We need to start being really innovative in this country if we are to continue to be a food producer. Industrial farming is NOT the answer!
From The Canary:
“China has signed a $300m trade deal to import Israel’s lab-grown meat technologies. Currently, China is the largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the world (and is infamous for its smoggy cities). But this new deal may help the country to shake off this reputation, and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
“Lab-grown meat is more sustainable than traditional meat since – as a 2011 study found – meat grown in a lab would cut down on associated land use by 99%, and reduce water use by 90%. We are losing both arable land and fresh water, so we need to start producing food in a way that doesn’t deplete these precious resources.
“Innovative food tech firms in Israel working on lab-grown meat include SuperMeat and Future Meat. Lab-grown meat is also called ‘clean meat’, due to its low environmental impact, and because it doesn’t involve the use of GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. Beyond these environmental and health benefits, animal welfare advocates praise lab-grown meat for its potential to save the lives of billions of animals. If lab-grown meat was the norm, it would eradicate the need for factory farming.
“China consumes 28% of the world’s meat. This may go some way to explaining why it’s such a big polluter, since the evidence clearly demonstrates that animal agriculture isn’t very sustainable.”
This sounds much like the mythical Perpetual Motion Machine. You can’t get a lot from nothing, in fact according to physical laws energy out equals energy in.
To cut down on land use by 99% and water by 90% sounds good but the energy out.i.e the ” meat” must equal a lot less than the energy in, efficiency losses etc.
A lot of smoke and mirrors here I think.
Those improvements from lab-grown meat are possible because of the truly awesome inefficiencies and energy waste involved in turning sunlight into vegetable matter via photosynthesis, then really inefficiently turning the energy in that vegetable matter into meat we eat by using it to feed animals that waste most of it creating pollution and just living while they grow large enough for us to murder them in order to eat them.
The best number range I’ve seen for photosynthesis efficiency in turning solar energy into plant matter biochemical energy is 3% to 6%, and that includes all the indigestible components.
In real practical terms, converting sunlight into food energy that’s actually available to animal digestive systems tends to be under 1% efficiency.
For perspective, solar power systems are commonly available in the 15% to 20% range, with lab demonstrations up to 40%. ISTR articles about lab demo artificial photosynthesis systems converting sunlight to chemical energy with around 5% to 10% efficiency.
You’ve forced me into yet another Young Ones moment:
.
SCENE: Looking at the closed bathroom door. Rick comes out, dressed in a robe, looking clean and combed for once]
RICK: Neil! The bathrooms free! Unlike the country under the Thatcher-ite junta!
[Rick turns and steps to exit, trips over Neil, who is sitting on the floor with a cheap blue shower cap on his head]
RICK: [worriedly]: What are you doing down there, Neil?
NEIL: [sounding depressed]: Queuing.
RICK: How long have you been there?
NEIL: 30 years.
RICK: You’ve been listening, haven’t you Neil? You’ve been squatting there listening to what I’ve been doing in the bath! Is that how you get your kicks these days? It is, isn’t it, you little perv-y!
NEIL: I wasn’t listening. Anyway, what were you doing?
RICK:I wasn’t doing anything.
NEIL:Well, I can’t have heard anything, can I?
RICK: And anyway Neil, don’t think that me, Mike and Vyvyan don’t know exactly what you get up to in there. So I wouldn’t go around spilling the beans if I was you!
NEIL: [now very worried]: What do you know about the beans?
RICK: Nothing!
[RICK, confidant that he’d won, marches to his bedroom, then stops, reconsiders, and turns back to Neil, who has picked up his guitar and his Thermos and is entering the bathroom]
What beans?
NEIL: Oh. Nothing. Ha, Ha, Ha. No beans! Ha ha.
[Neil is closing the door, but Rick forces himself in]
RICK: Listen Neil, I don’t have time to stand around here all night being subjected to your revolting innuendoes! Do you want that bath water or not?
NEIL: Uh…
RICK: You haven’t got much of a choice, actually, because there’s no more hot water.
NEIL: [looks]: Well, it’s a bit cloudy, Rick.
[We see a shot of a disgustingly dirty tub, filled with horrible, thick black sludge]
RICK: Well, don’t look at me Neil. Vyvyan had the bath before me and Mike had it before him, and anyway Neil, the whole thing is left over from the bath you had last Tuesday. So stop being so bloody picky; that’s your filth!
NEIL: I hate bath night. Oh well, here goes.
[NEIL is off-camera. We hear a great slurp as NEIL gets in. Rick gets hit in the face with a bit of sludge that splashes out]
It’s a bit cold!
RICK: Oh come off it Neil! Where’s your spunk!
[SCENE: Neil is in the tub, looking depressed, and strumming a minor chord on his guitar. Rick barges in and throws a towel off camera, perhaps in a hamper, oblivious to Neil. Rick suddenly notices the overhead light.]
RICK: Neil, is it really necessary to have the light on when you’re in the bath?
NEIL: Well… yeah!
RICK: Why, what are you planning to do, photosynthesise? We all pay for the electricity in this house you know!
The All Blacks showed extraordinary kinetic skills, spatial daring, liquid lines, and sheer enjoyment for what they were doing.
But they haven’t lost in so long that it’s hard to get anyone else too interested in the game.
It’s at the sevens format that the game is making any global inroads, but it’s not going to broaden out as an adventure for more of the world to love and enjoy unless the US or Japan really win something big and unexpected, and then go on to build the game up at a senior level to challenge American Football.
Sometimes, strangely, you can be too good at something.
Agreed Ad…..I turned it off at half time and watched something else…..the game against Oz where the AB’s won with 2 minutes to go was a truly fantastic game.
The problem is that SA have 50-60 of their best players playing in Europe. Similar things are happening with cricket. The Rand is very weak because of the weakness of the SA economy and there is a continuous sport and brain drain overseas…especially Canada Oz NZ UK.
I can suggest one way we could get a more even contest.
If we elect, God forbid, a Government made up of Labour and the Greens things will soon change.
Imagine if we insist on equal pay for men and women ….. rugby players.
That would probably mean cutting the All Black salaries in half to get the money.
Then we could insist that women have half the All Black positions in each game. They may play well but I don’t like their chances of tackling a 2.04 metre, 120 kg behemoth like Brodie Retallick on a charge like his try last night.
Then we could insist that handicapped people must be represented and at least one position in the team be reserved for them.
Then we could introduce some of the other economic policies like getting rid of most of the dairy farms. We got a lot of All Black Players from there. People like the idols of my youth. Don Clarke, Colin Meads and Brian Lochore for example.
We would very quickly have most of the good players going off to Europe.
The New Zealand dollar would slump.
Games with South Africa or Australia would become very even.
It would be awful rugby though and I’m not sure whether I would bother to watch.
You should be in Church instead or reading this blog Muttonbird.
Isn’t Gaia like Moloch and requires worship?
Or is there a different Sabbath perhaps?
Relax.
Never heard that one. I don’t think I will check it out with a couple of my friends who played with him. They might not be amused and they are much bigger than I am. Much tougher too.
Would you have dared to say it a few weeks ago in Te Kuiti?
Thought not.
You really don’t read what people say before you spray off uninformed remarks, do you?
I never disputed what muttonbird said did I? I never denied it did I? I just said I had never heard that one. That is only a “denial” to someone who can’t understand English. I never said that they were “best friends” either. I just said they were friends.
Actually, New Zealand is so small, and there are so many ex-first class Rugby players that most people my age would know people who knew Meads and played with or against him. You may even do so yourself.
I am quite aware that he worried about his reputation. It got a bit late to change it though.
I understood the bit about you being too scared of your friends… the closeness of the election is really bringing out your bitterness and a bit of seething underbelly.
I really couldn’t be bothered looking up what the currently fashionable description is. I find the words used by the asses like you laughable rather than obnoxious.
If you insist on feeling upset and put upon why should I deprive you of the pleasure. Even masochists have the right to what the US Declaration of Independence called “the pursuit of happiness”.
Go ahead, have a good moment of feeling a pseudo feeling of superiority. I will meanwhile have a good laugh at your precious pretensions.
Just shows how out of touch you are with the modern world. I understand it must be hard for you selfish and decrepit RWNJs to countenance change because your inflated, dying egos won’t allow you to become irrelevant.
Wow!
Why don’t you just join Matiri in the “We are superior because we use different words (and flat earth) Society.”
Get a grip on yourself.
ps. Why do you utter such nasty things about your elders. Are you one of those Ageist individuals?
Look up Ageist in the urban dictionary and tell us whether you are closest to the “old dude” or “dumb blonde” categories they talk about.
I have a mobility permit because of my Multiple Sclerosis so I do not feel superior, pretentious or fashionable at all, there is no pleasure in debating this for me but I do feel that others more fortunate should be considerate in their choice of words out of common courtesy.
As it happens, I have a disability permit too.
So what? I don’t expect people to be extra kind about it.
I, like former Speaker Margaret Wilson, really don’t think I need special consideration because of it.
Life isn’t fair.
I don’t bother to describe myself as anything other than a human being and a New Zealander.
“hindrance”? It can be inconvenient sometimes but hindrance is a bit strong. I just can’t walk very far or very fast.
“Millstone”? Certainly not
Wow alwyn. This may be your nastiest response yet. “currently fashionable description”. Try people. Might be easier for you to use derogatory labels to dehumaise so you can ignore how those you vote for treat them
If you read what I said you will see that “people” was exactly the word I used. I said “handicapped people”. Some of your cohort objected to the use of that phrase didn’t they?
If you can’t play rugby in South Africa your only option is to go overseas.
New race quotas for SA rugby, cricket and netball revealed
The document forecasts that 60% of full-time staff will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 45% of national players (male) will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 80% of national players (female) will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 60% of nationally accredited coaches will be black South Africans by 2018.
The South African government are applying these quotas throughout all aspects of South African life.
For example, only black-owned businesses get government work, they’re trying to make it as tough as possible for white people, they want all the whites gone.
No. Bearded Git has it right, not that a racist like you would understand because the first port of call for your type is to blame black people as being inferior.
It is SARU’s policy of selecting offshore players which is putting pressure on SA and Springbok rugby. Same thing to a lesser extent is happening in Australia.
