Took some time to savour the right wing web sites last night. By Jupiter, they’ve become completely unhinged since the Labour led coalition took power. Farrar has gone completely troppo, posting bitter diatribes and editorially is apparently taking on Breitbart, complete with stories about how ruggedly individualistic flying cars are going to save us from socialist trains.
The old school ACToids have always been viciously barking mad, but under Key and National they were able to keep their Galtian predilictions for a ruthless social Darwinism run by authoritarian nihilists under wraps. Now it is completely out of the bag, the rantings from the like of Rodders and Hoskings are awesome fun to read.
But most importantly, I have been struck by how old they all sound, how jarringly yesterday their message is. Jacinda has already achieved one thing – she has smashed the long, paralysing lee the 1980s-90 ideologues have exercised on our society. In a strange way, it is like the country went into the election becalmed in 1996, and suddenly woke up in 2017.
To be large extent this is just generational change. Baby boomers are moving over and becoming less of the force they once were. GenX (of which I am one) are moving to the top of the “escalator”. And they don’t necessarily share the same social values as the baby boomers. Certainly they are more socially liberal.
Lots of generalisations there, so please don’t take offense, but I think the characterisation is reasonable.
The problem is that most baby boomers were socially liberal and caring in their early twenties. Many still are. It is the change when they hit the workforce, make decent money and equate it with knowing everything.
And with it they are revealling themselves to be many of the things they revile in others.
I just read a piece from Finlay McDonald written late October. I missed it at the time but it is a good summary of the self entitlement and chilish tantrums we are seeing now.
cheers Tracey-i was travelling and missed that article-nicely summed up by Finlay. National operating in their own parallel universe. Boy are they going to have difficulty renewing.
Thanks Tracey (1.2) … Finlay McDonald is extremely intelligent, a fine astute writer, very much on the ball. And with this one he’s absolutely right, given what’s evolving on the Opposition benches at present.
Proving Natz is so last century, maybe going beyond that even. Their petulant behaviour is quite consistent with the spiteful, spoilt brats they are. Definitely not constructive towards building a progressive NZ!
The loss of the tories is like a fascinating psychological experiment, they aren’t handling the jandal, trying not to be smug but from the side lines it’s so satisfying to watch.
Meanwhile Jacinda ‘burns’ trump, another proud moment for NZ, I love her style.
“I said, ‘You know’, laughing, ‘no-one marched when I was elected’.”
Jacinda is transformed into the Princess and NZ the sleeping beauty. We awake and rub our eyes, and find the world full of promise. Promises that we must ensure are met with adequate action.
That action will turn act into the tiny thing it is in reality after the bluster and false authority of academic degrees fired into the world to do harm like intercontinental missiles. Let’s have some kiwi thinking and doing which takes in world information and then is decided by us as well informed, pragmatic people with a humanist and sustainable vision. All this from one kiss.
Thanks Jacinda and the Labour people who supported her. Make these changes – don’t rest just because you have Labour on the Benches again. We have to face the future and its grim. We can only survive it with spirit intact, working, talking, co-operating with practical, kind people. Don’t look over to National. It will probably take another generation before they can tear themselves away from their arrogance and confabulations.
Yep the youthquake has actually happened it is just not often visible – lorde and Jacinda showed it last night. I too have been so heartened by the generational change. Many elders are struggling with this and not all are righties. I love it and I love passing the baton to those who are going to be here making it happen. Thank you Jacinda and labour and the greens and nzf. Thank you for giving hope for a better future.
Better to the left than the right or god forbid neo libs. Only time will tell whether the same mistakes are made. Not learning from the past, not looking at the everlasting principle of balance .
Balance is interesting – is it equilibrium or a settled oscillation or an eventual tendency to always keep moving towards entropy. Politically for me it is being hard left and being okay that others think differently. ☺
Colliers national director research and consulting, Alan McMahon says
He said wages had not risen in line with house prices and not everyone could afford a million-dollar property, so many would be looking to the cheaper suburbs.
Part of my soul belongs as a Green Party member, as my family came home to NZ in 1998 after 11yrs in Canada & USA and NZ was on the verge of voting in a new Labour ‘lead’ Government, and my familly joined the ‘alliance/green membership ‘mob’ as they were at that crazy time a very credible lot and had some high profile members in both ‘fledgling’ parties.
The alliance people sadly had dropped away since then, but we still have an alliance with some HB members today.
The greens have now ’emerged as another style of Political Party than they were when we joined them in 1999, and like most others we are all still confused about their whole strategy today.
That having said, I have always agreed with the ‘core’ environmental’ planks and always will but I do seriously miss Jeanettee Fitszimmons and the late Rod Donald whom we all met several times in Napier and today as said we are very distanced from today’s “new green party” members.
Our heart will always be ‘green’ because they are seriously needed here, especially during the current “global rot” setting in with the savengers who are stealing everything from all countries for profit.
With assets like water, oil, and many other commodities that are being extracted at such a blind rate that our future is a peril as is the climate that we all depend upon.
James Shaw we do like now as he seems to be a very level headed individual.
We hope he takes control of the green party core members and puts out a statement that all is progressing between labour and the green party over this “hickup” and the so called “horse trading” claims over “waka jumping” is just not a big issue as stated but constructive discussion was always on the table over what to do about the side issue that has emerged.
Jeanette Fitsimmons re emerged publocly when Turei was being pilloried. To say she is not supportive of the social justice aspect of Green policy requires more evifence than this cleangreen. If that is what you are alluding to.
Disagreement is healthy. Within and between parties. That Nats seem to have so few internal disagreement suggests either a village of the dammed type caucus or self interest is so embedded they sit on their hands in return for the power and position.
The Greens are outside Cabinet. That means they can differ from the Government on issues. Until we all mature in this respect we cannot expect politicians to.
Hi Tracey,
“To say she (jeanette) is not supportive of the social justice”
NoNoNo, tracey, we do not ‘infer’ Jeanette is not supportive of social justice at all, you missed our point.
Jeanette is a very warm caring person, she came to napier to meet us over the truck gridlock issue on Napier roads back in 2001 and walked along the Pirimai suburb with our committee to inspect the amount of noisy trucks rattling down the HB Expressway past the closeby houses that are threatening our residents health and wellbeing.
Jeanette wrote a column in the HB Today after saying it was the worst designed dangerous residential highway through a city she had even seen.
