This Sunday marks the day in 1966 in South Vietnam where a company of Australian and New Zealand soldiers in a rubber plantation called Long Tan fought to hold off a force of two thousand Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. Kriv Stenders has made a movie about the men of D Company who had to battle against the odds for four hours in torrential rain. The film is Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
Here is probably on the best movies made on the conflict in Vietnam, and considered by many to be one of the best war movies overall….personally I would give that credit to Elem Klimov's Come and See (1985).
Cheers for the link, I'll listen to it when I'm out bush this week during my downtime while tidying up yard after the ministry of finance (wife) wanted a new flushing thunder box or in between fighting bush fires.
I'm hoping to catch the movie on the big screen when it comes to Darwin and not put it off as I did with movie "6 Days" a few yrs ago. From what I'm hearing atm the movie is pretty good from all accounts and it has impressed the yank movie critics etc.
It's a damn shame old Maurice Stanley the Kiwi FOO (Forward Observer Officer is not around anymore as he's after battle presentation on the Battle of Long Tan is worth listening too incl the lessons learnt from the Battle of Long Tan. Without him and his two signallers Willie Walker from the RNZAC and Murray Broomhall RNZA as Harry Smith's link back to the Dat and the Kiwi BC (battery Commander) incl his staff of NZ 161Bty in which ran/ Co-Ord all the Fire support and, Close Air support missions and the aerial resupply during the lull in the battle. They now without the Kiwi's it would've been a very different story for D Coy 6RAR and possible for the rest of the 1ATF at the Dat as the field defences of 1ATF hadn't been completed yet and wasn't fully up to strength IRT manpower either.
Heck even the US General Westmoreland and his staff were shitting bricks at was happening during the Battle of Long Tan from what I've read and have been told from a few vets of the Battle of Long Tan.
When MPs first turn up to Parliament they are often surprised at the incredibly varied demands of their jobs. And as their careers progress the skill demands change and increase. So who trains them to do those jobs? Parliamentary programme The House looks at new moves to upskill the people running the country.
Katherine Rich, Chair of the Parliamentary Education Charitable Trust and Girol Karacaoglu, head of the Victoria University School of Government Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Hi everybody – lovely day in Nelson though cool. I am putting up some interesting things from Radionz that are good.
This was interesting. It is wise to build relationships with China and build good business there, and at the same time ease off from the USA as we can.
This is NZ hypocrisy exposed, once again. Big on drugging really, and that is why it is hard to get appropriate controls on drugs, every time there must be some precious political time consumed deciding whether synthetic cannabis is all right but not something else. Always with alcohol being pushed. People allowed, almost encouraged to become addicted with RTDs being high alcohol. Just cut the hours for the bars down – make them get used to it, both the drinkers and the bars, normal closing at 11.30 and emptied by 12.30 am.
And they must have to apply for special licences limited to two a year or six for the area, to stay open till 1 am and be empty by 2.00 a.m. Moans and groans and concerns about lots of people milling about being more likely to become unmanageable will only happen rarely then.
This will save police and hospital time and safety and taxpayers paying out for the stupid and foolish and dissolute.
Perhaps we should all avoid being out at 3 am which seems to be the good time for violence! Trouble is that bring that down to 2 am – for this sort of premeditated attack any time at night would be good for the perps. To mount an attack they must be nearby sitting in a car/van and have someone follow the guy or gal in and monitor them and text or buzz when they move out. So a nasty feeling of background hate all the time if you are sensitive to that stuff.
“The article claimed that Mr Liu had fled to New Zealand from China and that he was returning to face corruption charges there, for which he could be executed and his organs harvested.
RNZ accepts that none of these statements were true.”
Everything about this guy just gets couriouser and couriouser
That is brilliant, you can be sure no one is going to be looking back on all the CGI that structures half the movies we see today with any kind of wonder.