White men really hate when the playing field is evened up. I guess all those years of telling themselves they are just superior has blinded them to reality.
Sharing sucks it seems. After years of oppression, violence and wealth stripping the blacks get preferential treatment? Karma sure is a bitch and the big brave white man, he just whimper like a newborn.
“But they haven’t lost in so long that it’s hard to get anyone else too interested in the game.”
Cough cough, lions second test, cough, ireland in chicago Nov ’16, cough cough.
I agree the home test against wallabies, was a more thrilling game but it was of inferior quality, skill wise.
Last night I saw sbw silence any critics, Mackenzie improve despite early fluffs and Aaron Smith make the most of good quick ball and an all round stellar performance from the rest.
It’s a peak and there will be troughs.
All free on you tube a couple of hours after the game.
Plus,in the tier or two down, Manawatu had a great match and win against Waikato.
First time I have seen Bill under pressure. Well done Corin. Especially the bit about did it bother Bill’s sense of integrity that attack ads using false “facts” were being used?
Funny that the panel barely touched on Bill’s performance???
Will Q+A give disclosure on his solidarity with Labour and their policies?
Labour’s employment policy gives working peope something to vote for
The 27,000-strong FIRST Union has described Labour’s newly Employment Policy as giving its members something to vote for.
“It is pleasing to see the Labour Party putting forward policies that will reverse all of the anti-worker changes made to the Employment Relations Act by the National Government over the last 9 years, as well as promoting longer term policies that will prevent the race to the bottom on wages.
“Together with Labour’s health, housing and education policies this employment relations policy shows a stark difference to the policies of the current government that have failed working people over the last 9 years,” said Reid.
I think it’s a shame that Q+A and others persist in putting forward pundits and panelists with clear political leanings (like Reid, Boag, Hooton etc) without proper disclosure.
I don’t think there’s any valid basis for asserting that. I have a problem with both of them.
Last time Boag on she was terrible, and she has been so National for a long time cannot be seen as unbiased even when she tries a bit of balance.
I don’t think anyone who is a lobbyist like Hooton should be used as a political commentator. There is no way of knowing what is personal and what is professional.
Yeah, Hooten is not sharing his beliefs, he’s a mercenary. Chief mouthpiece for Opinions-R-Us.
I enjoy hearing what he has to say, how he’s spinning his latest directive.
I wonder how much he charges? Lets buy him. He can run us up to polling day sharing with NZ how horribly wrong he has been all these years and a left vote is the only way.
Dang Corin was fantastic his confidence has increased, been waiting for years to see him show strength in asking the hard questions, he’s nailing now with all the leaders. Corin should host the final debate.
TVNZ should livestream Marae as well, more leaders interviews on there today, friendly as. Lolz it pisses me off that they don’t live stream Marae, it’s a great show.
This week, in our final Election 2017 update, we look into the ‘hot’ election topic of tax and investigate some of the promises that have been made by Labour, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Anthony Willy explains why the Labour Party’s plan to disclose the details of tax policies after the election is so dishonest, and this week’s poll asks whether you agree with Labour that New Zealand needs more taxes?
All of our NZCPR Election 2017 updates can be viewed on our NZCPR.com homepage. The policy manifestos of all Parliamentary Parties can be viewed by clicking the following links: National, Labour, New Zealand First, Greens, ACT, Maori Party.
[lprent: I don’t mind other sites going an putting in links and referencing their posts. I do mind when it is done poorly. This particular comment doesn’t provide a link, it doesn’t say what NZCPR is (looks like a Muriel Newman ‘think-tank’), and that it is plonked in here like a piece of garbage spam by some kind of robotic troll without any consideration of either the site or with any respect for private property. Banned for 2 months for being a stupid and arrogant astroturfer. ]
As a fifth generation NZ born pakeha now 73 I am proud of our Maori heritage 100% and was in a Maori kapahaka group for two years while working in Toronto Canada 1989/1991.
“Armed with a notebook and a stethoscope, I went looking for signs of life in Bill English during three days on the campaign trail this week. It was hard work. He was vague, foggy.
The scenery was exquisite – Palmerston North, Levin, Christchurch, even Penrose has its moments – but English barely cast a shadow. Sometimes he only seemed to exist at a molecular level. He was like a terrible actor giving a wooden performance of a political leader. Who could believe him?”
“You always knew where you were with John Key: nowhere. The moral and intellectual vacuum of Key’s existence was like deep space, and New Zealand floated in it for nine no-worries years. Certainly he was a loose goose. He got the giggles, he was most at home snapping a pair of barbecue tongs, he chilled in an endless happy hour of golf and conifers and Max. Good times.”
National trying to convince voters in Rotorua to vote for them yesterday with a $100 million road announcement following a $72 million road announcement in Lower Hutt the previous day. One would have to think that the polling in these seats isn’t looking to good as they don’t tend to bother with bribes unless there is something in it for them. I suppose we will see how unsuccessful they have been in 7 days time.
All these roading promises come from “the minister of tarmac” himself he was called when Minister of transport; – yes Steven Joyce no less now is the minister of finance; – so he is using all your taxes to bride the people again the crooked crook.
They’ve spent the last week really trying to motivate their rural base around the country. I reckon they’re a bit worried that South Auckland might be turning out for Ardern…
No wonder our infrastructure is struggling to cope (eg Hospitals, transport, housing etc) when … from Billy boy
“We reckon over the last five or six years over 150,000 Kiwis we thought were going to leave, have stayed. So it’s no wonder there’s a bit of pressure http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=11923066
So NZ pop. is “only” 150,000 more than expected !! And the next govt will have to address this “oversight” 🙁
So National actually did what they first said they were going to do and get New Zealanders to stay here rather than go overseas. And that is a bad thing why?
Nothing wrong with that.
It is the net 90k p.a. net immigration, and the additional 2 hours I spend each week commuting to and from work each week resulting from the added 800 cars per week on the road each week and the severe strain on other infrastructure as hospitals, schools that the govt had NOT allowed additional funding to cater for additional required infrastructure.
And then we find out that there are more entering the country than the govt knew of on top of those that have decided to stay !!!
Migrant figures underestimated by 60,000, Statistics NZ says http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11916879
These are fast-changing times. Old certainties are collapsing around us and people are scrambling for new ways of being in the world. As we pointed out in a recent article, 51% of young people in the United States no longer support the system of capitalism. And a solid 55% of Americans of all ages believe that capitalism is fundamentally unfair.
But question capitalism in public and you’re likely to get some angry responses. People immediately assume that you want to see socialism or communism instead. They tell you to go and live in Venezuela, the current flogging-horse for socialism, or they hit you with dreary images of Soviet Russia with all its violence, dysfunction, and grey conformity. They don’t consider that you might want something beyond caricatures and old dogmas.
Which is where we’re at now. Many are realising that capitalism, no matter how it’s dressed up, simply doesn’t work. Even in the middle of last century when capitalism, in its social-democracy guise, decreased inequality and drew a huge percentage of people out of poverty didn’t work as it was still focussed upon the need to grow.
The authoritarian regimes of the USSR and China also didn’t work but, then, they weren’t that significantly different from capitalism – still a top down command economy.
We need something else. Something that rewards people for working but not for owning.
USSR not significantly different to capitalism (the West). You must be joking. No choice, no freedom, no elections, gulags galore. It is obvious you did not know the difference between say East Germany and West Germany.
The electoral system of the Soviet Union was based upon Chapter XI of the Constitution of the Soviet Union and by the Electoral Laws enacted in conformity with it. The Constitution and laws applied to elections in all Soviets, from the Supreme Soviets of the USSR, the Union republics and autonomous republics, through to regions, districts and towns. Voting was secret and direct via universal suffrage.
I learned that in high school.
And when I say not significantly different I mean that both are a top down hierarchy. National and Labour selling off our assets and signing FTAs (especially the TPPA) goes against the wishes of the population so you can’t even say that we have choice in our own governance as we’re routinely ignored by government.
No, you must be joking Wayne – you’ve turned the decent society into Children of the Arbat – and you don’t get it because you’re in the black sedans like the rest of Beria’s people. Monster.
In our electorate the National electorate MP had a majority of 14,000 in 2014.
It is being said that his popularity is sagging and should it halve then the great Labour candidate could win the seat outright. Hope so as it would bring the essential party vote with her.
I’m hearing sagging noises. ianmac. 60 year old farmer to me, “What’s this Labour woman like?” When asked why he was asking, he cited income inequality as his reason for changing his life time pattern. Another old National voter confessed he did not like the new MP. The old MP of course was, having been back-stabbed, visible in the back row of Winston Peter’s election meeting in Blenheim. Maybe, like me, a political junkie, but so too were his wife and daughter attending!
In 1999, the National majority was 1486- the Green vote was over 3000.
The National MP of the time, seeing the writing on the wall that defeat was looming for her government, asserted that she could better represent her electorate whilst in opposition.
Let’s hope that is the case for the local National MP described by Winston Peters as the “neo-liberal backstabber who has done nothing since he entered the House.” As you say, maybe the great Labour candidate could win outright. MMP has yet to be used fully in its ability to reject poor local MPs.
Thanks Mac1. I imagine that the previous MP was rightly agrieved at the way he was ousted. Not that he was very active either.
The wife of the current MP was heard to say that her husband feared that he would lose his seat this time. The drums must be sending signals.
And I like Janette for her actions and her personality. A straight talker eh?
And Mac!, I just heard from a keen farmer, a staunch National man from the Wairarapa, says that he fears that the National MP there may loose his seat and that the Labour man is a much better candidate. Rumours rumours eh?
” I imagine that the previous MP was rightly agrieved at the way he was ousted. Not that he was very active either.” True.
“The wife of the current MP was heard to say that her husband feared that he would lose his seat this time.” I heard the same.
“And I like Janette for her actions and her personality. A straight talker eh?” She was today.
Makes a man and his wife in their retirement go out and deliver pamphlets for a straight talker, eh, hearing those drums, and those rumours. Let’s take care out on those streets, ianmac!
this is a good case for investigating the parents of these teens. Hopefully their race hatred as learned behaviour can be unlearned before they get to jail which is where they will end up no doubt.
The always great Ta-Nehisi Coates on the race hatred that’s consumed America since day one.