This was a significant win for our residents then and jeanette will always be admired for her support of our call for social justice for our community deeply still today affected by the truck gridlock we have worse now since national destroyed our rail services in 2012.
That Herald item above was just building something out of nothing, comparatively. Every decision or thought that the Greens make will be put under a microscope.
And I couldn’t find an author’s name on it. Just basically scrapings.
Reading that article, it strikes me that the problem is not the Greens appallingly bad use of email – or non-actions – since there is no statement from them included.
It is the swiftness of denigrating replies from Andrew Little, Winston Peters, and Shane Jones.
How hard is it to say – “Well, that must be part of an internal discussion because they have not made an approach to the coalition/our party yet. We’ll wait until they do before passing a comment”?
There appears to be no self-discipline being shown here.
I do struggle to think someone cannot send an email to the correct place. It doesn’t take much to check it and it’s not exactly new technology and there are plenty of examples where people have got it wrong with major publicity.
The problem is with email lists that are not obvious until pulled down. There may be numbers of people on them. Better to have individual receipients rather than mass postings.
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
I don’t think so. I think it’s much more likely that the Herald are shit stirring. I wrote this in DR last night.
Hmm, let’s tease this out a bit.
It’s not a leak, apparently the email got sent to the media by mistake.
The Herald cherry picked a bit of the email,
The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman, in an internal email accidentally sent to Fairfax, floated the idea of trying to garner support for a National Parihaka Day – the subject of a Green private member’s bill.
That’s The Herald’s interpretation.
Here’s the actual words,
“The Government won’t have the numbers to pass the [waka-jumping] legislation without us, and if we decided to oppose it then they would need to consider other options such as approaching the National Party, who opposed the 2005 bill,” the email says.
“Opposing the bill would cause political tensions, given the inclusion of the bill in the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement.
“Our Confidence and Supply Agreement gives us the independence to choose to vote against it. Supporting the bill would be seen as changing and weakening a long-standing and public party position. It would risk criticism from our core supporters.”
To me that looks like the Greens working through a dilemma and in one email one MP has laid out some of the issues.
During the parallel coalition negotiations, Green’s co-leader James Shaw put his faith in Jacinda Ardern to ensure that there was nothing in the Labour-NZF deal that the Greens would object to – though he conceded there might be policies that he might not be comfortable with.
No shit. Part of the value of the set up is that the Greens are free to vote how they want on things not covered in their agreement with Labour. This is how MMP works as designed.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters poured scorn on horse-trading tactics.
“We don’t horse trade.
This is interesting. Because I would have thought that negotiating around support for legislation is exactly what was intended by the deals that allowed Labour to form government.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said doing a deal with the Greens over waka-jumping had not come up “in direct conversation”.
She said she has not given much thought to a National Parihaka Day.
“I certainly am pleased to see greater observance of those days of New Zealand’s history. I think we should encourage that. Whether or not it becomes a day off is an entirely different issue.”
So not a big deal for Labour. Little called it horse-trading but other than that where are the ripples of discontent from Labour?
A spokesperson for the Green Party said the email was an “internal document that was sent in error”.
“It’s not surprising that Labour Party and Green Party MPs are having these kinds of constructive conversations and working together; in fact, that’s what New Zealanders expect of government parties.
“It’s commonplace for ministers and MPs to have these kind of conversations – that will continue,” the spokesperson said.
That’s what I would expect.
I don’t know what happened. But it does look like the Herald is shit stirring (and yes, no name to the article).
Yeah. Looks exactly like what I would expect a support partner to a coalition to looking at.
I guess the anonymous fool at the Herald is just another political illiterate. Don’t they publish that similar idiotic cheap from Howling Mike Hosking as well?
That Herald article doesn’t feel right. I can’t see any of the quoted people talking to the Herald like that. They all know what the Herald is, I’d expect them to be far more circumspect and guarded in their replies.
Very concerning that the Greens would consider opposing the ‘waka jumping’ bill.
Even worse wanting something so tokenistic as some sort of weird leverage. That thinking (tokenistic) is what has caused Greens to plummet to 6% . It started with red peak taking attention from more important issues.
A holiday or name change might be symbolic to those on a $200k salary but to voter’s they get pretty disillusioned when the party the vote for’s individuals get bribed or are just so stupid they jump ship and derail the democratic process and the Greens are prepared to oppose legislation to stop that.
For MMP to work, voters need to know if they vote for a minor party they will not jump ship to support another for their own personal gain.
Greens should be unconditionally supporting the Waka jumping legislation.
Whether they want to put National Parihaka Day through should be independent of very important legislation to keep integrity in the democratic process.
And also the reason it’s necessary is that the National party have a history of derailing democracy by using it to pick off weak minded MP’s.
Why would the Greens support helping National pick off weak minded MP’s by allowing this waka jumping loophole to remain?
What is wrong with an electorate mp jumping ship? and should backbenchers not be allowed to hold party leaders to account.
This law will make representative democracy even less representative. That the greens would trade away the democratic nature of party positions for a national holiday is strange. I thought they had more principles than that
Have you actually seen the proposed bill?
I certainly haven’t seen any wording and the only thing I have seen said merely that Little was considering it.
Can you provide a link to the bill as it will be put before the house?
As a side note I suspect there would not be a Green Party in Parliament if such a bill had existed in 1997.
The Green Party leaders at the time were in Parliament as part of the Alliance. If they had announced, as they did, that they were going to stand independently in 1999 I suspect that Jim Anderton would have demanded that they be expelled from Parliament, and that they would have been replaced by people he thought would remain loyal to him.
If so I don’t think that the Green Party would have remained in Parliament in 1999. As it was, even with all the publicity and travel subsidies available to sitting MPs they only just scraped back in on their own. Both Fitzsimmons winning Coromandel and the party getting over 5% only happened when the specials came in and got them over the line in both cases.
If they hadn’t survived then I think they would have been gone for good. The record of parties getting in without already holding seats is not great is it?
So you haven’t read the bill, but you suspect that it would have destroyed the greens in the 1990s? Why do you suspect that the waka-jumping bill will apply to people who announce they will run for another party in the future, without actually leaving or withdrawing support from their current party until the campaign?
Given that it didn’t stop Anderton doing exactly that in 2002.
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
It wasn’t, from what I heard about it, intended to be limited to people who actually left the party of their own accord. It appeared to be intended it to be anyone a party leader was pissed off about.
