I could not believe this story when I saw it on the news last night, the young man welding the container, turns out he wasn’t even a trained welder & wasn’t in a safety harness or anything. Also the contractor was not a specialised for large scale industrial work. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514181 This is why regulations exist. I hope the company gets their arse handed to them on a plate for this appalling bollocks up.
Additionally, Gangnam Style, the failure of the trial could have contributed to exacerbating the stress, anxiety or depression individuals suffer. Perhaps leading to harm, death or more medical and social assistance required.
Was anybody monitoring and evaluating that? And if not why not?
The All Blacks getting weary of the hakarena.
I’m getting weary of dull stories about the All Blacks when the media could be writing about important stuff.
305 000 children In poverty
The loss of democracy in Christchurch
Failed work and safety rules
Zero hour contracts
The sale of productive land to overseas interests
Letting off the fines of Serco for corporate misdemeanours
As a former sportsperson, fan and someone who has earned a living in the sports industry I have been surprised (pleasantly I might add, to be reassured that not everyone loves sport or rugby as our media and politicians like to suggest) at how less widely favoured the silver fern on black was in the flag debate.
I think John Key genuinely (no trickery, slippery or or other ipperyness) thought that “everyone loves the All Blacks”.
Now, for my part, I know that everyone doesn’t.
I know that not all sportspeople “love the All Blacks” and another decent sized group don’t love sport. But observing this flag stuff I have come to think that Key REALLY thinks/thought everyone did, or enough to make his flag with a silver fern a romp in the park. now it hasn’t I suspect he and his advisors are genuinely bewildered, and hence the rabbit in the headlights initial responses followed by trickery and slipperyness.
* And no, am not a killjoy, I will be watching the World Cup and hoping for an AB win.
yes boring, boring…boring All Blacks…they have not done themselves any favours by ingratiating themselves with jonkey and his ego , multi million dollar flag project
…there are plenty of other sports deserving of NZers attention…skiing, running, swimming,cycling,tramping, mountaineering,ice hockey, hockey, dancing, horse riding, sky diving, parachuting, canoeing….
Even if you do love sports and the All Blacks doesn’t mean you will want the silver fern as your country’s flag. I think that after all the talk about how this is a one in a lifetime opportunity to define our identity, the four chosen options were an anti climax and even Key’s supporters can see through it.
The sportspeople I know and mix with see the fern on black of representative of NZ That is what they identify with, much more than the flag. I get that doesn’t mean ALL, but remember those who have represented NZ in sport are actually a BIG minority of NZers, and I think perhaps Key has spent too much time with this small group to have understood that.
I think John Key genuinely (no trickery, slippery or or other ipperyness) thought that “everyone loves the All Blacks”.
The assumption that you and your mates are a comprehensive cross-section of society seems to be a common one among Blokes. I remember a guy I was doing some work for in 1981 asking “Who even are these anti-tour people? I don’t even know one person who’s against it.” I didn’t volunteer to change that situation, on the basis of wanting to get paid and not wanting to get punched, thus helping confirm his view that anti-tour protesters were a tiny minority over-publicised by gullible reporters.
As an aside: kind of funny that the rugby boot’s now on the other foot and Key doesn’t dare admit to his own views on that tour. That in itself should have given him a hint that maybe not everyone loves rugby.
Given Key’s recent cuddling and cosying up to the All Blacks, it is entirely appropriate to raise the question of his then views on the Springbok Tour again. His clear passion for rugby and the Al Blacks means he would most definitely have had a view at the time. And if says he still can’t remember then the person asking needs to suggest to him that “everyone thinks your just bullshitting John”
stop living in the past is good advice, except of course for your government which still blames a government of 7 years ago for stuff, and you lap it up BM.
You learn from the past, but you don’t dwell on the past.
Key was a young man at the time, like most at that age you knew fuck all and only saw the world in black and white, no doubt the views he had back then have changed significantly through experience and learning.
The facts are the only reason the left had any interest in Keys view on the 81 springbok tour was because Mandela had died and were trying to score a couple of cheap political points.
Which in my view was rather scummy and showed a distinct lack of class.
what a lowlife you are – giving out the free passes to your mate monKey – oh he probably this or maybe that – you are a sycophantic loser just like key – YOU are scummy and have zero class just like key – the posterboy you have on your bedroom wall.
Key has been questioned on his position on the Springbok tour ever since he became leader of the National Party. And he has been criticised about his convenient lack of memory ever since.
And then there’s this from one of the articles in the New Zealand Herald’s unauthorised biography of Key series:
“Key himself credits those early debates as sparking his interest in politics. He remembers being attracted by the fiery political arguments of the 1970s and 1980s. “They were quite intense debates – Kawerau and Kinleith and people striking over the Cook Strait ferries – all of those kind of things,” he says. “It was certainly a period of time where politics were prominent and I was fascinated by it.”
This fascination with the political debate of the time does not square with answers Key gave in his early political career about his stand on one of the most divisive issues of the early-1980s – the Springbok Tour. During a television interview before his rise to the leadership of the party, Key was asked: “In 1981, were you for or against the Springbok Tour?” He answered: “Oh, I can’t even remember … 1981, I was 20 … ah … I don’t really know. I didn’t really have a strong feeling on it at the time. Look, it’s such a long time ago.”
His answer is puzzling for someone who was surrounded by, and fascinated with, political debate. Whether he was pro-Tour or anti-Tour is almost irrelevant 27 years down the track. But saying that he can’t remember how he felt leaves him open to criticism that he did not want to get off-side with people by stating his position. (In subsequent broadcast interviews, he sounds strangely confused. He has said that he didn’t go to the games, but that he might have if he could have afforded it; and that he wasn’t happy that the Springboks were here, but that he didn’t feel strongly enough to go out on the street.)“
BM you Neanderthal “Seriously though, who really cares, it was 35 years ago, stop living in the past”
Do you not see the importance of establishing if our Prime Minister lies to us and paints pictures of deception?
Further, the about-face shown by most all pro-tour people, who were generally full-faced tory right wing types, proves again that the left are correct on all political issues. It just takes time for the conservative, Neanderthal right wing types time to wake up to reality and change their mind.
The examples of this are everywhere BM.
Perhaps you could point to an issue where the right wing led on it and were subsequently proved to be correct? You wont be able to BM, you wont be able to …
There’s a reason why evangelicals and other assorted religious fundamentalists tend to be RWNJs – it’s because of their messiah complex. The majority of them are looking for a messiah while the minority, like Key, like to think that they’re the messiah.
yes vto the bullshit by pro-tour dims as they rewrite their personal history would make the youknowwhos cringe. Key, bm and the rest of the cowards are known – we looked them eye to eye back in the day of the protests – they were weak then, they are weak now.
* And no, am not a killjoy, I will be watching the World Cup and hoping for an AB win.
– Tracey
Well, by that definition I am a killjoy and proud of it.
I’m unable to divorce John Key’s recent whoring of the All Blacks for his own political gain from my support of the team for 40 years. It’s naive to think the high-jacking will not get even worse should NZ win this RWC.
He’s taken my team from me and so I hope they go down in a ball of flames…
@Muttonbird. I have been an AB follower most of my adult life (loooong time) but am totally disillusioned by them now. They are just advertising billboards with pretty hairdo’s. So tired of them pushing deodorants, strutting around in their undies, Richie and the keyclone running around selling I don’t know what. Have forgotten already. Conkey on the cover of Rugby magazine gurning like an idiot looking for a village was just plain stupid and his stalking of Richie is sooo embarrassing. I am predicting that they will not retain the WC . In the past nothing good has come of anyone who hitches their star to conkey’s clapped out old wagon. He is a jinx.
As Anthony Robins astutely said a few days ago, “If he can get 50.1% and his own way that is good enough. He is about his own agenda, not unifying the country.”
He is doing to the All Blacks what he has done to Peter Jackson – appropriating them as emblems of his gang. It does not matter to him if a few killjoys end up despising them because of it, so long as that 50+% holds up. It probably even pleases him that something that people universally felt they had a stake in is narrowed down to just the ones who identify with him. So long as he can hang on to his 50+% this gives him cultural leverage – the only “real New Zealander” becomes the “Key-friendly New Zealander.”
Key would do well to remember Mrs Shipley, the plane painted in All Black drag and the semifinal loss to France that year.
I recall a recent story where a National Campaign Manager said that all three of John Key’s changing “opinions” were informed by polls / focus groups . . .Who needs a mind of their own when they pay Farrar to find out what it should be?
Very frustrating to see Ministers Bennett and Rich decline the sale of the Lochinver Station to a Chinese firm, but on the other hand when English or key are questioned about the sale of half of Silver Ferm Farms, they just blithely say it’s “up to the shareholders”, meaning, the farmer owners.
It would be great if this government had an actual economic development strategy, rather than just hollowing us out to nothing, bar a few paddocks.
…and I think Goldman Sachs advised the farmers to sell to the Chinese!….the farmers need to wise up fast about Goldman Sachs and their history and advice around the globe….those that take Goldman Sach’s advice are usually doomed
…”John McCarthy, a former chairman of Meat Industry Excellence, a group set up to promote change in the industry, said: “This is a watershed for New Zealand, it is a crossroads for NZ inc and has the potential to change the face of our rural communities and to blur that unique point of difference and global opportunity.”
McCarthy said English’s comments around the Silver Fern Farm’s “debacle” were disturbing.
“His comments are a cop out and are indicative of the Government turning its back on rural communities and New Zealand in favour of foreign control,” McCarthy said.
“With the pragmatic cynicism that is the hallmark of this administration they have paid lip service to the concerns that have been mounting over the past years as farmers become increasingly worried as to the future viability of their farms and their inter-generational opportunities.”
McCarthy said Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy had been “missing in action” in the red meat sector.
“This Government is all about snuggling up to the Chinese opportunity and it appears they are prepared to do so at any cost, including, in this instance, a passive sanctioning of increasing sales of New Zealand family silver.”
…and New Zealand has used Goldman Sachs to advise Treasury!!!! (who the hell was responsible for this?!…like inviting a vampire in to suck the blood out of your heart)
…and now New Zealand Silver Fern farmers clasp this vampire to their bosom to advise them to sell out to Chinese foreign interests… out of New Zealand farmer co-operative control…i would have thought NZ farmers would have been more savvy…they should be amalgamating with the other farmer co-operative Alliance
This is a very important Internet and Monopoly case, because if someone can be hounded throughout the world based on a civil unproven claim of a file sharing website which has already been proven to be legal when Viacom sued file sharing website Youtube and lost in the US, using armed defenders and public prosecutors in a corporate welfare entitlement for 4 large media companies such as Warner Bros (who we already have changed tax and employment law in this country for) then freedom of the Internet is close to death.
Is the next Internet entrepreneur going to keep their business going when big business comes a calling, if they know that the US and governments will be after them rather than the normal legal civil avenues?
But can he get a fair trial? Look at John Banks – convicted and then a guy from the US pops up and John Banks is acquitted and doesn’t even have to go to trial?
Not only that but they have seized assets so that Dotcom can’t easily pay to defend himself.
He’s been illegally spied on using tax payers resources.
TV3 ran a beat up of him.
Judges don’t even understand IT, let alone file sharing.
In the court documents cloud sharing was described as cow sharing.
I’m not sure he is going to get a fair trial. The last guy committed suicide apparently.
When the US goes after you it is no laughing matter and it is calling the NZ justice system into disrepute internationally if they are allowed to get away with it by extradition to a country he does not live in, and never had an office there.
“I’m not sure he is going to get a fair trial. The last guy committed suicide apparently. ”
Are you thinking about this guy? The Internets Own Boy : The Story of Aaron Swartz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXr-2hwTk58 sad stuff, just hounded him to death, for SFA.
And David Kelly hounded to suicide after disclosing that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Although totally different cases it sets the scene of what happens when governments start to unfairly hound someone without legal cause and making evidence fit and bullying citizens for political reasons.
