I think that a short video series could be made about The Standard, under a different name of course such as Mattenklopper (carpet beater – but sounds funkier). It would be a mixture of Red Dwarf and the Time & Space approach seen in S&S. There are certainly plenty of characters to include, could even add aspects of Douglas Adams.
… those were the days before the arrival of the 'pc plus' (plus for exaggerated preciousness) brigade. Sure, there was a lot wrong with society that needed to be corrected but, by and large, people could be themselves without fear of being called out for some imagined slight towards a person/persons on what imo are often spurious grounds.
A good photo of Bob Hawke when young with Sir Peter Abeles, of trucking firm TNT in Australia, an advisor and experienced businessman.
Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Abeles …led the devastation left by World War II, and moved to Australia. After doing small business by selling books and clothing,[2] he quickly befriended George Rockey, a fellow Hungarian immigrant. The pair bought two trucks, which they named “Samson” and “Delilah,” and set up a transport company, “Alltrans.” In 1967, Alltrans merged with Thomas Nationwide Transport, and the combined companies became TNT Ltd…
In 1979 Abeles entered into an agreement with media mogul Rupert Murdoch to take over Ansett Transport Industries. He served as chief executive and joint managing director from 1982 until 1992. In September 1992 he left TNT to concentrate his efforts on the ailing Ansett, but just two months later he stepped down from the airline as well.
In addition to his work for TNT and Ansett, Abeles served on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and was chairman of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
Abeles was friends with Bob Hawke and during Hawke’s time as Prime Minister, Abeles was Hawke’s witness to the Kiribilli Agreement of 1988 in which he agreed to hand over the Prime Ministership to Paul Keating if and after Hawke had won the 1990 election.
This "good bloke" came to New Zealand in 1980 and expressed amusement at and contempt for our Saturday trading laws, which had not yet been "liberalized" like Australia's. That was an inkling that he was, despite being the head of ACTU, anything but a friend and ally of working people.
His cowardly and craven behaviour five years later, as Australian Prime Minister, after the Rainbow Warrior bombing, showed he was no friend of human rights protestors either.
Compare the wages of Australian and New Zealand workers, then tell us which political leaders have been their friends and allies over the last few decades. Tripartite bargaining initiated by Hawke is a huge part of that. He contributed far more than any armchair warrior.
It seems that every western political leader gets the privilege of having their history whitewashed and their legacy's rehabilitated, just look at Reagan, or more recently McCain…
I also believe that the start of Sunday trading was the single worst loss of workers rights in NZ IMO.
honestly Morrissey, you are the most pedantic [person] on the internet.
are you saying Saturday trading shouldn’t be allowed? When do students work? After they’ve finished their studies each night?
Bob hawke oversaw the greatest advancement of workers rights and wage growth since the 50’s for the average worker in Australia. And all you can do is sniff about the fact he laughed at our fortress New Zealand antiquarian weekend trading laws.
I haven’t voted labour in a while. And I never will if you have anything to do with what labour should look like.
[deleted] oxygen thief. [deleted] All sensation and no substance
I also "sniffed" about his cowardice and depravity, viz. his failure to support New Zealand after the French state attacked us in 1985, and his support for U.S., British, French and Israeli nuclear terror.
Neochristian option looks better. Remember christians are born unhappy. Flagellation. Hair shirts. Original sin. Join Alfred & co!
So the best way to compete in the political arena is to morph the holier than thou traditional elitist stance into unhappier than thou. Winner gets to be closest to God, and unhappiest…
One of the greatest 'gifts' my parents gave me was to state that "we just want you to be happy." If satisfaction, endurance and being useful bring you happiness, then go for it.
The Stoics differentiated between 'good', 'bad', and 'indifferent' things. The good things include the cardinal virtues wisdom, justice, courage, and self-discipline. The bad things include the opposites of these virtues, namely the four vices folly, injustice, cowardice, and indulgence.
Edit : #8 Amor Fati – Love Everything that Happens
😀 That is very bold. It would require taking on everything and accepting it with some resignation as ‘that’s life, you win some you lose some’ sort of thing. Which would take some gumption. I think there might be a good market for gumption if someone finds out how to bottle it.
As I have said before I don't normally recommend books as we all have our different tastes but I found this book a bit of a fun thing to read. "The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck" by Mark Manson
"Since last Friday, Honduras has been rocked by growing strikes and demonstrations by teachers, health care workers, high-school and university students and their supporters against legislation that facilitates budget cuts, mass firings and the privatization of public education and the healthcare system.
The government of Juan Orlando Hernández (known as JOH) —a continuation of the regime installed by a US-backed coup in 2009— mobilized riot police to repress protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and beatings.
Since the 2009 coup, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Honduran military budget has tripled, to a proportion of the GDP not seen since 1990. This doesn’t include hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from the Pentagon, which uses its military bases in Honduras as a launching platform for interventions across the region.
María Dilia Paz, a teacher demonstrating in Tegucigalpa on Monday, described her conditions to TeleSur, “We do everything we can to make ends meet. You know how the electrical service is, and if you are late one day they cut you off. Our children at times go with little food. They don’t get snacks because we don’t have any.”
The 65,000 teachers in the country get paid hourly wages at poverty levels—between $2.70 and $3.80 per hour of classes.
The think-tank on external debt Fosdeh has calculated that debt servicing will exceed 45 billion lempiras (US$1.85 billion) this year. This would amount to nearly a third of the total government budget.
The Finance Secretariat, calculates that business tax exemptions will amount to 37 billion lempiras ($1.5 billion) this year. Meanwhile, the average salary for the 132,000 workers making clothes, auto parts and other products at maquiladoras is $40 per week.
In other words, in the most unequal country of the Americas, billions are transferred each year from the wealth created by the working class to the financial and corporate elites through debt payments and tax exemptions, while more than 60 percent of the population lives in poverty."
The government of Juan Orlando Hernández (known as JOH) —a continuation of the regime installed by a US-backed coup in 2009— mobilized riot police to repress protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and beatings.
I'm sure we'll see repeated screenings of the riot police on the TV News tonight, like they do for anything involving Venezuela. /sarc
Exactly right, it is of little wonder that there is so little buy in most main stream media, especially in respect to their international news, their selective narrative often ends up turning into straight out lies.
Poor kids are often trouble-makers. In "the 2017 Honduran general election … Hernández was declared the winner by a narrow margin (0.5%), after a reelection campaign widely criticized as fraudulent".
"In late 2012, 1540 persons were interviewed by ERIC in collaboration with the Jesuit university, as reported by Associated Press. This survey found that 60.3% believed the police were involved in crime, 44.9% had "no confidence" in the Supreme Court, and 72% thought there was electoral fraud in the primary elections of November 2012. Also, 56% expected the presidential, legislative and municipal elections of 2013 to be fraudulent." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras
So Honduras & Venezuela seem similar in respect of cursory incorporation of democratic processes – failure to make them operate in an authentic efficient manner.
I think it was an Oliver Stone movie, El Salvador, back in the eighties that made it all super-vivid. Those American nuns being raped & murdered by regime thugs (happened some years earlier in real life). But I read the Wikipedia page on Honduran politics earlier today and discovered the country has been run by two establishment parties since the 19th century. They even have proportional representation!
