“Ms Merkel was asked about how the meeting had gone, which Ms Ardern translated.
“They want to know if you found me likeable”.
“Time flew and it was nice,” Ms Merkel replied.
“It was very interesting and fun. So you can be proud of your Prime Minister. If you want to write this down for the New Zealand press. This will be the headline in the morning papers I trust.”
Yep, like a dog wanting a pat, panting for a trade agreement and agreeing to tow the line of foreign policy.
Since Helen Clark, NZ has lost a lot of credibility under John Key and I’m not sure questions like that, send the right message! Helen Clark could at least negotiate an agreement rather than signing anything away in NZ after a golf game and a photo op.
Oh well, at least the EU have some standards in their trade agreements not the race to the gutter under the US ones.
Hey, it’s not like this was the only question that was asked and answered. And Ardern might not have said what you’d like her to about the attack on Syria, but she also hasn’t said what was expected or wanted by the attackers and their supporters.
So far Ardern’s trip to Europe seems to be going very well. She’s laying the basis for a trade agreement that NZ has wanted for a long time, and she’s made it clear that any agreement would include clauses on workers’ rights, environmental protection and climate change. That seems like pretty good news to me.
Mutti der Nation : Ach so 🙂 …. very german, like oh dear or my oh my, then Merkel’s answer.
“Does that not show that we go along well that it was ‘wunderbar’, the time flew (the actual word used is ‘verflossen’ – more like drowned away – and we had a good meeting, it was highly interesting. It was ‘fun’ – es hat spass gemacht, it was highly enjoyable.
And you can be proud of your Prime Minister(in) – she used the female version – if you want to write that for the NZ press. That will surely be the headline tomorrow.
it is often said that us germans are really good with light bulbs but have a hard time with humor.
I sense the same can be said of certain Kiwis that have to find fault for faults sake.
Mrs. Merkel – die Mutter der Nation – congratulated NZ to Jacinda Ardern and at the same time complemented Jacinda Ardern. Now we might disagree with the politics and policies coming from the Labour Government, but i think we can agree that Mrs. Merkel is a seasoned politician, head of state and something akin to a role model for a young women like Jacinda Ardern who has a rank that few women on this planet have. And in this case the old women – Mutti – made a compliment to put the young women at ease and i guess to make her feel welcome. And she did it in a very german way. German jokes are not easily translated and the joke lies in this ,……Did we no show how well we went along? Is the highlight of german joking.
I haven’t seen Angela Merkel look so animated as she did with Jacinda Ardern. They obviously hit it off.
Merkel is a powerful lady . Very good sign for NZ.
Edit: @ savenz.
From what I could tell it was the journos who were asking Merkel about whether Jacinda was likeable. Jacinda was merely clarifying the question for Merkel. There’s no reason to read anything more into it than that.
@ Anne, No I agree it was the journalists asking the question, but maybe Jacinda didn’t need to translate it… Would Helen Clark have asked Merkle if she was likeable?
I think Jacinda’s been great for Labour and NZ, but worried that she’s falling into the same traps that has kept Labour unpopular and the globalist strategy escalated by John Key but now voter’s are now seeing the effects of and not exactly happy about them aka congestion, pollution, low wages, mouldy hospitals etc. They turned to a new government for a reason, they want change. Not more of the same.
And also agree that Germany and NZ being friends (whatever that means) is a good thing. But also think that too many of the world leaders are so busy meeting and greeting each other, they lose touch, bad and unfair things start happening domestically but they don’t have the time to concentrate on that, and then elections happen and they are surprised at the results when a much more right wing government is elected by the people, who surprise surprise use ‘foreign warfare’ to keep the domestic news out of the headlines (which only makes it invisible not solving the problem).
One day we will wake up and the power balance that had been towards democracy is over, because those once powerful countries are now internal cluster fucks that don’t function anymore because the leaders were figure heads having dinners and photo opportunities while a cohesive and robust and well thought out strategy was absent and their transport doesn’t work, their health doesn’t work, their jobs are poorly paid and people are not happy with government’s priorities.
…also think that too many of the world leaders are so busy meeting and greeting each other, they lose touch,…
It does seem like that sometimes but its what the media like to report on because it’s sexier [in coverage terms] than the serious side of running a country. I think the leaders are more than capable of doing both.
Now he’s back, a quick visit into Middlemore to use the health system and then fronting a budget demanding more money from ratepayers that he seems to have little interest in more like the offshore bigger businesses he seems to have more in common with, and no doubt back off somewhere else on an all expenses paid trip.
Meanwhile AD below seems not so much interested in Phil’s recovery but more that he’s well enough to be the ‘Labour’ figure head in the budget that Auckland rate payers will be forced to pay for.
That’s the society we have become.
As for Jacinda, not sure but was it the Pacific she’s just been in, a meeting with the queen, Merkel, next Chogm and god knows what after that.
You used to have a foreign minister that did all that and the PM kept an eye on the homefront and only did very few selected overseas visits.
Yep – would be good to see its demise and death if it was foolish enough to implement a paywall.
I quite like the idea of Roughan and OSullivan having to go out and literally scrub the toilets of the rich to make a crust – rather than just metaphorically, as they do now.
Agree 97%. Why 97%? Because there are a couple of Herald journalists I do still have respect for and want to read *- David Fisher, Matt Nippert, and Kirsty Johnston.
The thing is, you can’t ask people to pay for deliberately offensive clickbait “opinion” that is sourced from radio shock jocks and “quality analysis” content that is going to be largely an utterly predictable diet of boilerplate horse race political journalism, pro-business orthodoxy and facile common sense presented as great insight.
You need to bite the bullet and pay for the creation of content people will want to pay for before you set up a paywall.
Exactly but they seem to (half) believe that there is a market for that, which there probably is amongst a certain sector. But I say “half” because they keep talking about this paywall, but have not yet had the guts to test it.
‘Emissaries from the Beehive were dispatched to the Press Gallery to reinforce the point that not only that the gap between Ardern and Bridges 27 points, but that former leader Bill English had done way better against Ardern at the start of this year.
Not only that, they had further ammo targeting Bridges, who took over from English almost eight weeks ago: Bridges’ debut rating of 10 per cent compared poorly to John Key’s first rating as National Party leader at 27 per cent in 2006, and Jacinda Ardern’s first rating as Labour leader in at 26 per cent in 2017.
Labour’s home-grown leadership losers were not spared from the campaign to reinforce the apparently hopeless case of Simon Bridges – he had done even worse on debut than David Cunliffe, David Shearer and Andrew Little – historic data helpfully produced by Labour showed.
Acting Prime Minister Kelvin Davis was similarly briefed for his media messaging on Tuesday – comparing Bridges’ debut to Ardern’s.
Davis went more personal, saying Bridges own ego would have placed him a lot higher than 10 per cent. Bridges should be disappointed and embarrassed, Davis told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.’
Nope, can’t think of any reason the Herald might come to that conclusion but in my opinion a government should always try to take out the opposition leader
Goff, Cunliffe, Shearer and Little were all targeted by National (mind you they had a lot of help from Labour in that regards) so Labour trying to discredit Bridges is only natural
I had a look at how Clark and Key rated as preferred PM at the same stage in their premierships.
Clark was at 48%. Key was at 55%.
Ardern’s 37% looks rather puny doesn’t it?
As far as Kelvin Davis’ opinion goes I think he would feature in the “who” category if anyone was asked about his ranking.