“One of the more surprising matters included in the Labour/NZ First coalition agreement is their joint commitment to pass a ‘Waka Jumping’ Bill”. Such legislation effectively requires any MP who leaves her or his party, whether willingly or not, to also leave Parliament”.
:” But note that this approach puts an awful lot of power into the hands of a party leader (assuming that she or he still has the backing of her or his party). ”
The source OAB referred me to doesn’t have the final detail which appears to still be under consideration. Geddis however didn’t seem to think it was intended to be limited to List MPs only.
As for Jim Anderton. He and the rest of the party ended up pretending they were all still part of one party, even though they were setting up opposition groups.
As Geddis also said in my link
“Because neither grouping wanted to leave Parliament, they were forced to pretend they remained one united party even as Jim Anderton set about creating his own new one outside of it”.
Of course I wouldn’t care, NOW, whether the “Green” party vanished. I would have been disappointed in 1999 though when they seemed to be a predominately environmental group rather than left wing party with only a peripheral interest in the environment. That is, at least to me, what they now seem to be.
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
In that case Professor Geddis would be wrong wouldn’t he?
However what is to say that the Party Constitution would continue to apply if NZF get their bill passed? They are very to amend after all.
And who is going to hold that the Party Constitution would, or could, override the law of the land? If there was a conflict between what the Constitution said and what the law said the law is always going to win.
The NZF party used to have, I understand, a clause that any MP who left the Party agreed to resign from Parliament and pay the party $300,000 while about it.
It is mentioned here http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/243707/nz-first-radically-changes-its-rules
According to Professor Geddis, quoted in this link, such a clause would be tossed out by a court if they tried to enforce it. That would seem to be the reason they want a law to do it for them.
And you also confuse Winston committing an act beyond his powers in the party constitution (as you put it “Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament”, when he does not even have this power under the party constitution) and there being a conflict between the party constitution and the law.
So again, your concern for the job security of the poor NZ1 MPs whom you believe serve at the whim of a petulant and capricious Winston Peters shows that you fundamentally misunderstand both the situation and how democratic parties operate.
Just sounds like an internal conversation that accidentally got released to the MSM and now the MSM are attacking like the good little National Party attack dogs they are.
I doubt if was going any further and probably wouldn’t have been policy but ideas do need to be discussed before hand whether they’re used or not.
Australia opens door to New Zealand taking Manus Island refugees
The Australian Government has acknowledged that New Zealand could deal direct with Papua New Guinea over taking some of the Manus Island refugees – and Australia could not block such a deal.
Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has opened the door to a possible resettlement deal between the two sovereign states – but he indicated Australia would not be pleased.
I think that the headline and the Herald interpretation in para 2 are different to the real story as expressed by the Australian Minister.
All he really said was that New Zealand, as a Sovereign Country, can do whatever they like. He then said that if they do they had better think very hard about it as Australia wasn’t going to like it at all.
His statement was not a great deal different to saying that North Korea can test nuclear weapons if they wish to. What could Australia, or anyone else except China actually do to stop them? However don’t expect Australia to allow trade with North Korea if they continue to do so.
He was just about as undiplomatic about it as you can be. I was over there recently and there were definite signs that Australia was going to make things even harder for New Zealanders over there than they are already. Expect having to get a specific visa before you go will be the next step if we let the Manus Islanders into New Zealand I fear.
Gal Gadot, heroine of Wonder Woman, has announced that the main producer (financial backer) of the previous Wonder Woman will not take part in Wonder Woman II.
This is after well-publicised accusations against Ratner of serious sexual impropriety.
Now, if anyone can remember when a producer was removed from a blockbuster Hollywood franchise for sexual impropriety because the lead acress demanded it, could you all please let me know.
And this is getting cut out of a machine that was about to start printing hundreds of millions more dollars in profit, based on the track record of the last one.
Money, finally, did not talk.
As it stands, this looks like Wonder Woman just hit real life., very hard, and caused an earhtquake.
Gal Gadot …Israeli settler Zionist who tweeted her support of the IDF in 2014 while they were according the UN enquiry were killing 1462 civilians (at least) including 495 children methinks wonder woman has mud on her cape.
The ethnic cleansing ,atrocities , denial of human rights et cetera over a 69 year period doesn’t this make Israel some sort of record holder? Shouldn’t those who support this be held to account or is it ok because of her “feminist” victory? Or is it that so many Hollywood figures are Zionist?
Does that make it ok?
Well the Palestinians have got great reason to hate Nazism after all it was the western worlds guilt at the Holocaust which led to the formation of Israel and thus the Palestinian slow motion Holocaust – still ongoing after 69 years.
The Nazis hold all the records for industrialised murder and disenfranchisement of a people.
The Zionists hold the record (in living memory ) for the disenfranchisement and destruction of a people – in the length of its campaign – 69 years and counting.
Burgess, who was working as a temp at Fox at the time, said it only took O’Reilly about two weeks to start harassing her.
“He always walked past my desk and he made, like, a grunting noise,” Burgess said. “As time went on, I noticed … if no one was around, he would make that noise.”
Chinese speculators are having one last shot at the cherry.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
We owe them nothing, they owe us our houses.
You have the mandate and the capability, strike a meaningful blow and send a message don’t wait until Xmas, do it next week.
Every one sold is one we have to build.
[Letting this racist shit through, only because it’s a fairly stark example of the type of racist and xenophobic rhetoric some (too many) in this country seem to be fairly comfortable with.] – Bill
Isn’t that both Labour and Green policy to stop overseas sales of residential property??
It’s the Natz that wants NZ to be a one world monopoly board.
Personally think they need to include all Land including farms and commercial property. Just let foreigners buy the rights on leases. (Take a note from China, no land owed by foreign interests, any business interests have to partner with Chinese firms etc)
Seriously, Bill, I think you’re being over dramatic there. tv1980 specifically said Chinese speculators, not simply Chinese. Despite the questionable data begrudgingly collected by the last government, cheap Chinese capital has made Auckland unliveable for many families.
It’s been a serious problem for some time along with the same behaviour from Australian speculators. To sit there in a foreign country, as a foreign citizen, shopping online for Kiwi houses like you’re on eBay is not acceptable when such a major issue has developed.
But is it irrelevant in this case? Chinese off-shore investors are a unique case both here and in Canada I’ve heard.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
All this combined into a lot of cheap money and a lot of cowboys entering the NZ domestic property market through websites dedicated to selling Kiwi houses on the internet and through the relationships with new immigrants who acted as proxy buyers.