After apparent failures with the Conservatives, the new conservatives, the new new conservatives, the blue-greenish (not really) party, National are having another go at creating a puppet party to pretend they have friends
So, another 0.1% polling ACT party with a gifted seat (assuming the good people of Botany show their sheep mentality and vote as their corporate masters ask them)
And looks like Ngaro will resign from the National Party, National won't invoke the Waka Jumping bill, Ngaro will create his new party and then stand in Botany next year at the election.
Bob McCoskrie supports the new party, with such glowing praise as:
…they may need to hold their noses and vote for a candidate who they normally wouldn't vote for.
You know you are onto a winner, when someone who should be a very enthusiastic supporter describes you as one would a turd…
Good analysis & I agree Vernon Tava's enterprise can be reasonably described as blue-green (not really) since perceptions prevail over reality nowadays.
"Family First's Bob McCoskrie has shared a podium with Ngaro on a number of occasions, as recently as this week. He says there's definitely a gap in the choice facing the voter wanting to cast their ballot for a morally conservative party."
I guess they'll be considering inviting Israel Folau to cross the ditch. John Key would be keen to support anyone called Israel, so it'd just be a question of which electorate to stand him in. Epsom?
I reckon the moral conservative vote is a goer – but would it pass the 4% mark set by the last such option? Ngaro taking Botany does of course negate the necessity to achieve the MMP threshold. McCoskrie ought to stand with him to demonstrate that he's willing to put his money where is mouth is. Fundies in parliament would be a source of inanities that could make the Nat leader look good by comparison.
Israel the name, Ngaro says he is a Zionist; young Israel is good looking, brown, sporting hero, appears to have integrity and appeals to the Real Man phalanx, would appeal to the diatribe (literally )of eager-beaver Brian T and his followers, appear to be a voice for the poor brown cuzzies not being offered much by Labour Coalition and feeling disillusioned, that's if they had previous illusions anyway – yes there are possibilities there.
Yeah, ticks all the boxes, eh? Someone ought to ask him if he wants to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond (Jesus called himself a fisher of men).
Good fishing theme there. He might have to watch that he doesn't get filleted by those Gnats. And we should beware that there isn't an evolution to piranha biting into our body politic.
If someone is trying to make a decent point in an utterly ridiculous manner, is it still a decent point?
Yes, satellites are extremely vulnerable. If conflict does break out in space, Kessler Syndrome is a very real possibility that could make many of the most important orbits unusable.
It would be easy to launch a satellite-killer rocket to create massive clouds of debris, or launch an EMP nuke. Hell, North Korea is just one of many states that probably have the capability for both right now, even Rocket Lab has the launch capability but not the nuke. The time between launch and the shit seriously happening is mere minutes. Then there's all the opportunities for cybermalice against satellites.
Protection from all of that cannot come from military countermeasures against a launched rocket. It's simply not physically possible. It can only come from international agreement and co-operation. That is the reality that makes the idea of a "Space Force" for protecting satellites utterly ridiculous.
The Point In Time Count, organised by the Housing First Collective one night last September, spanned from Wellsford in the north, across to Waiheke Island and south to Waiuku.
Its findings show of the 800 people estimated to have been living without shelter that night, nearly 43 percent of were Māori, with a similar number of Māori living in temporary accommodation. Māori make up just 11 percent of Auckland's population.
I remember the closing of an Auckland caravan park because there were too many low income people who were taking drugs and involved in minor crime. Authorities have for too long not taken steps to ensure that the 'strugglers' have a place they can go to at night and be safe. Even if it was extremely simple but was a place where they would be safe, and they need to have their own room. Otherwise they can be attacked by their fellows while under the influence of whatever. It is too late for some of them to be restored to normality, but should be given consideration and experienced social workers able to keep an eye out for their conditions and opportunities.
Truly, the moment of clarity is when one searches for oneself only to find nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing
I've just been looking at Simone de Beauvoir talk about philosophy. She would probably find that very meaningful?
Actually she was talking about man's purpose in the world and ended up sounding just like Ayn Rand as she said that his purpose is to find his purpose and make his life. Or I think she said that.
Oz election tomorrow not looking good for ScoMo: "As for the polling, the Liberal/National coalition that governs Australia has been behind in pretty much every two-party poll against the Labor opposition throughout his tenure. You might recall, falling behind Labor in repeated polls was why the Liberals got rid of the last guy too. Among the minor parties, the Greens are looking at around a 10% share, and One Nation around 5%, under two variations of a single transferable vote system. That could get either the few seats needed to chip a coalition partner over the line." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/17-05-2019/will-it-be-scomo-or-shorten-what-to-watch-for-in-tomorrows-aussie-election/
"The racism in this election campaign has been more muted. Sydney Uni professor Mary Crock told RNZ that it might actually be that the Christchurch attacks have led to the wildly xenophobic rhetoric being toned down."
"Strangely for Australia, climate change and the environment has emerged as a major issue for many voters. Of course, parts of the country are in the grip of the worst droughts in living memory, the boiling hot bits of the country are getting even hotter, there are crazy floods, wildfires, big cyclones, the Great Barrier Reef is dying, and all the rest of it. But still, it’s unusual for Australia to actually notice that the land is trying to kill them – they’re just so used to it."
"And another climate change denying former PM, Tony Abbott, is facing defeat in his previously safe seat of Waringah. He might lose to a former Olympic skier called Zali Steggall, who is running as an independent largely on environmental issues."
You were saying about forestry interests wiping out normal farming and the communities that exist rurally. I thought of you this morning when the interview was about that. Did you hear it?
Nz farmers can not compete against foreign buyers buying up our farm land so they can keep polluting. The irony is ove heard farmers are not allowed to plant their own trees on their own land to offset their emmisions.
Tell me more bw. What prevents them – is it Council rles, regional economic agency rules, is it no tax exemptions for land not profitable? I don't understand.
Good work these two. Great to see intelligent and socially minded farmers doing their bit and leading the way for their less caring and smart brethren.
Farmers need to avoid ego and arrogance if they want to keep their social licence to operate as they come under increased pressure to reduce their environmental impact.
Dealing with that impact was hurting the industry, award-winning farmer Adrian Ball told dairy farmers at Waikato Federated Farmers' dairy section annual meeting.
"It's us letting ourselves down. It's almost a little bit of a touch of arrogance – if we own the land, we have the right to do it – we don't."
Adrian and wife Pauline run Dennley Farms near Tīrau and were supreme winners of this year's Waikato Farm Environment Awards. He outlined how they had transformed their farm business from a highly intensive dairy operation to a dairy, beef and finishing farm over the past 16 years.
Yes good, from what you say mm widening out in the business they know about. Still with cows, but in a more sustainable manner. And they say they were highly intensive dairying so hope that is in the past for their dairying now. Come back to a system where the cows are cared for animals not just money on hooves.
Any excuse for USA to meddle in other country's affairs. Shades of having to invade because of the production of Weapons of Mass Destruction. What are they trying to protect though – their own country is going to rack and ruin. Way to go world!