I was surprised to find he was still around. Is he really the best that the Labour Party can manage as their deputy? Still he makes Curran look smart by comparison.
Davis along with Willie Jackson was an important strategist in planning the demise of the Maori Party. Which was the 2nd most important factor (after Arderns likeability) in the defeat of National. So it’s very pleasing (poetic justice even) that someone whose abilities you despise is one of the main causes of your dismal whining and misplaced grief.
These two had been leaders of their respective parties for considerably longer, and both led governments that were more clearly dominated by one central party. Ardern is doing very well as leader.
(2) Ardern’s trajectory as Preferred PM has largely mirrored Clark’s.
Eg in the late Feb 2000 polls, Clark rated 36% (TV3 CM Research) and 43% (One News Colmar Brunton) as Preferred PM … while in the Jan-Feb 2018 polls, Ardern scored 38% (Newshub Reid Research). and 41% (One News Colmar Brunton).
It’s true that Clark then hit 48% in the Colmar Brunton … but you don’t mention the little fact that this represented her absolute apex of popularity during her first two years as PM … and that she immediately began a steep decline … mid 30s before the middle of 2000, down around 30% in the second half of the year.
(3) We’ve had 14 Prime Ministers since regular polling commenced in 1969: and Ardern is already out-rating 10 of her 13 immediate predecessors. Only Muldoon, Clark and Key were more popular (and with Muldoon, this was only in the relatively brief period when he reached his apex … he was rarely above early 30s most of the time).
(4) Bridges’ début is surprisingly poor … even dear old Bill English enjoyed a higher initial Preferred PM rating in 2001, before going on to take the Nats to that historic defeat in 02.
I chose the nearest Colmar/Brunton numbers that were available to the time period corresponding to this poll.
What happened to Clark after that date is irrelevant. How can we possibly know what will happen to Ardern’s numbers in the future? If you can tell me please apply your skill to telling me what the Lotto numbers for Saturday are.
I’ll take your word for Key being on 51%, Graphical results were readily available but finding tabular results with exact dates was surprisingly hard.
Steve Braunias challenged Bridges to table tennis after Bridges became Nat Leader. (Braunias did a series of these matches last year including one match with Ardern before the election and another after,)
Steve Braunias challenged Bridges to table tennis after Bridges became Nat Leader. (Braunias did a series of these matches last year including one match with Ardern before the election and another after,)
Sure hope Mayor Phil Goff recovers quickly in hospital with the angioplasty.
This is the first time since WW2 that Auckland and central government budgets (+fuel tax) have been aligned, and also their transport and housing strategies have been aligned.
I heard that after the Earthquake many tradies went down to Christchurch to get work, but it was taking so long for the insurance ‘assessments’ to take place that they could not afford to stay down there ‘waiting and waiting’ for the insurance to sign off so they could start. After months and months of delays they went back home.
Then there was the big ‘immigration’ drive a year later with CHCH being the buzz word, that segued into filling up Auckland with people to pushing up house prices to make people feel rich and get the Natz reelected with the fantasy ‘rockstar economy’.
The whole Chch rebuild was a clusterfuck micromanaged by the National government and it put local tradies out of business while creating the events leading to the complete screw up that Auckland has become today with congestion, mouldy hospitals and more taxes (for those that live here of course, don’t want to tax tourists or non residents!) while now the remedial work in CHCH is not up to standard and has to be re done.
Note to government – maybe actually make industry train tradies who live in NZ in the community they work in and can actually be accountable – likewise our insurance companies who use delay to reduce the payments. Having 10 subcontractors and assessors does not generally produce a quality result because a build is only as good as the weakest link.
Some people still do not have their house rebuilt after 7 years!
That EQC story needs to be explained in terms relative to Auckland latte prices, how many tunnels, yachting villages or light rail networks it equates to in order to matter politically unfortunately.
It should result in Gerry’s enormous head on a platter but won’t.
Our MSM’s “gotcha” style obsession with demanding the government tow the line on any and all actions taken by the USA and it’s incessant attempts to foot trip the government is doing my head in.
These dumb fucks in the media whined like little bitches when National party ministers refused anything but the most patsy of interviews and the National government did everything in it’s power to hide or not collect any data that the media could use to trip them up. But seeing how the MSM behaves with ministers who turn up and minister who release information, who in their right mind would blame Labour if they decided to adopt the same attitude to the media as National did?
I mean, who the fuck made the NZ MSM guardians of a knee jerk rightwing establishment foreign policy?
Going to a funeral today for a work colleague who was one of the pedestrians killed (>a href=”https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2018/04/18/guest-post-aucklands-road-safety-crisis/#pq=OkcawK”>as mentioned in this GreaterAuckland Post today) on Auckland’s roads last week.
Many in my work place were in shock last week at the news. And very traumatic for the family.
The post says:
Open road speeds are going up annually by 1%. For every 1% increase in speed there is a 4% increase in fatalities (corridors make up 4% of the network but 30% of fatalities and serious injuries)
My condolences to you and your work colleagues and the family/whanau, Carolyn Nth.
My internet security or something would not let me into the greater auckland site but I had noticed the media reports of the obviously lovely woman/partner/mother who was killed on the North Shore and presume this was your work colleague; and of the two pedestrians killed in Papatoetoe at the weekend. So sad for these lives to be cut short in an instance by driver speed/carelessness.
It was a very well attended funeral. The main church area was full with people standing at the back and the side, and others standing outside in the lobby. Our colleague had an enthusiasm for life, her family, her job (a vocation for her) and community service. She touched many lives, and their were many tributes celebrating the various areas of a very full life.
But the enthusiasm for life was still there when she died way before her time. She had much more to contribute.
Lots of respect and hugs to you, and the whanau, CN. Again , thinking of you and thanks for coming back to me – I appreciate it. Sleep well. Again, kia kaha.
I am not Maori but I am a NZer/pakeha (refuse to call myself a European etc; genes – Glaswegian meets true Cockney part-Jew) and I love and respect this country and its whakapapa and kaupapa beyond all else.
Good article by Mike Lee on the Auckland airport screw up, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that there should be a heavy rail line and apparently quicker and cheaper but as usual AT have their own ideas and analysis….
“However these carefully laid plans, as so often happens (Auckland has a history of this), were overturned by AT bureaucrats claiming a tram travelling from the CBD to the airport via Dominion Road despite stopping at 20 tram stops and numerous intersections while keeping to a 50 kph speed limit would get to the airport within one minute of an electric train travelling up to 110 kph. In late 2016 following the election of Phil Goff, the favoured Onehunga – Mangere rail corridor was deliberately blocked by AT when it demolished the Neilson Street overbridge immediately to the south of the Onehunga train station, placing the road straight across the rail corridor.”
In short a big reason that Auckland is such a screw up, is Auckland Transport who have been enabled to exist in their own peculiar silo that delivers an appalling service and appalling ideas! They can’t even organise a well thought through cycle land in Westmere for Pete’s sake, let alone a train!
Pretty sure it was found that Patrick Reynold’s was paid $41,000 for art purchased by Auckland Transport who was a prominent blogger on the site supporting the councils views and also wanted an unpaid seat at the AT board that Phil Goff supported while taking off official and democratically elected council representation of the AT board.
Reynolds was paid that over many years in his own right as a professional photographer. Mayor Goff decided to remove Councillors from sitting on both Council and CCO Boards to clarify accountability and he got enough support from Councillors to do that.