So desperate was the last government to maintain growth figures at any cost they encouraged this form of foreign investment whether by direct off-shore marketing or by proxy purchasing.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
A problem which is entirely independent of ethnicity.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
A separate set of problems, some of which are of concern in terms of foreign policy and maintaining local freedoms.
The problem for people that want to talk about speculators from specific countries is that NZ is generally pretty racist towards people from some places and not others. Each time we have this conversation we have people saying shit that harms specific ethnicities. If we want to have the conversation then we need to take more care of that side of things. That’s the problem here, the lack of care for Chinese people, especially those that live here including people whose families have been here as long as any Pākehā ones.
So if you want to talk about Chinese speculators, my suggestion is actively push back against the racism, and talk more about the problems of speculators from places we’re not as racist about. At least then there is an indication of trying to not buy into or allow racist narratives.
The house buying ploy by many overseas financiers was little different to being a place to park ill-gotten gains, as in trusts and Panama Papers. Only in this case they were buying our shelter from under our feet, in the likely expectation they would not be closely scrutinised and make good capital gains. Pity about the stability of the NZhousing prices.
Australian speculators have also been an issue, anecdotal stories have been around of wealthy housewives flying in groups to New Zealand for the weekend and buying 5 properties each.
As has been made clear by just about everyone, Australians are untouchable for whatever reason. But this doesn’t mean the effect by off-shore Chinese speculators be ignored because it might offend someone. They are added fuel to the fire.
I know about the aussie real estate trips. Anyone who speaks so vehemently about chinese speculators above and doesnt know ozzies are a problem too need expect that their ignorance may be named racism
Putting aside the grammatical foot in mouth aspect of that, what I took tv1980 to be saying at the time is that Chinese are a cancer that need to be stopped and cut out.
I took the cancer as being speculation, but either way it’s still either directly or indirectly racist. Tbh, I saw it in the moderation queue and left it there for someone else to deal with 😉
TV1980 -Wasn’t there a report recently that it is mostly Kiwi investors who are the culprit? Easy money (perceived) no work, sounds about right- yes?
Most foreign nationals settling here feel the owe something in return to the country and will not be inclined to sh.. in the new nest. See it for what it is please.
mosa
That was interesting link:
IIRC Britain spends 49 billion pounds on paying its interest each year, which exceeds its Defence and Housing Budgets. Now is that good financial management? I’m on the edge of not having any credit on my card. That isn’t good on my part. But all those clever bastards at the top of the heap? Does it inspire confidence in our leaders there or their followers here that they are in so deep?
What happened to the good advice that you should pay within a month all that you borrowed to keep the interest down? And to be aware that any cash borrowed becomes an immediate interest bearing debt.
(CNN – )A total of 210,000 gallons of oil leaked Thursday from the Keystone Pipeline in Marshall County, South Dakota, the pipeline’s operator, TransCanada, said.
Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and officials are investigating the cause of the leak.
This is the largest Keystone oil spill to date in South Dakota, said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
In April 2016, there was a 400-barrel release — or 16,800 gallons — with the majority of the oil cleanup completed in two months, Walsh said.
About 5,000 barrels of oil spilled Thursday.
You have to wonder if those present all laughed when Judith Collins, of all people, started pontificating about tact and diplomacy. I particularly loved this bit:
She said Ms Ardern needed to “learn from Winston Peters that you actually do have to be a little bit more statesman-like when you’re overseas and representing New Zealand”.
What? I thought representing NZ overseas meant bringing your husband along on overseas trips so you can use your position to help his business? This is just confusing…
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Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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 ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
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Took some time to savour the right wing web sites last night. By Jupiter, they’ve become completely unhinged since the Labour led coalition took power. Farrar has gone completely troppo, posting bitter diatribes and editorially is apparently taking on Breitbart, complete with stories about how ruggedly individualistic flying cars are going to save us from socialist trains.
The old school ACToids have always been viciously barking mad, but under Key and National they were able to keep their Galtian predilictions for a ruthless social Darwinism run by authoritarian nihilists under wraps. Now it is completely out of the bag, the rantings from the like of Rodders and Hoskings are awesome fun to read.
But most importantly, I have been struck by how old they all sound, how jarringly yesterday their message is. Jacinda has already achieved one thing – she has smashed the long, paralysing lee the 1980s-90 ideologues have exercised on our society. In a strange way, it is like the country went into the election becalmed in 1996, and suddenly woke up in 2017.
To be large extent this is just generational change. Baby boomers are moving over and becoming less of the force they once were. GenX (of which I am one) are moving to the top of the “escalator”. And they don’t necessarily share the same social values as the baby boomers. Certainly they are more socially liberal.
Lots of generalisations there, so please don’t take offense, but I think the characterisation is reasonable.
The problem is that most baby boomers were socially liberal and caring in their early twenties. Many still are. It is the change when they hit the workforce, make decent money and equate it with knowing everything.
Exactly
The 1960s and 1970s were a social revolution when the baby boomers liberalised society like no other generation ever has.
And with it they are revealling themselves to be many of the things they revile in others.
I just read a piece from Finlay McDonald written late October. I missed it at the time but it is a good summary of the self entitlement and chilish tantrums we are seeing now.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/342593/national-s-first-100-days-in-opposition-worth-watching
cheers Tracey-i was travelling and missed that article-nicely summed up by Finlay. National operating in their own parallel universe. Boy are they going to have difficulty renewing.
Thanks Tracey (1.2) … Finlay McDonald is extremely intelligent, a fine astute writer, very much on the ball. And with this one he’s absolutely right, given what’s evolving on the Opposition benches at present.
Proving Natz is so last century, maybe going beyond that even. Their petulant behaviour is quite consistent with the spiteful, spoilt brats they are. Definitely not constructive towards building a progressive NZ!
The loss of the tories is like a fascinating psychological experiment, they aren’t handling the jandal, trying not to be smug but from the side lines it’s so satisfying to watch.
Meanwhile Jacinda ‘burns’ trump, another proud moment for NZ, I love her style.
“I said, ‘You know’, laughing, ‘no-one marched when I was elected’.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944901
@ Cinny (1.3) … demonstrating we have a gem in Jacinda 🙂
Wrong time for the left to get too comfortable.
The right don’t have as many disparate factions to put together to mount clear opposition. They are building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN9xsFUsPqM
That’s such a great snip for where we are at with the new govt.
Jacinda is transformed into the Princess and NZ the sleeping beauty. We awake and rub our eyes, and find the world full of promise. Promises that we must ensure are met with adequate action.