I really wish someone of influence could get to Peter Jackson and say to him..'just because you can, doesn't mean you should ' before he ruins any more classic's with his appalling over the top CGI..yuk.
Anyone else at the All Blacks game last night, notice the chorus of boos that went out when our PM was announced. Not sure if those at home could hear it on the television, but I thought it was disgraceful. Never heard that for previous PMs, I do note however that she handled the handshake with far more competence than a certain previous PM…
You'll find I wasn't talking to you. I try not to.
But just what are you trying to say?
That the rabid right were booing the PM not because of their political views, but because they don't like her? What has she done outside politics that has made them so angry? Been successful? Had a baby?
If it was only the “rabid right” booing Ardern, the left is in serious trouble. Because from what I witnessed last night, they must have made up roughly 70% of the crowd. And as for your comment about me mentioning this here, where else am I meant to mention it, this is open mic.
You're right, it was probably only 68%…I dont know if you were there or not, but I was, and it was frankly embarrassing. I get some dislike Ardern, but acting like toddlers and booing someone representing us and doing her job is pathetic. You want her gone, vote for the other guy.
guessing they booed her because they don’t like what her government is doing.
At a guess. As for their political views – who knows only a moron would assume the views of an entire 50,000 person crowd (you being a perfect example of being said moron)
I would agree with MB that it was a very large %age of the crowd booing her.
That's right facts dont matter when they hurt your feelings. Ardern got booed by thousands, I think it was out of line and embarrassing and I was there. It was all over talk back this afternoon. I suppose you're a flat earther too? Since you havent actually seen the earth from space right moron?
Simon Bridges was at the rugby on Saturday night. He was constantly ridiculed and made fun of. Stuff like "Hoi Soimun" and "where's ya Slushy Soimun". His wife looked a bit embarrassed, but drunken rugby buffheads will always take the piss.
Jones said Scott Morrison should "shove a sock down the throat" of Jacinda Ardern.
Several advertisers have pulled sponsorship from his show. His employer, Macquarie Media, has issued a final warning about such comments. Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull have both condemned Jones, Turnbull calling him an "appalling misogynist" whose use of violent language against female politicians was disgraceful. Jones himself has been forced to apologise on air and in writing to the Prime Minister. Even Fiji hard-man, Frank Bainimarama, has slammed Jones.
Turnbull again, "I mean this is appalling language – and at a time when we are doing everything we can as a national priority to stamp out violence against women and children, you have this broadcaster who uses the language of violence against women as part of his regular rhetoric".
Yet this all seems to mean nothing to you, James, who is ever so quick to point the finger at commenters for not standing up to unacceptable speech. Or perhaps such speech directed at Jacinda Ardern is fine with you.
According to your own logic, you not condemning Jones the way politicians, advertisers and media both sides of the ditch and all over the Pacific have done means you endorse and agree with the latest utterances of that decrepit, far-right, woman hater.
With respect to a culture of violence against women, you sir appear to be part of the problem.
James has used the, "you didn't condemn x-behaviour/person, so that means you endorse/condone blah, blah" so many times that I find myself cheering Muttonbird on for his careful demolition of James's behaviour.
Robert – indeed I do do this – but I think you will find that I do this in regard to specific comments in a thread. – not normally to do with third party links
You must have read Muttonbird’s comment that you’re responding to yet you missed your opportunity to speak out and condemn the comments that Muttonbird was referring to!? Instead, you act all defensive and like a victim. BTW, your defence is pathetic IMHO.
Insulting, although well intended. They are aware of the WEAG report that recommended IMMEDIATE increase to benefits. But part of the answer is a very National sounding "budget advice".
"As part of our work on homelessness we are expanding the Sustaining Tenancies programme. It ensures that tenants who may be at-risk of losing their tenancy receive practical support to help them get back on track."
Let’s imagine….you are a landlord, your tenant is behind in rent but pleads with you to hold back on giving them notice because they are getting budgeting advice. Pleeze. They are out on their ear because they are too poor and too stressed to home. Any landlord with a modest level of experience will know it is far easier to get someone else in rather than set themselves up to be owed thousands more in arrears.