Nothing to do with Greater Auckland in either case.
Most people would think a $41k payments is not really independent thinking or is considered a conflict of interest. Of course now post Key, anything goes.
You said “As for greater Auckland, it’s a blog that got taken over by AT and council money.”
Still not hearing evidence. Are you saying that paying one member of a collective for completely separate work over a period of many years is enough to persuade that whole group of people to take a particular editorial angle?
Not everyone in this world is a scoundrel and most have a higher price than you seem to expect.
most have a higher price than you seem to expect… not in our low wage economy, most officials seem to be keen to sell us out for a decent meal and a plane ticket overseas, of course the $41k is the only payment that people have noticed… but I’d say it’s not so much payment it’s the insidious nature of keeping any different opinion from being voiced about transport that concerns me the most about AT and the council.
It’s a few people orchestrating and influencing an agenda, that if you haven’t noticed has NOT delivered competent transport outcomes in this city.
The evidence is before you, our transport is expensive and doesn’t work well. So anyone who pretends they have done a good job and defend them and wants more of the same problems, are just enablers who are actually part of the problem.
“it’s the insidious nature of keeping any different opinion from being voiced about transport that concerns me the most about AT and the council. “
Having heard Reynolds and Matt L speak, I have the same concerns. Reynolds proudly stated that they take care to personally frame issues to ensure that all questions lead to their conclusions. Not to allow open discussion. If you frame the problem in a specific way, only discuss limited options, then it is very difficult for other voices or perspectives to be heard.
With good intent, the focus of GA is on problems that exist within their knowledge or areas of interest, which limits the even-handedness of the site in terms of giving voice or priorities to the many areas that they don’t cover. GA also has gained a large following, and have established a working relationship with AT and Council that gives them a significant influence. One that is not tempered by deliberately balancing their views with that of other areas, or demographics.
It is not that GA is bad. It is that the limitations of using this as the primary resource for all things transport in Auckland, should be recognised and countered for.
There seems to be a basic lack of understanding that having different ideas in the boardroom or around the table on issues is actually valuable to solve problems.
But in the council people like Mike Lee are undermined because they question the official conclusions.
Often indépendant thinkers are not liked and ridiculed by the status quo.
The guy (John Houbolt) that had the idea of the technology to get US to the moon was undermined by NASA and thought to be a trouble maker.
The guy (Alan Turing) that helped win the 2nd world war by inventing the enigma machine was prosecuted by the UK government for being gay.
There are lots of people around who have different ideas, and to advance you need to have some sort of openness to listen.
The problem in Auckland, is that nobody will listen to any difference of opinion or range of ideas and actively try to attack anyone who voices alternatives even if they are a democratically elected councillor (who Spinoff among other’s actively tried to eradicate in the elections).
Mike Lee may not be perfect, but at least he’s not a clone and Auckland would have been better off with him and Christine Fletcher on the board. That’s left and right satisfied for a start.
Funny how all Mike Lee’s preferences are from the age of steam – what a true boilermaker he is.
Mike Lee is not arguing against light rail to the airport. He is arguing for the heavy rail link from Puhinui first. That’s all that it amounts to: prioritisation.
Design from Onehunga to the airport has been underway for years, and included the specific widening of the bridge and widening of George Bolt Memorial. The corridor is ready to go.
He doesn’t have the ability to understand that some light rail vehicles can actually go direct to routes, while others do all stops – just like buses do.
There are a series of announcements from Phil Twyford coming up in which works for both light rail to the airport and light rail up SH16 will be accelerated. It’s going to be as big a deal for Auckland as Sir John Allum agreeing to the motorway system in the 1950s.
There will also be announcements in the future about value capture.
Mike needs to stop quibbling, accept that Auckland and Wellington are in alignment for the first time ever, and let the Minister get on with it.
We hear the talk AD, pay the cash, but still no public transport and more people come. A bit like building all these affordable houses, we all hear how it was gonna happen, now not so much.
Alignment does not bring public transport. All they have aligned to do, is bleed more money out of people. The transport we are still waiting for.
Pop on up to Auckland.
City Rail Link is under construction now.
Bus routes have been completely redesigned.
Bus priority lanes continue to be rolled out.
Cycling has gone through the roof.
The most recent results from a decade of rebuilding Auckland’s transport are here:
under construction.. your comic touches continue to inspire. Maybe a job telling the homeless that their houses are on their way in a decade or two and the cheque is in the mail from Fletchers…
On Dominion Road, wait until they strip out every single parking space.
And wait until they take out all the buses, replacing them with light rail.
There’s plenty of space in that corridor to be played with.
On Mangere, the lanes are already provided for in the existing corridor.
One exception to that being the bridge over the Manukau. There’s more detail on GreaterAuckland posts about light rail. The design and feasibility is reasonably advanced, and is now being led within NZTA.
The design and feasibility is reasonably advanced… oh I love how paper is now the new transport to yee hah about! Close your eyes and smell the design and feasibility study commuters! Bet it works a treat if you live in Wellington.
I love this idea of 40 million passengers getting from Auckland airport via tram, who would have thought up this brilliant plan! sarcasm.
Must be the same person that decided that a family of 4 pay $34 to go 14km on the bus and take approximately 8 times longer than by car aka 1.5 hours or not having a public transport system of any description in many parts of the super city while taking 1.34m per year in Auckland rates for their efforts!
How well are the working people of Onehunga and Mangere and Favona served for public transport frequency compared to the citizens of New Lynn and Otahuhu and Panmure?
GreaterAuckland has done a number of posts on precisely this issue and why light rail is superior.
Well I do know the difference between a piece of paper and an actual bus/train/ferry to catch and I can read a rates bill to work out where the majority of Auckland Transport funding comes from. For 30 years we hear this stuff about our amazing public transport on it’s way… still waiting.
Genuine question. Just how ‘great’ do they see ‘Greater Auckland’?
Great enough to understand that it is the interbational gateway to most of the North Island?
Very wise words from Donna Kerridge about Maori health – and the health of all kiwis. I don’t know anywhere near enough about Rongoa Maori but what I do know is that it makes a lot more sense than the over-prescription of drugs and surgery.
Just thought this article needed to be read by many and couldn’t think of where else to share it. Perhaps I should say “where better to share it.”
You still don’t get it do you! When I get near a better device, we’ll have a discussion. Right now I’m witnessing something like it’s a macho man Julie Christie reality TV show.
Hopefully I’ll be able to ask you what is the best way of reducing immigrant numbers.
Is it by penalising the perpetrators of various shit education scams and work schemes….or is it better to penalise their victims?
Then of course there’s the whole issue of launderd big money and Thiel-like bolt holes – all part of the cistern that needs a bloody big flush.
Actually @Draco, you’re actually quite the binary-thinking authoritarian the more I see SOME of your comments. For me, quite a disappointment. Immediately I posed the Q above, you’ve lept to asking another of me.
I’m likely to disingage before too long in the hope others might have a go at answering without baggage.
Btw….I know you’re utterly gorgeous
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today the Government was “open for business” for private investors for transport, urban development and housing.
“When we’re talking about light rail and rapid transit my expectation is that it’s likely that some of those big projects will be done in collaboration with private sector through PPP (public private partnership) models.”
