Gulen movement in the NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/world/middleeast/turkey-feels-sway-of-fethullah-gulen-a-reclusive-cleric.html
… very interesting!…..and it seems that Gulen is being blamed for the coup attempt
‘Turkey says US is ‘no friend’ for harboring ‘coup planner’ Gulen’
https://www.rt.com/news/351611-turkey-us-friend-coup/
“The Turkish government has indirectly criticized its NATO ally, the US, for providing a safe haven for Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara blames for masterminding Friday’s military coup attempt. The cleric is currently living in self-imposed exile in the States.
“I do not see any country that would stand behind this man, this leader of the terrorist gang, especially after last night. The country that would stand behind this man is no friend to Turkey. It would even be a hostile act against Turkey,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told reporters on Saturday, as Turkey was recovering from overnight violence…
(question : is Gulen a fundamentalist Islamic with ties to Saudi as well as USA?)
paid the car parking fee at Middlemore hospital, ovef the weekend the price has risen 11%, this at time when we are being continually reminded of low inflation.
Low inflation only applies to wages. Price inflation is OK
+1
heh
Well that didn’t last long: After a day filled with gleeful ridicule of its idiotic logo, the “TP Flag” logo quietly vanished from Donald Trump’s campaign website.
http://wonkette.com/604196/trump-pence-campaign-sends-dumb-fcking-tp-logo-down-the-memory-hole-after-one-day
Not to worry, the internet never forgets.
Forever.
trumpence
The amount of return on investment on a con job.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=trumpence&defid=10002798
That’s going to be more useful in general conversation than santorum ever was.
Depends what your ‘general conversations’ are usually about 😉
Mark Latham speaking sense & gathering public support in Australia. Taking Labor back to Labor and away from the politically correct Progressives.
Andrew Little should check it out.
Might get some worthwhile ideas from Mark.
Far out. (Please remove the ‘o’ and the ‘u’.)
Government challenged to ‘step up’ following China tariffs threats
So much for free-trade with China.
Time to simply dump the illusion that there was any free-trade at all.
‘Tis OK Draco. McClay will sort it.
“Trade Minister Todd McClay says he will be asking officials to contact the Chinese embassy in Wellington to clarify its position on competition issues.
He was commenting about news reports that China could take retaliatory action against dairy and kiwifruit exports from New Zealand if a formal investigation into alleged steel dumping by China is launched by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment….”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11676215
Munter McMutton might manage a small sheep farm if that would smooth matters at all.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82192563/john-key-downplays-retaliation-suggestions-over-potential-china-steel-import-sanctions
“Chinese ambassador Wang Lutong said there was no issue with the imported steel quality but the embassy had been discussing the industry’s concerns with New Zealand authorities.”
Yet…
“Prime Minister John Key has downplayed fears of a trade war from China if sanctions are slapped on its steel, saying he has received “no indication” the world superpower is upset with New Zealand.”
Bloody Hell Bill English was rubbish on Q & A today. All he could come up with was that the housing crisis was all Auckland City Council’s fault because they won’t let a city of 2 million people spread out to be larger than say, Los Angeles with 18 million or be the same size as London with 13 million. In spite of the fact we’re told constantly that land supply is not the main driver of house price inflation. The problem is the lack of actual, fucking houses.
But BE says just be patient.
Jeezh we have be waiting for half of this century already!!!
He’s the Minister of Finance for Chrissake and I’m just astonished really at what a dipshit fucking plonker he is.
This is good sense from the National perspective – they look forward to crucifying Labour on housing and running a dead parrot about their housing solution from opposition “you stunned it, just as it was waking up”
Good Point sM
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/82035780/you-can-buy-a-three-bedroom-home-for-under-600000-in-auckland-as-long-as-youre-a-nz-citizen
However, to qualify for first-home Welcome Home mortgages and KiwiSaver HomeStart grants, the houses need to be under $550,000, which builders don’t believe is possible.
The GJ Gardner Homes Franklin/Papakura franchise has now taken up the challenge and is prepared to build 24 homes in the Belmont subdivision in Pukekohe and 12 in Papakura, but the price will be $578,250.
And
The most recent figures from QV put the median house price in Auckland at $975,087. If the Special Housing Area legislation was applied to this figure rather than the September 2015 median, the maximum house price would be $731,315. This is now in complying for a SHA,developers hav to archive as being affordable 😜
So policies implemented by the govt to solve the housing “non crisis” are not working, anyone in the development industry could have told the ministers,but from my experience our ministers have consulted and been photographed but never asked for our comments.
Dangerously good things happening in Zimbabwe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LubMilbHiPg
May it happen peacefully, at last.
(Perhaps Key needs a copy of this. A real flag, real heart, real courage in the face of very tough times. Not some scaffy corporate logo.)