And that saying about the old grey men being generals sending the young ones off to be injured and die to further the schemes for advantage of the old.
as many as they can sign up and if that does not work anymore they call the draft.
simple as that.
And chances are they have no issue going there. In saying that Senator Cotton of Arkansas – in my opinion someone who is very dangerous/smart/outwardly evangelic religious creep who might have a chance at the golden throne when the orange turd gets dispatched by the republican party (they will only keep him for as long as he serves their purpose) – said that it would need only two strikes, the first one and the last one.
Nukes, overwhelming air power, and every time someone says peep drop some more bombs.
no soldiers needed. none what so ever cause the bombs can be directed with a joy stick from anywhere.
He served in Iraq, he is a senator. He is not smoking, and he is deadly serious.
this is the thing with the current administration, everyone only focuses on teh orange shitshow, they do not focus on the men the orange fuckwit has surround himself with, the members of the senate that will sign any thing so as long as it serves them and 'owns' the libs and they have wanted to go to war with iran since Ayatolla Khomeni overthrew Mohammad Reza Sha Pahlavi and send him packing into exile. I watched that stuff go down life on TV, it was riveting.
And honestly they will drop a few bombs, and may i remind you that the only country to ever have used nukes is the US, and the orange turd asked why the US does not use them darn nukes. Also oil. Also elections. Also the tiny mushroom shaped penis needs something to feel big.
Yes i know who this muppet is, he is dreaming if airpower alone can win a land warfare and it can't no matter what you throw at it including a few cans of instant sunshrine then no one really wins unless you are into grow in the dark glass.
When I was still in the RAAF i did 3 papers at the RAAF Airpower Centre and where i upset a few silver spoons/Kunckle Heads/ knob jockeys who think like this clown that Land Base Airpower alone can win a war at Sea or on the Land and it can't as you still need boots on the ground or ships on the sea to exploit the opening that either Land or Sea based Airpower has achive. In other words Airpower is enabler which allows both Land and Sea power the room for freedom of maneuver to get on with the job.
Yes the Yanks have been waiting a long time to have a crack at Iran after what old mate did to their mate and especially the storming of the embassy and, what happen during their cock up with Op Eagle Claw.
I think "shit show" is going to an under statement by a country mile. No sure if you have seen my comments on this?
If you want a betting tip? start buying Oil Futures and Gold etc as i think the return is going to a awful lot better than the Stockmarket and also watch the rate of inflation go up with the price of oil (remember the two oil shocks). Remember what Winnie said during the last election about a possible down turn in the global economy next's term of government? Well looks like he was on the money.
they could not win korea, vietnam, iraq and they will not win iran.
but they can wreak havoc, poison this planet, upset 1.5 billion muslims and fling all shit all over the planet and mike live misery for a few billion here and there. .
I am not the betting kind, and i am not an investor. I am lucky to have few wants, not many needs and had a good life so won't be missing much when the shitshow starts.
Peer to Peer they will shitted it in, but if the side hits the US weak points aka body bag count etc and goes to ground then we well see a rerun of Nam, Iraq and the Gan because they can't fight a COIN type of warfare and they really still haven't fully understood it either from top down. As they only know how to fight a Peer to Peer war and the way that dump takes advice they won't have a hope in hell. I think Phase 1 and possibly Phase 2 of the conflict would go according to plan, but after they have kick the door in then would get rather interesting to see if they have learnt anything IRT COIN warfare from Iraq and the Gan.
As Von Moltke the elder once said "No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" or in lay mans terms "No plan survives first contact with the enemy" and this less known one "Strategy is a system of expedients"
If they can't clear the house, but only clear a few rooms or only a few floors then they are screwed and god only knows what that means for the rest of us long term?
I'm sorry for throwing my betting tips (my black humor coming out hence why i'm back in PTSD ward again here in Sydney) in for a giggle when the RWNJ types start complaining about inflation and the cost of fuel etc.
I just hope the team can get the troops out of the MER including the UN members quickly if the shit hits the fan and say the training team mandate ends on the 30th of June. The sooner the better the Aus and NZ troops are out of that shit hole the better.
Yes, we are now living in interesting times and you are right about the muslims, they are going to go off like runaway .50cal HMG or like chain reaction in a nuclear weapon system going off aka the gift that keeps on giving as we called it on the CBRND Recon cse which i did about 10yrs ago.
Whatever he's been smoking has gone to his head or destroyed a few more brain cells that's if he any from the start with.
Anyway someone needs to tell this muppet (he actually reminds me of one the muppets) he is dreaming if all thinks that he just needs 120k troops to knock off Iran! He's going to need about 5x that number as kicking in the door is one thing, but holding on to the house is another thing.
Remember the Iraq war folks when the Yankie coalition invaded Iraq with too few troops during the invasion and during post invasion?
If this attack/ invasion into Iran does go ahead, its going to make Iraq and the Gan like a walk in the park. Remember the last time some joker decided to invade Iran and look what happen to him or poor old Jimmy after Op Eagle Claw.
This is a stunning turnaround, with an increase of almost 2000 on the last census, and we believe our method of calculation is one that could be spread out right across the country.
We have based our calculations on scientific analysis of volumetric data obtained via our sewerage plants, and extrapolated our pile of information to come up with an incredibly accurate and definitive population assumption.
Although the methodology described would actually be workable, if one could factor in changing gastroenteritis levels or increased fibre in the average diet.
"In a stern statement, the bank's board, headed by former prime minister Sir John Key, comes under fire for attesting to something which was not correct. "
ANZ called the issue a "mistake", and expressed disappointment.
"Once the mistake was discovered, ANZ New Zealand promptly escalated the matter to its board and reported the issue to the Reserve Bank," ANZ said in a written statement.
Financial regulators are as much part of the industry as the financial institutions themselves…
Auditors and consultancies who operate in a compliance function are also part of the industry. They are paid by the banks to perform compliance functions…
Was that the interview I heard which was a normal interview until the interviewer asked some questions to which Sepuloni said that that wasn't what she had come on to be interviewed about or had not agreed to be interviewed about?
The interviewer persisted and persisted while Sepuloni peripherally answered some bits and repeated saying it wasn't what she was there to answer questions on.
Sepuloni didn't come across as arrogant and evasive. She came across as naive. She should have repeatedly said she wasn't answering any question at all about the matter.
The interviewer was rude and arrogant. Ministers must be accountable but having protocols and working out what's reasonable and what's just smart-arse opportunism is obviously beyond you.
When the interviewer repeatedly asked what said she said she wouldn't talk to, Sepuloni should have either hung up or told the interviewer to fuck off. Then you would have been on here bitching about her being arrogant and evasive and calling for her to be sacked.
I agree with your opinion of Lisa Owen, the interviewer. I have scant respect for her. However, substandard journalists are a fact of life, and a competent politician has to be able to interact with them without making herself look incompetent—or, as you rightly put it in this case, naive.
I thought her refusal to answer the questions of the importuning Owen did make Sepuloni look both arrogant and evasive; she lacked the panache to put Owen in her place with authority.