Yes….this is how it begins Phil….yesss….good, very good, its always difficult the first time but then it becomes so much easier…and theres so many more projects that need help…
This is Dir of Security for Trump Org, Mathew Calamari Jr, he looks heavier here then in the sketch but… pic.twitter.com/xpb5mnsWyC— Loepoole (@PooleLoe) April 17, 2018
The Inspector-General has today announced the establishment of a Reference Group. The Group brings together a broad range of individuals and groups, all of whom have specific expertise and experience that in one way or another touches on the work of the Inspector-General’s office. The first meeting of the Reference Group was held last week in Wellington.
[…]
The members of the Inspector-General’s Reference Group are:
Ben Creet – Issues Manager, Internet NZ
Professor Rouben Azizian – Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University
Dr Nicole Moreham – Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Paul Buchanan – Director, 36th Parallel Assessments
David Fisher – Journalist, New Zealand Herald
John Ip – Senior Lecturer, Assistant Dean (Academic), Faculty of Law, University of Auckland
Nicky Hager – Journalist, Author
Thomas Beagle – Chairperson, NZ Council for Civil Liberties
Treasa Dunworth – Associate Professor, Public International Law, University of Auckland
Suzanne Snively – Chair, Transparency International
“I would have thought there is a question about a journalist complying with their ethics in doing so, but that’s a judgement call in the end that they have to make.”
The Am Show jerry brown is ———- they did not have to bale out bills m8 south Canterbury finance to the tune of $2 billion they just had the obligation to fix those poor people houses in Christ Church right and properly .
T J Perenara is right in what he has tweeted people with high profiles have to realize that there words can hurt affect a lot of good people and Pacific and Maori people are the most vulnerable .
We would not have those problems in Christ Church if we built our society using the principals of sustainability mokopunas at the forefront of our plan and those houses would never have been built on old swamp land the filters of out enviroment .or built on some hills like in Tauranga some places should be left to mother nature and enhanced to help mother nature . Duncan we need to work with Papatuanuku .
OUR new leader is doing a fine job on her trip to Europe she is wooing them all Ka pai
Ka kite ano P.S Mark and Amanda it good to see Mark thinking about his mokopunas I got a few Amanda alot of times you give your children advice and they don’t take it you just have to wait and say I told you so Mark S congratulations to you for your mokopunas Mark you have to pay Google to wipe your internet history
Newshub well there you go Andrew Little has achieved the first step in the pike river coal mine debacle left behind by shonkys government the whano will be much happier .
I think the noodle should keep out to the Gay peoples debacle . You will work out who I am referring to. Michael Jones has it right he is intelligent and humane not like some people.
I use Emojes Eco Maori favorite is the smiley face with the Halo my mokopunas loved the move Emojes will become the universal written language culture can read .
Penny Bright is a Mana Wahine I support her cause for transparency of all public agency’s I hope she does not have cancer. P.S the sandflys keep trying to get people to tell me false stories lies I pick up there lies within a couple of minutes lol. Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild Mulls Rodger is going to look hard case in a tutu when he dances in Danceing with the Stars I say he will be a bit like me no swing my childern and wife laugh there asses off when I have had a couple of refreshments and try to dance .
Brad Shields is right he has to look after his and his familys future first and for-most
as know one else will Just like James Lowe he looks happy in Leinster. Leinster my son in laws fathers favorite soccer team.
James what happened you pulled a calf mussel cut it out those ——- moves A you will have to retire those jandals and wear some flash shoes lol
Ka kite ano
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New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
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 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
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You can be proud of your PM – Angela Merkel
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12034480
Let me see… How can the Herald spin that…
Aha!
“LEADER OF EX-NAZI NATION DEMANDS NZ PRESS PRINT STORY ON FRONT PAGE – ARDERN SAYS NOTHING!”
Pretty patronising to be fair
“Ms Merkel was asked about how the meeting had gone, which Ms Ardern translated.
“They want to know if you found me likeable”.
“Time flew and it was nice,” Ms Merkel replied.
“It was very interesting and fun. So you can be proud of your Prime Minister. If you want to write this down for the New Zealand press. This will be the headline in the morning papers I trust.”
Yep, like a dog wanting a pat, panting for a trade agreement and agreeing to tow the line of foreign policy.
Since Helen Clark, NZ has lost a lot of credibility under John Key and I’m not sure questions like that, send the right message! Helen Clark could at least negotiate an agreement rather than signing anything away in NZ after a golf game and a photo op.
Oh well, at least the EU have some standards in their trade agreements not the race to the gutter under the US ones.
Hey, it’s not like this was the only question that was asked and answered. And Ardern might not have said what you’d like her to about the attack on Syria, but she also hasn’t said what was expected or wanted by the attackers and their supporters.
So far Ardern’s trip to Europe seems to be going very well. She’s laying the basis for a trade agreement that NZ has wanted for a long time, and she’s made it clear that any agreement would include clauses on workers’ rights, environmental protection and climate change. That seems like pretty good news to me.
‘This will be the headline in the morning papers I trust.’
Merky does sarky.
that is a bit harsh your translation.
J.A: they want to know if you found me likeable.
Mutti der Nation : Ach so 🙂 …. very german, like oh dear or my oh my, then Merkel’s answer.
“Does that not show that we go along well that it was ‘wunderbar’, the time flew (the actual word used is ‘verflossen’ – more like drowned away – and we had a good meeting, it was highly interesting. It was ‘fun’ – es hat spass gemacht, it was highly enjoyable.
And you can be proud of your Prime Minister(in) – she used the female version – if you want to write that for the NZ press. That will surely be the headline tomorrow.
it is often said that us germans are really good with light bulbs but have a hard time with humor.
I sense the same can be said of certain Kiwis that have to find fault for faults sake.
Mrs. Merkel – die Mutter der Nation – congratulated NZ to Jacinda Ardern and at the same time complemented Jacinda Ardern. Now we might disagree with the politics and policies coming from the Labour Government, but i think we can agree that Mrs. Merkel is a seasoned politician, head of state and something akin to a role model for a young women like Jacinda Ardern who has a rank that few women on this planet have. And in this case the old women – Mutti – made a compliment to put the young women at ease and i guess to make her feel welcome. And she did it in a very german way. German jokes are not easily translated and the joke lies in this ,……Did we no show how well we went along? Is the highlight of german joking.
I haven’t seen Angela Merkel look so animated as she did with Jacinda Ardern. They obviously hit it off.
Merkel is a powerful lady . Very good sign for NZ.
Edit: @ savenz.
From what I could tell it was the journos who were asking Merkel about whether Jacinda was likeable. Jacinda was merely clarifying the question for Merkel. There’s no reason to read anything more into it than that.
@ Anne, No I agree it was the journalists asking the question, but maybe Jacinda didn’t need to translate it… Would Helen Clark have asked Merkle if she was likeable?
I think Jacinda’s been great for Labour and NZ, but worried that she’s falling into the same traps that has kept Labour unpopular and the globalist strategy escalated by John Key but now voter’s are now seeing the effects of and not exactly happy about them aka congestion, pollution, low wages, mouldy hospitals etc. They turned to a new government for a reason, they want change. Not more of the same.
And also agree that Germany and NZ being friends (whatever that means) is a good thing. But also think that too many of the world leaders are so busy meeting and greeting each other, they lose touch, bad and unfair things start happening domestically but they don’t have the time to concentrate on that, and then elections happen and they are surprised at the results when a much more right wing government is elected by the people, who surprise surprise use ‘foreign warfare’ to keep the domestic news out of the headlines (which only makes it invisible not solving the problem).