That is not democracy. That is a police state.
In the Dotcom case, corporate welfare for the movie industry which have already been given a lot of corporate welfare in this country by the PM.
Kim Dotcom should not be extradicted! Kim Dotcom is a hero! [deleted]. Information yearns to be free!
[lprent: defamatory and unsubstantiated. One week ban. Your comments don’t repeatably do this but I can’t be bothered warning people when I see a series of ‘facts’ being stated with no backing. Read the policy. ]
“…this case has been an abomination of legal process, jurisdiction and injustice. You might not like Kim Dotcom, but the manner in which his rights have been breached and 70 odd armed paramilitary cops broke into his home and terrorised him and his family is as unacceptable as the abuses of power used in court against him.
This is not what our justice system should be used for, we are not a puppet for US interests, we should be a sovereign state with our own laws and judicial system that is beyond influence by America and their corporate overlords.”
2.) The second reason is what it could cost New Zealand in damages:
…”the injustice of this case may not move you. You may have bought into the media hype of Dotcom as a Bond Villain and enjoyed his failure at the ballot box. You may have decided that despite Assange, Snowden and Greenwald proving at the Moment of Truth that John Key lied to us about mass surveillance, that Kim fell short of what he promised and he got his just desserts.
Okay. Fine. Then here’s the second reason you should care about the Kim Dotcom case.
$2 Billion dollars…
…”Sony decided not to sign up to the case against Dotcom because they believed there was a chance he would get off these trumped up charges and in turn sue everyone involved in taking him down to the tune of $2billion???
And we had to sign up to this?
So how much exactly are we on the hook for here? If you don’t care that he has been unjustly dealt with and his rights breached, you may be in for one hell of a shock if he wins and we are left paying for this politically motivated prosecution….
I financed a movie once. It was just about to be released and then “nek minit”, as you colonials from kiwi land say, [deleted] web site and before the day was up it had been downloaded over 100,000 times. Lost quite a few thousand pounds over that I can tell you!
you are disingenuous….there are many many far bigger American cloud storage sites which people would/could/do access for movies…this is common knowledge…your movie ( that is if you genuinely did fund a movie?!) was probably pirated from one of these commonly known American monster cloud sites
…nor is Dotcom responsible for what others store …unless he is notified by authorities..inwhich case he has said , as you probably well know, that he is swift in taking the offending item out of his cloud storage
…an analogy…if a foreign company owning ocean- going container ships has drugs smuggled on board one ship without the owner/company’s knowledge ….do the Americans take down the whole foreign shipping company and ground and steal all their ships…( especially when their own American ships also have even more drugs smuggled on board)
I do believe that at the time of the raid megaupload was the biggest illegal file sharing site in the world. You might like to check it out if you don’t believe me.
And considering [deleted].
Maybe you should read about the case a bit more. Silly woman.
[lprent: That is
1. defamatory.
2. not substantiated with a link to something credible.
Looking at your comments, you do not rate a warning. Which means you have a 2 week ban. Read the policy and stop exhibiting your small dick. Noone really want to see little pricks like you. ]
Point 21 is an allegation by the US prosecutor. It has not been proved nor substantiated, beyond establishing a prima facie case, and is still in front of NZ courts. An accusation is not proof that something happened, and isn’t substantiation.
Added a further 4 weeks. Two weeks for each of us for directing us to an useless substantiation that didn’t do what you claimed, and potentially putting us in legal danger because you are incompetent at distinguishing between accusations and conviction. ]
Well why don’t you sue You Tube then. Viacom did, and lost especially when it was found that the movie industry themselves were posting their videos to drum up business. A bit like the cigarette industry at the centre of boot legged smokes to keep the punters addicted.
I wonder if Andrew Little will adopt Jeremy Corbyn’s cut through idea of allowing the public to select his questions for question time? It is a brilliant idea to do an end run around our hostile media.
Do some readers still remember some “presentations” that were shared via various blogs and other forums over recent years, and some quotes that were made to the MSM, where MSD’s and Work and Income’s Principal Health Advisor was making very bold claims about the dangers to health due to “worklessness”? Do readers remember the assertions that paid, open work is supposed to have “health benefits”, and that it is “therapeutic”? Here is a sample of those presentations:
There are claims in it saying that 30 % of GP’s “had experienced a sense of threat and intimidation” (see page 32) by persons seeking certificates for WINZ.
Dr Bratt also repeated this: “the ‘benefit’ – an addictive debilitating drug with significant adverse effects to both the patient and their family (whānau)”. He said:
“As a drug, it would be an addictive, debilitating substance, he told the RNZCGP education convention” (Dr Bratt, Principal Health Advisor for MSD).
He also claimed that according to both Australian and New Zealand studies there is a chance of it being only 70 percent likely that a person would “ever” return to work after 20 days off work, that it is only 50 percent likely for a person to “ever” return to work after 45 days off work and that it is only 35 percent likely for a person to “ever” return to work after 70 days off work.
And according to a so-called “GP survey”, randomly conducted by Dr Bratt, GPs supposedly found about sick or disabled beneficiaries seeking medical certification for WINZ, that: “71 felt it was a mechanism to provide income to the patient”, “55 % felt W + I staff created an expectation”, “40 % – because they believed there was no work available” and “31 % – felt W + I weren’t doing anything for the patient”.
He even commented to NZ Doctor magazine: “A UK study found of the main obstacles for going to work, medical problems made up just 3 % of the list” (01 August 2012, in timely manner to “support” the then prepared new, draconian welfare reforms, following the UK examples).
Now after someone did some study and research, and sought answers from our dear MSD, to back these and many other claims up, it appears most the “EVIDENCE” that has been endlessly referred to, does show rather damned little true evidence to back up any of the above, and to justify the “relentless focus on work”, the tough “medicine” also recommended to sick and disabled.
Under this government misinformation, or selective informing, and blatant misrepresentation of data seems to have become the norm. Here is what a comprehensive post on all this reveals:
Why are the useless MSM not bothered to dig into such very important matters, why does hardly any “media” report on beneficiaries having been short payed for 18 years, why do we only get so much attention on flag designs, on which All Black players look like “promising” stars to perform in the upcoming Rugby World Cup, why is crime, weather, sports and trivial pursuit the daily news digest, I ask? We are taken for a ride, day in and day out, and the average Joe Blogs has no clue about what really goes on in his country. What a disgrace, I dare say.
No wonder he deleted all emails of certain correspondence with a leading UK advisor, but that is yet another matter raising endless questions about what we get presented with.
A must watch, see the Associate Minister of Social Development squirm when she gets hard pressed for an honest answer to deliver the truth about the failed trials for Sole Parent Employment Services and Mental Health Employment Services.
We are having to wait for the end of the year, I suppose for Xmas Eve, to finally get the EVALUATION report from MSD!!!??
Welfare reforms, hailed so much two years ago, are being proved to largely have failed, yet again. Remember the talk also about drug testing, about beneficiary going to have their benefits stopped when a warrant for their arrest was out?
Starting with nothing is what the poor do all the time and it is truly amazing what some manage to do. But starting out with nothing often means that you’re going to end up with nothing because you simply don’t have the resources available to do anything.
I don’t know too much about smalley – but this report is good imo
Some of those images though, the staunch men in heavy hessian uniforms, the police dogs moving through fields, packed trains, people pleading for safe passage, people in a rush trying to get on buses, four-metre high wire fences, razor wire. We’ve seen this all before in Europe, haven’t we.
Thousands of refugees have fled a conflict, but as they approach Europe, they’re about to enter another one.
Incredibly, this morning Paul Henry was
more depraved than he’s ever been before PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 17 September 2015, 6:55 a.m.
Part 1 of 2
“I’m more intelligent than most people, as you would know.”—Paul Henry[1]
There are any number of credible, not to mention humane and decent, journalists and commentators who actually know something about international politics and the United Nations. And then there are the bloody-minded, partisan, hateful ideologues. Naturally, Paul “Kill them ALL” Henry [2] sought out one of the most brutal of the latter type for his show this morning. Claudia Rosett is a notorious Murdoch hackette, the holder of a neocon think-tank sinecure, and a tireless advocate for the neocon version of reality, which means she’s a fanatic, a shill and a propagandist of the very worst kind. Not a problem for Paul Henry of course.….
CLAUDIA ROSETT: …. I call it the parade of the dictators. Obama will speak first, followed by China, Russia, Iran and Raoul Castro from Cuba.
PAUL HENRY: God ALMIGHTY! Bloody Putin out the back orchestrating the whole thing. …And at the Security Council we sit there next to Russia, which continues to be responsible for the mess in Syria. ….
Claudia Rosett continued for several minutes to unload her contempt for the United Nations. Henry sat rapt throughout her unhinged ranting, grunting his approval, then had to reluctantly cut to the news….
PAUL HENRY: Claudia Rosett from Demand Democracy. She is a very good commentator on the United Nations, although she despises them, to a degree.
In fact, Claudia Rosett is the exact opposite of a “very good commentator” whether she is commentating on the U.N. or on anything else. She is an ideologue of the extreme right, a doctrinal warrior whose cynicism seems to have no limit. As a sample of her cruelty and irresponsibility, have a look at the following obscenity, where she expresses indignation bordering on apoplexy at a U.N. report that dared to criticize Israel….
pita – yes the inglish are insulting the haka – I don’t blame them but rather those that have given this cultural item to the all blacks for their purposes.
The All Blacks insulted the sport of rugby football with their flagrant strategy of cheating in the 2011 RWC final. Matt Dawson’s silly little parody, insulting as it might be, is nothing in comparison to that.
a bit like arguing which gladiator will win – go the trident and net guy – no I prefer the sword dude or maybe the spear thrower – in other words yawn yawn yawn
Actually it’s not like that at all. Your analogy would have merit if one of them was unfairly handicapped and every infraction of the rules by the other was ignored.
The day the haka went from being a personal challenge by the All Blacks to whatever team was playing them, to a heavily microphoned and filmed, hostile and aggressive act with the crowd joining in, was the day it lost any respect from me.
I do not have a problem with the English have a bit of a piss-take with it. If we can’t handle it then maybe we are just a bit too bloody precious.
The various types of haka include whakatu waewae, tutu ngarahu and peruperu. The peruperu is characterised by leaps during which the legs are pressed under the lower body. In former times, the peruperu was performed before a battle in order to invoke the god of war and to discourage and frighten the enemy. It involved fierce facial expressions and grimaces, poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons. If the haka was not performed in total unison, this was regarded as a bad omen for the battle. Often, warriors went naked into battle, apart from a plaited flax belt around the waist.
The tutu ngarahu also involves jumping, but from side to side, while in the whakatu waewae no jumping occurs. Another kind of haka performed without weapons is the ngeri, the purpose of which was to motivate the warriors psychologically. The movements are very free, and each performer is expected to be expressive of their feelings. Manawa wera haka were generally associated with funerals or other occasions involving death. Like the ngeri they were performed without weapons, and there was little or no choreographed movement.
The most well-known haka is “Ka Mate”, attributed to Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe. The “Ka Mate” haka is classified as a haka taparahi – a ceremonial haka. “Ka Mate” is about the cunning ruse Te Rauparaha used to outwit his enemies, and may be interpreted as “a celebration of the triumph of life over death” (Pōmare 2006).
“I do not have a problem with the English have a bit of a piss-take with it. If we can’t handle it then maybe we are just a bit too bloody precious.”
I couldn’t agree more, the Poms are just making dicks of themselves.
They have already claimed that we cheated in 2011.
They are very fucking desperate and should be laughed at.
NZ are quite capable of making dicks of themselves regarding the haka, here you can get a headset to enjoy it in 360 degrees! It promises to “Take your place on the field with the All Blacks and experience the electrifying Haka up close in a unique 360° experience. The AIG Haka 360° headset allows you to experience the Haka as if you were really there with the All Blacks – a new and awesome experience! ” jeebus!
The clownish Willie Jackson needs to read more, talk less.