Thinking about the Ministry for Vulnerable Children and Young People, Teenagers and their Families -Oranga Tamariki. Why does it have a Maori name? Is it supposed to seem friendly and culturally understanding to Maori? Why isn't it just a Ministry for Children as all are vulnerable when young? Is it meant to convey that parents and children do not receive any support unless they are classified as vulnerable? And why is that they are behaving in such a frightening way to Maori? If government want to provide a wrap-around service to help those who need it, then if they do their job properly, there would be no taking of babies away from mothers.
The Chief Executive, Grainne Moss is Irish-born, UK, New Zealand. She was a champion swimmer. Fits my bias against sports people in areas where an understanding is required of the needs of large numbers of people who will be affected by executive decisions.
Mrs Moss will become the acting Chief Executive of the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki from 5 September 2016, initially part-time then full-time from 10 October 2016. She will then become Chief Executive for a five year term once the Ministry is formally established on 1 April 2017.
Mrs Moss doesn't seem to have trained or worked with children and is not from our culture. She has had a father who was a prison Governor. She has had the generic business background to manage a large department. But there is a need to actually have an interest and knowledge of social work and how to work with young people from impoverished backgrounds.
I hope her Catholic upbringing in Ireland will not lead to seeking the efficiency that was found suitable for those not proving acceptable to society who worked at the Magdalena laundries system which operated in the Irish social system right up till 1996.
An authoritarian background, on the austere side perhaps. 3. What did your parents teach you?
A very strong work ethic. Mum was head of a Catholic nursing home where I worked from age 16. She worked me pretty hard and showed no favouritism.
My father was governor of a prison with lots of IRA prisoners. As a Catholic working for the government, he had high security. At one point he had a bomb-alarmed car and bulletproof vest. But he had a reputation for very fair adjudicating. It didn't matter if you were a Catholic or a Protestant prisoner, you'd get exactly the same treatment for the same behaviour. I grew up in Ireland very conscious of people's religion. What's fascinating in New Zealand is I don't have that thought.
NZs would rather employ someone from overseas with generic qualifications than a trained NZr.? 4. How did you wind up working in forestry in Tokoroa?
New Zealanders are much more interested in your transferable skills than in the UK. I'd put my CV out and a bank offered me a job. I'd never worked in a bank but they said: "You've managed teams, budgets, significant projects and you've got a track record of delivery. That's 90 per cent of the job, the other 10 per cent you'll pick up." My eyes were completely opened. I'd always worked in health and never realised working in a different sector was possible. I wanted to develop my commercial skills so I went to Carter Holt Harvey.
Smart and firm, and good with systems and people management and logs.
6. By the age of 32 you were head of forestry operations for the central North Island. What was your toughest challenge?
The relationship between the Kinleith Pulp and Paper mill and forestry had been completely toxic for years, with both parties trying to get one over the other. So for about six months they were absolutely horrible to me. They sent me nasty emails and called me names. I was a monkey and they wanted to talk to the organ grinder. I'd go to meetings and there would be 15 of them and one of me but I just kept turning up and being nice. It's hard to fight someone who doesn't want to fight back, so eventually they had to change their behaviour.
Interesting. How the people with money work hard, and get their creds.
7. You then went to Switzerland to do an MBA with honours. Was it worthwhile?
It cost me $100,000 but it was worth every penny. It helped my confidence to be benchmarked with the best in the world. It's disappointing that I needed that, but I think subconsciously I did. Interestingly, there weren't many women on the course but they never put less than three women in a group. Research shows that if you have one woman in a group she becomes the princess, two women will collaborate or compete with each other, whereas three will result in normal group dynamics.
The mother of four runs Bupa (aged care homes till 2015) the country's largest aged-care home provider….
Sort of a rhetorical question. The government likes to think of Maori as being the big problem in NZ and pakeha and others being occasional problems. Of course they are bigger than their proportion of the popn.
Acc is not the same organisation it used to be it no longer put the people need first it puts it ballance.
The Australian elections was lost by Labour they were looking like winning for months and all ready counted his chicken not good.
The $320 million to combat domestic violence is a great start to fixing all the tamariki lives fixed. Poverty of THESE people is the driver behind domestic violence that's it but this is another ambulance at the bottom of the hill.???????? scenario.
Shane just because you are winning in this system what about the 80 %, of your whanau struggling is this system providing a good life for them its OKs you can put on your big hakari.
I watched all the Game of Thrones series its a Awsome movie series.
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
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Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
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Good morning all. Apologies for the delayed OM. Something went technically wrong, it appears.
From the looks of the URL, I'd guess some sort of rupture in the space-time continuum.
Did you ever watch Sapphire and Steel Andre?
I think that a short video series could be made about The Standard, under a different name of course such as Mattenklopper (carpet beater – but sounds funkier). It would be a mixture of Red Dwarf and the Time & Space approach seen in S&S. There are certainly plenty of characters to include, could even add aspects of Douglas Adams.
Just some scar tissue …
RIP Bob Hawke …
Best Labor and labour leader in Australasia.
A true country-transforming giant.
And also looked like he had a great time doing it.
we just don’t see politicians of his calibre any more. A true legend deserving of respect, whether you would of voted for him or not
… those were the days before the arrival of the 'pc plus' (plus for exaggerated preciousness) brigade. Sure, there was a lot wrong with society that needed to be corrected but, by and large, people could be themselves without fear of being called out for some imagined slight towards a person/persons on what imo are often spurious grounds.
https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/bob-hawke-president-of-the-actu-left-with-sir-peter-abels-news-photo/539999813
(AUSTRALIA OUT) Bob Hawke, President of the ACTU, left, with Sir Peter Abels, of Thomas National Transport, 26 August 1972.
A good photo of Bob Hawke when young with Sir Peter Abeles, of trucking firm TNT in Australia, an advisor and experienced businessman.
Edit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Abeles
…led the devastation left by World War II, and moved to Australia. After doing small business by selling books and clothing,[2] he quickly befriended George Rockey, a fellow Hungarian immigrant. The pair bought two trucks, which they named “Samson” and “Delilah,” and set up a transport company, “Alltrans.” In 1967, Alltrans merged with Thomas Nationwide Transport, and the combined companies became TNT Ltd…
In 1979 Abeles entered into an agreement with media mogul Rupert Murdoch to take over Ansett Transport Industries. He served as chief executive and joint managing director from 1982 until 1992. In September 1992 he left TNT to concentrate his efforts on the ailing Ansett, but just two months later he stepped down from the airline as well.
In addition to his work for TNT and Ansett, Abeles served on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and was chairman of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
Abeles was friends with Bob Hawke and during Hawke’s time as Prime Minister, Abeles was Hawke’s witness to the Kiribilli Agreement of 1988 in which he agreed to hand over the Prime Ministership to Paul Keating if and after Hawke had won the 1990 election.
This "good bloke" came to New Zealand in 1980 and expressed amusement at and contempt for our Saturday trading laws, which had not yet been "liberalized" like Australia's. That was an inkling that he was, despite being the head of ACTU, anything but a friend and ally of working people.
His cowardly and craven behaviour five years later, as Australian Prime Minister, after the Rainbow Warrior bombing, showed he was no friend of human rights protestors either.
Compare the wages of Australian and New Zealand workers, then tell us which political leaders have been their friends and allies over the last few decades. Tripartite bargaining initiated by Hawke is a huge part of that. He contributed far more than any armchair warrior.