That action will turn act into the tiny thing it is in reality after the bluster and false authority of academic degrees fired into the world to do harm like intercontinental missiles. Let’s have some kiwi thinking and doing which takes in world information and then is decided by us as well informed, pragmatic people with a humanist and sustainable vision. All this from one kiss.
Thanks Jacinda and the Labour people who supported her. Make these changes – don’t rest just because you have Labour on the Benches again. We have to face the future and its grim. We can only survive it with spirit intact, working, talking, co-operating with practical, kind people. Don’t look over to National. It will probably take another generation before they can tear themselves away from their arrogance and confabulations.
Yep the youthquake has actually happened it is just not often visible – lorde and Jacinda showed it last night. I too have been so heartened by the generational change. Many elders are struggling with this and not all are righties. I love it and I love passing the baton to those who are going to be here making it happen. Thank you Jacinda and labour and the greens and nzf. Thank you for giving hope for a better future.
Better to the left than the right or god forbid neo libs. Only time will tell whether the same mistakes are made. Not learning from the past, not looking at the everlasting principle of balance .
Balance is interesting – is it equilibrium or a settled oscillation or an eventual tendency to always keep moving towards entropy. Politically for me it is being hard left and being okay that others think differently. ☺
AES (armchair expert syndrome) seems to be hard wired into the Kiwi DNA. The older you are the stronger its presence is felt.
Stuff and other like news sites are rampant with it in the comments section.
Spot on Sanctuary…….without particular articluation the mind is certainly just somehow quietly conscious of the ‘old’ thing. Neh!…….boring.
Re the new house valuations in Ak
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11944807
Colliers national director research and consulting, Alan McMahon says
He said wages had not risen in line with house prices and not everyone could afford a million-dollar property, so many would be looking to the cheaper suburbs.
No shit sherlock!!!
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944783
Part of my soul belongs as a Green Party member, as my family came home to NZ in 1998 after 11yrs in Canada & USA and NZ was on the verge of voting in a new Labour ‘lead’ Government, and my familly joined the ‘alliance/green membership ‘mob’ as they were at that crazy time a very credible lot and had some high profile members in both ‘fledgling’ parties.
The alliance people sadly had dropped away since then, but we still have an alliance with some HB members today.
The greens have now ’emerged as another style of Political Party than they were when we joined them in 1999, and like most others we are all still confused about their whole strategy today.
That having said, I have always agreed with the ‘core’ environmental’ planks and always will but I do seriously miss Jeanettee Fitszimmons and the late Rod Donald whom we all met several times in Napier and today as said we are very distanced from today’s “new green party” members.
Our heart will always be ‘green’ because they are seriously needed here, especially during the current “global rot” setting in with the savengers who are stealing everything from all countries for profit.
With assets like water, oil, and many other commodities that are being extracted at such a blind rate that our future is a peril as is the climate that we all depend upon.
James Shaw we do like now as he seems to be a very level headed individual.
We hope he takes control of the green party core members and puts out a statement that all is progressing between labour and the green party over this “hickup” and the so called “horse trading” claims over “waka jumping” is just not a big issue as stated but constructive discussion was always on the table over what to do about the side issue that has emerged.
Jeanette Fitsimmons re emerged publocly when Turei was being pilloried. To say she is not supportive of the social justice aspect of Green policy requires more evifence than this cleangreen. If that is what you are alluding to.
Disagreement is healthy. Within and between parties. That Nats seem to have so few internal disagreement suggests either a village of the dammed type caucus or self interest is so embedded they sit on their hands in return for the power and position.
The Greens are outside Cabinet. That means they can differ from the Government on issues. Until we all mature in this respect we cannot expect politicians to.
Hi Tracey,
“To say she (jeanette) is not supportive of the social justice”
NoNoNo, tracey, we do not ‘infer’ Jeanette is not supportive of social justice at all, you missed our point.
Jeanette is a very warm caring person, she came to napier to meet us over the truck gridlock issue on Napier roads back in 2001 and walked along the Pirimai suburb with our committee to inspect the amount of noisy trucks rattling down the HB Expressway past the closeby houses that are threatening our residents health and wellbeing.
Jeanette wrote a column in the HB Today after saying it was the worst designed dangerous residential highway through a city she had even seen.
http://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/pdfs/Hawkes-Bay-Expressway-Noise-and-air-quality-issues-June-2005.pdf
This was a significant win for our residents then and jeanette will always be admired for her support of our call for social justice for our community deeply still today affected by the truck gridlock we have worse now since national destroyed our rail services in 2012.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00183/kiwirail-admits-lack-of-maintenance-led-to-wash-out.htm
Greens were very rail supportive as NZF is.
Sorry to have misunderstood
That Herald item above was just building something out of nothing, comparatively. Every decision or thought that the Greens make will be put under a microscope.
And I couldn’t find an author’s name on it. Just basically scrapings.
Reading that article, it strikes me that the problem is not the Greens appallingly bad use of email – or non-actions – since there is no statement from them included.
It is the swiftness of denigrating replies from Andrew Little, Winston Peters, and Shane Jones.
How hard is it to say – “Well, that must be part of an internal discussion because they have not made an approach to the coalition/our party yet. We’ll wait until they do before passing a comment”?
There appears to be no self-discipline being shown here.
I do struggle to think someone cannot send an email to the correct place. It doesn’t take much to check it and it’s not exactly new technology and there are plenty of examples where people have got it wrong with major publicity.
That’s true, but the Greens admin embarassment will be a stronger media target than many of the official policies put out by the last government.
This is a small issue, which could have easily been deflected by the other parties.
Yes I wish these parties would support each other better.
The problem is with email lists that are not obvious until pulled down. There may be numbers of people on them. Better to have individual receipients rather than mass postings.
Should be more trading, not less.
Politicians need to do actual political work,.
newbie MPs like Golriz are entitled to fuck up once.
> newbie MPs like Golriz are entitled to fuck up once.
I’d say Golriz’s stance on Manus was that once, this is twice
A.
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
I don’t think so. I think it’s much more likely that the Herald are shit stirring. I wrote this in DR last night.
Hmm, let’s tease this out a bit.
It’s not a leak, apparently the email got sent to the media by mistake.
The Herald cherry picked a bit of the email,
The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman, in an internal email accidentally sent to Fairfax, floated the idea of trying to garner support for a National Parihaka Day – the subject of a Green private member’s bill.