Here's a RNZ news link on the RNZAF's C130 Hec's and yes its amazing that the Erk's/ techo's have managed to keep flying or from falling out of the sky.
And yes "They get a lot of ridicule and not much in the way of praise but the RNZAF deserve a big hand for their work in the Pacific."
BZ, 40SQN and to 5SQN.
BTW, they also hold the record for the shortest possible landing at Dili Airport. in Timor Leste by a C130 and 40SQN hold's a number of other 1st places IRT to the C130 operations incl finding a Sub during a Fincastle Comp in-conjunction with the 5SQN boys when their P3 went tits up and the funny thing is that 5SQN ending up wining the Comp as well which piss off the other Commonwealth Crews.
A wee bit of useless information if you get bored or stumped for a silly question for Trivial night.
Check out this Twitter thread about a LL who asked to look through the tenants current property (not owned by LL, inspecting prior to accepting them as a tenant)
Exposing Australia's housing crisis | 60 Minutes Australia, screened this last week.
Because the world financial system is entering unknown territory, and our housing status isn't far from that in Australia, this 16 minute video makes for interesting viewing.
And dissolution of Parliament rather than proroguing it is a real possibility in the Tory's minds according to this article. Boorish the Rogue should be his nom-de-gloom. Gina Miller 18/8/19 businesswoman and transparency activist writing for The Guardian.
MPs won’t be forgiven if they fail to stop Boris Johnson’s Brexit ploy
…Unsaid in the letter, but streaming through it like shafts of light through a broken roof, Johnson’s plan of action – doubtless guided by the arch-Brexiter svengali Dominic Cummings – is clearly to call an election and dissolve parliament as soon as the beginning of next month, with polling at some point after the existing Brexit day of 31 October.
He is gambling everything on Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity and a public which, at that point, will have yet to experience the full force of no-deal economic headwinds. He may even hold a pre-Brexit budget to lull the public into a false sense of security, bribing them with their own money, through a splurge of new spending promises and tax cuts funded by an increase in the national debt…
Our unwritten constitution has always been based on the assumption that no one as unscrupulous as Johnson or his chief adviser would ever come to reside in 10 Downing Street, but that is what we now have to face up to. A general election on their terms and timetable would guarantee their sacred no-deal Brexit, and assure him five years in office in which to turn the UK into a laboratory for experimenting with the most extreme rightwing ideology we have ever seen.
Brexit is their cloak to disguise political ambitions to change our country. Surrounded by individuals set on putting a torch to the old order, they are using propaganda to set the people against parliament and create chaos out of which will emerge a survivalist economy…
Poll after poll has shown that a no-deal Brexit is emphatically not what the public wants – whatever the Leave campaign-staffed No 10 press office may tell lobby correspondents. For all Dominic Raab’s protests, it was never the way Brexit was sold in the referendum of 2016. And keep in mind these two statistics: Johnson came into office with his talk of “do or die” Brexit on the back of just 92,153 Tory members’ votes. By contrast, more than 6.1 million citizens have signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked.
There was a saying that a UK person's home was their castle. Which was apparently about security of tenure and respect for the individual's property. What about your face? Does that belong to you? Would you allow people to have a mask of your face and wear it wherever they and you go, you could get trouble coming to you that they caused. Facial recognition is rife in the UK and has been for some time, done in secret and by private companies rather than official authorities.
"If Fonterra wants to recover from this low point in its history and thrive it needs a bold new and practical strategy, not a tidy up of its failed one. The obvious opportunity is to become one of the world’s leading exponents of dairy farming that’s healthy for the planet, while producing dairy nutrition that’s healthier for people.
Currently, that’s an oxymoron. Dairying is an extractive industry that always damages the climate, and often land and water too, unless it is done exceptionally well. But dairy farmers mustn’t feel picked on. Many ways we produce food globally are as damaging or worse, as a growing body of research details."