And Lizzie Marvelly needs to think before she nods her head. PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 17 September 2015
Part 2 of 2
About 8:25 a.m. ……
Following the appearance of extreme right wing U.N.-hater Claudia Rosett an hour earlier, Paul Henry and his “Daily Panel” discussed the efficacy or otherwise of the United Nations. Unfortunately, this morning’s iteration of the Daily Panel consisted of a well meaning but poorly informed pop singer and an equally well meaning but even more poorly informed radio jock. I have rendered Jackson’s most ignorant utterance in italicized bold type….
LIZZIE MARVELLY: There’s nothing wrong with the actual institution of the United Nations. PAUL HENRY: Well, actually I think there IS. WILLIE JACKSON: The veto allows them to sort out a maniac, like George W. Bush a few years ago. PAUL HENRY: If they were serious about sorting out a maniac, they would have gone into Syria and sorted out THAT maniac YEARS AGO. WILLIE JACKSON: Remember a few years back, when Chávez of Venezuela went to the United Nations and tod the U.S. what he thought of them. PAUL HENRY: Yes, and what did that achieve? LIZZIE MARVELLY: It made people think! WILLIE JACKSON: Yes, and Paul, he was doing something he wouldn’t have been able to do in his own country, but he was able to in the United Nations. LIZZIE MARVELLY:[fervently] Yes.
You might be a bit hasty in your opinion on Marvelly, there aren’t that many people in their mid-20’s writing like this out there, and practically none that are in the celebrity spotlight. Infact I think you’ll like her media commentaries, they’re similar to yours! 🙂 http://www.villainesse.com/girl-power/when-did-new-zealand-become-so-sexist
I do like her and I respect her—but she needs to be far sharper than she was this morning. Actually expressing AGREEMENT with Jackson’s ignorant opinion about the late Hugo Chávez was not smart.
The Corbyn victory and shift to the left in the UK has shone the spotlight on our local Labour lot. And haven’t we seen them scurry to distance themselves revealing their true colours.
Seeing as they aren’t prepared to embrace and adopt the Corbyn example and are struggling at around 30% (while also seemingly unable to align with their much needed potential coalition partners) they have little to lose.
At this rate, they aren’t going to win the next election.
Therefore, if Labour genuinely believe the centre is where the votes are to be found, here is something the Party should seriously consider.
Drop the Labour Party name and re-brand the Party as the Centrist Party.
This will free them from being labelled left (which they seem to fear) fully allowing the newly branded Party to continue to push their centrist position and seek the centre vote.
They have two years to build and grow the new brand before putting it to the test in the next general election.
Of course, this will put an end to their genuine left wing support and no doubt rob them of a number of foot soldiers on the ground.
But hey, once again, they’re the ones that seem to believe the centre is where it is at.
Therefore, it’s time the Party fully cement this position and put their money where their mouth is.
This would put an end to commentators like me critiquing them for not living up to their Labour Party namesake, thus largely ending the division the Party still currently face.
This will catch the establishment off guard, thus generate much media hype, which they can build off.
Moreover, it will help rebuild voter trust, because seriously, who can trust a party that can’t even live up to its current namesake?
If the newly branded Party can’t get over the line or their support severely drops (resembling the last election) then it will be clear the center is not where the votes are at for them – and perhaps then, and only then, will they be more willing to adopt the Corbyn stance and go back to being a genuine Labour Party.
The danger is, as the left move on, Labour may not regain a good chunk of the left wing voting block. Or worse, the left may regroup (by either forming a new party or further bolstering a current one like NZ First or the Greens) and thrash them. Then again, they may just end up bolstering the non-voting block.
There is no doubt the Center and Far Left can no longer live together under the pressure of continued electoral failure and are on the road to divorce throughout the Western world.
In the U.K. the Far Left have made a majority claim to the house, taken possession, and rearranged the furniture to suit themselves, so if it was the U.K. you were talking about, I’d agree it’s the Center that should be looking for new lodgings.
But here in NZ, the Center Left has been very well settled and comfortable in the family home for many years, and the wider whanau seem to be happy with the arrangement just the way it is. So why should they be the ones to shift out?
Don’t you think it would be far more sensible for the Far Left to be the one to cut loose and set out on it’s own, leaving behind all the Centrist baggage of the old relationship?
You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
I’m not advocating that the center move out. I’m highlighting if the centre feel that confident, then they should cement their position and start being honest with voters.
The centre are falsely parading under the Labour Party name.
If there are any genuine left Labour MPs with principle, they’d be the ones to leave when the Party changes it’s name and cement its position.
Apart from the name change, the party structure would remain.
I reckon Labour should split into two parties, centrist and left. Two problems with that though. One is that the power mongers in Labour aren’t going to want to give up ‘Labour’, but you couldn’t really split and have the centrists take the name and all the policy etc. And two, the powermongers that end up in both parties still won’t want to work with the GP.
Plus, Labour doesn’t have a Corbyn.
The more I look at this and follow what is happening in the UK, the more I think any solutions are going to have to come from a political movement from outside parliament.
According to the Lost sheep, there isn’t anyone in Labour’s left camp, thus it would be difficult for them to split into two factions.
Its time for Labour to be honest with voters, stop paying lip service to the left and re-brand. Or start living up to their name.
Clearly, changing leadership isn’t working. No matter how left the mere window dressing looks, there is no substance within. Thus, a good number of voters can sense their phoniness, hence their poor election results of late and rankings in the polls.
A new movement coming from outside of Parliament is more challenging for a political party. And generally requires a lot of funding. Unless there is a groundswell of support.
None that I know of Weka. Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.
Which is why I’m saying that it wouldn’t be sensible for the Party to change it’s name to make it clear what it represents. That’s perfectly clear to everyone already? It’s Center Left.
In Britain, there obviously is a much stronger Far Left thread within the Labour Party. Always has been. Strong enough to take it over as it happens.
But that is inconceivable in NZ. The NZ Labour Far Left is simply not a big enough bloc to do that.
The more I listen to the voices calling for Labour to move Left, the more I’m coming to think that’s just plain wrong.
What the Far Left really needs is an authentic voice of it’s own.
If there really are a large number of people wanting that voice, it shouldn’t be difficult to get such a party up and running?
The last time I checked, self-serving right wing “thinkers” don’t get to define “far” or “left”. You want to know what extreme looks like: the National Party undermining the rule of law.
“None that I know of Weka. Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.”
But The Chairman wasn’t talking about the far left. You are the one that is bringing that up. Why? And if there are no far left MPs in Labour what is the point of talking about the far left in this conversation?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed Weka, but much of the discussion on this blog over the last month or so has been about the Corbynism of the UK Labour Party, and many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left in a similar manner….
The Chairmans post clearly introduces a linkage between Corbynism and how it has ‘shone the spotlight on the local Labour lots….fear of being labelled Left’, and that is a variation on a common theme here lately.
As someone who quit a lifetime of active support for the NZ Left out of disgust at how ineffectual it has become, I’d just like to see someone / anyone on the Left make a move that was brave, decisive, revolutionary, compelling etc…
But that is not going to be Labour, and those of you that support a Corbyn type change are not going to be able to take over Labour, and so if any of you actually want something to happen you are going to have to make it happen.
But I’m betting it won’t. I think the NZ Left has lost the ability to act in a bold manner that captures the public imagination. 20 years of PC has squeezed the life out brave and creative free thinking in the political structures of the NZ Left.
That’s all very well, but Corbyn isn’t far left, he’s just traditional left wing. In NZ there are no far left people in parliament, so your whole comment earlier didn’t make any sense on either of those points.
The Chairman, as far as I can tell, is suggesting that if Labour wants to be centrist that it just does so more honestly and then if being honestly centrist fails, lets the left try for a Corbyn-esque process. None of that is to do with the far left (a conversation about which would include say Mana, or people like Sue Bradford, or the far left people that have never been in parliament).
In one post you say: “Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.”
Then, in the next post you acknowledge many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left.
Which is exactly correct. However, though you acknowledge this you overlook an important fact. Which is, why it would be totally sensible the Party re-brands. Voter trust.
Labour expects voters to trust them, moreover they require voters to trust them. Voters won’t vote for a Party they simply don’t trust.
A centrist Party falsely parading under the Labour Party name looks completely phony. Eroding any chance of acquiring substantial (and much needed) voter support.
Additionally, you overlook another major point. The ailing economy (which is also a vital point in elections) requires a hands on left wing fix.
For numerous reasons, the local private sector aren’t up to the task of turning our economy around.
The right and centre left largely plan to fill this market void with offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one quickly discovers this approach is not only failing, in many respects it’s exacerbating our economic wows.
Like any investment, offshore investors seek a return. Returns heading offshore, sets our economy back.
A good number of our most lucrative sectors are dominated by offshore investors. Thus, the more we grow our GDP, the larger the returns heading offshore.
Therefore, the solution is for Government to help fill our market voids. And of course, this is the left wing approach our nation desperately requires. And that will win over voters from across the political spectrum.
“you acknowledge many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left.
Which is exactly correct. However, though you acknowledge this…”
Er, Just one small point there Chairman.
I do not consider that commenters on this blog are representative of the wider NZ voting public.
The majority of NZ Voters consider themselves Centrist, and that includes a majority of people who vote for Labour.
So outside of unrepresentative niche social media forums such as this, I see no evidence there is a widespread groundswell of support for a shift to the Left in order to impose ‘a left wing fix’.
Or that a Party proposing such a shift would win voters from across the political spectrum.
So to restate my point. Labour has already displayed a complete lack of interest in shifting Left.
If you or anyone else believes there is ‘desperate’ need and demand for such a platform, then create a new Party to cater for it?
I’m picking no one will. And the reason is that there is inadequate demand and support for such a Party.
Commentators here are generally a representation of the left of the political spectrum.
While the majority of voters may see themselves being in the centre, they are open to a party with a credible economic plan. Moreover, one they can trust.
Labours hands on kiwi build policy was an example of a hands on left wing stance that was widely welcomed from across the speptrum.
Thus, credibly expanding on that left wing hands on approach (which Labour has largely failed to do) into other areas of market voids will also be widely supported.
Labours election results and polling of late, clearly show that Labour (and their centre left stance) is largely failing to resonate with voters.
Therefore, it’s time Labour started to look at what works and resonates, opposed to continuously pushing what doesn’t.
They can start with being honest and living up to the Party’s name.
Here’s a petition to ask the BBC to in fairness refer to David Cameron as the right wing prime minister, as they always label Corbyn ‘the left wing leader of Labour’.
The findings were hoped to be able to help forensic scientists understand and interpret backspatter from gunshot fatalities.
Researchers used synthetic models of pig heads as well as the heads of 14 slaughtered pigs for the research, a mixture of wild animals, supermarket butchery animals and domestic farm animals.
An additional five live pigs were supplied by a local Otago piggery, all mature females.
Prior to shooting, the live pigs were sedated, anaesthetised and then strapped to a surgical table.
The skin above and between the eyes was shaved using electric clippers and then hair removal cream used to remove the remaining hair, causing rashes.
In two instances, the live pigs began to spasm after they were shot, which nullified a large portion of the data they provided.
warning – image of disgusting torture of innocent animal in the article below
put aside for a moment the cruelty of shooting those pigs after shaving their eyebrows, pretend to forget the indignity and callousness – why didn’t these researchers shoot themselves in the head??? because their research is M E A N I N G L E S S – a pig head is not a human head.
Actually, pigs are a pretty good model of human structures and organs in a variety of situations, which is why they are often used.
I suspect that live (albeit unconscious) pigs were required because of blood pressure affecting the spatter patterns, which might be important in a murder trial if someone argues that they only shot the corpse of the person after the others had committed the murder, and they only did that because they were afraid that otherwise they’d be next.
but for heads? I don’t think so – sure expanded nasal cavities and a mandible that hinges directly to the skull offer some connection but it is all bogus especially when they say, “the idea of the research was to get further down the path of analysis and would help international justice systems around the world.” – oh dear that sounds ominous…
plus
“Hans Kriek, executive director of New Zealand animal welfare group SAFE, said the research was completely unjustified and “wrongfully approved.”