One day we will wake up and the power balance that had been towards democracy is over, because those once powerful countries are now internal cluster fucks that don’t function anymore because the leaders were figure heads having dinners and photo opportunities while a cohesive and robust and well thought out strategy was absent and their transport doesn’t work, their health doesn’t work, their jobs are poorly paid and people are not happy with government’s priorities.
…also think that too many of the world leaders are so busy meeting and greeting each other, they lose touch,…
It does seem like that sometimes but its what the media like to report on because it’s sexier [in coverage terms] than the serious side of running a country. I think the leaders are more than capable of doing both.
It’s not fake news though Anne, it really is happening…
Only a few days ago “Auckland Mayor Phil Goff leaves this weekend for Hong Kong, a springboard into the mainland China market.”
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/04/phil-goff-off-to-hong-kong.html
Now he’s back, a quick visit into Middlemore to use the health system and then fronting a budget demanding more money from ratepayers that he seems to have little interest in more like the offshore bigger businesses he seems to have more in common with, and no doubt back off somewhere else on an all expenses paid trip.
Meanwhile AD below seems not so much interested in Phil’s recovery but more that he’s well enough to be the ‘Labour’ figure head in the budget that Auckland rate payers will be forced to pay for.
That’s the society we have become.
As for Jacinda, not sure but was it the Pacific she’s just been in, a meeting with the queen, Merkel, next Chogm and god knows what after that.
You used to have a foreign minister that did all that and the PM kept an eye on the homefront and only did very few selected overseas visits.
Clarky would have told Merky she was likeable.
Clark would have left the journalist asking the question with a flea in his/her ear.
Actually, we can not be proud of our PM.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103109334/new-zealand-accepts-reasoning-behind-usled-strike-on-syria
Yep, I was surprised also Merkle seemed ok with the air strikes too…
And this from two days ago:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/fascination-nzs-prime-minister-continues-far-home-jacinda-mania-comes-europe-joy-reid
Nat sycophant Audrey Young reckons the govt are scared of Soimon Bridges: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12034427
I do wonder who the Herald thinks will actually pay for that drivel when it goes behind a premium pay wall. Can’t come soon enough, IMHO.
I think they have serious doubts that anyone will which is why they keep putting it off.
I keep wondering if they get enough clicks to warrant keeping the place going.
Yep – would be good to see its demise and death if it was foolish enough to implement a paywall.
I quite like the idea of Roughan and OSullivan having to go out and literally scrub the toilets of the rich to make a crust – rather than just metaphorically, as they do now.
+1
Agree 97%. Why 97%? Because there are a couple of Herald journalists I do still have respect for and want to read *- David Fisher, Matt Nippert, and Kirsty Johnston.
Oh – and Rachel Stewart and Lizzy Marvelly.
So make that 95%.
* But not enough to pay.
The thing is, you can’t ask people to pay for deliberately offensive clickbait “opinion” that is sourced from radio shock jocks and “quality analysis” content that is going to be largely an utterly predictable diet of boilerplate horse race political journalism, pro-business orthodoxy and facile common sense presented as great insight.
You need to bite the bullet and pay for the creation of content people will want to pay for before you set up a paywall.
Exactly but they seem to (half) believe that there is a market for that, which there probably is amongst a certain sector. But I say “half” because they keep talking about this paywall, but have not yet had the guts to test it.
‘Emissaries from the Beehive were dispatched to the Press Gallery to reinforce the point that not only that the gap between Ardern and Bridges 27 points, but that former leader Bill English had done way better against Ardern at the start of this year.
Not only that, they had further ammo targeting Bridges, who took over from English almost eight weeks ago: Bridges’ debut rating of 10 per cent compared poorly to John Key’s first rating as National Party leader at 27 per cent in 2006, and Jacinda Ardern’s first rating as Labour leader in at 26 per cent in 2017.
Labour’s home-grown leadership losers were not spared from the campaign to reinforce the apparently hopeless case of Simon Bridges – he had done even worse on debut than David Cunliffe, David Shearer and Andrew Little – historic data helpfully produced by Labour showed.
Acting Prime Minister Kelvin Davis was similarly briefed for his media messaging on Tuesday – comparing Bridges’ debut to Ardern’s.
Davis went more personal, saying Bridges own ego would have placed him a lot higher than 10 per cent. Bridges should be disappointed and embarrassed, Davis told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.’
Nope, can’t think of any reason the Herald might come to that conclusion but in my opinion a government should always try to take out the opposition leader
Goff, Cunliffe, Shearer and Little were all targeted by National (mind you they had a lot of help from Labour in that regards) so Labour trying to discredit Bridges is only natural
I had a look at how Clark and Key rated as preferred PM at the same stage in their premierships.
Clark was at 48%. Key was at 55%.
Ardern’s 37% looks rather puny doesn’t it?
As far as Kelvin Davis’ opinion goes I think he would feature in the “who” category if anyone was asked about his ranking.
I was surprised to find he was still around. Is he really the best that the Labour Party can manage as their deputy? Still he makes Curran look smart by comparison.
” Is he really the best that the Labour Party can manage as their deputy? ”
Best or most compliant…
Davis along with Willie Jackson was an important strategist in planning the demise of the Maori Party. Which was the 2nd most important factor (after Arderns likeability) in the defeat of National. So it’s very pleasing (poetic justice even) that someone whose abilities you despise is one of the main causes of your dismal whining and misplaced grief.
These two had been leaders of their respective parties for considerably longer, and both led governments that were more clearly dominated by one central party. Ardern is doing very well as leader.
alwyn
________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Key was on 51% … not 55%
(2) Ardern’s trajectory as Preferred PM has largely mirrored Clark’s.
Eg in the late Feb 2000 polls, Clark rated 36% (TV3 CM Research) and 43% (One News Colmar Brunton) as Preferred PM … while in the Jan-Feb 2018 polls, Ardern scored 38% (Newshub Reid Research). and 41% (One News Colmar Brunton).
It’s true that Clark then hit 48% in the Colmar Brunton … but you don’t mention the little fact that this represented her absolute apex of popularity during her first two years as PM … and that she immediately began a steep decline … mid 30s before the middle of 2000, down around 30% in the second half of the year.
(3) We’ve had 14 Prime Ministers since regular polling commenced in 1969: and Ardern is already out-rating 10 of her 13 immediate predecessors. Only Muldoon, Clark and Key were more popular (and with Muldoon, this was only in the relatively brief period when he reached his apex … he was rarely above early 30s most of the time).
(4) Bridges’ début is surprisingly poor … even dear old Bill English enjoyed a higher initial Preferred PM rating in 2001, before going on to take the Nats to that historic defeat in 02.
I chose the nearest Colmar/Brunton numbers that were available to the time period corresponding to this poll.
What happened to Clark after that date is irrelevant. How can we possibly know what will happen to Ardern’s numbers in the future? If you can tell me please apply your skill to telling me what the Lotto numbers for Saturday are.
I’ll take your word for Key being on 51%, Graphical results were readily available but finding tabular results with exact dates was surprisingly hard.
I’m surprised Davis is out of witness protection.
Probably just reading from a script 🙂
Yes, just like half the Labour caucus! Although Twyford went off script this week talking about PPP’s! He’ll no doubt get a phone call from someone.
in 2.2, you might need to be clearer about what you are quoting from Audrey’s fair hand and which words are yours.