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
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ExKiwiForces this would interest you.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018709193/kriv-stenders-the-battle-of-long-tan
Kriv Stenders: The Battle of Long Tan Listen duration 10′ :04″
From Sunday Morning, 7:23 am today
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This Sunday marks the day in 1966 in South Vietnam where a company of Australian and New Zealand soldiers in a rubber plantation called Long Tan fought to hold off a force of two thousand Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. Kriv Stenders has made a movie about the men of D Company who had to battle against the odds for four hours in torrential rain. The film is Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
Here is probably on the best movies made on the conflict in Vietnam, and considered by many to be one of the best war movies overall….personally I would give that credit to Elem Klimov's Come and See (1985).
La 317ème section, Pierre Schoendoerffer (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6W9gPk00Cw&list=PL7c2UdvNJusR4-jy6BSap03_8A1VuJ5dn
Come and See – (1985)
Haven't seen these two and thank you for the heads up.
Cheers for the link, I'll listen to it when I'm out bush this week during my downtime while tidying up yard after the ministry of finance (wife) wanted a new flushing thunder box or in between fighting bush fires.
I'm hoping to catch the movie on the big screen when it comes to Darwin and not put it off as I did with movie "6 Days" a few yrs ago. From what I'm hearing atm the movie is pretty good from all accounts and it has impressed the yank movie critics etc.
It's a damn shame old Maurice Stanley the Kiwi FOO (Forward Observer Officer is not around anymore as he's after battle presentation on the Battle of Long Tan is worth listening too incl the lessons learnt from the Battle of Long Tan. Without him and his two signallers Willie Walker from the RNZAC and Murray Broomhall RNZA as Harry Smith's link back to the Dat and the Kiwi BC (battery Commander) incl his staff of NZ 161Bty in which ran/ Co-Ord all the Fire support and, Close Air support missions and the aerial resupply during the lull in the battle. They now without the Kiwi's it would've been a very different story for D Coy 6RAR and possible for the rest of the 1ATF at the Dat as the field defences of 1ATF hadn't been completed yet and wasn't fully up to strength IRT manpower either.
Heck even the US General Westmoreland and his staff were shitting bricks at was happening during the Battle of Long Tan from what I've read and have been told from a few vets of the Battle of Long Tan.
It was a very close run indeed.
Hearing about what training for political life is availabe to MPs was a bracer for me.
7.32 The House http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house
When MPs first turn up to Parliament they are often surprised at the incredibly varied demands of their jobs. And as their careers progress the skill demands change and increase. So who trains them to do those jobs? Parliamentary programme The House looks at new moves to upskill the people running the country.
Katherine Rich, Chair of the Parliamentary Education Charitable Trust and Girol Karacaoglu, head of the Victoria University School of Government Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Audio for above https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018708709/mps-head-back-to-school
Hi everybody – lovely day in Nelson though cool. I am putting up some interesting things from Radionz that are good.
This was interesting. It is wise to build relationships with China and build good business there, and at the same time ease off from the USA as we can.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018708828/disappearing-students-how-nz-is-wasting-opportunities-with-our-chinese-graduates
Thank you grey.
Fighting on the streets in Queenstown at 3 am. What is the bet that these had been drinking alcohol in bars? If they had been sitting in bars drinking coffee and listening to music and chatting or singing it would have been unlikely to end like this.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396937/two-injured-in-serious-assault-in-queenstown
This is NZ hypocrisy exposed, once again. Big on drugging really, and that is why it is hard to get appropriate controls on drugs, every time there must be some precious political time consumed deciding whether synthetic cannabis is all right but not something else. Always with alcohol being pushed. People allowed, almost encouraged to become addicted with RTDs being high alcohol. Just cut the hours for the bars down – make them get used to it, both the drinkers and the bars, normal closing at 11.30 and emptied by 12.30 am.