What did you think of his support for U.S., French, Israeli and British nuclear weapons?
That they had no effect on workers' wages.
It seems that every western political leader gets the privilege of having their history whitewashed and their legacy's rehabilitated, just look at Reagan, or more recently McCain…
I also believe that the start of Sunday trading was the single worst loss of workers rights in NZ IMO.
honestly Morrissey, you are the most pedantic [person] on the internet.
are you saying Saturday trading shouldn’t be allowed? When do students work? After they’ve finished their studies each night?
Bob hawke oversaw the greatest advancement of workers rights and wage growth since the 50’s for the average worker in Australia. And all you can do is sniff about the fact he laughed at our fortress New Zealand antiquarian weekend trading laws.
I haven’t voted labour in a while. And I never will if you have anything to do with what labour should look like.
[deleted] oxygen thief. [deleted] All sensation and no substance
I also "sniffed" about his cowardice and depravity, viz. his failure to support New Zealand after the French state attacked us in 1985, and his support for U.S., British, French and Israeli nuclear terror.
"Sometimes I use a heuristic rule for some of the research that the material standard of living is only about 10 percent of what makes us happy."
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/what-do-we-mean-by-wellbeing
That's because happiness is totally overrated.
?
For the life of me, I can't understand what you mean, Ad.
I rate happiness highly. Am I overrating it?
its a societal construct that you need to free yourself from Robert.
Strive for unhappiness?
How might one do such a thing, Tuppence?
Perhaps I need to join the National Party?
Or if that's not enough, sign on to ACT?
Neochristian option looks better. Remember christians are born unhappy. Flagellation. Hair shirts. Original sin. Join Alfred & co!
So the best way to compete in the political arena is to morph the holier than thou traditional elitist stance into unhappier than thou. Winner gets to be closest to God, and unhappiest…
linking happiness to a political party? If that’s happiness just don’t vote
You are.
Endurance and satisfaction are far more useful in life.
Neither necessarily entail happiness.
One of the greatest 'gifts' my parents gave me was to state that "we just want you to be happy." If satisfaction, endurance and being useful bring you happiness, then go for it.
Perhaps stoicism will take us into the future.
The Stoics differentiated between 'good', 'bad', and 'indifferent' things. The good things include the cardinal virtues wisdom, justice, courage, and self-discipline. The bad things include the opposites of these virtues, namely the four vices folly, injustice, cowardice, and indulgence.
I like the ten principles. Ayn Rand can go suck.
https://www.njlifehacks.com/what-is-stoicism-overview-definition-10-stoic-principles/
Edit : #8 Amor Fati – Love Everything that Happens
😀 That is very bold. It would require taking on everything and accepting it with some resignation as ‘that’s life, you win some you lose some’ sort of thing. Which would take some gumption. I think there might be a good market for gumption if someone finds out how to bottle it.
Being happy – wouldn't it be nice if everyone could be happy. But happiness is a daft wish. As Ad says being satisfied is so much more satisfying.
Doris Day has just died. She sang this beautifully.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ifejRMVvg
Agreed, it would indeed be very nice if everyone could be happy.
Knowing that my daft parents wished me happiness was pretty magical – mind you, they might just have been saying that!
"That's because happiness is totally overrated."
As I have said before I don't normally recommend books as we all have our different tastes but I found this book a bit of a fun thing to read. "The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck" by Mark Manson
"Since last Friday, Honduras has been rocked by growing strikes and demonstrations by teachers, health care workers, high-school and university students and their supporters against legislation that facilitates budget cuts, mass firings and the privatization of public education and the healthcare system.
The government of Juan Orlando Hernández (known as JOH) —a continuation of the regime installed by a US-backed coup in 2009— mobilized riot police to repress protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and beatings.
Since the 2009 coup, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Honduran military budget has tripled, to a proportion of the GDP not seen since 1990. This doesn’t include hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from the Pentagon, which uses its military bases in Honduras as a launching platform for interventions across the region.
María Dilia Paz, a teacher demonstrating in Tegucigalpa on Monday, described her conditions to TeleSur, “We do everything we can to make ends meet. You know how the electrical service is, and if you are late one day they cut you off. Our children at times go with little food. They don’t get snacks because we don’t have any.”
The 65,000 teachers in the country get paid hourly wages at poverty levels—between $2.70 and $3.80 per hour of classes.
The think-tank on external debt Fosdeh has calculated that debt servicing will exceed 45 billion lempiras (US$1.85 billion) this year. This would amount to nearly a third of the total government budget.
The Finance Secretariat, calculates that business tax exemptions will amount to 37 billion lempiras ($1.5 billion) this year. Meanwhile, the average salary for the 132,000 workers making clothes, auto parts and other products at maquiladoras is $40 per week.
In other words, in the most unequal country of the Americas, billions are transferred each year from the wealth created by the working class to the financial and corporate elites through debt payments and tax exemptions, while more than 60 percent of the population lives in poverty."
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/02/hond-m02.html?fbclid=IwAR2zCKf2VDIJcR09lrNVc3du5In0CEpfdQjg4bX6XdbWQT3nXEn_omDYV-0
The government of Juan Orlando Hernández (known as JOH) —a continuation of the regime installed by a US-backed coup in 2009— mobilized riot police to repress protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and beatings.
I'm sure we'll see repeated screenings of the riot police on the TV News tonight, like they do for anything involving Venezuela. /sarc
Exactly right, it is of little wonder that there is so little buy in most main stream media, especially in respect to their international news, their selective narrative often ends up turning into straight out lies.
The president was born "the fifteenth of seventeen children". "He gained notoriety in Honduras when Liberal leader Rafael Pineda Ponce described him as a "cipote malcriado" (poorly raised kid)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Orlando_Hern%C3%A1ndez
Poor kids are often trouble-makers. In "the 2017 Honduran general election … Hernández was declared the winner by a narrow margin (0.5%), after a reelection campaign widely criticized as fraudulent".
"In late 2012, 1540 persons were interviewed by ERIC in collaboration with the Jesuit university, as reported by Associated Press. This survey found that 60.3% believed the police were involved in crime, 44.9% had "no confidence" in the Supreme Court, and 72% thought there was electoral fraud in the primary elections of November 2012. Also, 56% expected the presidential, legislative and municipal elections of 2013 to be fraudulent." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras
So Honduras & Venezuela seem similar in respect of cursory incorporation of democratic processes – failure to make them operate in an authentic efficient manner.
Wondered how long it would take for the "Oh. But Venezuela! " to rear it's head.
Many right wing States around there, which are true totalitarian Dictatorships, and failing, but the media ignores them.
I think it was an Oliver Stone movie, El Salvador, back in the eighties that made it all super-vivid. Those American nuns being raped & murdered by regime thugs (happened some years earlier in real life). But I read the Wikipedia page on Honduran politics earlier today and discovered the country has been run by two establishment parties since the 19th century. They even have proportional representation!