He said the cornerstone of research approval was in the findings benefiting society, a benchmark this experiment failed to reach.
“Pigs have a different skull structure to humans … I would question whether there is scientific validity in this specific experience be able to compare anything of use.”
“The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society also expressed outrage, with campaign manager Tara Jackson saying it highlighted faults in the system. Pigs are fundamentally different to humans, especially in regards to their skull – it’s purely bad science to use pigs in such studies when non-animal methods would give much more accurate results” she said.
Institute of Environmental Science and Research spokesman Stephen Corbett said the idea of the research was to get further down the path of analysis and would help international justice systems around the world.
is it that you always want to defend the science or that your opinion always aligns with those that want to defend the science – I can never work it out
Oh, I have an inherent bias towards people who work in a field every day over those people who do not now and probably have never ever had any experience or study in that area whatsoever. No matter how much my personal impulses might match the agenda of the latter group.
And there’s only so much that can be done with ballistic gel.
Your bias is very narrow indeed when you dismiss with a handwave the ”campaign managers and CEOs” who do know their field, and work it in every day, and have superior knowledge and understanding about the animals than the guys who wanted to shoot them or the ethics people who approved it.
And if the likes of Safe had known about this bizarre and cruel experiment 6 years ago, it would never have happened, which should tell you something.
Even if you don’t care about animal cruelty or see a need for Safe to exist, NZ gaining a reputation as a soft touch for dodgy human and animal research is not a good thing.
lol
that’s a heck of a slide for one paragraph – animals being shot while anaesthetised all the way to dodgy research on humans.
The fact is that the pigs were unconscious and the use of live (as opposed to already-dead) animals produced information that could be relevant in a homocide investigation.
Interesting – I hadn’t seen that one.
Not sure I’d go so far as “dodgy”, but worthy of being watched closely depending on how the particulars define “best interests”.
What was the outcome of the complaint to the health and disability commissioner?
A trial involving unconscious patients where consent is gained retrospectively is inherently dodgy.
The commissioner’s pretty conservative though and I’m guessing the office is less than enthusiastic in investigating this.
As far as I know there hasn’t been an outcome yet.
It may be similar to what should have been an open and shut case of off label ketamine and MH patients in Dunedin a couple of years ago. Hill deemed it not experimental and no breaches, but it was both ”borderline” and a ”grey area”, he said.
Translation: you got away with it but don’t do it again.
Well, it’s about as dodgy as giving CPR to someone who’s unconscious and you don’t know whether it’s against their beliefs.
It’s a bit more specialised than any of my ethics training, but in general I reckon if the worst case is care no worse than normal (including complication rates), and the best case is improved care, it’s not in the grounds of “dodgy”. I.e. it’s an honest attempt to improve survival odds.
But corporations will try to push the boundaries into unnecessary treatment with experimental products. It’s what they do – money before ethics.
CPR is not a novel treatment.
One of the trials was merely to find out if the new meds were as good as the standard antibiotic the patient would receive in a normal treatment course.
No benefit, only potential risk, to these patients.
Why are you comparing it with saving lives?
”In a global trial, sponsored by United States-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals, intensive care specialists want to see if the new medicine is as good as the standard antibiotic.”
Funny, every time I do a first aid course the procedure alters slightly.
One of the trials was merely to find out if the new meds were as good as the standard antibiotic the patient would receive in a normal treatment course.
A non-inferiority test, yes. As a researcher for another application was minuted:
“The researcher explained in order to show superiority you need a lot more cases. […] adding that if the trial showed the treatment to be inferior you would not want to test it on a larger population”
Offsetting the risk from the new antibiotic not being as effective was increased medical attention of some sort. How would you test whether a new treatment works on pneumonia that one only acquires when already unable to respond and on a respirator?
The current treatment effectiveness against the specific organism is 60%. To prove it does better (as well as widening the number of antibiotics for when bugs become resistant) you need to prove it does at least as well. I’m comparing it with saving lives because antibiotics are not given to fight pneumonia just for fun.
This has more info from the women’s health council perspective: http://www.womenshealthcouncil.org.nz/Features/Hot+Topics/Ethics+Committees.html
Your bias means you side with research bods and utilitarian arguments each and every time so it becomes a moot point in any discussion.
But it seems the notion of informed consent has been re-negotiated with no scrutiny, and a lax and disinterested (not lack of interest, but more like observers than advocates) attitude from the supposed patient watchdog.
Your bias means you side with research bods and utilitarian arguments each and every time….
A preference for the scientific method over logical fallacies and appeals to emotion as the basis for knowledge, and a preference for rationalism over irrationalism as the basis for argument, is a “bias” now? I just hope I can be as biased as possible in that direction then.
Could someone please ask Andrew Little or someone in the Labour party to please declare a crisis in the All Blacks, they’ll need all the help they can get to win the world cup
You didn’t read your second link very closely did you?
You do realise the best forecast price in the article (from ASB) is $5 per kg?
You do know that the break even point for farmers is $5.80?
You do know that volumes are falling (down 43% on this time last year) and much of this seasons production has already been forward sold at the previous low prices?
The best the article seems to be hoping / predicting is that the dairy industry finishes the season in a hole less deep than the one they thought they might be in.
In other words your shallow smartarse potshot at Little is completely misplaced, because any serious person would realise that we’re a long way from being out of the shit yet.
The real world consequence is that people will see this article and, maybe, recall Andrew Little talking about crisis and will just think hes being negative again
A) No farmer will be thinking like that.
B) Little made his comments nearly six weeks ago, so anyone stupid enough to leap to the wrong conclusion will also be too stupid to remember back that far.
C) God you’re a tool.
You’ll see that the whole milk powder price – at $2,500/MT – has been trending down since the beginning of 2014 when it was at $5,000 and is still substantially down on the $3,500 price in late 2010.
At that scale, the years 2013 and 2014 look like an aberration (on the upside).
I can’t join the thread cos I’m using my phone but I’d like to +1 the above comments on Kim Dotcom. he and his family went through shit, he’s still going thru the ringer, it’s horrific. nobody should go thru that.
there’s got to be something wrong with the police at an institutional level for a raid to go ahead like that. I was beaten by cops when.I was a kid. I’m prepared to cut the force some slack for shit like that, but when you raid a private home like it was a gang headquarters, that’s clearly something a lot worse than a couple of hotheaded recruits. same with the tuhoi raids under labour. this ain’t a party political thing, this is a police thing.
Kim and his familiar had a shitter and.I feel real.sorry about that.
Has anyone been watching Parliament in the last couple of days – David Cunliffe has been asking Stephen Joyce some questions about a group of tertiary bodies which are under investigation, one of which David Cunliffe has found out, has had a current National Party MP on the board. Mr Joyce has been looking suprisingly cowed and has developed a sudden penchant for answering questions with as few words as possible. Usually he rambles on and on and on with great gusto and enjoyment, until the Speaker tells him to shorten his replies. Very interesting. The Speaker has been trying to curtail David Cunliffe’s questions by saying they are too long. But Stephen Joyce has looked less than comfortable when the questions have been asked. It makes me think more and more that had David Cunliffe stayed as Leader, the Labour Party might be in a much better position right now – David Cunliffe would have made Bill English squirm if he was finance spokesman, Grant Robertson is very very unimpressive, so beltway, so blairite, so bland. National fear David Cunliffe, yet the ABC crowd were so filled with their own petty gripes against him, that they failed to see National’s fear of Cunliffe as a plus for the Labour Party.
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At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
I could not believe this story when I saw it on the news last night, the young man welding the container, turns out he wasn’t even a trained welder & wasn’t in a safety harness or anything. Also the contractor was not a specialised for large scale industrial work. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514181 This is why regulations exist. I hope the company gets their arse handed to them on a plate for this appalling bollocks up.
Also this story about some scammy WINZ scheme which turns ou to be a useless waste of money, but Tolley says shes happy to waste money on unfounded programmes, gotta keep those sick bennies on their toes! http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514141
“trained” or tradesmen fitter/welders, boilermakers disappeared with the apprenticeship system….
+100…the contractor should be sued and put out of business
@ CHOOKY (1.2) – Agree. However I guess it depends how well connected the contractor is to FJK & cronies to see how far the repercussions go!
Additionally, Gangnam Style, the failure of the trial could have contributed to exacerbating the stress, anxiety or depression individuals suffer. Perhaps leading to harm, death or more medical and social assistance required.
Was anybody monitoring and evaluating that? And if not why not?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514141
The All Blacks getting weary of the hakarena.
I’m getting weary of dull stories about the All Blacks when the media could be writing about important stuff.
305 000 children In poverty
The loss of democracy in Christchurch
Failed work and safety rules
Zero hour contracts
The sale of productive land to overseas interests
Letting off the fines of Serco for corporate misdemeanours
As a former sportsperson, fan and someone who has earned a living in the sports industry I have been surprised (pleasantly I might add, to be reassured that not everyone loves sport or rugby as our media and politicians like to suggest) at how less widely favoured the silver fern on black was in the flag debate.
I think John Key genuinely (no trickery, slippery or or other ipperyness) thought that “everyone loves the All Blacks”.
Now, for my part, I know that everyone doesn’t.
I know that not all sportspeople “love the All Blacks” and another decent sized group don’t love sport. But observing this flag stuff I have come to think that Key REALLY thinks/thought everyone did, or enough to make his flag with a silver fern a romp in the park. now it hasn’t I suspect he and his advisors are genuinely bewildered, and hence the rabbit in the headlights initial responses followed by trickery and slipperyness.
* And no, am not a killjoy, I will be watching the World Cup and hoping for an AB win.
The media uses the All Blacks to distract people.
Bread and circuses.
Same as it ever was during the decline of Empires.
yes boring, boring…boring All Blacks…they have not done themselves any favours by ingratiating themselves with jonkey and his ego , multi million dollar flag project
…there are plenty of other sports deserving of NZers attention…skiing, running, swimming,cycling,tramping, mountaineering,ice hockey, hockey, dancing, horse riding, sky diving, parachuting, canoeing….
Even if you do love sports and the All Blacks doesn’t mean you will want the silver fern as your country’s flag. I think that after all the talk about how this is a one in a lifetime opportunity to define our identity, the four chosen options were an anti climax and even Key’s supporters can see through it.
The sportspeople I know and mix with see the fern on black of representative of NZ That is what they identify with, much more than the flag. I get that doesn’t mean ALL, but remember those who have represented NZ in sport are actually a BIG minority of NZers, and I think perhaps Key has spent too much time with this small group to have understood that.
I think John Key genuinely (no trickery, slippery or or other ipperyness) thought that “everyone loves the All Blacks”.
The assumption that you and your mates are a comprehensive cross-section of society seems to be a common one among Blokes. I remember a guy I was doing some work for in 1981 asking “Who even are these anti-tour people? I don’t even know one person who’s against it.” I didn’t volunteer to change that situation, on the basis of wanting to get paid and not wanting to get punched, thus helping confirm his view that anti-tour protesters were a tiny minority over-publicised by gullible reporters.
As an aside: kind of funny that the rugby boot’s now on the other foot and Key doesn’t dare admit to his own views on that tour. That in itself should have given him a hint that maybe not everyone loves rugby.
Given Key’s recent cuddling and cosying up to the All Blacks, it is entirely appropriate to raise the question of his then views on the Springbok Tour again. His clear passion for rugby and the Al Blacks means he would most definitely have had a view at the time. And if says he still can’t remember then the person asking needs to suggest to him that “everyone thinks your just bullshitting John”
At the time he probably was pro tour, most people were.
Seriously though, who really cares, it was 35 years ago, stop living in the past.
“most people were” really?
stop living in the past is good advice, except of course for your government which still blames a government of 7 years ago for stuff, and you lap it up BM.