It’s not coincidence it’s hard to tell the authors words from a hard right political poster eh
How come there is no longer a place for comments to opinion pieces any more?
lol that photo.
The story (and video) behind the photo.
Steve Braunias challenged Bridges to table tennis after Bridges became Nat Leader. (Braunias did a series of these matches last year including one match with Ardern before the election and another after,)
The result? Read/watch to find out.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12020864
The story (and video) behind the photo.
Steve Braunias challenged Bridges to table tennis after Bridges became Nat Leader. (Braunias did a series of these matches last year including one match with Ardern before the election and another after,)
The result? Read/watch to find out.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12020864
Sorry – system did not provide Edit time on either to allow me to delete one as a duplicate.
…..slimein britches ?
Sure hope Mayor Phil Goff recovers quickly in hospital with the angioplasty.
This is the first time since WW2 that Auckland and central government budgets (+fuel tax) have been aligned, and also their transport and housing strategies have been aligned.
Goff has got to be there to land this LTP budget.
Patrick Gower: EQC blowout “just like leaky homes”
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/04/patrick-gower-eqc-blowout-just-like-leaky-homes.html
I heard that after the Earthquake many tradies went down to Christchurch to get work, but it was taking so long for the insurance ‘assessments’ to take place that they could not afford to stay down there ‘waiting and waiting’ for the insurance to sign off so they could start. After months and months of delays they went back home.
Then there was the big ‘immigration’ drive a year later with CHCH being the buzz word, that segued into filling up Auckland with people to pushing up house prices to make people feel rich and get the Natz reelected with the fantasy ‘rockstar economy’.
The whole Chch rebuild was a clusterfuck micromanaged by the National government and it put local tradies out of business while creating the events leading to the complete screw up that Auckland has become today with congestion, mouldy hospitals and more taxes (for those that live here of course, don’t want to tax tourists or non residents!) while now the remedial work in CHCH is not up to standard and has to be re done.
Note to government – maybe actually make industry train tradies who live in NZ in the community they work in and can actually be accountable – likewise our insurance companies who use delay to reduce the payments. Having 10 subcontractors and assessors does not generally produce a quality result because a build is only as good as the weakest link.
Some people still do not have their house rebuilt after 7 years!
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/04/christchurch-man-goes-on-hunger-strike-over-insurance-claim.html
Not to bad a comparison from Panic pants Paddy there as leaky homes is 100% nationals also.
That EQC story needs to be explained in terms relative to Auckland latte prices, how many tunnels, yachting villages or light rail networks it equates to in order to matter politically unfortunately.
It should result in Gerry’s enormous head on a platter but won’t.
Our MSM’s “gotcha” style obsession with demanding the government tow the line on any and all actions taken by the USA and it’s incessant attempts to foot trip the government is doing my head in.
These dumb fucks in the media whined like little bitches when National party ministers refused anything but the most patsy of interviews and the National government did everything in it’s power to hide or not collect any data that the media could use to trip them up. But seeing how the MSM behaves with ministers who turn up and minister who release information, who in their right mind would blame Labour if they decided to adopt the same attitude to the media as National did?
I mean, who the fuck made the NZ MSM guardians of a knee jerk rightwing establishment foreign policy?
Easy answer to your last question: foreign/corporate globalist owners!
Their owners.
The global financial industry.
lol You need your own renegade radio show, quality stuff.
Going to a funeral today for a work colleague who was one of the pedestrians killed (>a href=”https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2018/04/18/guest-post-aucklands-road-safety-crisis/#pq=OkcawK”>as mentioned in this GreaterAuckland Post today) on Auckland’s roads last week.
Many in my work place were in shock last week at the news. And very traumatic for the family.
The post says:
My condolences to you and your work colleagues and the family/whanau, Carolyn Nth.
My internet security or something would not let me into the greater auckland site but I had noticed the media reports of the obviously lovely woman/partner/mother who was killed on the North Shore and presume this was your work colleague; and of the two pedestrians killed in Papatoetoe at the weekend. So sad for these lives to be cut short in an instance by driver speed/carelessness.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/103126206/pedestrian-killed-on-aucklands-north-shore-was-56yearold-mother-of-one
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103112551/Two-pedestrians-dead-in-Papatoetoe-Auckland
This article from last August caught my eye as it also provides the horrifying statistic that pedestrian deaths increased last year by 75%. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11909394
But today for you is focusing on your colleague and her life. Kia kaha.
Thanks, veuto.
It was a very well attended funeral. The main church area was full with people standing at the back and the side, and others standing outside in the lobby. Our colleague had an enthusiasm for life, her family, her job (a vocation for her) and community service. She touched many lives, and their were many tributes celebrating the various areas of a very full life.
But the enthusiasm for life was still there when she died way before her time. She had much more to contribute.
So, a sad day.
Lots of respect and hugs to you, and the whanau, CN. Again , thinking of you and thanks for coming back to me – I appreciate it. Sleep well. Again, kia kaha.
I am not Maori but I am a NZer/pakeha (refuse to call myself a European etc; genes – Glaswegian meets true Cockney part-Jew) and I love and respect this country and its whakapapa and kaupapa beyond all else.
PS, I forgot to mention Female – and Leo. LOL.
Good article by Mike Lee on the Auckland airport screw up, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that there should be a heavy rail line and apparently quicker and cheaper but as usual AT have their own ideas and analysis….
“However these carefully laid plans, as so often happens (Auckland has a history of this), were overturned by AT bureaucrats claiming a tram travelling from the CBD to the airport via Dominion Road despite stopping at 20 tram stops and numerous intersections while keeping to a 50 kph speed limit would get to the airport within one minute of an electric train travelling up to 110 kph. In late 2016 following the election of Phil Goff, the favoured Onehunga – Mangere rail corridor was deliberately blocked by AT when it demolished the Neilson Street overbridge immediately to the south of the Onehunga train station, placing the road straight across the rail corridor.”
In short a big reason that Auckland is such a screw up, is Auckland Transport who have been enabled to exist in their own peculiar silo that delivers an appalling service and appalling ideas! They can’t even organise a well thought through cycle land in Westmere for Pete’s sake, let alone a train!
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/15/guest-blog-mike-lee-the-march-of-folly-continues-labour-and-the-greens-fall-into-lock-step-the-airport-rail-debacle/
Mike Lee hasn’t got a clue. For starters, if you could me in the direction of any AT train that goes 110km/h I’d be startled.
Perhaps you need to acquaint yourself with some of the stuff on greaterauckland about this, for example:
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2017/04/03/what-about-airport-heavy-rail-from-puhinui/
and
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2016/06/28/light-rail-preferred-to-airport/
Sanctuary, if you could point me to a well functioning train under AT I’d be startled too. But that’s not the point.
As for greater Auckland, it’s a blog that got taken over by AT and council money.
It’s just another pretence that there are independent voices out there.
Let’s see evidence to support your claim about Greater Auckland.
Pretty sure it was found that Patrick Reynold’s was paid $41,000 for art purchased by Auckland Transport who was a prominent blogger on the site supporting the councils views and also wanted an unpaid seat at the AT board that Phil Goff supported while taking off official and democratically elected council representation of the AT board.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11736212
(could the clusterfuck get any weirder)
Reynolds was paid that over many years in his own right as a professional photographer. Mayor Goff decided to remove Councillors from sitting on both Council and CCO Boards to clarify accountability and he got enough support from Councillors to do that.