It is insufficient to state the obvious of Donald Trump: that he is a white man who would not be president were it not for this fact. With one immediate exception, Trump’s predecessors made their way to high office through the passive power of whiteness—that bloody heirloom which cannot ensure mastery of all events but can conjure a tailwind for most of them. Land theft and human plunder cleared the grounds for Trump’s forefathers and barred others from it. Once upon the field, these men became soldiers, statesmen, and scholars; held court in Paris; presided at Princeton; advanced into the Wilderness and then into the White House. Their individual triumphs made this exclusive party seem above America’s founding sins, and it was forgotten that the former was in fact bound to the latter, that all their victories had transpired on cleared grounds. No such elegant detachment can be attributed to Donald Trump—a president who, more than any other, has made the awful inheritance explicit.
The bad are very very bad. Undermines the plea for understanding of the plight the good ones suffer. I wonder if the fines of all the others were paid?
An interesting article about the intersection of immigration and industrial dairying intensification in Idaho. Although the article doesn’t talk about it, Idaho too is suffering serious environmental effects from adding ever more dairy farming.
But by excavating around the Marsden Pt – Wiri fuel pipeline without the pipeline operators aware of the work and onsite probably points to a pack of cowboys. That a kauri log may have been involved is small clue too. By the look of the pegs sticking out of the hole in the pipe they gave it a really good pull with the digger.
and also demonstrates how reliant we are on imported expertise and product for our infrastructure….
‘NZ Refining spokesman Greg McNeill said the pipeline was likely to be shut down for several days, with two engineers flying in from Canada tomorrow.”
something to keep in mind when considering our export industries
It would be a pretty specialised repair, probably have to be done in an inert atmosphere, which wouldn’t be within the skills or equipment of your average engineering shop. Expertise tends to be very global in the oil industry because it’s so complicated.
not your run of the mill engineering shop no, but we do have a refinery and a gas facility somewhat closer than Canada…would have expected some maintenance and repair capability at these facilities…..but that wasn’t really my point.
Infrastructure should have been properly maintained and updated for such a product running through those pipes. I hope it has, spilling fuel on an industrial scale is a bit of a worry
Have heard from many engineers over the years that more often than not issues happen when shortcuts are taken or maintenance is neglected. Often a large problem can be avoided if companies don’t skimp on engineering. Cause when they do skimp it costs them so much more.
I can’t understand how anyone was able to dig a bloody hole anywhere near that pipe? Don’t we a regulatory framework designed to protect vital infrastructure?
I’d like to be around when they get the bill. I’d assume that if they were stupid enough to do it in the first place they wouldn’t have adequate insurance.
Last Thursday apparently the Government was told about the problem and they offered nothing until they were pressed by journalists today. Presumably they’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out how to make sure any blame goes elsewhere.
” Documents obtained under the Official Information Act by the NEPS are claimed to show that in fact, mandatory information was missing from some 80 per cent of MPI intention-to-export notices processed in 2013.
Yet Ancientwood director Robert Teisberg was able to insist to Radio New Zealand this week that the gargantuan slabs of swamp kauri he’s selling for up to US$100,000 a pop are entirely legal, because the export has been approved by MPI.” https://publicaddress.net/envirologue/swamp-monsters-the-looting-of-northlands/
80 per cent non compliant is good enough for this Nact Government ….
something i hadn’t considered (specifically) but Liam Dann raises a very good point…along with housing, another basic necessity has been outstripping the rate of Inflation in recent times.
Sometime ago I suggested the Government may have to enter into the market. From farm to shelve, which would also give them the opportunity to generate long term employment, assist employee training and provide more oversight over incomes (namely, adopting the living wage as a minimum income for all employees they take on).
Alternatively, but in no way as grand, a discount (subsidised by the Government) for community card holders would provide some assistance.
Oh good. But I’m not hopeful he’s going to pin it on anyone in particular because he never has before. Also I think he’s done a deal with National already and this is just the same old publicity drive from him in order to raise profile. Nats playing along because they are toast otherwise.
He did just say on Sunday TV1 that “National had leaked the document re overpayment and it was a very senior National man who alerted Winston before the Journalist did. He said that there are some in National who have integrity. That is all.
Great work here from The Greens. they really do understand the changing demographic of NZ and what needs to be done to help create better communities. Communities where children can be the best they can be and parents aren’t stressed out because of housing insecurity.
National’s policy on rental housing of course is, ‘it’s the landlords house and they can do whatever they want with it in order to make a killing in house price rises’.
Don’t be a moron.
“Fit and proper” will be judged in exactly the same way that every other character-based qualification is currently judged, from liquor licenses to security guards.
You’re just reaching for the bottom of the barrel in order to snipe.
It wasn’t reaching it was a genuine question but it was also making a point.
Which was, a number of Greens believe Turei should have been given a second chance for her past misbehaviour, but the same doesn’t seem to apply to landlords.
As for what it exactly covers, I genuinely didn’t know as it was not reported in the story in the link.
And as far as I can tell, you’re merely speculating on what the criteria will be as you didn’t provide any evidence to back your assertion.
Your entire point is based on the concept that this “fit and proper person” test will be administered completely differently to every current “fit and proper person” test, pretty much all of which would give Turei a “second chance” (in fact the lack of any charges so far would make it a “first chance”).
Your allegations of hypocrisy are baseless. I’m shocked, shocked, that anyone on the left would make up such lies. /sarc
“Your entire point is based on the concept that this “fit and proper person” test will be administered completely differently to every current “fit and proper person” test”
No. Not at all.
The test merely has to rule people out for past misbehaviour for there to be no second chances. Which current fit and proper tests do. So once again your’re just full of it.
Turei doesn’t have to be charged, she’s already confessed. Once again, just more rubbish coming from you.
The test merely has to rule people out for past misbehaviour for there to be no second chances. Which current fit and proper tests do.
And every other test in the country ignores minor offences decades ago, and anything else irrelevant to whether the applicant should have that qualification or license.
Minor assault convictions, driving charges, even in some cases drug offences can be overlooked after long enough time has passed with the applicant being a contributing member of society.
If everyone had to have perfect records to pass every test, nobody would be licensed to do a damned thing.
Just had a go at assessing the Labour fliers. They are very well done.
Layout; tick.
Design:tick.
Clarity:tick
Colour balance: tick
Overall? Excellent
And I don’t usually take a great deal of notice of fliers but I think that this time they must have had some very professional graphic designers at work.
It’s better than it has been but money is crucial in photography and design and in volume.
JA helps being young and attractive, and her ‘Let’s do this’ material is good, but the rest of the Labour stuff is miles behind the National Party machine in terms of look and volume.
Good for her. The MSM are an utter disgrace in terms of welfare reporting this year and what happened, they have no automatic rights of access to anyone at a welfare rally, they will have to earn their access back.
When I heard yesterday that Turei refused to speak to media I was reminded of Tariana Turia who for a long time after the Māori Party was set up refused to speak to the MSM and instead spoke to Māori media. It was very obvious why, at that time the MSM were both useless and racist at covering Māori issue and politics and preferred to focus on drama and sensationalising stories at the expense of real people. So it is with welfare. When the MSM understand that Turei’s family aren’t the story but the problems with how the State runs welfare is the story, then they might get some respect.
One of the things about consistently and long term speaking truth to power is that you learn what real power is. There are more important things at play here than those reporters and Turei has her values straight on this one.
“When the MSM understand that Turei’s family aren’t the story but the problems with how the State runs welfare is the story, then they might get some respect.”
And they way for them to understand that is for Turei to front up and take control of the narrative.
It’s an important location. Many passing by saw the GP and their main message.
It’s not about numbers at one rally. it’s about engaging with local people, and campaigning alongside those doing it tough.
And how are the campaigners going to connect with the wider society about this if the MSM don’t report the events and experiences accurately? Rather than focusing on sensationalist beat-ups?
Within Te Tai Tonga Metiria has been very active and vocal and constantly getting the message out there. I can’t imagine anyone not knowing what she stands for.
I’m really hopeful she will get lots of personal votes to reinforce the support she has for what has happened. I’m proud to vote for her and party vote Green too ☺
The media spins coverage of Turei with a strong veneer of smear and loathing.
Turei IS controlling the narrative by cutting out the distorting MSM lens, and talking directly with the people – the ones whose voices rarely get heard in the MSM. It’s their voices Turei wants to be heard. Too much focus on her distracts from that. that’s how you build a movement from the flax roots up.
The MSM only tends to allow a certain narrow range of narratives – stray too far from it and the person or group gets vilified.
It’s debatable how much Ardern, in contrast, has “controlled the narrative”. Seems to me she has succumbed to the MSM’s narrow range of acceptable narratives by caving on CGT before it goes to the tax working group.
It also looks to me that MSM journos tend to respond positively to politicians that move in similar worlds to them – John Key and Ardern probably fit more with their world views and life experiences. Turei not so much.
It’s telling that the most positive coverage Turei has had is from the Maori media.
The MSM clearly do not want to give too much coverage to the voices of those struggling on low incomes, especially if they are brown – they want more drama of attacks on Turei and “benefit fraud” on their front pages, along with the continued celebration of celebrity culture.
There were devastating stories at the Otara rally, very accessible to mainstream coverage, but the journos present were not interested. Shame on them!
Ardern has shown (as opposed to Little who was largely pushing the same barrel) how a sharp, good speaker can have better control of the narrative.
Of course they will push back, but it’s up to her to shut them down and push through her agenda. If she can’t or is unwilling to do that, then perhaps she isn’t the one for this role?
As for Ardern caving, she was listening to the public. It was the drop in the poll indicating she was failing to keep the public on board that she responded too.
I am not clear why this is so important to you? You clearly do not support Green. Your constant holding of Labour to different scrutiny than National is puzzling.
Turei is not hiding. She is very visible in the South.
Yes very good on her – i like how she is taking control. Whatever happens this election for her she has undergone a trial by fire and she is more effective now and had increased her mana which will help her whatever she does
It’s also interesting how the MSM journos are happy still to pursue Turei, rather than give mainstream news space to the stories told by many at the rally, who are on the front line of the struggle against poverty . Those stories were the main focus of the rally, and took up most of the time. Turei was the speaker that introduced it. Davidson spoke at the close of the rally, speaking rousingly of continuing the struggle against poverty.