Yep, fairly simple times, beer, rugby and racing, that was the important stuff.
Times change though and so do peoples attitudes and perceptions.
NZ has changed completely in 30 years, comparing NZ in 1981 to NZ in 2015 is like comparing Sweden to Botswana.
If you don’t look back at where you have come from, how are you to understand the direction that you have been heading in?
You learn from the past, but you don’t dwell on the past.
Key was a young man at the time, like most at that age you knew fuck all and only saw the world in black and white, no doubt the views he had back then have changed significantly through experience and learning.
The facts are the only reason the left had any interest in Keys view on the 81 springbok tour was because Mandela had died and were trying to score a couple of cheap political points.
Which in my view was rather scummy and showed a distinct lack of class.
what a lowlife you are – giving out the free passes to your mate monKey – oh he probably this or maybe that – you are a sycophantic loser just like key – YOU are scummy and have zero class just like key – the posterboy you have on your bedroom wall.
Key has been questioned on his position on the Springbok tour ever since he became leader of the National Party. And he has been criticised about his convenient lack of memory ever since.
This video was uploaded in April, 2008 – Long before Mandela died.
And then there’s this from one of the articles in the New Zealand Herald’s unauthorised biography of Key series:
“Key himself credits those early debates as sparking his interest in politics. He remembers being attracted by the fiery political arguments of the 1970s and 1980s. “They were quite intense debates – Kawerau and Kinleith and people striking over the Cook Strait ferries – all of those kind of things,” he says. “It was certainly a period of time where politics were prominent and I was fascinated by it.”
This fascination with the political debate of the time does not square with answers Key gave in his early political career about his stand on one of the most divisive issues of the early-1980s – the Springbok Tour. During a television interview before his rise to the leadership of the party, Key was asked: “In 1981, were you for or against the Springbok Tour?” He answered: “Oh, I can’t even remember … 1981, I was 20 … ah … I don’t really know. I didn’t really have a strong feeling on it at the time. Look, it’s such a long time ago.”
His answer is puzzling for someone who was surrounded by, and fascinated with, political debate. Whether he was pro-Tour or anti-Tour is almost irrelevant 27 years down the track. But saying that he can’t remember how he felt leaves him open to criticism that he did not want to get off-side with people by stating his position. (In subsequent broadcast interviews, he sounds strangely confused. He has said that he didn’t go to the games, but that he might have if he could have afforded it; and that he wasn’t happy that the Springboks were here, but that he didn’t feel strongly enough to go out on the street.)“
Yes – we were Sweden then – now thanks to Key we are Botswana.
touché
BM you Neanderthal “Seriously though, who really cares, it was 35 years ago, stop living in the past”
Do you not see the importance of establishing if our Prime Minister lies to us and paints pictures of deception?
Further, the about-face shown by most all pro-tour people, who were generally full-faced tory right wing types, proves again that the left are correct on all political issues. It just takes time for the conservative, Neanderthal right wing types time to wake up to reality and change their mind.
The examples of this are everywhere BM.
Perhaps you could point to an issue where the right wing led on it and were subsequently proved to be correct? You wont be able to BM, you wont be able to …
Right wingers don’t tend to have a messiah complex.
pathetic as always BM
Come on, try and think of an issue where the right wing has led NZ and proved to be correct
“The difference between genius and stupidity is
that genius has its limits” Albert Einstein
Yup – they work for the other side.
hahahahahahahahahahaha
Oh, wait, you were serious?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
There’s a reason why evangelicals and other assorted religious fundamentalists tend to be RWNJs – it’s because of their messiah complex. The majority of them are looking for a messiah while the minority, like Key, like to think that they’re the messiah.
they certainly make the ‘mess higher’ everytime their grubby hands get near the levers of power
clever clogs
You are confusing Key with Cunliffe
Nobody could make that mistake, especially nobody with a pony tail. Try again.
Oh, hell no. It’s a complex pretty much relegated to RWNJs such as yourself.
yes vto the bullshit by pro-tour dims as they rewrite their personal history would make the youknowwhos cringe. Key, bm and the rest of the cowards are known – we looked them eye to eye back in the day of the protests – they were weak then, they are weak now.
History informs us who we are. Remember that.
Or maybe you just prefer to drift directionlessly with no anchor in time, past present or future.
You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.
Labour could really learn from that one.
Not that I disagree with your main point there.
But how do you write the next chapter when you have no idea what came before?
Wonder why National dwells on the past by constantly blaming Labour despite it being in charge for nearly 7 years now.
…he probably was pro tour, most people were
Thanks for so promptly leaping in to illustrate my point.
He probably was but most people weren’t. That’s why we had so many protests.
vto, well said.
– Tracey
Well, by that definition I am a killjoy and proud of it.
I’m unable to divorce John Key’s recent whoring of the All Blacks for his own political gain from my support of the team for 40 years. It’s naive to think the high-jacking will not get even worse should NZ win this RWC.
He’s taken my team from me and so I hope they go down in a ball of flames…
…even if at the hands of Australia.
@Muttonbird. I have been an AB follower most of my adult life (loooong time) but am totally disillusioned by them now. They are just advertising billboards with pretty hairdo’s. So tired of them pushing deodorants, strutting around in their undies, Richie and the keyclone running around selling I don’t know what. Have forgotten already. Conkey on the cover of Rugby magazine gurning like an idiot looking for a village was just plain stupid and his stalking of Richie is sooo embarrassing. I am predicting that they will not retain the WC . In the past nothing good has come of anyone who hitches their star to conkey’s clapped out old wagon. He is a jinx.
As Anthony Robins astutely said a few days ago, “If he can get 50.1% and his own way that is good enough. He is about his own agenda, not unifying the country.”
He is doing to the All Blacks what he has done to Peter Jackson – appropriating them as emblems of his gang. It does not matter to him if a few killjoys end up despising them because of it, so long as that 50+% holds up. It probably even pleases him that something that people universally felt they had a stake in is narrowed down to just the ones who identify with him. So long as he can hang on to his 50+% this gives him cultural leverage – the only “real New Zealander” becomes the “Key-friendly New Zealander.”
Key would do well to remember Mrs Shipley, the plane painted in All Black drag and the semifinal loss to France that year.
Can’t disagree Olwyn
He is a user.
I recall a recent story where a National Campaign Manager said that all three of John Key’s changing “opinions” were informed by polls / focus groups . . .Who needs a mind of their own when they pay Farrar to find out what it should be?
Dont like sports much lesst of all rugby. Since the nz rwc though thats changed. Good to watch with friends.
Yes, when is the thugby world cup over? I’m looking forward to that part.
+1
Very frustrating to see Ministers Bennett and Rich decline the sale of the Lochinver Station to a Chinese firm, but on the other hand when English or key are questioned about the sale of half of Silver Ferm Farms, they just blithely say it’s “up to the shareholders”, meaning, the farmer owners.
It would be great if this government had an actual economic development strategy, rather than just hollowing us out to nothing, bar a few paddocks.
NZF has come out the best on this issue
…and I think Goldman Sachs advised the farmers to sell to the Chinese!….the farmers need to wise up fast about Goldman Sachs and their history and advice around the globe….those that take Goldman Sach’s advice are usually doomed
…”John McCarthy, a former chairman of Meat Industry Excellence, a group set up to promote change in the industry, said: “This is a watershed for New Zealand, it is a crossroads for NZ inc and has the potential to change the face of our rural communities and to blur that unique point of difference and global opportunity.”
McCarthy said English’s comments around the Silver Fern Farm’s “debacle” were disturbing.
“His comments are a cop out and are indicative of the Government turning its back on rural communities and New Zealand in favour of foreign control,” McCarthy said.
“With the pragmatic cynicism that is the hallmark of this administration they have paid lip service to the concerns that have been mounting over the past years as farmers become increasingly worried as to the future viability of their farms and their inter-generational opportunities.”
McCarthy said Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy had been “missing in action” in the red meat sector.
“This Government is all about snuggling up to the Chinese opportunity and it appears they are prepared to do so at any cost, including, in this instance, a passive sanctioning of increasing sales of New Zealand family silver.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11512990
“Silver Fern hired Goldman Sachs to look at its capital structure late last year.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11512990
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/what-price-the-new-democracy-goldman-sachs-conquers-europe-6264091.html
+100 Pat…yes thanks for that….Goldman Sachs has been blamed many times for the Greek financial crisis…short term ‘solutions’ and long term disaster
http://www.thenation.com/article/goldmans-greek-gambit/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-debt-crisis-goldman-sachs-could-be-sued-for-helping-country-hide-debts-when-it-joined-euro-10381926.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17108367
http://www.rt.com/business/273208-greece-goldman-debt-lawsuit/
…and New Zealand has used Goldman Sachs to advise Treasury!!!! (who the hell was responsible for this?!…like inviting a vampire in to suck the blood out of your heart)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11262662
…and now New Zealand Silver Fern farmers clasp this vampire to their bosom to advise them to sell out to Chinese foreign interests… out of New Zealand farmer co-operative control…i would have thought NZ farmers would have been more savvy…they should be amalgamating with the other farmer co-operative Alliance
http://www.alliance.co.nz/RP.jasc?Page=Home
As James Shaw pointed out when he first assumed co-leadership of The Greens, there is no ideology. It can’ be articulated because it doesn’t exist.
Naomi Klein, ‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate ‘….would disagree with that there can be “no ideology”.
…in fact there is a ‘clash of ideologies’
… the problems arise when Green ideology is compromised with the greed ideology of neoliberalism Capitalism!
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/41247321-this-changes-everything-capitalism-vs-the-climate
No grounds to extradite Kim Dotcom, says Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514142
This is a very important Internet and Monopoly case, because if someone can be hounded throughout the world based on a civil unproven claim of a file sharing website which has already been proven to be legal when Viacom sued file sharing website Youtube and lost in the US, using armed defenders and public prosecutors in a corporate welfare entitlement for 4 large media companies such as Warner Bros (who we already have changed tax and employment law in this country for) then freedom of the Internet is close to death.
Is the next Internet entrepreneur going to keep their business going when big business comes a calling, if they know that the US and governments will be after them rather than the normal legal civil avenues?
How our Courts view it will be most interesting. And no delay granted.
But can he get a fair trial? Look at John Banks – convicted and then a guy from the US pops up and John Banks is acquitted and doesn’t even have to go to trial?
Not only that but they have seized assets so that Dotcom can’t easily pay to defend himself.
He’s been illegally spied on using tax payers resources.
TV3 ran a beat up of him.
Judges don’t even understand IT, let alone file sharing.
In the court documents cloud sharing was described as cow sharing.
I’m not sure he is going to get a fair trial. The last guy committed suicide apparently.
When the US goes after you it is no laughing matter and it is calling the NZ justice system into disrepute internationally if they are allowed to get away with it by extradition to a country he does not live in, and never had an office there.
Can’t disagree Olwyn
He is a user. I still believe most of our Judiciary do a good job, base don our laws.
“I’m not sure he is going to get a fair trial. The last guy committed suicide apparently. ”
Are you thinking about this guy? The Internets Own Boy : The Story of Aaron Swartz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXr-2hwTk58 sad stuff, just hounded him to death, for SFA.
Watched it a while ago. Very worthwhile, and very sad to see such a forward thinking and progressive intellect hounded by the state.
Thanks for posting the link.
And David Kelly hounded to suicide after disclosing that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Although totally different cases it sets the scene of what happens when governments start to unfairly hound someone without legal cause and making evidence fit and bullying citizens for political reasons.
That is not democracy. That is a police state.
In the Dotcom case, corporate welfare for the movie industry which have already been given a lot of corporate welfare in this country by the PM.
Yes it will be interesting, I hope Dotcom will be with his mate Andrus Nomm soon but cant see that happening.
Sooner he is gone the better.
Says a recidivist liar.
Kim Dotcom should not be extradicted! Kim Dotcom is a hero! [deleted]. Information yearns to be free!