Nothing to do with Greater Auckland in either case.
Most people would think a $41k payments is not really independent thinking or is considered a conflict of interest. Of course now post Key, anything goes.
You said “As for greater Auckland, it’s a blog that got taken over by AT and council money.”
Still not hearing evidence. Are you saying that paying one member of a collective for completely separate work over a period of many years is enough to persuade that whole group of people to take a particular editorial angle?
Not everyone in this world is a scoundrel and most have a higher price than you seem to expect.
most have a higher price than you seem to expect… not in our low wage economy, most officials seem to be keen to sell us out for a decent meal and a plane ticket overseas, of course the $41k is the only payment that people have noticed… but I’d say it’s not so much payment it’s the insidious nature of keeping any different opinion from being voiced about transport that concerns me the most about AT and the council.
It’s a few people orchestrating and influencing an agenda, that if you haven’t noticed has NOT delivered competent transport outcomes in this city.
The evidence is before you, our transport is expensive and doesn’t work well. So anyone who pretends they have done a good job and defend them and wants more of the same problems, are just enablers who are actually part of the problem.
“it’s the insidious nature of keeping any different opinion from being voiced about transport that concerns me the most about AT and the council. “
Having heard Reynolds and Matt L speak, I have the same concerns. Reynolds proudly stated that they take care to personally frame issues to ensure that all questions lead to their conclusions. Not to allow open discussion. If you frame the problem in a specific way, only discuss limited options, then it is very difficult for other voices or perspectives to be heard.
With good intent, the focus of GA is on problems that exist within their knowledge or areas of interest, which limits the even-handedness of the site in terms of giving voice or priorities to the many areas that they don’t cover. GA also has gained a large following, and have established a working relationship with AT and Council that gives them a significant influence. One that is not tempered by deliberately balancing their views with that of other areas, or demographics.
It is not that GA is bad. It is that the limitations of using this as the primary resource for all things transport in Auckland, should be recognised and countered for.
@Thanks Molly.
There seems to be a basic lack of understanding that having different ideas in the boardroom or around the table on issues is actually valuable to solve problems.
But in the council people like Mike Lee are undermined because they question the official conclusions.
Often indépendant thinkers are not liked and ridiculed by the status quo.
The guy (John Houbolt) that had the idea of the technology to get US to the moon was undermined by NASA and thought to be a trouble maker.
The guy (Alan Turing) that helped win the 2nd world war by inventing the enigma machine was prosecuted by the UK government for being gay.
There are lots of people around who have different ideas, and to advance you need to have some sort of openness to listen.
The problem in Auckland, is that nobody will listen to any difference of opinion or range of ideas and actively try to attack anyone who voices alternatives even if they are a democratically elected councillor (who Spinoff among other’s actively tried to eradicate in the elections).
Mike Lee may not be perfect, but at least he’s not a clone and Auckland would have been better off with him and Christine Fletcher on the board. That’s left and right satisfied for a start.
Yeah, your ‘pretty sure’ is proof that you have NFI WTF you’re talking about.
Funny how all Mike Lee’s preferences are from the age of steam – what a true boilermaker he is.
Mike Lee is not arguing against light rail to the airport. He is arguing for the heavy rail link from Puhinui first. That’s all that it amounts to: prioritisation.
Design from Onehunga to the airport has been underway for years, and included the specific widening of the bridge and widening of George Bolt Memorial. The corridor is ready to go.
He doesn’t have the ability to understand that some light rail vehicles can actually go direct to routes, while others do all stops – just like buses do.
There are a series of announcements from Phil Twyford coming up in which works for both light rail to the airport and light rail up SH16 will be accelerated. It’s going to be as big a deal for Auckland as Sir John Allum agreeing to the motorway system in the 1950s.
There will also be announcements in the future about value capture.
Mike needs to stop quibbling, accept that Auckland and Wellington are in alignment for the first time ever, and let the Minister get on with it.
We hear the talk AD, pay the cash, but still no public transport and more people come. A bit like building all these affordable houses, we all hear how it was gonna happen, now not so much.
Alignment does not bring public transport. All they have aligned to do, is bleed more money out of people. The transport we are still waiting for.
Pop on up to Auckland.
City Rail Link is under construction now.
Bus routes have been completely redesigned.
Bus priority lanes continue to be rolled out.
Cycling has gone through the roof.
The most recent results from a decade of rebuilding Auckland’s transport are here:
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2018/04/17/maddest-march-yet/
under construction.. your comic touches continue to inspire. Maybe a job telling the homeless that their houses are on their way in a decade or two and the cheque is in the mail from Fletchers…
Light rail along Dominion Rd and over the Mangere Bridge will be an absolute cock up the place is at a stand still even now ?
On Dominion Road, wait until they strip out every single parking space.
And wait until they take out all the buses, replacing them with light rail.
There’s plenty of space in that corridor to be played with.
On Mangere, the lanes are already provided for in the existing corridor.
One exception to that being the bridge over the Manukau. There’s more detail on GreaterAuckland posts about light rail. The design and feasibility is reasonably advanced, and is now being led within NZTA.
The design and feasibility is reasonably advanced… oh I love how paper is now the new transport to yee hah about! Close your eyes and smell the design and feasibility study commuters! Bet it works a treat if you live in Wellington.
I love this idea of 40 million passengers getting from Auckland airport via tram, who would have thought up this brilliant plan! sarcasm.
Must be the same person that decided that a family of 4 pay $34 to go 14km on the bus and take approximately 8 times longer than by car aka 1.5 hours or not having a public transport system of any description in many parts of the super city while taking 1.34m per year in Auckland rates for their efforts!
How well are the working people of Onehunga and Mangere and Favona served for public transport frequency compared to the citizens of New Lynn and Otahuhu and Panmure?
GreaterAuckland has done a number of posts on precisely this issue and why light rail is superior.
This is the plan that’s coming.
you should be a comedian AD,
“This is the plan that’s coming”
You have absolutely no idea about public transport in Auckland and should stop opening your keyboard about it when your ignorance is so stark.
Take an hour or two and you can learn about the pt programmes through both http://www.at.govt.nz and http://www.greaterauckland.org.nz
savenz’s a fucking expert on everything, don’t ya know.
Well I do know the difference between a piece of paper and an actual bus/train/ferry to catch and I can read a rates bill to work out where the majority of Auckland Transport funding comes from. For 30 years we hear this stuff about our amazing public transport on it’s way… still waiting.
Genuine question. Just how ‘great’ do they see ‘Greater Auckland’?
Great enough to understand that it is the interbational gateway to most of the North Island?
Why don’t you pop over and ask them – their dialogue is pretty open when you join in.
And don’t think the ferry services will save us!
Northcote Point ferry the most cancelled public transport service in Auckland
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/98294411/northcote-point-ferry-the-most-cancelled-service-in-auckland
We hear little about Jaish-al-Islam, accused of using gas in Aleppo against Kurds in 2016
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2018/04/how-on-earth-would-killing-more-people-rescue-syria.html …
They had largely lost the area before allegations were made of use of toxic substances.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da2B7GCWkAIeSuK.jpg
https://twitter.com/Osman_Marwa1/status/985885310109343745
Imagine if the Democrats had taken this guy in 2000,
instead of selecting dull Al and warmonger Joe….
http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Ralph_Nader_Education.htm
Very wise words from Donna Kerridge about Maori health – and the health of all kiwis. I don’t know anywhere near enough about Rongoa Maori but what I do know is that it makes a lot more sense than the over-prescription of drugs and surgery.