I should imagine Turei also didn’t want to encourage the filtering of the poverty message by focusing too much on her.
After being at that rally, and hearing some of the harrowing stories told, I am disgusted at the way the realities are being filtered by the MSM. Their reporting was mainly about Turei and Robyn Malcolm. Turei was there to support Davidson’s campaign against poverty and the other speakers from the front line.
Why aren’t the mainstream media telling of the realities of those doing it tough in Sth Auckland? they were there. they must have heard!
Why aren’t they reporting the support the GP has there?
TV3 & Gower were vicious in the way they pursued Turei to resign, focusing on her being a “benefit fraudster” – rather than the way she was connecting with people who are still being treated punitively by W&I, the MSM, and via them, society at large.
“It’s also interesting how the MSM journos are happy still to pursue Turei, rather than give mainstream news space to the stories told by many at the rally, who are on the front line of the struggle against poverty.”
The Greens should put together a hard hitting commercial (or a range of them) that captures and explicitly exemplifies their struggle. Ending with a range of high profile New Zealanders saying they stand with Turei. Are you with us? Vote Green to put an end to this misery.
She never left the campaign trail the media just lost interest after they cleaned their knives. I listened to her in Christchurch a few weeks ago and it was very public. It is not IF she is going to make a stand, she did make a stand.
Now Todd Barclay, there is a hider, with English as an accomplice.
No media chasing down Key, McCully, English and Joyce over the Saudi 11.5m lie.
“It is not IF she is going to make a stand, she did make a stand.”
Yes, but she didn’t stand up and fight. She took of from the media.
And it wasn’t a good look.
A number of right-wingers I know are now using it to confirm their bias – i.e. they’re now saying I told you she had something to hide, believing that’s why she ran away.
The sad thing was, she could have won them over if she held her ground and stood tall.
The beneficiaries I know don’t think it is a joke. They want to know why she isn’t standing up and taking the fight to them? They respect what she is doing, but are doubting she is cut out for it.
So while you may find it’s all a big game and joke, they’re in despair.
The right wingers you know would have been won over by MT if she’d stood her ground. When you say the beneficiaries doubt she’s cut out for it. Comedy gold.
“English reckoned the public reaction was different from a couple of weeks ago.
“That whole vibe has changed. Now they are coming up to us saying: ‘You have our support’. Even just two or three weeks ago they were standing back a bit. I could see it when they would come in. Now they have turned. They want the photos.”
you’re pointing to the Block is not as silly as it sounds…..the oddest things can trigger a run…..and as to blame, yep your probably right (certainly in some quarters will say and believe that) , but there will be no truth in it of course……all bubbles burst sooner or later….looks like John Key timed things rather well….resignation, house sale and election loss….the trifecta you could say.
Why will it be pinned on Labour when National have sat on their hands for the last 9 years in power? I think people will see this as a complete failure of Bill and his team of merry pranksters. Useful fuel for the last week of campaigning for Jacinda and her team I think.
Mate you keep running these ‘fear’ lines. Have you thought about having some holudays or something – hit the bush, go for a tramp. I can get why the fear is there and it plays havoc with the body and mind if it goes on too long.
Well it seems that they did make the reserve (so I’m told – I won’t watch Mark Richardson) and the ethnicity of the buyers was as anyone who lives in Auckland would have expected. Looks like a big win for Winston I’m afraid.
To the ALL BLACKS. I did not want to write about you guys as some mite say that I’m just doing this to leverage off you guys. I no that I don’t need that leverage because we all ready have gone viral and I need to get this out to you guys all tho the coaches will have already told you guys .
In my view some organization is running a smear campaign against The All Blacks they can not beat you on the field so some one is trying to stain the All Black Mana .
So my message to the players is keep your guard up because these people play dirty and will use any opportunity to try and upset you guys Kia Kaha.
“He claims National is five or six years into building roads, bridges, better schools and expanded health services. “We can keep doing that for 10 years.”
….”The 2002 debacle, when English as opposition leader took National to 21 percent on election day, obviously doesn’t count. Maybe, in English’s mind, it is undefeated as Prime Minister….. That legacy is on the line in five days…”
Loving the Ardern uproar farmers protest headline on the herald.
Only better thing than seeing Winston booed, is the prospect of those backbone of the nation types having to get up at 5.30am to pollute the environment on Sunday morning, knowing they’re doing it for the next 6 years (at least) under a government that won’t back down under the money might they’ve been throwing around for a generation.
Red sky at night, The people’s delight.
Green/Red in morning, rich prick environmental disasters a mourning. Sky lol
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Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
We need to start being really innovative in this country if we are to continue to be a food producer. Industrial farming is NOT the answer!
From The Canary:
“China has signed a $300m trade deal to import Israel’s lab-grown meat technologies. Currently, China is the largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the world (and is infamous for its smoggy cities). But this new deal may help the country to shake off this reputation, and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
“Lab-grown meat is more sustainable than traditional meat since – as a 2011 study found – meat grown in a lab would cut down on associated land use by 99%, and reduce water use by 90%. We are losing both arable land and fresh water, so we need to start producing food in a way that doesn’t deplete these precious resources.
“Innovative food tech firms in Israel working on lab-grown meat include SuperMeat and Future Meat. Lab-grown meat is also called ‘clean meat’, due to its low environmental impact, and because it doesn’t involve the use of GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. Beyond these environmental and health benefits, animal welfare advocates praise lab-grown meat for its potential to save the lives of billions of animals. If lab-grown meat was the norm, it would eradicate the need for factory farming.
“China consumes 28% of the world’s meat. This may go some way to explaining why it’s such a big polluter, since the evidence clearly demonstrates that animal agriculture isn’t very sustainable.”
https://www.thecanary.co/discovery/2017/09/15/chinas-latest-deal-israel-win-animals-environment/
This sounds much like the mythical Perpetual Motion Machine. You can’t get a lot from nothing, in fact according to physical laws energy out equals energy in.
To cut down on land use by 99% and water by 90% sounds good but the energy out.i.e the ” meat” must equal a lot less than the energy in, efficiency losses etc.
A lot of smoke and mirrors here I think.
Those improvements from lab-grown meat are possible because of the truly awesome inefficiencies and energy waste involved in turning sunlight into vegetable matter via photosynthesis, then really inefficiently turning the energy in that vegetable matter into meat we eat by using it to feed animals that waste most of it creating pollution and just living while they grow large enough for us to murder them in order to eat them.
Excellent explanation – is photosynthesis awesomely inefficient? Once the light starts activating stuff I always thought it was relatively efficient.
The best number range I’ve seen for photosynthesis efficiency in turning solar energy into plant matter biochemical energy is 3% to 6%, and that includes all the indigestible components.
In real practical terms, converting sunlight into food energy that’s actually available to animal digestive systems tends to be under 1% efficiency.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthetic_efficiency
For perspective, solar power systems are commonly available in the 15% to 20% range, with lab demonstrations up to 40%. ISTR articles about lab demo artificial photosynthesis systems converting sunlight to chemical energy with around 5% to 10% efficiency.
Thanks i appreciate learning good stuff.
You’ve forced me into yet another Young Ones moment:
.
SCENE: Looking at the closed bathroom door. Rick comes out, dressed in a robe, looking clean and combed for once]
RICK: Neil! The bathrooms free! Unlike the country under the Thatcher-ite junta!
[Rick turns and steps to exit, trips over Neil, who is sitting on the floor with a cheap blue shower cap on his head]
RICK: [worriedly]: What are you doing down there, Neil?
NEIL: [sounding depressed]: Queuing.
RICK: How long have you been there?
NEIL: 30 years.
RICK: You’ve been listening, haven’t you Neil? You’ve been squatting there listening to what I’ve been doing in the bath! Is that how you get your kicks these days? It is, isn’t it, you little perv-y!
NEIL: I wasn’t listening. Anyway, what were you doing?
RICK:I wasn’t doing anything.
NEIL:Well, I can’t have heard anything, can I?
RICK: And anyway Neil, don’t think that me, Mike and Vyvyan don’t know exactly what you get up to in there. So I wouldn’t go around spilling the beans if I was you!
NEIL: [now very worried]: What do you know about the beans?
RICK: Nothing!
[RICK, confidant that he’d won, marches to his bedroom, then stops, reconsiders, and turns back to Neil, who has picked up his guitar and his Thermos and is entering the bathroom]
What beans?
NEIL: Oh. Nothing. Ha, Ha, Ha. No beans! Ha ha.
[Neil is closing the door, but Rick forces himself in]
RICK: Listen Neil, I don’t have time to stand around here all night being subjected to your revolting innuendoes! Do you want that bath water or not?
NEIL: Uh…
RICK: You haven’t got much of a choice, actually, because there’s no more hot water.
NEIL: [looks]: Well, it’s a bit cloudy, Rick.
[We see a shot of a disgustingly dirty tub, filled with horrible, thick black sludge]
RICK: Well, don’t look at me Neil. Vyvyan had the bath before me and Mike had it before him, and anyway Neil, the whole thing is left over from the bath you had last Tuesday. So stop being so bloody picky; that’s your filth!
NEIL: I hate bath night. Oh well, here goes.
[NEIL is off-camera. We hear a great slurp as NEIL gets in. Rick gets hit in the face with a bit of sludge that splashes out]
It’s a bit cold!
RICK: Oh come off it Neil! Where’s your spunk!
[SCENE: Neil is in the tub, looking depressed, and strumming a minor chord on his guitar. Rick barges in and throws a towel off camera, perhaps in a hamper, oblivious to Neil. Rick suddenly notices the overhead light.]
RICK: Neil, is it really necessary to have the light on when you’re in the bath?
NEIL: Well… yeah!
RICK: Why, what are you planning to do, photosynthesise? We all pay for the electricity in this house you know!
[turns it off and leaves, slamming the door]
Much as I love a great game of Rugby, the All Black dominance of South Africa last night was seriously not good for the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZf-CU1dvM
The All Blacks showed extraordinary kinetic skills, spatial daring, liquid lines, and sheer enjoyment for what they were doing.
But they haven’t lost in so long that it’s hard to get anyone else too interested in the game.