After apparent failures with the Conservatives, the new conservatives, the new new conservatives, the blue-greenish (not really) party, National are having another go at creating a puppet party to pretend they have friends
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12231733
So, another 0.1% polling ACT party with a gifted seat (assuming the good people of Botany show their sheep mentality and vote as their corporate masters ask them)
And looks like Ngaro will resign from the National Party, National won't invoke the Waka Jumping bill, Ngaro will create his new party and then stand in Botany next year at the election.
Bob McCoskrie supports the new party, with such glowing praise as:
You know you are onto a winner, when someone who should be a very enthusiastic supporter describes you as one would a turd…
Good analysis & I agree Vernon Tava's enterprise can be reasonably described as blue-green (not really) since perceptions prevail over reality nowadays.
"Family First's Bob McCoskrie has shared a podium with Ngaro on a number of occasions, as recently as this week. He says there's definitely a gap in the choice facing the voter wanting to cast their ballot for a morally conservative party."
I guess they'll be considering inviting Israel Folau to cross the ditch. John Key would be keen to support anyone called Israel, so it'd just be a question of which electorate to stand him in. Epsom?
I reckon the moral conservative vote is a goer – but would it pass the 4% mark set by the last such option? Ngaro taking Botany does of course negate the necessity to achieve the MMP threshold. McCoskrie ought to stand with him to demonstrate that he's willing to put his money where is mouth is. Fundies in parliament would be a source of inanities that could make the Nat leader look good by comparison.
Israel the name, Ngaro says he is a Zionist; young Israel is good looking, brown, sporting hero, appears to have integrity and appeals to the Real Man phalanx, would appeal to the diatribe (literally )of eager-beaver Brian T and his followers, appear to be a voice for the poor brown cuzzies not being offered much by Labour Coalition and feeling disillusioned, that's if they had previous illusions anyway – yes there are possibilities there.
Yeah, ticks all the boxes, eh? Someone ought to ask him if he wants to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond (Jesus called himself a fisher of men).
Good fishing theme there. He might have to watch that he doesn't get filleted by those Gnats. And we should beware that there isn't an evolution to piranha biting into our body politic.
Space pirates!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-space-pirates_n_5cdcfddfe4b0b4728ba30c72
Yes, this guy really was the GOP's runner-up in 2016.
Cruz was actually trying to make a decent point. Conflict in space is a real possibility, especially considering how vulnerable satellites are.
If someone is trying to make a decent point in an utterly ridiculous manner, is it still a decent point?
Yes, satellites are extremely vulnerable. If conflict does break out in space, Kessler Syndrome is a very real possibility that could make many of the most important orbits unusable.
It would be easy to launch a satellite-killer rocket to create massive clouds of debris, or launch an EMP nuke. Hell, North Korea is just one of many states that probably have the capability for both right now, even Rocket Lab has the launch capability but not the nuke. The time between launch and the shit seriously happening is mere minutes. Then there's all the opportunities for cybermalice against satellites.
Protection from all of that cannot come from military countermeasures against a launched rocket. It's simply not physically possible. It can only come from international agreement and co-operation. That is the reality that makes the idea of a "Space Force" for protecting satellites utterly ridiculous.
Here's a piece that gets into the topic in some detail. (big pdf)
https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jan/16/2002080386/-1/-1/1/190115-F-NV711-0002.PDF
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/389336/maori-make-up-more-than-over-40-percent-of-auckland-homeless-report
The Point In Time Count, organised by the Housing First Collective one night last September, spanned from Wellsford in the north, across to Waiheke Island and south to Waiuku.
Its findings show of the 800 people estimated to have been living without shelter that night, nearly 43 percent of were Māori, with a similar number of Māori living in temporary accommodation. Māori make up just 11 percent of Auckland's population.
I remember the closing of an Auckland caravan park because there were too many low income people who were taking drugs and involved in minor crime. Authorities have for too long not taken steps to ensure that the 'strugglers' have a place they can go to at night and be safe. Even if it was extremely simple but was a place where they would be safe, and they need to have their own room. Otherwise they can be attacked by their fellows while under the influence of whatever. It is too late for some of them to be restored to normality, but should be given consideration and experienced social workers able to keep an eye out for their conditions and opportunities.
Why Many Venezuelans Are Still Chavistas
lprent Did the search function get implemented again? It wasn't working this morning as I tried to search under greywarshark.
Truly, the moment of clarity is when one searches for oneself only to find nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing
🙂
I've just been looking at Simone de Beauvoir talk about philosophy. She would probably find that very meaningful?
Actually she was talking about man's purpose in the world and ended up sounding just like Ayn Rand as she said that his purpose is to find his purpose and make his life. Or I think she said that.
“Clarity is bliss, but bias is what we are.”
https://gapingsilence.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/on-bbc-partisanship/
So Zen …
Oz election tomorrow not looking good for ScoMo: "As for the polling, the Liberal/National coalition that governs Australia has been behind in pretty much every two-party poll against the Labor opposition throughout his tenure. You might recall, falling behind Labor in repeated polls was why the Liberals got rid of the last guy too. Among the minor parties, the Greens are looking at around a 10% share, and One Nation around 5%, under two variations of a single transferable vote system. That could get either the few seats needed to chip a coalition partner over the line." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/17-05-2019/will-it-be-scomo-or-shorten-what-to-watch-for-in-tomorrows-aussie-election/
"The racism in this election campaign has been more muted. Sydney Uni professor Mary Crock told RNZ that it might actually be that the Christchurch attacks have led to the wildly xenophobic rhetoric being toned down."
"Strangely for Australia, climate change and the environment has emerged as a major issue for many voters. Of course, parts of the country are in the grip of the worst droughts in living memory, the boiling hot bits of the country are getting even hotter, there are crazy floods, wildfires, big cyclones, the Great Barrier Reef is dying, and all the rest of it. But still, it’s unusual for Australia to actually notice that the land is trying to kill them – they’re just so used to it."
"And another climate change denying former PM, Tony Abbott, is facing defeat in his previously safe seat of Waringah. He might lose to a former Olympic skier called Zali Steggall, who is running as an independent largely on environmental issues."
bwaghorn
You were saying about forestry interests wiping out normal farming and the communities that exist rurally. I thought of you this morning when the interview was about that. Did you hear it?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/389401/fears-of-catastrophic-impact-of-prime-farmland-being-sold-for-forestry (detailed print report)
Audio: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018695488/forestry-gold-rush-underway-in-wairoa
Nz farmers can not compete against foreign buyers buying up our farm land so they can keep polluting. The irony is ove heard farmers are not allowed to plant their own trees on their own land to offset their emmisions.
Tell me more bw. What prevents them – is it Council rles, regional economic agency rules, is it no tax exemptions for land not profitable? I don't understand.
Good work these two. Great to see intelligent and socially minded farmers doing their bit and leading the way for their less caring and smart brethren.
Yes good, from what you say mm widening out in the business they know about. Still with cows, but in a more sustainable manner. And they say they were highly intensive dairying so hope that is in the past for their dairying now. Come back to a system where the cows are cared for animals not just money on hooves.
He also rejected talk of of the 'urban rural divide' as a media myth, labeling it "a crock of s…."
could not agree more with the guy. it is a media myth driven by some politican and 'stake holders' as it feeds their narrative.
How many young working class men and women are going to die for these crazy idiots in charge in the USA?