Just thought this article needed to be read by many and couldn’t think of where else to share it. Perhaps I should say “where better to share it.”
https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/17-04-2018/rongoa-maori-completes-the-health-picture/
Q.
What’s the difference between the dawn raids in the ’70’s and the ‘visits’ of 2017 & 18?
Why, in your opinion, are over-stayers not criminals?
I’m not suggesting they aren’t @ Draco.
It’s more to do with the manner in which people are treated, whatever their circumstance
Then how are you suggesting that police/immigration find them?
You still don’t get it do you! When I get near a better device, we’ll have a discussion. Right now I’m witnessing something like it’s a macho man Julie Christie reality TV show.
Hopefully I’ll be able to ask you what is the best way of reducing immigrant numbers.
Is it by penalising the perpetrators of various shit education scams and work schemes….or is it better to penalise their victims?
Then of course there’s the whole issue of launderd big money and Thiel-like bolt holes – all part of the cistern that needs a bloody big flush.
Actually @Draco, you’re actually quite the binary-thinking authoritarian the more I see SOME of your comments. For me, quite a disappointment. Immediately I posed the Q above, you’ve lept to asking another of me.
I’m likely to disingage before too long in the hope others might have a go at answering without baggage.
Btw….I know you’re utterly gorgeous
The unintended consequences when you play round with another’s language and use it to your own advantage.
“‘The name of a beer produced on Waiheke Island is coming under pressure for its links to a 19th-century Ngapuhi chief.
Ngapuhi elder David Rankin told Newstalk ZB that Heke beer, produced by Waiheke Brewing Company, took the name of his ancestor Hone Heke.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12034700
Not Jake?
Most Maoris in NZ won’t drink it as Hone Heke and Hongi Ika dealt to most tribes in NZ ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12033642
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today the Government was “open for business” for private investors for transport, urban development and housing.
“When we’re talking about light rail and rapid transit my expectation is that it’s likely that some of those big projects will be done in collaboration with private sector through PPP (public private partnership) models.”
Yes….this is how it begins Phil….yesss….good, very good, its always difficult the first time but then it becomes so much easier…and theres so many more projects that need help…
http://fark.wikia.com/wiki/File:113_mr_burns_excellent.jpg
That must be why the UK has abandoned PPP model for the tubes after massive problems and costs when it tried them.
No wonder we need the fuel tax, someones got to prop up offshore private enterprise with a profit margin and as many people on the teat as possible.
Well thats Labour for you 🙂
John Key and the Hobbit’s Super City has been a raging success it has even brought traffic to a stand still.
Somehow I don’t think either of these two clowns understood the words “town planning” ?
Maybe it was ‘clown planning’ in their memo.
This didn’t take long.
https://twitter.com/BasedMonitored/status/986336139631058944
Trump scandals just get funnier by the moment.
Indeed.
/
https://twitter.com/PooleLoe/status/986330682250031105
Oh Joe, trust you to find
a) one which isn’t funny, and
b) bears such a poor resemblance to the sketch
Meanwhile, on with the shit that actually delivers:
https://twitter.com/justinjm1/status/986269435005669376
https://twitter.com/MissingLinks62/status/986335279500886016
https://twitter.com/Standbye/status/986273999255719936
And the most convincing of all:
https://twitter.com/pepe_kekenstein/status/986350127374729216
EDIT: Oh, and this. Yes.
https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/986361237285023745
Some of the wingnuts are a little exercised.
.
Establishment of IGIS Reference Group
16/04/2018 2:00pm
The Inspector-General has today announced the establishment of a Reference Group. The Group brings together a broad range of individuals and groups, all of whom have specific expertise and experience that in one way or another touches on the work of the Inspector-General’s office. The first meeting of the Reference Group was held last week in Wellington.
[…]
The members of the Inspector-General’s Reference Group are:
Ben Creet – Issues Manager, Internet NZ
Professor Rouben Azizian – Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University
Dr Nicole Moreham – Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Paul Buchanan – Director, 36th Parallel Assessments
David Fisher – Journalist, New Zealand Herald
John Ip – Senior Lecturer, Assistant Dean (Academic), Faculty of Law, University of Auckland
Nicky Hager – Journalist, Author
Thomas Beagle – Chairperson, NZ Council for Civil Liberties
Treasa Dunworth – Associate Professor, Public International Law, University of Auckland
Suzanne Snively – Chair, Transparency International
Deborah Manning – Barrister
http://www.igis.govt.nz/media-releases/announcements/establishment-of-igis-reference-group/
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/355334/minister-surprised-journalist-included-in-reference-group
“I would have thought there is a question about a journalist complying with their ethics in doing so, but that’s a judgement call in the end that they have to make.”
Yup no conflicts of interest there at all
Poachers and gamekeepers.
Well I suppose if anyone’s going to know about dodgy spy business it’ll be this guy
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/201839688/professor-rouben-azizian
Quick, someone recruit him, put him on the list, and put him on the foreign affairs, defence and trade parliamentary select committee.
I guess Nicky Hager can offer advice on who best to use in regards to hacking emails 🙂
As you can offer advice on casting unwarranted aspersions.
I guess that explains Fat Cambo’s absence chucky.
The Am Show jerry brown is ———- they did not have to bale out bills m8 south Canterbury finance to the tune of $2 billion they just had the obligation to fix those poor people houses in Christ Church right and properly .
T J Perenara is right in what he has tweeted people with high profiles have to realize that there words can hurt affect a lot of good people and Pacific and Maori people are the most vulnerable .
We would not have those problems in Christ Church if we built our society using the principals of sustainability mokopunas at the forefront of our plan and those houses would never have been built on old swamp land the filters of out enviroment .or built on some hills like in Tauranga some places should be left to mother nature and enhanced to help mother nature . Duncan we need to work with Papatuanuku .
OUR new leader is doing a fine job on her trip to Europe she is wooing them all Ka pai
Ka kite ano P.S Mark and Amanda it good to see Mark thinking about his mokopunas I got a few Amanda alot of times you give your children advice and they don’t take it you just have to wait and say I told you so Mark S congratulations to you for your mokopunas Mark you have to pay Google to wipe your internet history
Newshub well there you go Andrew Little has achieved the first step in the pike river coal mine debacle left behind by shonkys government the whano will be much happier .
I think the noodle should keep out to the Gay peoples debacle . You will work out who I am referring to. Michael Jones has it right he is intelligent and humane not like some people.
I use Emojes Eco Maori favorite is the smiley face with the Halo my mokopunas loved the move Emojes will become the universal written language culture can read .
Penny Bright is a Mana Wahine I support her cause for transparency of all public agency’s I hope she does not have cancer. P.S the sandflys keep trying to get people to tell me false stories lies I pick up there lies within a couple of minutes lol. Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild Mulls Rodger is going to look hard case in a tutu when he dances in Danceing with the Stars I say he will be a bit like me no swing my childern and wife laugh there asses off when I have had a couple of refreshments and try to dance .
Brad Shields is right he has to look after his and his familys future first and for-most
as know one else will Just like James Lowe he looks happy in Leinster. Leinster my son in laws fathers favorite soccer team.
James what happened you pulled a calf mussel cut it out those ——- moves A you will have to retire those jandals and wear some flash shoes lol
Ka kite ano