It’s at the sevens format that the game is making any global inroads, but it’s not going to broaden out as an adventure for more of the world to love and enjoy unless the US or Japan really win something big and unexpected, and then go on to build the game up at a senior level to challenge American Football.
Sometimes, strangely, you can be too good at something.
Ad.Takes the herald headlines off how hopeless Labour are .
Agreed Ad…..I turned it off at half time and watched something else…..the game against Oz where the AB’s won with 2 minutes to go was a truly fantastic game.
The problem is that SA have 50-60 of their best players playing in Europe. Similar things are happening with cricket. The Rand is very weak because of the weakness of the SA economy and there is a continuous sport and brain drain overseas…especially Canada Oz NZ UK.
I can suggest one way we could get a more even contest.
If we elect, God forbid, a Government made up of Labour and the Greens things will soon change.
Imagine if we insist on equal pay for men and women ….. rugby players.
That would probably mean cutting the All Black salaries in half to get the money.
Then we could insist that women have half the All Black positions in each game. They may play well but I don’t like their chances of tackling a 2.04 metre, 120 kg behemoth like Brodie Retallick on a charge like his try last night.
Then we could insist that handicapped people must be represented and at least one position in the team be reserved for them.
Then we could introduce some of the other economic policies like getting rid of most of the dairy farms. We got a lot of All Black Players from there. People like the idols of my youth. Don Clarke, Colin Meads and Brian Lochore for example.
We would very quickly have most of the good players going off to Europe.
The New Zealand dollar would slump.
Games with South Africa or Australia would become very even.
It would be awful rugby though and I’m not sure whether I would bother to watch.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before a RWNJ came along and suggested a change in government would put All Blacks success at risk.
You should be in Church instead or reading this blog Muttonbird.
Isn’t Gaia like Moloch and requires worship?
Or is there a different Sabbath perhaps?
Relax.
Did you know Meads’ peers called him ‘the travelling thug’?
Never heard that one. I don’t think I will check it out with a couple of my friends who played with him. They might not be amused and they are much bigger than I am. Much tougher too.
Would you have dared to say it a few weeks ago in Te Kuiti?
Thought not.
He was widely known as a dirty player. He himself worried about his reputation.
But some of alwyns best friends played with Meads so how dare you question alwyn
You really don’t read what people say before you spray off uninformed remarks, do you?
I never disputed what muttonbird said did I? I never denied it did I? I just said I had never heard that one. That is only a “denial” to someone who can’t understand English. I never said that they were “best friends” either. I just said they were friends.
Actually, New Zealand is so small, and there are so many ex-first class Rugby players that most people my age would know people who knew Meads and played with or against him. You may even do so yourself.
I am quite aware that he worried about his reputation. It got a bit late to change it though.
I understood the bit about you being too scared of your friends… the closeness of the election is really bringing out your bitterness and a bit of seething underbelly.
“handicapped people”? You are showing your lack of disability awareness and etiquette there with that obnoxious statement.
I really couldn’t be bothered looking up what the currently fashionable description is. I find the words used by the asses like you laughable rather than obnoxious.
If you insist on feeling upset and put upon why should I deprive you of the pleasure. Even masochists have the right to what the US Declaration of Independence called “the pursuit of happiness”.
Go ahead, have a good moment of feeling a pseudo feeling of superiority. I will meanwhile have a good laugh at your precious pretensions.
Just shows how out of touch you are with the modern world. I understand it must be hard for you selfish and decrepit RWNJs to countenance change because your inflated, dying egos won’t allow you to become irrelevant.
Wow!
Why don’t you just join Matiri in the “We are superior because we use different words (and flat earth) Society.”
Get a grip on yourself.
ps. Why do you utter such nasty things about your elders. Are you one of those Ageist individuals?
Look up Ageist in the urban dictionary and tell us whether you are closest to the “old dude” or “dumb blonde” categories they talk about.
End of discussion.
You’re holding New Zealand back. It’s not good enough.
I have a mobility permit because of my Multiple Sclerosis so I do not feel superior, pretentious or fashionable at all, there is no pleasure in debating this for me but I do feel that others more fortunate should be considerate in their choice of words out of common courtesy.
Thanks Matiri. Looking forward to Alwyn’s apology to you shortly.
As it happens, I have a disability permit too.
So what? I don’t expect people to be extra kind about it.
I, like former Speaker Margaret Wilson, really don’t think I need special consideration because of it.
Life isn’t fair.
So you describe yourself as handicapped? Lets be clear here.
Or a hindrance or a millstone?
I don’t bother to describe myself as anything other than a human being and a New Zealander.
“hindrance”? It can be inconvenient sometimes but hindrance is a bit strong. I just can’t walk very far or very fast.
“Millstone”? Certainly not
That is easy when you walk in privilege as a white male.
You just call yourself a human being but others you call handicapped.
A pretty raw nerve got hit here!
Wow alwyn. This may be your nastiest response yet. “currently fashionable description”. Try people. Might be easier for you to use derogatory labels to dehumaise so you can ignore how those you vote for treat them
If you read what I said you will see that “people” was exactly the word I used. I said “handicapped people”. Some of your cohort objected to the use of that phrase didn’t they?
What? You said handicapped people” not people.
This is having more of an impact
If you can’t play rugby in South Africa your only option is to go overseas.
New race quotas for SA rugby, cricket and netball revealed
The document forecasts that 60% of full-time staff will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 45% of national players (male) will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 80% of national players (female) will be black South Africans by 2018.
The document forecasts that 60% of nationally accredited coaches will be black South Africans by 2018.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/161391/new-race-quotas-for-sa-rugby-cricket-and-netball-revealed/
The South African government are applying these quotas throughout all aspects of South African life.
For example, only black-owned businesses get government work, they’re trying to make it as tough as possible for white people, they want all the whites gone.
No. Bearded Git has it right, not that a racist like you would understand because the first port of call for your type is to blame black people as being inferior.
It is SARU’s policy of selecting offshore players which is putting pressure on SA and Springbok rugby. Same thing to a lesser extent is happening in Australia.
God, you’re a fucking bore.
Why don’t you have a crack at my family like last time you old drunk?
When you make comments about kicking women in the c*nts it’s hard not to come to the conclusion you don’t have a lot of respect for women.
I don’t respect some women but not because they are women but because they are morally corrupt.
Please link to where I said this. I don’t remember it. You obviously do though.
White men really hate when the playing field is evened up. I guess all those years of telling themselves they are just superior has blinded them to reality.
Sharing sucks it seems. After years of oppression, violence and wealth stripping the blacks get preferential treatment? Karma sure is a bitch and the big brave white man, he just whimper like a newborn.
Quotas are not sharing.
Yes they are.
“But they haven’t lost in so long that it’s hard to get anyone else too interested in the game.”
Cough cough, lions second test, cough, ireland in chicago Nov ’16, cough cough.
I agree the home test against wallabies, was a more thrilling game but it was of inferior quality, skill wise.
Last night I saw sbw silence any critics, Mackenzie improve despite early fluffs and Aaron Smith make the most of good quick ball and an all round stellar performance from the rest.
It’s a peak and there will be troughs.
All free on you tube a couple of hours after the game.
Plus,in the tier or two down, Manawatu had a great match and win against Waikato.
Big Q&A on today. Robert Reid will be representing the left (yay!) Show him some love and solidarity on Twitter …
https://twitter.com/GregPresland/status/909135446390607872
Wow, Corin is grilling Bill big time at the moment, link to watch here, go Corin
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/content/tvnz/onenews/story/2017/08/31/live-stream-q-a.html
First time I have seen Bill under pressure. Well done Corin. Especially the bit about did it bother Bill’s sense of integrity that attack ads using false “facts” were being used?
Funny that the panel barely touched on Bill’s performance???
Will Q+A give disclosure on his solidarity with Labour and their policies?
I think it’s a shame that Q+A and others persist in putting forward pundits and panelists with clear political leanings (like Reid, Boag, Hooton etc) without proper disclosure.
I doubt you have a problem with Boag and Hooton.
I don’t think there’s any valid basis for asserting that. I have a problem with both of them.
Last time Boag on she was terrible, and she has been so National for a long time cannot be seen as unbiased even when she tries a bit of balance.
I don’t think anyone who is a lobbyist like Hooton should be used as a political commentator. There is no way of knowing what is personal and what is professional.
It doesn’t matter as opinion trumps fact in any case.
What do you do when somebody spouts personal opinion and does not want to listen and hear what others have to say?
Hooten only flips to Labour when he sees the tidal wave comming.
So if we dont see him anymore – it’s best to assume he drowned this time !!!!
Yeah, Hooten is not sharing his beliefs, he’s a mercenary. Chief mouthpiece for Opinions-R-Us.
I enjoy hearing what he has to say, how he’s spinning his latest directive.
I wonder how much he charges? Lets buy him. He can run us up to polling day sharing with NZ how horribly wrong he has been all these years and a left vote is the only way.
Honestly, far better someone completely partisan than anyone pretending to be impartial.
Funny this is exactly what was said on media watch last Sunday. You probably didnt hear it.
Crikey that was a must watch the left were impressive, hard questions for all the leaders
Dang Corin was fantastic his confidence has increased, been waiting for years to see him show strength in asking the hard questions, he’s nailing now with all the leaders. Corin should host the final debate.
Bill was terrible
Commentary interesting, change is coming, personally am very proud to be a part of it
Link for todays Q+A episode
TVNZ should livestream Marae as well, more leaders interviews on there today, friendly as. Lolz it pisses me off that they don’t live stream Marae, it’s a great show.
Thanks good afternoon watching.
Hopewalk, in the rain with the kids and my better half’s band playing some tunes, in an hour. ☺
Yes Cinny,
Even Corin was good with Winston who was good also, just liike his old sharp minded self.
On Q and A but not the higher rating One news
Dear NZCPR Reader,
This week, in our final Election 2017 update, we look into the ‘hot’ election topic of tax and investigate some of the promises that have been made by Labour, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Anthony Willy explains why the Labour Party’s plan to disclose the details of tax policies after the election is so dishonest, and this week’s poll asks whether you agree with Labour that New Zealand needs more taxes?
All of our NZCPR Election 2017 updates can be viewed on our NZCPR.com homepage. The policy manifestos of all Parliamentary Parties can be viewed by clicking the following links: National, Labour, New Zealand First, Greens, ACT, Maori Party.