Any excuse for USA to meddle in other country's affairs. Shades of having to invade because of the production of Weapons of Mass Destruction. What are they trying to protect though – their own country is going to rack and ruin. Way to go world!
And that saying about the old grey men being generals sending the young ones off to be injured and die to further the schemes for advantage of the old.
I wouldn't mind so much it it were generals doing the sending. At least they lived it, even if they forget.
Bolton was another Vietnam evader, just like dolt45. One of the biggest US hawks for years – but only with other people's blood.
Unless you’ve done the service yourself you should have fuck all to do with starting wars.
The US has been gunning for Iran since the 70’s
Some generals are hawks (LeMay wanted to start WW3), but I have no time for Rambos like Bolton gaggin' for it.
Surprising how many chickenhawk hall of famers are still around.
http://www.awolbush.com/whoserved.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20110604160503/http://www.nhgazette.com/chickenhawks/
as many as they can sign up and if that does not work anymore they call the draft.
simple as that.
And chances are they have no issue going there. In saying that Senator Cotton of Arkansas – in my opinion someone who is very dangerous/smart/outwardly evangelic religious creep who might have a chance at the golden throne when the orange turd gets dispatched by the republican party (they will only keep him for as long as he serves their purpose) – said that it would need only two strikes, the first one and the last one.
Nukes, overwhelming air power, and every time someone says peep drop some more bombs.
no soldiers needed. none what so ever cause the bombs can be directed with a joy stick from anywhere.
https://twitter.com/FiringLineShow/status/1128393270458048512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1128407117487050757&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2019%2F5%2F14%2F1857682%2F–Sen-Tom-Cotton-suggests-war-with-Iran-would-be-a-cakewalk
Tell him, he is dreaming and get off the dope as well or whatever he's been smoking.
look him up.
He served in Iraq, he is a senator. He is not smoking, and he is deadly serious.
this is the thing with the current administration, everyone only focuses on teh orange shitshow, they do not focus on the men the orange fuckwit has surround himself with, the members of the senate that will sign any thing so as long as it serves them and 'owns' the libs and they have wanted to go to war with iran since Ayatolla Khomeni overthrew Mohammad Reza Sha Pahlavi and send him packing into exile. I watched that stuff go down life on TV, it was riveting.
And honestly they will drop a few bombs, and may i remind you that the only country to ever have used nukes is the US, and the orange turd asked why the US does not use them darn nukes. Also oil. Also elections. Also the tiny mushroom shaped penis needs something to feel big.
Prepare for a shitshow.
Yes i know who this muppet is, he is dreaming if airpower alone can win a land warfare and it can't no matter what you throw at it including a few cans of instant sunshrine then no one really wins unless you are into grow in the dark glass.
When I was still in the RAAF i did 3 papers at the RAAF Airpower Centre and where i upset a few silver spoons/Kunckle Heads/ knob jockeys who think like this clown that Land Base Airpower alone can win a war at Sea or on the Land and it can't as you still need boots on the ground or ships on the sea to exploit the opening that either Land or Sea based Airpower has achive. In other words Airpower is enabler which allows both Land and Sea power the room for freedom of maneuver to get on with the job.
Yes the Yanks have been waiting a long time to have a crack at Iran after what old mate did to their mate and especially the storming of the embassy and, what happen during their cock up with Op Eagle Claw.
I think "shit show" is going to an under statement by a country mile. No sure if you have seen my comments on this?
If you want a betting tip? start buying Oil Futures and Gold etc as i think the return is going to a awful lot better than the Stockmarket and also watch the rate of inflation go up with the price of oil (remember the two oil shocks). Remember what Winnie said during the last election about a possible down turn in the global economy next's term of government? Well looks like he was on the money.
oh i don't say they can win.
they could not win korea, vietnam, iraq and they will not win iran.
but they can wreak havoc, poison this planet, upset 1.5 billion muslims and fling all shit all over the planet and mike live misery for a few billion here and there. .
I am not the betting kind, and i am not an investor. I am lucky to have few wants, not many needs and had a good life so won't be missing much when the shitshow starts.
We are living in interesting times.
Peer to Peer they will shitted it in, but if the side hits the US weak points aka body bag count etc and goes to ground then we well see a rerun of Nam, Iraq and the Gan because they can't fight a COIN type of warfare and they really still haven't fully understood it either from top down. As they only know how to fight a Peer to Peer war and the way that dump takes advice they won't have a hope in hell. I think Phase 1 and possibly Phase 2 of the conflict would go according to plan, but after they have kick the door in then would get rather interesting to see if they have learnt anything IRT COIN warfare from Iraq and the Gan.
As Von Moltke the elder once said "No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" or in lay mans terms "No plan survives first contact with the enemy" and this less known one "Strategy is a system of expedients"
If they can't clear the house, but only clear a few rooms or only a few floors then they are screwed and god only knows what that means for the rest of us long term?
I'm sorry for throwing my betting tips (my black humor coming out hence why i'm back in PTSD ward again here in Sydney) in for a giggle when the RWNJ types start complaining about inflation and the cost of fuel etc.
I just hope the team can get the troops out of the MER including the UN members quickly if the shit hits the fan and say the training team mandate ends on the 30th of June. The sooner the better the Aus and NZ troops are out of that shit hole the better.
Yes, we are now living in interesting times and you are right about the muslims, they are going to go off like runaway .50cal HMG or like chain reaction in a nuclear weapon system going off aka the gift that keeps on giving as we called it on the CBRND Recon cse which i did about 10yrs ago.
Whatever he's been smoking has gone to his head or destroyed a few more brain cells that's if he any from the start with.
Anyway someone needs to tell this muppet (he actually reminds me of one the muppets) he is dreaming if all thinks that he just needs 120k troops to knock off Iran! He's going to need about 5x that number as kicking in the door is one thing, but holding on to the house is another thing.
Remember the Iraq war folks when the Yankie coalition invaded Iraq with too few troops during the invasion and during post invasion?
If this attack/ invasion into Iran does go ahead, its going to make Iraq and the Gan like a walk in the park. Remember the last time some joker decided to invade Iran and look what happen to him or poor old Jimmy after Op Eagle Claw.
David Seymour gets nasty and personal with Golriz, and Judith Collins calls him out:
https://twitter.com/JudithCollinsMP/status/1129150240718696453
numerology and methods of mass contractions.
This is a stunning turnaround, with an increase of almost 2000 on the last census, and we believe our method of calculation is one that could be spread out right across the country.
We have based our calculations on scientific analysis of volumetric data obtained via our sewerage plants, and extrapolated our pile of information to come up with an incredibly accurate and definitive population assumption.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/southland-top-stories/112795610/we-prefer-our-own-pile-of—-information
Sounds like just another farming smartarse from a small area with a large level of medium competence.
Although the methodology described would actually be workable, if one could factor in changing gastroenteritis levels or increased fibre in the average diet.
… or figs
"In a stern statement, the bank's board, headed by former prime minister Sir John Key, comes under fire for attesting to something which was not correct. "
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112033446/reserve-bank-censures-anz
the audacity…5 fucking years!
'
ANZ called the issue a "mistake", and expressed disappointment.