[lprent: defamatory and unsubstantiated. One week ban. Your comments don’t repeatably do this but I can’t be bothered warning people when I see a series of ‘facts’ being stated with no backing. Read the policy. ]
+100 save NZ…and this from the Martyn Bradbury is interesting and comprehensive
‘2 reasons why you as a New Zealander should care about the Kim Dotcom case’
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/17/2-reasons-why-you-as-a-new-zealander-should-care-about-the-kim-dotcom-case/
To summarise:
1.)The first reason is the injustice of the case:
“…this case has been an abomination of legal process, jurisdiction and injustice. You might not like Kim Dotcom, but the manner in which his rights have been breached and 70 odd armed paramilitary cops broke into his home and terrorised him and his family is as unacceptable as the abuses of power used in court against him.
This is not what our justice system should be used for, we are not a puppet for US interests, we should be a sovereign state with our own laws and judicial system that is beyond influence by America and their corporate overlords.”
2.) The second reason is what it could cost New Zealand in damages:
…”the injustice of this case may not move you. You may have bought into the media hype of Dotcom as a Bond Villain and enjoyed his failure at the ballot box. You may have decided that despite Assange, Snowden and Greenwald proving at the Moment of Truth that John Key lied to us about mass surveillance, that Kim fell short of what he promised and he got his just desserts.
Okay. Fine. Then here’s the second reason you should care about the Kim Dotcom case.
$2 Billion dollars…
…”Sony decided not to sign up to the case against Dotcom because they believed there was a chance he would get off these trumped up charges and in turn sue everyone involved in taking him down to the tune of $2billion???
And we had to sign up to this?
So how much exactly are we on the hook for here? If you don’t care that he has been unjustly dealt with and his rights breached, you may be in for one hell of a shock if he wins and we are left paying for this politically motivated prosecution….
I financed a movie once. It was just about to be released and then “nek minit”, as you colonials from kiwi land say, [deleted] web site and before the day was up it had been downloaded over 100,000 times. Lost quite a few thousand pounds over that I can tell you!
[lprent: defamatory and unsubstantiated. ]
you are disingenuous….there are many many far bigger American cloud storage sites which people would/could/do access for movies…this is common knowledge…your movie ( that is if you genuinely did fund a movie?!) was probably pirated from one of these commonly known American monster cloud sites
…nor is Dotcom responsible for what others store …unless he is notified by authorities..inwhich case he has said , as you probably well know, that he is swift in taking the offending item out of his cloud storage
…an analogy…if a foreign company owning ocean- going container ships has drugs smuggled on board one ship without the owner/company’s knowledge ….do the Americans take down the whole foreign shipping company and ground and steal all their ships…( especially when their own American ships also have even more drugs smuggled on board)
I do believe that at the time of the raid megaupload was the biggest illegal file sharing site in the world. You might like to check it out if you don’t believe me.
And considering [deleted].
Maybe you should read about the case a bit more. Silly woman.
[lprent: That is
1. defamatory.
2. not substantiated with a link to something credible.
Looking at your comments, you do not rate a warning. Which means you have a 2 week ban. Read the policy and stop exhibiting your small dick. Noone really want to see little pricks like you. ]
Citation please.
[lprent: BStard – I read your citation.
Point 21 is an allegation by the US prosecutor. It has not been proved nor substantiated, beyond establishing a prima facie case, and is still in front of NZ courts. An accusation is not proof that something happened, and isn’t substantiation.
Added a further 4 weeks. Two weeks for each of us for directing us to an useless substantiation that didn’t do what you claimed, and potentially putting us in legal danger because you are incompetent at distinguishing between accusations and conviction. ]
It may take him two weeks. I banned the BStard for defamation.
Dear Iprent, can you give him 2 more for his sexist comment?
[lprent: No. Falls within robust debate and doesn’t fall too far into trying to drive people off the site. ]
Fair enough. I saw his response.
Says someone who plagiarised their handle.
“Says someone who plagiarised their handle.”
hah…cease and desist letter heading his way 🙂
Well why don’t you sue You Tube then. Viacom did, and lost especially when it was found that the movie industry themselves were posting their videos to drum up business. A bit like the cigarette industry at the centre of boot legged smokes to keep the punters addicted.
I wonder if Andrew Little will adopt Jeremy Corbyn’s cut through idea of allowing the public to select his questions for question time? It is a brilliant idea to do an end run around our hostile media.
The greens have already done it.
Labour is just too slow.
Do some readers still remember some “presentations” that were shared via various blogs and other forums over recent years, and some quotes that were made to the MSM, where MSD’s and Work and Income’s Principal Health Advisor was making very bold claims about the dangers to health due to “worklessness”? Do readers remember the assertions that paid, open work is supposed to have “health benefits”, and that it is “therapeutic”? Here is a sample of those presentations:
‘Ready, Steady, Crook – Are we killing our patients with kindness?’
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
There are claims in it saying that 30 % of GP’s “had experienced a sense of threat and intimidation” (see page 32) by persons seeking certificates for WINZ.
Dr Bratt also repeated this: “the ‘benefit’ – an addictive debilitating drug with significant adverse effects to both the patient and their family (whānau)”. He said:
“As a drug, it would be an addictive, debilitating substance, he told the RNZCGP education convention” (Dr Bratt, Principal Health Advisor for MSD).
He also claimed that according to both Australian and New Zealand studies there is a chance of it being only 70 percent likely that a person would “ever” return to work after 20 days off work, that it is only 50 percent likely for a person to “ever” return to work after 45 days off work and that it is only 35 percent likely for a person to “ever” return to work after 70 days off work.
And according to a so-called “GP survey”, randomly conducted by Dr Bratt, GPs supposedly found about sick or disabled beneficiaries seeking medical certification for WINZ, that: “71 felt it was a mechanism to provide income to the patient”, “55 % felt W + I staff created an expectation”, “40 % – because they believed there was no work available” and “31 % – felt W + I weren’t doing anything for the patient”.
He even commented to NZ Doctor magazine: “A UK study found of the main obstacles for going to work, medical problems made up just 3 % of the list” (01 August 2012, in timely manner to “support” the then prepared new, draconian welfare reforms, following the UK examples).
The “experts” from the UK, on whose “findings” all this is supposed to be based, even convinced the AFOEM medical professional faculty to follow this rather ideologically driven policy approach in health and welfare:
http://members.racp.edu.au/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/may-2010-video-presentation-professor-sir-mansel-aylward/
Now after someone did some study and research, and sought answers from our dear MSD, to back these and many other claims up, it appears most the “EVIDENCE” that has been endlessly referred to, does show rather damned little true evidence to back up any of the above, and to justify the “relentless focus on work”, the tough “medicine” also recommended to sick and disabled.
Under this government misinformation, or selective informing, and blatant misrepresentation of data seems to have become the norm. Here is what a comprehensive post on all this reveals:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/msd-dr-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-on-worklessness-and-health-post-09-08-15.pdf
Why are the useless MSM not bothered to dig into such very important matters, why does hardly any “media” report on beneficiaries having been short payed for 18 years, why do we only get so much attention on flag designs, on which All Black players look like “promising” stars to perform in the upcoming Rugby World Cup, why is crime, weather, sports and trivial pursuit the daily news digest, I ask? We are taken for a ride, day in and day out, and the average Joe Blogs has no clue about what really goes on in his country. What a disgrace, I dare say.
Parts C, D, E and F of this comprehensive publication contain the actual OIA data with questions, responses and analysis, showing how selectively chosen, how misleading and actually baseless most of Bratt’s quotes of “evidence”, his “sources” and at times bizarre claims are:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/
No wonder he deleted all emails of certain correspondence with a leading UK advisor, but that is yet another matter raising endless questions about what we get presented with.
Carmel Sepuloni is finally onto it:
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39670
A must watch, see the Associate Minister of Social Development squirm when she gets hard pressed for an honest answer to deliver the truth about the failed trials for Sole Parent Employment Services and Mental Health Employment Services.
We are having to wait for the end of the year, I suppose for Xmas Eve, to finally get the EVALUATION report from MSD!!!??
Welfare reforms, hailed so much two years ago, are being proved to largely have failed, yet again. Remember the talk also about drug testing, about beneficiary going to have their benefits stopped when a warrant for their arrest was out?
“The Way This Pastor Uses the Game Monopoly to Explain Racism and Slavery to His Congregation Is Brilliant”
http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/09/16/the-way-this-pastor-uses-the-game-monopoly-to-explain-racism-and-slavery-to-his-congregation-is-down-right-brilliant/
This is wonderful video, well worth the 5 minutes to watch it.
Maori did not start with nothing, they got to keep about 5%. I’ll let you do the maths.
Starting with nothing is what the poor do all the time and it is truly amazing what some manage to do. But starting out with nothing often means that you’re going to end up with nothing because you simply don’t have the resources available to do anything.
Here’s another couple of links:
Using Monopoly to Teach Class Inequality
A ‘Rigged’ Game Of Monopoly Reveals How Feeling Wealthy Changes Our Behavior [TED VIDEO]
I don’t know too much about smalley – but this report is good imo
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11514453
yes we have a frying pan/fire/volcano/supernova issue – there are no safe places and fear is driving desperation on all sides.
Incredibly, this morning Paul Henry was
more depraved than he’s ever been before
PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 17 September 2015, 6:55 a.m.
Part 1 of 2
“I’m more intelligent than most people, as you would know.”—Paul Henry [1]
There are any number of credible, not to mention humane and decent, journalists and commentators who actually know something about international politics and the United Nations. And then there are the bloody-minded, partisan, hateful ideologues. Naturally, Paul “Kill them ALL” Henry [2] sought out one of the most brutal of the latter type for his show this morning. Claudia Rosett is a notorious Murdoch hackette, the holder of a neocon think-tank sinecure, and a tireless advocate for the neocon version of reality, which means she’s a fanatic, a shill and a propagandist of the very worst kind. Not a problem for Paul Henry of course.….
CLAUDIA ROSETT: …. I call it the parade of the dictators. Obama will speak first, followed by China, Russia, Iran and Raoul Castro from Cuba.
PAUL HENRY: God ALMIGHTY! Bloody Putin out the back orchestrating the whole thing. …And at the Security Council we sit there next to Russia, which continues to be responsible for the mess in Syria. ….
Claudia Rosett continued for several minutes to unload her contempt for the United Nations. Henry sat rapt throughout her unhinged ranting, grunting his approval, then had to reluctantly cut to the news….
PAUL HENRY: Claudia Rosett from Demand Democracy. She is a very good commentator on the United Nations, although she despises them, to a degree.
In fact, Claudia Rosett is the exact opposite of a “very good commentator” whether she is commentating on the U.N. or on anything else. She is an ideologue of the extreme right, a doctrinal warrior whose cynicism seems to have no limit. As a sample of her cruelty and irresponsibility, have a look at the following obscenity, where she expresses indignation bordering on apoplexy at a U.N. report that dared to criticize Israel….
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/claudia-rosett-a-new-low-un-report-suggests-israel-caused-gazas-rising-infant-death-rate-d/
[1] He made that statement, only half in jest, to careers expert Laurel McLay at 8:45 this morning. She noticeably flinched, then came up with a wince-smile.
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052015/#comment-1021090
End of Part 1
pita – yes the inglish are insulting the haka – I don’t blame them but rather those that have given this cultural item to the all blacks for their purposes.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/72133395/sir-pita-sharples-labels-english-hakarena-shameful-and-insulting
The All Blacks insulted the sport of rugby football with their flagrant strategy of cheating in the 2011 RWC final. Matt Dawson’s silly little parody, insulting as it might be, is nothing in comparison to that.
a bit like arguing which gladiator will win – go the trident and net guy – no I prefer the sword dude or maybe the spear thrower – in other words yawn yawn yawn
Actually it’s not like that at all. Your analogy would have merit if one of them was unfairly handicapped and every infraction of the rules by the other was ignored.