That’s The Herald’s interpretation.
Here’s the actual words,
“The Government won’t have the numbers to pass the [waka-jumping] legislation without us, and if we decided to oppose it then they would need to consider other options such as approaching the National Party, who opposed the 2005 bill,” the email says.
“Opposing the bill would cause political tensions, given the inclusion of the bill in the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement.
“Our Confidence and Supply Agreement gives us the independence to choose to vote against it. Supporting the bill would be seen as changing and weakening a long-standing and public party position. It would risk criticism from our core supporters.”
To me that looks like the Greens working through a dilemma and in one email one MP has laid out some of the issues.
During the parallel coalition negotiations, Green’s co-leader James Shaw put his faith in Jacinda Ardern to ensure that there was nothing in the Labour-NZF deal that the Greens would object to – though he conceded there might be policies that he might not be comfortable with.
No shit. Part of the value of the set up is that the Greens are free to vote how they want on things not covered in their agreement with Labour. This is how MMP works as designed.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters poured scorn on horse-trading tactics.
“We don’t horse trade.
This is interesting. Because I would have thought that negotiating around support for legislation is exactly what was intended by the deals that allowed Labour to form government.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said doing a deal with the Greens over waka-jumping had not come up “in direct conversation”.
She said she has not given much thought to a National Parihaka Day.
“I certainly am pleased to see greater observance of those days of New Zealand’s history. I think we should encourage that. Whether or not it becomes a day off is an entirely different issue.”
So not a big deal for Labour. Little called it horse-trading but other than that where are the ripples of discontent from Labour?
A spokesperson for the Green Party said the email was an “internal document that was sent in error”.
“It’s not surprising that Labour Party and Green Party MPs are having these kinds of constructive conversations and working together; in fact, that’s what New Zealanders expect of government parties.
“It’s commonplace for ministers and MPs to have these kind of conversations – that will continue,” the spokesperson said.
That’s what I would expect.
I don’t know what happened. But it does look like the Herald is shit stirring (and yes, no name to the article).
Little should HTFU.
Let’s see if he still has his horse-trading dignity left once the Muriwhenua have finished with him.
weka, Good comment there I go along with that fully.
If Winston wanted the Greens to be on board with everything, perhaps he should have got the Greens in on the coalition.
I doubt nats never accidentally sent an email to the media. I also doubt the media pounced on it without letting them know.
Yeah. Looks exactly like what I would expect a support partner to a coalition to looking at.
I guess the anonymous fool at the Herald is just another political illiterate. Don’t they publish that similar idiotic cheap from Howling Mike Hosking as well?
That Herald article doesn’t feel right. I can’t see any of the quoted people talking to the Herald like that. They all know what the Herald is, I’d expect them to be far more circumspect and guarded in their replies.
It looks a bit fishy.
Very concerning that the Greens would consider opposing the ‘waka jumping’ bill.
Even worse wanting something so tokenistic as some sort of weird leverage. That thinking (tokenistic) is what has caused Greens to plummet to 6% . It started with red peak taking attention from more important issues.
A holiday or name change might be symbolic to those on a $200k salary but to voter’s they get pretty disillusioned when the party the vote for’s individuals get bribed or are just so stupid they jump ship and derail the democratic process and the Greens are prepared to oppose legislation to stop that.
For MMP to work, voters need to know if they vote for a minor party they will not jump ship to support another for their own personal gain.
Greens should be unconditionally supporting the Waka jumping legislation.
Whether they want to put National Parihaka Day through should be independent of very important legislation to keep integrity in the democratic process.
And also the reason it’s necessary is that the National party have a history of derailing democracy by using it to pick off weak minded MP’s.
Why would the Greens support helping National pick off weak minded MP’s by allowing this waka jumping loophole to remain?
What is wrong with an electorate mp jumping ship? and should backbenchers not be allowed to hold party leaders to account.
This law will make representative democracy even less representative. That the greens would trade away the democratic nature of party positions for a national holiday is strange. I thought they had more principles than that
The proposal affects list* MPs, to preserve the proportionality of Parliament, as per election results.
*Nice try. Or are you going to plead ignorance?
+1 One Anonymous Bloke
It’s to protect voter’s rights of representation NOT MP’s.
Have you actually seen the proposed bill?
I certainly haven’t seen any wording and the only thing I have seen said merely that Little was considering it.
Can you provide a link to the bill as it will be put before the house?
As a side note I suspect there would not be a Green Party in Parliament if such a bill had existed in 1997.
The Green Party leaders at the time were in Parliament as part of the Alliance. If they had announced, as they did, that they were going to stand independently in 1999 I suspect that Jim Anderton would have demanded that they be expelled from Parliament, and that they would have been replaced by people he thought would remain loyal to him.
If so I don’t think that the Green Party would have remained in Parliament in 1999. As it was, even with all the publicity and travel subsidies available to sitting MPs they only just scraped back in on their own. Both Fitzsimmons winning Coromandel and the party getting over 5% only happened when the specials came in and got them over the line in both cases.
If they hadn’t survived then I think they would have been gone for good. The record of parties getting in without already holding seats is not great is it?
Source.
So you haven’t read the bill, but you suspect that it would have destroyed the greens in the 1990s? Why do you suspect that the waka-jumping bill will apply to people who announce they will run for another party in the future, without actually leaving or withdrawing support from their current party until the campaign?
Given that it didn’t stop Anderton doing exactly that in 2002.
Alwyn’s concerned.
Really? Gosh, that makes me lose all faith in the Greens and Labour.
If an election were held tomorrow, I would most certainly vote National.
Thank goodness someone opened my eyes to the looming catastrophe of rampant, totalitarian communism that this government is inflicting upon us.
Ardern is the next Robert Mugabe!
LOL
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
It wasn’t, from what I heard about it, intended to be limited to people who actually left the party of their own accord. It appeared to be intended it to be anyone a party leader was pissed off about.
“One of the more surprising matters included in the Labour/NZ First coalition agreement is their joint commitment to pass a ‘Waka Jumping’ Bill”. Such legislation effectively requires any MP who leaves her or his party, whether willingly or not, to also leave Parliament”.
:” But note that this approach puts an awful lot of power into the hands of a party leader (assuming that she or he still has the backing of her or his party). ”
Both these extracts are from a RNZ interview with Law Professor Andrew Geddis.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/342350/waka-jumping-law-a-cost-to-democracy
That is why I wanted to see what any bill was actually going to say.