[lprent: I don’t mind other sites going an putting in links and referencing their posts. I do mind when it is done poorly. This particular comment doesn’t provide a link, it doesn’t say what NZCPR is (looks like a Muriel Newman ‘think-tank’), and that it is plonked in here like a piece of garbage spam by some kind of robotic troll without any consideration of either the site or with any respect for private property. Banned for 2 months for being a stupid and arrogant astroturfer. ]
loser
idiot
And this is why ACT and Nats need to be sat on their arrogant “bought and paid for” arses
Let’s all be PROUD of OUR MAORI hearitage and culture.
As a fifth generation NZ born pakeha now 73 I am proud of our Maori heritage 100% and was in a Maori kapahaka group for two years while working in Toronto Canada 1989/1991.
“Armed with a notebook and a stethoscope, I went looking for signs of life in Bill English during three days on the campaign trail this week. It was hard work. He was vague, foggy.
The scenery was exquisite – Palmerston North, Levin, Christchurch, even Penrose has its moments – but English barely cast a shadow. Sometimes he only seemed to exist at a molecular level. He was like a terrible actor giving a wooden performance of a political leader. Who could believe him?”
Steve Braunias is on the road with ‘Hungry Bill’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11922606
From The Herald, very interesting quite hilarious.
“You always knew where you were with John Key: nowhere. The moral and intellectual vacuum of Key’s existence was like deep space, and New Zealand floated in it for nine no-worries years. Certainly he was a loose goose. He got the giggles, he was most at home snapping a pair of barbecue tongs, he chilled in an endless happy hour of golf and conifers and Max. Good times.”
Ah…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnkSexwu4jI
Quite in contrast to Steve’s articles on his three days with Jacinda, and his table tennis match with her, which are also well worth reading.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11919861
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11909313
Yes Glenn, the tag was food but also some truths as we see it. Bill is a good chap but uninspiring. Naughty Steve – again.
Roads to nowhere…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwetPaL9ND0
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
National trying to convince voters in Rotorua to vote for them yesterday with a $100 million road announcement following a $72 million road announcement in Lower Hutt the previous day. One would have to think that the polling in these seats isn’t looking to good as they don’t tend to bother with bribes unless there is something in it for them. I suppose we will see how unsuccessful they have been in 7 days time.
All these roading promises come from “the minister of tarmac” himself he was called when Minister of transport; – yes Steven Joyce no less now is the minister of finance; – so he is using all your taxes to bride the people again the crooked crook.
They’ve spent the last week really trying to motivate their rural base around the country. I reckon they’re a bit worried that South Auckland might be turning out for Ardern…
No wonder our infrastructure is struggling to cope (eg Hospitals, transport, housing etc) when … from Billy boy
“We reckon over the last five or six years over 150,000 Kiwis we thought were going to leave, have stayed. So it’s no wonder there’s a bit of pressure
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=11923066
So NZ pop. is “only” 150,000 more than expected !! And the next govt will have to address this “oversight” 🙁
So National actually did what they first said they were going to do and get New Zealanders to stay here rather than go overseas. And that is a bad thing why?
Not National’s doing at all. A slowdown in Australia did this.
Did National have a plan for the unexpected stay at home Kiwis? No they did not, as Bingles admitted.
Nothing wrong with that.
It is the net 90k p.a. net immigration, and the additional 2 hours I spend each week commuting to and from work each week resulting from the added 800 cars per week on the road each week and the severe strain on other infrastructure as hospitals, schools that the govt had NOT allowed additional funding to cater for additional required infrastructure.
And then we find out that there are more entering the country than the govt knew of on top of those that have decided to stay !!!
Migrant figures underestimated by 60,000, Statistics NZ says
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11916879
Don’t Be Scared About The End Of Capitalism—Be Excited To Build What Comes Next
Which is where we’re at now. Many are realising that capitalism, no matter how it’s dressed up, simply doesn’t work. Even in the middle of last century when capitalism, in its social-democracy guise, decreased inequality and drew a huge percentage of people out of poverty didn’t work as it was still focussed upon the need to grow.
The authoritarian regimes of the USSR and China also didn’t work but, then, they weren’t that significantly different from capitalism – still a top down command economy.
We need something else. Something that rewards people for working but not for owning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RB10fVZxCs&feature=youtu.be
USSR not significantly different to capitalism (the West). You must be joking. No choice, no freedom, no elections, gulags galore. It is obvious you did not know the difference between say East Germany and West Germany.
So, like modern day China, then?
And you show your ignorance yet again:
I learned that in high school.
And when I say not significantly different I mean that both are a top down hierarchy. National and Labour selling off our assets and signing FTAs (especially the TPPA) goes against the wishes of the population so you can’t even say that we have choice in our own governance as we’re routinely ignored by government.
And we may not have things called gulags but our prisons aren’t something we should be proud of when you consider fight clubs and people dying in them after they’ve been dropped off of a balcony. And, of course, National removed prisoners right to vote.
So, no, not significantly different at all.
Wayne ,,,, seeing your post reminded me of your ignorance about torture taking place under your nose …….
This documentary details some of it …… its mainly about Bagram airbase and Afghanistan ….. I believe you’ve been there ????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUeSTXU4KTs
For your education anyway …..
No, you must be joking Wayne – you’ve turned the decent society into Children of the Arbat – and you don’t get it because you’re in the black sedans like the rest of Beria’s people. Monster.
In our electorate the National electorate MP had a majority of 14,000 in 2014.
It is being said that his popularity is sagging and should it halve then the great Labour candidate could win the seat outright. Hope so as it would bring the essential party vote with her.
I’m hearing sagging noises. ianmac. 60 year old farmer to me, “What’s this Labour woman like?” When asked why he was asking, he cited income inequality as his reason for changing his life time pattern. Another old National voter confessed he did not like the new MP. The old MP of course was, having been back-stabbed, visible in the back row of Winston Peter’s election meeting in Blenheim. Maybe, like me, a political junkie, but so too were his wife and daughter attending!
In 1999, the National majority was 1486- the Green vote was over 3000.
The National MP of the time, seeing the writing on the wall that defeat was looming for her government, asserted that she could better represent her electorate whilst in opposition.
Let’s hope that is the case for the local National MP described by Winston Peters as the “neo-liberal backstabber who has done nothing since he entered the House.” As you say, maybe the great Labour candidate could win outright. MMP has yet to be used fully in its ability to reject poor local MPs.
Thanks Mac1. I imagine that the previous MP was rightly agrieved at the way he was ousted. Not that he was very active either.
The wife of the current MP was heard to say that her husband feared that he would lose his seat this time. The drums must be sending signals.
And I like Janette for her actions and her personality. A straight talker eh?
And Mac!, I just heard from a keen farmer, a staunch National man from the Wairarapa, says that he fears that the National MP there may loose his seat and that the Labour man is a much better candidate. Rumours rumours eh?
” I imagine that the previous MP was rightly agrieved at the way he was ousted. Not that he was very active either.” True.
“The wife of the current MP was heard to say that her husband feared that he would lose his seat this time.” I heard the same.
“And I like Janette for her actions and her personality. A straight talker eh?” She was today.
Makes a man and his wife in their retirement go out and deliver pamphlets for a straight talker, eh, hearing those drums, and those rumours. Let’s take care out on those streets, ianmac!
White teens try to lynch 8 year old black boy – Police: kids being kids
http://www.essence.com/news/white-teens-lynch-black-boy-new-hampshire-police-silent
this is a good case for investigating the parents of these teens. Hopefully their race hatred as learned behaviour can be unlearned before they get to jail which is where they will end up no doubt.
The always great Ta-Nehisi Coates on the race hatred that’s consumed America since day one.
It is insufficient to state the obvious of Donald Trump: that he is a white man who would not be president were it not for this fact. With one immediate exception, Trump’s predecessors made their way to high office through the passive power of whiteness—that bloody heirloom which cannot ensure mastery of all events but can conjure a tailwind for most of them. Land theft and human plunder cleared the grounds for Trump’s forefathers and barred others from it. Once upon the field, these men became soldiers, statesmen, and scholars; held court in Paris; presided at Princeton; advanced into the Wilderness and then into the White House. Their individual triumphs made this exclusive party seem above America’s founding sins, and it was forgotten that the former was in fact bound to the latter, that all their victories had transpired on cleared grounds. No such elegant detachment can be attributed to Donald Trump—a president who, more than any other, has made the awful inheritance explicit.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-first-white-president-ta-nehisi-coates/537909/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cFJKsld8Ok
This is quite bad
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/96788275/councils-issue-nearly-twice-as-many-pollution-notices–and-worst-dairy-farms-are-still-to-pay-their-fines
Then the councils need to take the farms from the farmers. That seems to be the only thing that these serial law breakers will understand.
The bad are very very bad. Undermines the plea for understanding of the plight the good ones suffer. I wonder if the fines of all the others were paid?
An interesting article about the intersection of immigration and industrial dairying intensification in Idaho. Although the article doesn’t talk about it, Idaho too is suffering serious environmental effects from adding ever more dairy farming.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/16/trump-immigration-crackdown-idaho-dairy-industry-215608
I hope the contractor and landowner involved in this debacle had their insurance up to date and appropriate for what they were doing.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11923141
But by excavating around the Marsden Pt – Wiri fuel pipeline without the pipeline operators aware of the work and onsite probably points to a pack of cowboys. That a kauri log may have been involved is small clue too. By the look of the pegs sticking out of the hole in the pipe they gave it a really good pull with the digger.
National’s brighter future delivering again.
and also demonstrates how reliant we are on imported expertise and product for our infrastructure….
‘NZ Refining spokesman Greg McNeill said the pipeline was likely to be shut down for several days, with two engineers flying in from Canada tomorrow.”
something to keep in mind when considering our export industries
It would be a pretty specialised repair, probably have to be done in an inert atmosphere, which wouldn’t be within the skills or equipment of your average engineering shop. Expertise tends to be very global in the oil industry because it’s so complicated.
There will be big numbers involved.
not your run of the mill engineering shop no, but we do have a refinery and a gas facility somewhat closer than Canada…would have expected some maintenance and repair capability at these facilities…..but that wasn’t really my point.