The day the haka went from being a personal challenge by the All Blacks to whatever team was playing them, to a heavily microphoned and filmed, hostile and aggressive act with the crowd joining in, was the day it lost any respect from me.
I do not have a problem with the English have a bit of a piss-take with it. If we can’t handle it then maybe we are just a bit too bloody precious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka
And that is just from wiki – anyone who believes there is a lot more to haka than what they may consider or see would be very correct indeed.
“I do not have a problem with the English have a bit of a piss-take with it. If we can’t handle it then maybe we are just a bit too bloody precious.”
I couldn’t agree more, the Poms are just making dicks of themselves.
They have already claimed that we cheated in 2011.
They are very fucking desperate and should be laughed at.
NZ are quite capable of making dicks of themselves regarding the haka, here you can get a headset to enjoy it in 360 degrees! It promises to “Take your place on the field with the All Blacks and experience the electrifying Haka up close in a unique 360° experience. The AIG Haka 360° headset allows you to experience the Haka as if you were really there with the All Blacks – a new and awesome experience! ” jeebus!
They have already claimed that we cheated in 2011.
“We” (the All Blacks) did cheat in 2011. Luckily for “us” we had a “referee” who let us get away with it. You know that as well as anyone.
The clownish Willie Jackson needs to read more, talk less.
And Lizzie Marvelly needs to think before she nods her head.
PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 17 September 2015
Part 2 of 2
About 8:25 a.m. ……
Following the appearance of extreme right wing U.N.-hater Claudia Rosett an hour earlier, Paul Henry and his “Daily Panel” discussed the efficacy or otherwise of the United Nations. Unfortunately, this morning’s iteration of the Daily Panel consisted of a well meaning but poorly informed pop singer and an equally well meaning but even more poorly informed radio jock. I have rendered Jackson’s most ignorant utterance in italicized bold type….
LIZZIE MARVELLY: There’s nothing wrong with the actual institution of the United Nations.
PAUL HENRY: Well, actually I think there IS.
WILLIE JACKSON: The veto allows them to sort out a maniac, like George W. Bush a few years ago.
PAUL HENRY: If they were serious about sorting out a maniac, they would have gone into Syria and sorted out THAT maniac YEARS AGO.
WILLIE JACKSON: Remember a few years back, when Chávez of Venezuela went to the United Nations and tod the U.S. what he thought of them.
PAUL HENRY: Yes, and what did that achieve?
LIZZIE MARVELLY: It made people think!
WILLIE JACKSON: Yes, and Paul, he was doing something he wouldn’t have been able to do in his own country, but he was able to in the United Nations.
LIZZIE MARVELLY: [fervently] Yes.
….ad nauseam…..
More Willie Jackson foolishness….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08062015/#comment-1026943
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08062013/#comment-645516
You might be a bit hasty in your opinion on Marvelly, there aren’t that many people in their mid-20’s writing like this out there, and practically none that are in the celebrity spotlight. Infact I think you’ll like her media commentaries, they’re similar to yours! 🙂 http://www.villainesse.com/girl-power/when-did-new-zealand-become-so-sexist
I do like her and I respect her—but she needs to be far sharper than she was this morning. Actually expressing AGREEMENT with Jackson’s ignorant opinion about the late Hugo Chávez was not smart.
Live blog of Republican candidate debate currently underway:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/sep/16/republican-presidential-debate-cnn
Here is something for the Labour Party to ponder.
The Corbyn victory and shift to the left in the UK has shone the spotlight on our local Labour lot. And haven’t we seen them scurry to distance themselves revealing their true colours.
Seeing as they aren’t prepared to embrace and adopt the Corbyn example and are struggling at around 30% (while also seemingly unable to align with their much needed potential coalition partners) they have little to lose.
At this rate, they aren’t going to win the next election.
Therefore, if Labour genuinely believe the centre is where the votes are to be found, here is something the Party should seriously consider.
Drop the Labour Party name and re-brand the Party as the Centrist Party.
This will free them from being labelled left (which they seem to fear) fully allowing the newly branded Party to continue to push their centrist position and seek the centre vote.
They have two years to build and grow the new brand before putting it to the test in the next general election.
Of course, this will put an end to their genuine left wing support and no doubt rob them of a number of foot soldiers on the ground.
But hey, once again, they’re the ones that seem to believe the centre is where it is at.
Therefore, it’s time the Party fully cement this position and put their money where their mouth is.
This would put an end to commentators like me critiquing them for not living up to their Labour Party namesake, thus largely ending the division the Party still currently face.
This will catch the establishment off guard, thus generate much media hype, which they can build off.
Moreover, it will help rebuild voter trust, because seriously, who can trust a party that can’t even live up to its current namesake?
If the newly branded Party can’t get over the line or their support severely drops (resembling the last election) then it will be clear the center is not where the votes are at for them – and perhaps then, and only then, will they be more willing to adopt the Corbyn stance and go back to being a genuine Labour Party.
The danger is, as the left move on, Labour may not regain a good chunk of the left wing voting block. Or worse, the left may regroup (by either forming a new party or further bolstering a current one like NZ First or the Greens) and thrash them. Then again, they may just end up bolstering the non-voting block.
Thoughts?
There is no doubt the Center and Far Left can no longer live together under the pressure of continued electoral failure and are on the road to divorce throughout the Western world.
In the U.K. the Far Left have made a majority claim to the house, taken possession, and rearranged the furniture to suit themselves, so if it was the U.K. you were talking about, I’d agree it’s the Center that should be looking for new lodgings.
But here in NZ, the Center Left has been very well settled and comfortable in the family home for many years, and the wider whanau seem to be happy with the arrangement just the way it is. So why should they be the ones to shift out?
Don’t you think it would be far more sensible for the Far Left to be the one to cut loose and set out on it’s own, leaving behind all the Centrist baggage of the old relationship?
You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
I’m not advocating that the center move out. I’m highlighting if the centre feel that confident, then they should cement their position and start being honest with voters.
The centre are falsely parading under the Labour Party name.
If there are any genuine left Labour MPs with principle, they’d be the ones to leave when the Party changes it’s name and cement its position.
Apart from the name change, the party structure would remain.
I reckon Labour should split into two parties, centrist and left. Two problems with that though. One is that the power mongers in Labour aren’t going to want to give up ‘Labour’, but you couldn’t really split and have the centrists take the name and all the policy etc. And two, the powermongers that end up in both parties still won’t want to work with the GP.
Plus, Labour doesn’t have a Corbyn.
The more I look at this and follow what is happening in the UK, the more I think any solutions are going to have to come from a political movement from outside parliament.
Weka
According to the Lost sheep, there isn’t anyone in Labour’s left camp, thus it would be difficult for them to split into two factions.
Its time for Labour to be honest with voters, stop paying lip service to the left and re-brand. Or start living up to their name.
Clearly, changing leadership isn’t working. No matter how left the mere window dressing looks, there is no substance within. Thus, a good number of voters can sense their phoniness, hence their poor election results of late and rankings in the polls.
A new movement coming from outside of Parliament is more challenging for a political party. And generally requires a lot of funding. Unless there is a groundswell of support.
Lost sheep is spinning. It’s blindingly obvious to anyone paying attention that there are left and right factions within Labour (relatively speaking).
I’m not suggesting that a movement outside of parliament is organised by Labour. It should be organised by the people irrespective of what Labour do.
I’d be hard pushed to name a genuine left MP within Labour. Could you?
“I’m not suggesting that a movement outside of parliament is organised by Labour”
Yes, I realized that, hence my reply above reflected that.
Lost sheep, who are the far left MPs currently in the Labour party?
None that I know of Weka. Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.
Which is why I’m saying that it wouldn’t be sensible for the Party to change it’s name to make it clear what it represents. That’s perfectly clear to everyone already? It’s Center Left.
In Britain, there obviously is a much stronger Far Left thread within the Labour Party. Always has been. Strong enough to take it over as it happens.
But that is inconceivable in NZ. The NZ Labour Far Left is simply not a big enough bloc to do that.
The more I listen to the voices calling for Labour to move Left, the more I’m coming to think that’s just plain wrong.
What the Far Left really needs is an authentic voice of it’s own.
If there really are a large number of people wanting that voice, it shouldn’t be difficult to get such a party up and running?
The last time I checked, self-serving right wing “thinkers” don’t get to define “far” or “left”. You want to know what extreme looks like: the National Party undermining the rule of law.
Go on, tell some lies.
“None that I know of Weka. Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.”
But The Chairman wasn’t talking about the far left. You are the one that is bringing that up. Why? And if there are no far left MPs in Labour what is the point of talking about the far left in this conversation?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed Weka, but much of the discussion on this blog over the last month or so has been about the Corbynism of the UK Labour Party, and many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left in a similar manner….
The Chairmans post clearly introduces a linkage between Corbynism and how it has ‘shone the spotlight on the local Labour lots….fear of being labelled Left’, and that is a variation on a common theme here lately.
As someone who quit a lifetime of active support for the NZ Left out of disgust at how ineffectual it has become, I’d just like to see someone / anyone on the Left make a move that was brave, decisive, revolutionary, compelling etc…
But that is not going to be Labour, and those of you that support a Corbyn type change are not going to be able to take over Labour, and so if any of you actually want something to happen you are going to have to make it happen.
But I’m betting it won’t. I think the NZ Left has lost the ability to act in a bold manner that captures the public imagination. 20 years of PC has squeezed the life out brave and creative free thinking in the political structures of the NZ Left.
That’s all very well, but Corbyn isn’t far left, he’s just traditional left wing. In NZ there are no far left people in parliament, so your whole comment earlier didn’t make any sense on either of those points.
The Chairman, as far as I can tell, is suggesting that if Labour wants to be centrist that it just does so more honestly and then if being honestly centrist fails, lets the left try for a Corbyn-esque process. None of that is to do with the far left (a conversation about which would include say Mana, or people like Sue Bradford, or the far left people that have never been in parliament).
Nope, it’s a centre right party and has been since the 1980s. That’s why it’s losing support and votes.
Lost sheep
In one post you say: “Labour is a Center Left Party through and through, has been for a long time, and is totally comfortable with that identify.”
Then, in the next post you acknowledge many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left.
Which is exactly correct. However, though you acknowledge this you overlook an important fact. Which is, why it would be totally sensible the Party re-brands. Voter trust.
Labour expects voters to trust them, moreover they require voters to trust them. Voters won’t vote for a Party they simply don’t trust.
A centrist Party falsely parading under the Labour Party name looks completely phony. Eroding any chance of acquiring substantial (and much needed) voter support.
Additionally, you overlook another major point. The ailing economy (which is also a vital point in elections) requires a hands on left wing fix.
For numerous reasons, the local private sector aren’t up to the task of turning our economy around.
The right and centre left largely plan to fill this market void with offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one quickly discovers this approach is not only failing, in many respects it’s exacerbating our economic wows.
Like any investment, offshore investors seek a return. Returns heading offshore, sets our economy back.
A good number of our most lucrative sectors are dominated by offshore investors. Thus, the more we grow our GDP, the larger the returns heading offshore.
Therefore, the solution is for Government to help fill our market voids. And of course, this is the left wing approach our nation desperately requires. And that will win over voters from across the political spectrum.
“you acknowledge many here have expressed the opinion that the NZ Labour Party should be shifting Left.
Which is exactly correct. However, though you acknowledge this…”
Er, Just one small point there Chairman.
I do not consider that commenters on this blog are representative of the wider NZ voting public.
The majority of NZ Voters consider themselves Centrist, and that includes a majority of people who vote for Labour.
So outside of unrepresentative niche social media forums such as this, I see no evidence there is a widespread groundswell of support for a shift to the Left in order to impose ‘a left wing fix’.
Or that a Party proposing such a shift would win voters from across the political spectrum.
So to restate my point. Labour has already displayed a complete lack of interest in shifting Left.
If you or anyone else believes there is ‘desperate’ need and demand for such a platform, then create a new Party to cater for it?