The source OAB referred me to doesn’t have the final detail which appears to still be under consideration. Geddis however didn’t seem to think it was intended to be limited to List MPs only.
As for Jim Anderton. He and the rest of the party ended up pretending they were all still part of one party, even though they were setting up opposition groups.
As Geddis also said in my link
“Because neither grouping wanted to leave Parliament, they were forced to pretend they remained one united party even as Jim Anderton set about creating his own new one outside of it”.
Of course I wouldn’t care, NOW, whether the “Green” party vanished. I would have been disappointed in 1999 though when they seemed to be a predominately environmental group rather than left wing party with only a peripheral interest in the environment. That is, at least to me, what they now seem to be.
Well then, according to part 9 of the NZFirst constitution, it appears you were misinformed.
You needn’t be concerned at all.
In that case Professor Geddis would be wrong wouldn’t he?
However what is to say that the Party Constitution would continue to apply if NZF get their bill passed? They are very to amend after all.
And who is going to hold that the Party Constitution would, or could, override the law of the land? If there was a conflict between what the Constitution said and what the law said the law is always going to win.
The NZF party used to have, I understand, a clause that any MP who left the Party agreed to resign from Parliament and pay the party $300,000 while about it.
It is mentioned here
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/243707/nz-first-radically-changes-its-rules
According to Professor Geddis, quoted in this link, such a clause would be tossed out by a court if they tried to enforce it. That would seem to be the reason they want a law to do it for them.
As I said, it appears you were misinformed.
And you also confuse Winston committing an act beyond his powers in the party constitution (as you put it “Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament”, when he does not even have this power under the party constitution) and there being a conflict between the party constitution and the law.
So again, your concern for the job security of the poor NZ1 MPs whom you believe serve at the whim of a petulant and capricious Winston Peters shows that you fundamentally misunderstand both the situation and how democratic parties operate.
Foolish Alwyn, foolish,
I thought you were less argumentative than this.
Not only that, the poor sap hasn’t even figured out what the Green Party does after all this time.
Just sounds like an internal conversation that accidentally got released to the MSM and now the MSM are attacking like the good little National Party attack dogs they are.
I doubt if was going any further and probably wouldn’t have been policy but ideas do need to be discussed before hand whether they’re used or not.
interesting development!!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944949
Australia opens door to New Zealand taking Manus Island refugees
The Australian Government has acknowledged that New Zealand could deal direct with Papua New Guinea over taking some of the Manus Island refugees – and Australia could not block such a deal.
Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has opened the door to a possible resettlement deal between the two sovereign states – but he indicated Australia would not be pleased.
I think that the headline and the Herald interpretation in para 2 are different to the real story as expressed by the Australian Minister.
All he really said was that New Zealand, as a Sovereign Country, can do whatever they like. He then said that if they do they had better think very hard about it as Australia wasn’t going to like it at all.
His statement was not a great deal different to saying that North Korea can test nuclear weapons if they wish to. What could Australia, or anyone else except China actually do to stop them? However don’t expect Australia to allow trade with North Korea if they continue to do so.
He was just about as undiplomatic about it as you can be. I was over there recently and there were definite signs that Australia was going to make things even harder for New Zealanders over there than they are already. Expect having to get a specific visa before you go will be the next step if we let the Manus Islanders into New Zealand I fear.
And National just nodded… yes sir… yes sir…
I think I just felt an earthquake in Hollywood.
Gal Gadot, heroine of Wonder Woman, has announced that the main producer (financial backer) of the previous Wonder Woman will not take part in Wonder Woman II.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gal-gadot-brett-ratner-wonder-woman_us_5a08716ee4b0e37d2f381736?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
This is after well-publicised accusations against Ratner of serious sexual impropriety.
Now, if anyone can remember when a producer was removed from a blockbuster Hollywood franchise for sexual impropriety because the lead acress demanded it, could you all please let me know.
And this is getting cut out of a machine that was about to start printing hundreds of millions more dollars in profit, based on the track record of the last one.
Money, finally, did not talk.
As it stands, this looks like Wonder Woman just hit real life., very hard, and caused an earhtquake.
Fine work Ms Gadot
good news, but the earthquake has been going on for some time now 😉
Gal Gadot …Israeli settler Zionist who tweeted her support of the IDF in 2014 while they were according the UN enquiry were killing 1462 civilians (at least) including 495 children methinks wonder woman has mud on her cape.
Yes. The good news isn’t about Gadot, it’s about Ratner being removed.
If we were to remove every actor who supported a nation state that committed war atrocities, there’d be no Hollywood.
The ethnic cleansing ,atrocities , denial of human rights et cetera over a 69 year period doesn’t this make Israel some sort of record holder? Shouldn’t those who support this be held to account or is it ok because of her “feminist” victory? Or is it that so many Hollywood figures are Zionist?
Does that make it ok?
Flippant, but, Gal Gadot punches a Neo Nazi. Who you gonna cheer for?
Good question…where’s the Palestinian in the story?
I presume they would also want to punch a Nazi
And of course they would want to punch Nazi Zionism but let’s not worry about those Palestinians. Best we clean Hollywood first…….
Well the Palestinians have got great reason to hate Nazism after all it was the western worlds guilt at the Holocaust which led to the formation of Israel and thus the Palestinian slow motion Holocaust – still ongoing after 69 years.
The Nazis hold all the records for industrialised murder and disenfranchisement of a people.
The Zionists hold the record (in living memory ) for the disenfranchisement and destruction of a people – in the length of its campaign – 69 years and counting.
“And of course they would want to punch Nazi Zionism but let’s not worry about those Palestinians. Best we clean Hollywood first…….”
One misogynist, pervert, abuser at a time
GROPERS
No. 2: Bill O’Reilly
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment.html
http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/23/media/bill-oreilly-misconduct-allegations/index.html
“GROPERS” is researched and presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush
Serial sexual predator Bill O’Reilly goes
Full Psycho in taped rant to the New York Times
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/23/1709244/-Serial-sexual-predator-Bill-O-Reilly-goes-Full-Psycho-in-taped-rant-to-the-New-York-Times
Mr Twyford
Re http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11944720
Chinese speculators are having one last shot at the cherry.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
We owe them nothing, they owe us our houses.
You have the mandate and the capability, strike a meaningful blow and send a message don’t wait until Xmas, do it next week.
Every one sold is one we have to build.