Infrastructure should have been properly maintained and updated for such a product running through those pipes. I hope it has, spilling fuel on an industrial scale is a bit of a worry
Have heard from many engineers over the years that more often than not issues happen when shortcuts are taken or maintenance is neglected. Often a large problem can be avoided if companies don’t skimp on engineering. Cause when they do skimp it costs them so much more.
All the maintenance in the world is no protection against an idiot with a digger.
for reals, dang that sucks
A very lucky idiot too, I don’t think the liquid in that hole is water.
Jet fuel is actually surprisingly difficult to set alight. Though a welder will definitely do it if there’s any oxygen around.
They noticed a pressure drop in the pipeline when it happened, so there would have been a good spray coming out. Not hard to ignite then.
Isn’t jet fuel kerosine?
It’s pretty close. Jet fuel is more precisely defined than kerosene and has additives not generally found in kerosene, such as anti-static.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_fuel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene
I can’t understand how anyone was able to dig a bloody hole anywhere near that pipe? Don’t we a regulatory framework designed to protect vital infrastructure?
Easy, greedy muppet + kauri log = disaster
I’d like to be around when they get the bill. I’d assume that if they were stupid enough to do it in the first place they wouldn’t have adequate insurance.
Last Thursday apparently the Government was told about the problem and they offered nothing until they were pressed by journalists today. Presumably they’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out how to make sure any blame goes elsewhere.
even longer apparently…
” For years different companies have been warning the government that Auckland has a single point of failure when it comes to getting fuel.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/96934854/aucklands-fuel-supply-vulnerability-is-well-known-and-serious
Looking at the comments in the stuff article Pat linked to they had the talking points sorted.
An expensive mistake.
Emirates flight to Dubai flying via Christchurch today.
Who pays for that?
http://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/id/UAE449-1505453139-airline-0008
“A pack of cowboys.” …… From top to bottom.
” Documents obtained under the Official Information Act by the NEPS are claimed to show that in fact, mandatory information was missing from some 80 per cent of MPI intention-to-export notices processed in 2013.
Yet Ancientwood director Robert Teisberg was able to insist to Radio New Zealand this week that the gargantuan slabs of swamp kauri he’s selling for up to US$100,000 a pop are entirely legal, because the export has been approved by MPI.” https://publicaddress.net/envirologue/swamp-monsters-the-looting-of-northlands/
80 per cent non compliant is good enough for this Nact Government ….
Unless your a solo mother ……
And then China came into the game, and bang!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVZe1hQmJxE&ab_channel=TheYoungTurks
Suppose the same car bodies could be recycled with electrics. One of the European makers is producing such units.
Could be good, but the infrastructure China is committed to, is the main part and in many ways the best part.
something i hadn’t considered (specifically) but Liam Dann raises a very good point…along with housing, another basic necessity has been outstripping the rate of Inflation in recent times.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11922157
Sometime ago I suggested the Government may have to enter into the market. From farm to shelve, which would also give them the opportunity to generate long term employment, assist employee training and provide more oversight over incomes (namely, adopting the living wage as a minimum income for all employees they take on).
Alternatively, but in no way as grand, a discount (subsidised by the Government) for community card holders would provide some assistance.
Wasn’t Winston supposed to be commenting further today on the pension over-payment leak?
Sure is, this evening on ‘Sunday’ 7.30-8.30 pm TV1
Oh good. But I’m not hopeful he’s going to pin it on anyone in particular because he never has before. Also I think he’s done a deal with National already and this is just the same old publicity drive from him in order to raise profile. Nats playing along because they are toast otherwise.
He did just say on Sunday TV1 that “National had leaked the document re overpayment and it was a very senior National man who alerted Winston before the Journalist did. He said that there are some in National who have integrity. That is all.
Great work here from The Greens. they really do understand the changing demographic of NZ and what needs to be done to help create better communities. Communities where children can be the best they can be and parents aren’t stressed out because of housing insecurity.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/greens-to-introduce-mandatory-landlord-licence.html
National’s policy on rental housing of course is, ‘it’s the landlords house and they can do whatever they want with it in order to make a killing in house price rises’.
“The “landlord licence” would include that the landlord be a “fit and proper person”, that they not have ‘demerits’ from bad past behaviour… “
So no second chances for someone who may have made some mistakes in their past, for example, lied to WINZ?
If they have demerits from past behaviour then clearly they have had second chances
No.
It stated that they ‘not’ have demerits from bad past behaviour.
Don’t be a moron.
“Fit and proper” will be judged in exactly the same way that every other character-based qualification is currently judged, from liquor licenses to security guards.
You’re just reaching for the bottom of the barrel in order to snipe.
It wasn’t reaching it was a genuine question but it was also making a point.
Which was, a number of Greens believe Turei should have been given a second chance for her past misbehaviour, but the same doesn’t seem to apply to landlords.
As for what it exactly covers, I genuinely didn’t know as it was not reported in the story in the link.
And as far as I can tell, you’re merely speculating on what the criteria will be as you didn’t provide any evidence to back your assertion.
Your entire point is based on the concept that this “fit and proper person” test will be administered completely differently to every current “fit and proper person” test, pretty much all of which would give Turei a “second chance” (in fact the lack of any charges so far would make it a “first chance”).
Your allegations of hypocrisy are baseless. I’m shocked, shocked, that anyone on the left would make up such lies. /sarc
“Your entire point is based on the concept that this “fit and proper person” test will be administered completely differently to every current “fit and proper person” test”
No. Not at all.
The test merely has to rule people out for past misbehaviour for there to be no second chances. Which current fit and proper tests do. So once again your’re just full of it.
Turei doesn’t have to be charged, she’s already confessed. Once again, just more rubbish coming from you.
What a horrible little man you are. A yesterday man frightened of fairness.
Play the ball and not the man.
And you have the audacity to call me a horrible little man? Get real.
+ 1 Yep the facts speak for themselves on this one ☺
And every other test in the country ignores minor offences decades ago, and anything else irrelevant to whether the applicant should have that qualification or license.
Minor assault convictions, driving charges, even in some cases drug offences can be overlooked after long enough time has passed with the applicant being a contributing member of society.
If everyone had to have perfect records to pass every test, nobody would be licensed to do a damned thing.
And where is the balance?
No mandatory licence for tenants ensuring they’re fit and proper to rent?
And if you are offended by that, think how some landlords will feel.
Hang on The Chairman. Dont you choose your tenants? Get references, dont have to take anyone you do not want???
The same largely applies to tenants. They get to choose where they want to live and don’t have to take any flat they don’t want too, so moot point.
not moot in this market.
Here’s another question.
And what of landlords that use licensed (as part of a licensed real estate agency) or certified property managers? Will that give them an out?
Know when you see him, nothing can please him…
Just had a go at assessing the Labour fliers. They are very well done.
Layout; tick.
Design:tick.
Clarity:tick
Colour balance: tick
Overall? Excellent
And I don’t usually take a great deal of notice of fliers but I think that this time they must have had some very professional graphic designers at work.
It’s better than it has been but money is crucial in photography and design and in volume.
JA helps being young and attractive, and her ‘Let’s do this’ material is good, but the rest of the Labour stuff is miles behind the National Party machine in terms of look and volume.
The volume is huge from National thanks to their huge coffers. But pretty bland and forgetful trying not to be biased.
Great work by Ardern to blunt the whinging and polluting farmers efforts to protest against cleaning up the waterways they’ve destroyed.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11923262
On Saturday Ms Turei was back on the campaign trail, speaking to a crowd in Otara.
TV3 reported it as her first public speech since standing down as Greens co-leader, which was incorrect.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/metiria-turei-takes-a-swipe-at-jacinda-ardern-in-first-public-speech-since-stepping-down-as-co-leader.html
This (the link below) was.
Turei will not be silenced on poverty
https://youtu.be/1EtflV5nIhs?t=17m15s
Nevertheless, have a look at the clip on the TV3 report. At around 1:40 into the clip you’ll see Turei attempting to hide and avoid the media.
If she is going to publicly make a stand against poverty she needs to utilize the media, not hide away from them.
Good for her. The MSM are an utter disgrace in terms of welfare reporting this year and what happened, they have no automatic rights of access to anyone at a welfare rally, they will have to earn their access back.
When I heard yesterday that Turei refused to speak to media I was reminded of Tariana Turia who for a long time after the Māori Party was set up refused to speak to the MSM and instead spoke to Māori media. It was very obvious why, at that time the MSM were both useless and racist at covering Māori issue and politics and preferred to focus on drama and sensationalising stories at the expense of real people. So it is with welfare. When the MSM understand that Turei’s family aren’t the story but the problems with how the State runs welfare is the story, then they might get some respect.
One of the things about consistently and long term speaking truth to power is that you learn what real power is. There are more important things at play here than those reporters and Turei has her values straight on this one.
“When the MSM understand that Turei’s family aren’t the story but the problems with how the State runs welfare is the story, then they might get some respect.”
And they way for them to understand that is for Turei to front up and take control of the narrative.
She is fronting up and taking control of the narrative. The MSM aren’t the centre of that and as I said, they will need to earn trust.
She requires a far wider reach than 200 or so in a mall if she wants to get the word out there, build momentum and support.
And for that she requires to utilize the media.
It’s not a good look when your spokesperson is seen hiding from the media.
Just stop and think of the perception that creates.
It’s an important location. Many passing by saw the GP and their main message.
It’s not about numbers at one rally. it’s about engaging with local people, and campaigning alongside those doing it tough.
And how are the campaigners going to connect with the wider society about this if the MSM don’t report the events and experiences accurately? Rather than focusing on sensationalist beat-ups?
Within Te Tai Tonga Metiria has been very active and vocal and constantly getting the message out there. I can’t imagine anyone not knowing what she stands for.
That’s good. It probably also means many who have already seen and heard her, or talked to her didn’t feel a need to go to another meeting with her.
I’m really hopeful she will get lots of personal votes to reinforce the support she has for what has happened. I’m proud to vote for her and party vote Green too ☺
It’s not so much they don’t know what she stands for, Marty, it’s about getting more to stand with her.
Umm yeah that is obvious
Yes, but childishly hiding from the media isn’t going to help win-over potential supporters.