"Once the mistake was discovered, ANZ New Zealand promptly escalated the matter to its board and reported the issue to the Reserve Bank," ANZ said in a written statement.
Financial regulators are as much part of the industry as the financial institutions themselves…
Auditors and consultancies who operate in a compliance function are also part of the industry. They are paid by the banks to perform compliance functions…
God-DAMN it, who made this fool a Cabinet minister?
RNZ National, Friday 17 May 2019, 5:54 p.m.
Just heard a disastrous interview with Carmel Sepuloni on RNZ National. She came across as arrogant and evasive.
Was that the interview I heard which was a normal interview until the interviewer asked some questions to which Sepuloni said that that wasn't what she had come on to be interviewed about or had not agreed to be interviewed about?
The interviewer persisted and persisted while Sepuloni peripherally answered some bits and repeated saying it wasn't what she was there to answer questions on.
Sepuloni didn't come across as arrogant and evasive. She came across as naive. She should have repeatedly said she wasn't answering any question at all about the matter.
The interviewer was rude and arrogant. Ministers must be accountable but having protocols and working out what's reasonable and what's just smart-arse opportunism is obviously beyond you.
When the interviewer repeatedly asked what said she said she wouldn't talk to, Sepuloni should have either hung up or told the interviewer to fuck off. Then you would have been on here bitching about her being arrogant and evasive and calling for her to be sacked.
I agree with your opinion of Lisa Owen, the interviewer. I have scant respect for her. However, substandard journalists are a fact of life, and a competent politician has to be able to interact with them without making herself look incompetent—or, as you rightly put it in this case, naive.
I thought her refusal to answer the questions of the importuning Owen did make Sepuloni look both arrogant and evasive; she lacked the panache to put Owen in her place with authority.
Thinking about the Ministry for Vulnerable Children and Young People, Teenagers and their Families -Oranga Tamariki. Why does it have a Maori name? Is it supposed to seem friendly and culturally understanding to Maori? Why isn't it just a Ministry for Children as all are vulnerable when young? Is it meant to convey that parents and children do not receive any support unless they are classified as vulnerable? And why is that they are behaving in such a frightening way to Maori? If government want to provide a wrap-around service to help those who need it, then if they do their job properly, there would be no taking of babies away from mothers.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/389285/not-enough-mental-health-support-for-families-whose-children-are-taken-by-the-state
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/389007/mother-s-day-hui-to-discuss-oranga-tamariki-s-removal-of-newborn-babies
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018694569/children-s-commissioner-whole-of-nz-infected-with-racism
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/386072/oranga-tamariki-will-need-extra-resources-to-care-for-kids-longer
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018688988/oranga-tamariki-two-years-on-what-s-changed
The Chief Executive, Grainne Moss is Irish-born, UK, New Zealand. She was a champion swimmer. Fits my bias against sports people in areas where an understanding is required of the needs of large numbers of people who will be affected by executive decisions.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/media-release-ministry-vulnerable-children-oranga-tamariki-chief-executive-appointed
Mrs Moss will become the acting Chief Executive of the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki from 5 September 2016, initially part-time then full-time from 10 October 2016. She will then become Chief Executive for a five year term once the Ministry is formally established on 1 April 2017.
Mrs Moss doesn't seem to have trained or worked with children and is not from our culture. She has had a father who was a prison Governor. She has had the generic business background to manage a large department. But there is a need to actually have an interest and knowledge of social work and how to work with young people from impoverished backgrounds.
I hope her Catholic upbringing in Ireland will not lead to seeking the efficiency that was found suitable for those not proving acceptable to society who worked at the Magdalena laundries system which operated in the Irish social system right up till 1996.
An authoritarian background, on the austere side perhaps. 3. What did your parents teach you?
A very strong work ethic. Mum was head of a Catholic nursing home where I worked from age 16. She worked me pretty hard and showed no favouritism.
My father was governor of a prison with lots of IRA prisoners. As a Catholic working for the government, he had high security. At one point he had a bomb-alarmed car and bulletproof vest. But he had a reputation for very fair adjudicating. It didn't matter if you were a Catholic or a Protestant prisoner, you'd get exactly the same treatment for the same behaviour. I grew up in Ireland very conscious of people's religion. What's fascinating in New Zealand is I don't have that thought.
NZs would rather employ someone from overseas with generic qualifications than a trained NZr.? 4. How did you wind up working in forestry in Tokoroa?
New Zealanders are much more interested in your transferable skills than in the UK. I'd put my CV out and a bank offered me a job. I'd never worked in a bank but they said: "You've managed teams, budgets, significant projects and you've got a track record of delivery. That's 90 per cent of the job, the other 10 per cent you'll pick up." My eyes were completely opened. I'd always worked in health and never realised working in a different sector was possible. I wanted to develop my commercial skills so I went to Carter Holt Harvey.
Smart and firm, and good with systems and people management and logs.
6. By the age of 32 you were head of forestry operations for the central North Island. What was your toughest challenge?
The relationship between the Kinleith Pulp and Paper mill and forestry had been completely toxic for years, with both parties trying to get one over the other. So for about six months they were absolutely horrible to me. They sent me nasty emails and called me names. I was a monkey and they wanted to talk to the organ grinder. I'd go to meetings and there would be 15 of them and one of me but I just kept turning up and being nice. It's hard to fight someone who doesn't want to fight back, so eventually they had to change their behaviour.
Interesting. How the people with money work hard, and get their creds.
7. You then went to Switzerland to do an MBA with honours. Was it worthwhile?
It cost me $100,000 but it was worth every penny. It helped my confidence to be benchmarked with the best in the world. It's disappointing that I needed that, but I think subconsciously I did. Interestingly, there weren't many women on the course but they never put less than three women in a group. Research shows that if you have one woman in a group she becomes the princess, two women will collaborate or compete with each other, whereas three will result in normal group dynamics.
The mother of four runs Bupa (aged care homes till 2015) the country's largest aged-care home provider….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11492534
Why shouldn't it? Other ministries do.
Sort of a rhetorical question. The government likes to think of Maori as being the big problem in NZ and pakeha and others being occasional problems. Of course they are bigger than their proportion of the popn.
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/94dBVPpymac
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia ora Newshub.
Looks like a carbon pro government elected in Australia.
If you ignore a problem it goes away even though it is still unsolved Paddy.
Wow huge tornado in Missouri Nebraska and Kanzas that's global warming.
Rail is the most efficient way to to transport most goods less carbon and cost.
That's a cool exabishion of Scots base in Antarctica I'm taking a big interest in history now cool.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The AM Show.
Acc is not the same organisation it used to be it no longer put the people need first it puts it ballance.
The Australian elections was lost by Labour they were looking like winning for months and all ready counted his chicken not good.
The $320 million to combat domestic violence is a great start to fixing all the tamariki lives fixed. Poverty of THESE people is the driver behind domestic violence that's it but this is another ambulance at the bottom of the hill.???????? scenario.
Shane just because you are winning in this system what about the 80 %, of your whanau struggling is this system providing a good life for them its OKs you can put on your big hakari.
I watched all the Game of Thrones series its a Awsome movie series.
Ka kite ano