I’m picking no one will. And the reason is that there is inadequate demand and support for such a Party.
I wasn’t implying they are, Lost sheep.
Commentators here are generally a representation of the left of the political spectrum.
While the majority of voters may see themselves being in the centre, they are open to a party with a credible economic plan. Moreover, one they can trust.
Labours hands on kiwi build policy was an example of a hands on left wing stance that was widely welcomed from across the speptrum.
Thus, credibly expanding on that left wing hands on approach (which Labour has largely failed to do) into other areas of market voids will also be widely supported.
Labours election results and polling of late, clearly show that Labour (and their centre left stance) is largely failing to resonate with voters.
Therefore, it’s time Labour started to look at what works and resonates, opposed to continuously pushing what doesn’t.
They can start with being honest and living up to the Party’s name.
Certainly Corbyn’s crowd sourced parliamentary questions offer relief from the pitiful Carter sanctioned dog and pony show.
Here’s a petition to ask the BBC to in fairness refer to David Cameron as the right wing prime minister, as they always label Corbyn ‘the left wing leader of Labour’.
https://www.change.org/p/bbc-request-for-the-bbc-to-refer-to-david-cameron-as-the-right-wing-prime-minister?recruiter=25500749&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default
warning – image of disgusting torture of innocent animal in the article below
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/72142018/kiwi-researchers-shot-live-pigs-in-the-head-for-blood-spatter-analysis-study
put aside for a moment the cruelty of shooting those pigs after shaving their eyebrows, pretend to forget the indignity and callousness – why didn’t these researchers shoot themselves in the head??? because their research is M E A N I N G L E S S – a pig head is not a human head.
Actually, pigs are a pretty good model of human structures and organs in a variety of situations, which is why they are often used.
I suspect that live (albeit unconscious) pigs were required because of blood pressure affecting the spatter patterns, which might be important in a murder trial if someone argues that they only shot the corpse of the person after the others had committed the murder, and they only did that because they were afraid that otherwise they’d be next.
but for heads? I don’t think so – sure expanded nasal cavities and a mandible that hinges directly to the skull offer some connection but it is all bogus especially when they say, “the idea of the research was to get further down the path of analysis and would help international justice systems around the world.” – oh dear that sounds ominous…
plus
More like bone, muscle and skin density, similar structures, and similar blood pressure.
Campaign managers and CEOs are unlikely to know better than researchers and the members evaluating the ethical approval process.
Hell, screw the “cruelty”, maybe enlighten the funders whom you reckon paid for “meaningless” research.
is it that you always want to defend the science or that your opinion always aligns with those that want to defend the science – I can never work it out
Oh, I have an inherent bias towards people who work in a field every day over those people who do not now and probably have never ever had any experience or study in that area whatsoever. No matter how much my personal impulses might match the agenda of the latter group.
And there’s only so much that can be done with ballistic gel.
fair enough
Your bias is very narrow indeed when you dismiss with a handwave the ”campaign managers and CEOs” who do know their field, and work it in every day, and have superior knowledge and understanding about the animals than the guys who wanted to shoot them or the ethics people who approved it.
And if the likes of Safe had known about this bizarre and cruel experiment 6 years ago, it would never have happened, which should tell you something.
it sure does.
Even if you don’t care about animal cruelty or see a need for Safe to exist, NZ gaining a reputation as a soft touch for dodgy human and animal research is not a good thing.
lol
that’s a heck of a slide for one paragraph – animals being shot while anaesthetised all the way to dodgy research on humans.
The fact is that the pigs were unconscious and the use of live (as opposed to already-dead) animals produced information that could be relevant in a homocide investigation.
It’s no slide – our light touch ethics regulation extends to human research: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11254381
Interesting – I hadn’t seen that one.
Not sure I’d go so far as “dodgy”, but worthy of being watched closely depending on how the particulars define “best interests”.
What was the outcome of the complaint to the health and disability commissioner?
A trial involving unconscious patients where consent is gained retrospectively is inherently dodgy.
The commissioner’s pretty conservative though and I’m guessing the office is less than enthusiastic in investigating this.
As far as I know there hasn’t been an outcome yet.
It may be similar to what should have been an open and shut case of off label ketamine and MH patients in Dunedin a couple of years ago. Hill deemed it not experimental and no breaches, but it was both ”borderline” and a ”grey area”, he said.
Translation: you got away with it but don’t do it again.
Well, it’s about as dodgy as giving CPR to someone who’s unconscious and you don’t know whether it’s against their beliefs.
It’s a bit more specialised than any of my ethics training, but in general I reckon if the worst case is care no worse than normal (including complication rates), and the best case is improved care, it’s not in the grounds of “dodgy”. I.e. it’s an honest attempt to improve survival odds.
But corporations will try to push the boundaries into unnecessary treatment with experimental products. It’s what they do – money before ethics.
CPR is not a novel treatment.
One of the trials was merely to find out if the new meds were as good as the standard antibiotic the patient would receive in a normal treatment course.
No benefit, only potential risk, to these patients.
Why are you comparing it with saving lives?
”In a global trial, sponsored by United States-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals, intensive care specialists want to see if the new medicine is as good as the standard antibiotic.”
Funny, every time I do a first aid course the procedure alters slightly.
A non-inferiority test, yes. As a researcher for another application was minuted:
“The researcher explained in order to show superiority you need a lot more cases. […] adding that if the trial showed the treatment to be inferior you would not want to test it on a larger population”
Offsetting the risk from the new antibiotic not being as effective was increased medical attention of some sort. How would you test whether a new treatment works on pneumonia that one only acquires when already unable to respond and on a respirator?
The current treatment effectiveness against the specific organism is 60%. To prove it does better (as well as widening the number of antibiotics for when bugs become resistant) you need to prove it does at least as well. I’m comparing it with saving lives because antibiotics are not given to fight pneumonia just for fun.
This has more info from the women’s health council perspective: http://www.womenshealthcouncil.org.nz/Features/Hot+Topics/Ethics+Committees.html
Your bias means you side with research bods and utilitarian arguments each and every time so it becomes a moot point in any discussion.
But it seems the notion of informed consent has been re-negotiated with no scrutiny, and a lax and disinterested (not lack of interest, but more like observers than advocates) attitude from the supposed patient watchdog.
Well, that was a sudden change in tack.
I acknowledge my bias. What’s yours?
And how would you discover new treatments for conditions that only become evident after the patient is not able to respond?
Your bias means you side with research bods and utilitarian arguments each and every time….
A preference for the scientific method over logical fallacies and appeals to emotion as the basis for knowledge, and a preference for rationalism over irrationalism as the basis for argument, is a “bias” now? I just hope I can be as biased as possible in that direction then.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11494364
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/72074036/prices-rise-165-per-cent-at-fonterra-globaldairytrade-auction
Could someone please ask Andrew Little or someone in the Labour party to please declare a crisis in the All Blacks, they’ll need all the help they can get to win the world cup
Thanks
You didn’t read your second link very closely did you?
You do realise the best forecast price in the article (from ASB) is $5 per kg?
You do know that the break even point for farmers is $5.80?
You do know that volumes are falling (down 43% on this time last year) and much of this seasons production has already been forward sold at the previous low prices?
The best the article seems to be hoping / predicting is that the dairy industry finishes the season in a hole less deep than the one they thought they might be in.
In other words your shallow smartarse potshot at Little is completely misplaced, because any serious person would realise that we’re a long way from being out of the shit yet.
What I know is that since Andrew Little made the comment diary prices have risen in the next three auctions 🙂
A long way to go yes but going in the right direction, something the left haven’t been used to in a very long time 🙂
So yes, you are a shallow smartarse who grins and dribbles but doesn’t understand what he’s saying.
As opposed to someone that doesn’t seem to understand the power of media messages, good luck with that 🙂
So for Puckish Rogue there is no point in what is a real world consequence, as long as propaganda makes him feel all right.
And he gets his fix of cheap got ya moments.
The real world consequence is that people will see this article and, maybe, recall Andrew Little talking about crisis and will just think hes being negative again
or they’ll think “165% rise means a fall might be just as quick”.
You have misread that McFlock.
Try again
link said “prices-rise-165-per-cent-at-fonterra-globaldairytrade-auction”
If there’s a missing decimal point, my comment still stands.
A) No farmer will be thinking like that.
B) Little made his comments nearly six weeks ago, so anyone stupid enough to leap to the wrong conclusion will also be too stupid to remember back that far.
C) God you’re a tool.
Puckish Rogue
Don’t let Draco know that Whole milk powder prices have recovered 50% since the low in early August.
I know most farmers will still be making a loss this year but they are very happy about the 50% increase in whole milk powder price in just six weeks.
Draco T Bastard 9.1
7 September 2015 at 12:03 pm
“Sooner or later Treasury may get round to joining the rest of us in the real world.
Chances are that dairy prices won’t recover at all.”
How much do you think they have stock-piled – Fonterra that is -?
I don’t think the stores will be full at this early stage of the season
Hi Puckish Rogue,
Try clicking on the ‘5 years’ tab of the graph in this link.
You’ll see that the whole milk powder price – at $2,500/MT – has been trending down since the beginning of 2014 when it was at $5,000 and is still substantially down on the $3,500 price in late 2010.
At that scale, the years 2013 and 2014 look like an aberration (on the upside).
hmmm. And the annual lows seem to be in jun-sept, so saying that prices have increased over the last few months is a bit of a laugh, really
And you can see the 10 year dairy price index (all products) in the graph in this link.
HA! Maurice Williamson giving National nightmares again, https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/-oh-jesus-maurice-williamson-can-t-hide-scorn-of-his-own-party-mp-s-questions-q11058
Ha. That’s really funny. Williamson has clearly decided not to give a fuck anymore.
Yep: http://d3lgc28rsiigal.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Maurice-Williamson.jpg?f4521a
I can’t join the thread cos I’m using my phone but I’d like to +1 the above comments on Kim Dotcom. he and his family went through shit, he’s still going thru the ringer, it’s horrific. nobody should go thru that.
there’s got to be something wrong with the police at an institutional level for a raid to go ahead like that. I was beaten by cops when.I was a kid. I’m prepared to cut the force some slack for shit like that, but when you raid a private home like it was a gang headquarters, that’s clearly something a lot worse than a couple of hotheaded recruits. same with the tuhoi raids under labour. this ain’t a party political thing, this is a police thing.
Kim and his familiar had a shitter and.I feel real.sorry about that.
nice autocorrect eh
Caught red handed
Has anyone been watching Parliament in the last couple of days – David Cunliffe has been asking Stephen Joyce some questions about a group of tertiary bodies which are under investigation, one of which David Cunliffe has found out, has had a current National Party MP on the board. Mr Joyce has been looking suprisingly cowed and has developed a sudden penchant for answering questions with as few words as possible. Usually he rambles on and on and on with great gusto and enjoyment, until the Speaker tells him to shorten his replies. Very interesting. The Speaker has been trying to curtail David Cunliffe’s questions by saying they are too long. But Stephen Joyce has looked less than comfortable when the questions have been asked. It makes me think more and more that had David Cunliffe stayed as Leader, the Labour Party might be in a much better position right now – David Cunliffe would have made Bill English squirm if he was finance spokesman, Grant Robertson is very very unimpressive, so beltway, so blairite, so bland. National fear David Cunliffe, yet the ABC crowd were so filled with their own petty gripes against him, that they failed to see National’s fear of Cunliffe as a plus for the Labour Party.
Can you provide a link, please.
I’d like to see Cunliffe back in action again.
The link I have is: http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39672
If King retires in November, as planned, we will know that Andrew Little is his own man.
If King remains as Deputy, and Cunliffe remains in a lowly position, we will know that the ABCs are in control.
For an interesting and entertaining read, see this:
Prime minister Jeremy Corbyn: the first 100 days
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/14/prime-minister-jeremy-corbyn-the-first-100-days
🙂 🙂