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nahhhh give it up, baby give it up…
The media spins coverage of Turei with a strong veneer of smear and loathing.
Turei IS controlling the narrative by cutting out the distorting MSM lens, and talking directly with the people – the ones whose voices rarely get heard in the MSM. It’s their voices Turei wants to be heard. Too much focus on her distracts from that. that’s how you build a movement from the flax roots up.
The MSM only tends to allow a certain narrow range of narratives – stray too far from it and the person or group gets vilified.
It’s debatable how much Ardern, in contrast, has “controlled the narrative”. Seems to me she has succumbed to the MSM’s narrow range of acceptable narratives by caving on CGT before it goes to the tax working group.
It also looks to me that MSM journos tend to respond positively to politicians that move in similar worlds to them – John Key and Ardern probably fit more with their world views and life experiences. Turei not so much.
It’s telling that the most positive coverage Turei has had is from the Maori media.
The MSM clearly do not want to give too much coverage to the voices of those struggling on low incomes, especially if they are brown – they want more drama of attacks on Turei and “benefit fraud” on their front pages, along with the continued celebration of celebrity culture.
There were devastating stories at the Otara rally, very accessible to mainstream coverage, but the journos present were not interested. Shame on them!
@Carolyn_nth
Ardern has shown (as opposed to Little who was largely pushing the same barrel) how a sharp, good speaker can have better control of the narrative.
Of course they will push back, but it’s up to her to shut them down and push through her agenda. If she can’t or is unwilling to do that, then perhaps she isn’t the one for this role?
As for Ardern caving, she was listening to the public. It was the drop in the poll indicating she was failing to keep the public on board that she responded too.
I am not clear why this is so important to you? You clearly do not support Green. Your constant holding of Labour to different scrutiny than National is puzzling.
Turei is not hiding. She is very visible in the South.
Your faux concern is wierd.
Agree.
Those doing it tough are already on her side, hence she requires a wider reach.
“And how are the campaigners going to connect with the wider society about this if the MSM don’t report the events and experiences accurately?”
Again, it comes back to controlling the narrative. Jacinda has shown how it can be done and Little has shown what not to do.
And they way for them to understand that is for Turei to front up and take control of the narrative.
It’s pretty rare to find such a combination of arrogance, self-regard and lack of insight rolled up into one package.
I see we have another that wants to play the man and not the ball.
Make your case or save it.
The media determine the narrative so she has chosen to ignore them and speak directly to the people. Quel horreur!
Yes very good on her – i like how she is taking control. Whatever happens this election for her she has undergone a trial by fire and she is more effective now and had increased her mana which will help her whatever she does
Edit snap ☺.
It’s also interesting how the MSM journos are happy still to pursue Turei, rather than give mainstream news space to the stories told by many at the rally, who are on the front line of the struggle against poverty . Those stories were the main focus of the rally, and took up most of the time. Turei was the speaker that introduced it. Davidson spoke at the close of the rally, speaking rousingly of continuing the struggle against poverty.
I should imagine Turei also didn’t want to encourage the filtering of the poverty message by focusing too much on her.
After being at that rally, and hearing some of the harrowing stories told, I am disgusted at the way the realities are being filtered by the MSM. Their reporting was mainly about Turei and Robyn Malcolm. Turei was there to support Davidson’s campaign against poverty and the other speakers from the front line.
Why aren’t the mainstream media telling of the realities of those doing it tough in Sth Auckland? they were there. they must have heard!
Why aren’t they reporting the support the GP has there?
TV3 & Gower were vicious in the way they pursued Turei to resign, focusing on her being a “benefit fraudster” – rather than the way she was connecting with people who are still being treated punitively by W&I, the MSM, and via them, society at large.
“It’s also interesting how the MSM journos are happy still to pursue Turei, rather than give mainstream news space to the stories told by many at the rally, who are on the front line of the struggle against poverty.”
The Greens should put together a hard hitting commercial (or a range of them) that captures and explicitly exemplifies their struggle. Ending with a range of high profile New Zealanders saying they stand with Turei. Are you with us? Vote Green to put an end to this misery.
And why don’t you add what you secretly hope the result would be? So transparent…
“And why don’t you add what you secretly hope the result would be?”
What do you mean? The result of a hard hitting (or a range of them) commercial/s?
I’d expect the result would add (in a positive way) to the work they are already doing, thus help bolster their support.
In fact, I’m surprised they aren’t already doing this.
Butter wouldn’t melt.
Butter (or a range of them) wouldn’t melt.
I can’t believe it’s not
?
just act casual…
https://media.tenor.com/images/508b30529d6a2265db5c49191f212601/tenor.gif
She never left the campaign trail the media just lost interest after they cleaned their knives. I listened to her in Christchurch a few weeks ago and it was very public. It is not IF she is going to make a stand, she did make a stand.
Now Todd Barclay, there is a hider, with English as an accomplice.
No media chasing down Key, McCully, English and Joyce over the Saudi 11.5m lie.
“It is not IF she is going to make a stand, she did make a stand.”
Yes, but she didn’t stand up and fight. She took of from the media.
And it wasn’t a good look.
A number of right-wingers I know are now using it to confirm their bias – i.e. they’re now saying I told you she had something to hide, believing that’s why she ran away.
The sad thing was, she could have won them over if she held her ground and stood tall.
Lol you are great comedy mate
The beneficiaries I know don’t think it is a joke. They want to know why she isn’t standing up and taking the fight to them? They respect what she is doing, but are doubting she is cut out for it.
So while you may find it’s all a big game and joke, they’re in despair.
Read it again brainbox.
Edit I just read yours again too lol that cracked me up – get a show mate you’re maxing it
The right wingers you know would have been won over by MT if she’d stood her ground. When you say the beneficiaries doubt she’s cut out for it. Comedy gold.
I had looked upon the chairman as a cause of derision rather than amusement. But yes – it could qualify as comedy.
Bill talking it up…..
“English reckoned the public reaction was different from a couple of weeks ago.
“That whole vibe has changed. Now they are coming up to us saying: ‘You have our support’. Even just two or three weeks ago they were standing back a bit. I could see it when they would come in. Now they have turned. They want the photos.”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/17/48369/were-going-to-win
Martin however disagrees…..
“I’m sticking with my earlier prediction that Labour will get more party votes than National. I’m even more convinced having interviewed Jacinda ”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/96934629/young-people-and-strugglers-could-be-catalysts-of-change
and Jacinda and Martin both agree on the importance of turnout
“Whether or not the Government changes this election will come down to turnout,” Ardern said.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96932998/jacinda-ardern-says-it-will-all-be-down-to-turnout-urges-young-to-vote-early
THe election is been decided on TV at the moment and it’s currently not looking good for labour.
If the block houses don’t meet reserve people will be looking for scapegoats and the one who will be in the firing line will be labour.
You guys are going to be pinned with the title of the “ones who killed the housing market”
so you’re saying the crash has begun BM?
Yep, and it’s going to be pinned on Labour.
you’re pointing to the Block is not as silly as it sounds…..the oddest things can trigger a run…..and as to blame, yep your probably right (certainly in some quarters will say and believe that) , but there will be no truth in it of course……all bubbles burst sooner or later….looks like John Key timed things rather well….resignation, house sale and election loss….the trifecta you could say.
He really was the Michael Jordon of NZ politics.
No one currently from all parties comes close to John Key.
nah, just an insider trader
Please don’t compare anyone with Jordan, especially some dude who lost his own flag debate and couldn’t hold a hammer.
Why will it be pinned on Labour when National have sat on their hands for the last 9 years in power? I think people will see this as a complete failure of Bill and his team of merry pranksters. Useful fuel for the last week of campaigning for Jacinda and her team I think.
Mate you keep running these ‘fear’ lines. Have you thought about having some holudays or something – hit the bush, go for a tramp. I can get why the fear is there and it plays havoc with the body and mind if it goes on too long.
Lol, you’re a big boy MM, I’m sure my predictions wouldn’t scare you.
Like your idea about a holiday though, got a spare room cuz?
Im just concerned for you is all ☺
Yep always a spot for you cuz
We all grieve in different ways. BM’s just getting his head around an imminent LabGrn government 🙂
Well it seems that they did make the reserve (so I’m told – I won’t watch Mark Richardson) and the ethnicity of the buyers was as anyone who lives in Auckland would have expected. Looks like a big win for Winston I’m afraid.
If the block houses don’t meet reserve people will be looking for scapegoats…
They will! The kids will be heartbroken!
And all the grown-ups will say: “But why are the kids crying?” And the kids will say: “Haven’t you heard? Rik is dead! The People’s Poet is dead!”
To the ALL BLACKS. I did not want to write about you guys as some mite say that I’m just doing this to leverage off you guys. I no that I don’t need that leverage because we all ready have gone viral and I need to get this out to you guys all tho the coaches will have already told you guys .
In my view some organization is running a smear campaign against The All Blacks they can not beat you on the field so some one is trying to stain the All Black Mana .
So my message to the players is keep your guard up because these people play dirty and will use any opportunity to try and upset you guys Kia Kaha.
Arrogance! (as usual)
English calls it: ‘We’re going to win’
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/17/48369/were-going-to-win
“He claims National is five or six years into building roads, bridges, better schools and expanded health services. “We can keep doing that for 10 years.”
….”The 2002 debacle, when English as opposition leader took National to 21 percent on election day, obviously doesn’t count. Maybe, in English’s mind, it is undefeated as Prime Minister….. That legacy is on the line in five days…”
Lets do this!!
Bill is such a liar – bye bye Billy.
Astounding.
What is this sonny Bill guy on. 5 minutes was enough for most people and he wants to keep doing it for 10 years lol.
Phew -thought I was hot, a bit longer than 5 minutes, but 10 years!! –Go bill, multi tasking.
Loving the Ardern uproar farmers protest headline on the herald.
Only better thing than seeing Winston booed, is the prospect of those backbone of the nation types having to get up at 5.30am to pollute the environment on Sunday morning, knowing they’re doing it for the next 6 years (at least) under a government that won’t back down under the money might they’ve been throwing around for a generation.
Red sky at night, The people’s delight.
Green/Red in morning, rich prick environmental disasters a mourning. Sky lol