[Letting this racist shit through, only because it’s a fairly stark example of the type of racist and xenophobic rhetoric some (too many) in this country seem to be fairly comfortable with.] – Bill
Isn’t that both Labour and Green policy to stop overseas sales of residential property??
It’s the Natz that wants NZ to be a one world monopoly board.
Personally think they need to include all Land including farms and commercial property. Just let foreigners buy the rights on leases. (Take a note from China, no land owed by foreign interests, any business interests have to partner with Chinese firms etc)
Seriously, Bill, I think you’re being over dramatic there. tv1980 specifically said Chinese speculators, not simply Chinese. Despite the questionable data begrudgingly collected by the last government, cheap Chinese capital has made Auckland unliveable for many families.
It’s been a serious problem for some time along with the same behaviour from Australian speculators. To sit there in a foreign country, as a foreign citizen, shopping online for Kiwi houses like you’re on eBay is not acceptable when such a major issue has developed.
The ethnicity of the speculators is irrelevant.
But is it irrelevant in this case? Chinese off-shore investors are a unique case both here and in Canada I’ve heard.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
All this combined into a lot of cheap money and a lot of cowboys entering the NZ domestic property market through websites dedicated to selling Kiwi houses on the internet and through the relationships with new immigrants who acted as proxy buyers.
So desperate was the last government to maintain growth figures at any cost they encouraged this form of foreign investment whether by direct off-shore marketing or by proxy purchasing.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
A problem which is entirely independent of ethnicity.
A separate set of problems, some of which are of concern in terms of foreign policy and maintaining local freedoms.
The problem for people that want to talk about speculators from specific countries is that NZ is generally pretty racist towards people from some places and not others. Each time we have this conversation we have people saying shit that harms specific ethnicities. If we want to have the conversation then we need to take more care of that side of things. That’s the problem here, the lack of care for Chinese people, especially those that live here including people whose families have been here as long as any Pākehā ones.
So if you want to talk about Chinese speculators, my suggestion is actively push back against the racism, and talk more about the problems of speculators from places we’re not as racist about. At least then there is an indication of trying to not buy into or allow racist narratives.
Just talk about ‘speculators’ with no connection here.
The house buying ploy by many overseas financiers was little different to being a place to park ill-gotten gains, as in trusts and Panama Papers. Only in this case they were buying our shelter from under our feet, in the likely expectation they would not be closely scrutinised and make good capital gains. Pity about the stability of the NZhousing prices.
If Australian speculators are also a problem the tv framing it as a chibese problem is racist
Australian speculators have also been an issue, anecdotal stories have been around of wealthy housewives flying in groups to New Zealand for the weekend and buying 5 properties each.
As has been made clear by just about everyone, Australians are untouchable for whatever reason. But this doesn’t mean the effect by off-shore Chinese speculators be ignored because it might offend someone. They are added fuel to the fire.
I know about the aussie real estate trips. Anyone who speaks so vehemently about chinese speculators above and doesnt know ozzies are a problem too need expect that their ignorance may be named racism
I know about the Aussie real estate trips too but see if you can find anyone in authority, anyone at all, anywhere willing to put a stop to it.
I would.
Well i assume they are exempt from any other foreign ownership rules cos of CER. We are being royally by Australia.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
Putting aside the grammatical foot in mouth aspect of that, what I took tv1980 to be saying at the time is that Chinese are a cancer that need to be stopped and cut out.
I took the cancer as being speculation, but either way it’s still either directly or indirectly racist. Tbh, I saw it in the moderation queue and left it there for someone else to deal with 😉
TV1980 -Wasn’t there a report recently that it is mostly Kiwi investors who are the culprit? Easy money (perceived) no work, sounds about right- yes?
Most foreign nationals settling here feel the owe something in return to the country and will not be inclined to sh.. in the new nest. See it for what it is please.
16yo calls adults to account
Brilliant – a Scottish lassie with her head firmly screwed on it seems. One of the more endearing characteristics of the Scots in general.
Gordon Campbell and Nationals ” nanny state ”
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/11/gordon-campbell-on-the-centre-rights-love-of-the-nanny-state-label/
Mr Corbyn, brother enemy number one.
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2017/11/16/mainstream-journalist-accidentally-lets-slip-ordered-take-corbyn-image/
mosa
That was interesting link:
IIRC Britain spends 49 billion pounds on paying its interest each year, which exceeds its Defence and Housing Budgets. Now is that good financial management? I’m on the edge of not having any credit on my card. That isn’t good on my part. But all those clever bastards at the top of the heap? Does it inspire confidence in our leaders there or their followers here that they are in so deep?
What happened to the good advice that you should pay within a month all that you borrowed to keep the interest down? And to be aware that any cash borrowed becomes an immediate interest bearing debt.
Nope, never saw this coming.
/
(CNN – )A total of 210,000 gallons of oil leaked Thursday from the Keystone Pipeline in Marshall County, South Dakota, the pipeline’s operator, TransCanada, said.
Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and officials are investigating the cause of the leak.
This is the largest Keystone oil spill to date in South Dakota, said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
In April 2016, there was a 400-barrel release — or 16,800 gallons — with the majority of the oil cleanup completed in two months, Walsh said.
About 5,000 barrels of oil spilled Thursday.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/us/keystone-pipeline-leak/index.html
Shocking!
Private enterprise being the most efficient that it can be – which just isn’t good enough.
Collins makes it personal – is this the way to gain votes?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/refugee-deal-isn-t-student-politics-judith-collins.html
caucus votes, yes…..guess she feels the need to show Bridges he has some competition…..how long will Bill be willing to fight them all off?
Ambition undressed and it aint pretty
You have to wonder if those present all laughed when Judith Collins, of all people, started pontificating about tact and diplomacy. I particularly loved this bit:
She said Ms Ardern needed to “learn from Winston Peters that you actually do have to be a little bit more statesman-like when you’re overseas and representing New Zealand”.
What? I thought representing NZ overseas meant bringing your husband along on overseas trips so you can use your position to help his business? This is just confusing…
LOL
Going for the top job I guess.
Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths
Government is accused of ‘economic murder’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tory-austerity-deaths-study-report-people-die-social-care-government-policy-a8057306.html
Is this a flip-flop?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98716250/Minister-Iain-Lees-Galloway-says-replacing-Hobbit-law-will-be-a-joint-solution
nope
After 9 years are you finally sick of flip flops? Trying croc now?
Promising maiden speech from Labour list MP Liz Craig.
Child poverty will definitely be a focus for her.