And they must have to apply for special licences limited to two a year or six for the area, to stay open till 1 am and be empty by 2.00 a.m. Moans and groans and concerns about lots of people milling about being more likely to become unmanageable will only happen rarely then.
This will save police and hospital time and safety and taxpayers paying out for the stupid and foolish and dissolute.
Fighting in the streets of London at 3am.
Owen Jones targeted by the far right
Perhaps we should all avoid being out at 3 am which seems to be the good time for violence! Trouble is that bring that down to 2 am – for this sort of premeditated attack any time at night would be good for the perps. To mount an attack they must be nearby sitting in a car/van and have someone follow the guy or gal in and monitor them and text or buzz when they move out. So a nasty feeling of background hate all the time if you are sensitive to that stuff.
so they came for the immigrants, now they're going for the columnists.
Sunday WTH? Moment
UN report claims "dozens" of NZers seeking asylum. The mind boggles.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396928/new-zealanders-seeking-asylum-abroad-un-report
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018705590/can-new-zealand-s-mental-health-crisis-be-cured
Maybe new New Zealanders who didn't feel like being honourkilled.
Isn't one of them Suzie Dawson?
Well, who wouldn't seek asylum if they had holes appearing their ceiling.
Holy crap! I am sheltered, apparently
Right o, so WTF went on here then….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396938/retraction-and-apology-to-donghua-liu-for-untrue-statements
“The article claimed that Mr Liu had fled to New Zealand from China and that he was returning to face corruption charges there, for which he could be executed and his organs harvested.
RNZ accepts that none of these statements were true.”
Everything about this guy just gets couriouser and couriouser
Before CGI film makers were clever.
https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/1161281250650480643
That is brilliant, you can be sure no one is going to be looking back on all the CGI that structures half the movies we see today with any kind of wonder.
I really wish someone of influence could get to Peter Jackson and say to him..'just because you can, doesn't mean you should ' before he ruins any more classic's with his appalling over the top CGI..yuk.
Further sadness re the planet and animals.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/396929/famous-dugong-dies-after-eating-plastic
They are similar to manatees which also are having a hard time.
https://phys.org/news/2019-07-manatee-deaths-watercraft-pace-florida.html
Anyone else at the All Blacks game last night, notice the chorus of boos that went out when our PM was announced. Not sure if those at home could hear it on the television, but I thought it was disgraceful. Never heard that for previous PMs, I do note however that she handled the handshake with far more competence than a certain previous PM…
I was there and heard it.
Got to say – don’t like her and think that this government is a joke – but the booing behaviour was unacceptable.
Yeah, lots of right wing nut jobs in the crowd.
Interesting that you'd comment on it here…
Amusingly – you assume people booed because of their political views as opposed to their views on Jacinda.
More amusing that you find it interesting that I would comment on it in a political blog.
I guess you are just easily impressed.
You'll find I wasn't talking to you. I try not to.
But just what are you trying to say?
That the rabid right were booing the PM not because of their political views, but because they don't like her? What has she done outside politics that has made them so angry? Been successful? Had a baby?
Wearing your England shirt last night, were you?
If it was only the “rabid right” booing Ardern, the left is in serious trouble. Because from what I witnessed last night, they must have made up roughly 70% of the crowd. And as for your comment about me mentioning this here, where else am I meant to mention it, this is open mic.
You're claiming 70% of a 48K crowd were booing the Prime Minister? An event which didn't make the news.
Delusional.
You're right, it was probably only 68%…I dont know if you were there or not, but I was, and it was frankly embarrassing. I get some dislike Ardern, but acting like toddlers and booing someone representing us and doing her job is pathetic. You want her gone, vote for the other guy.
This obviously confirms that Ardern is the most despised PM we've had in modern times…
Obv that’s not the case (yet) but could be representative of the reason her popularity has dropped so much since April to July.
Biccymoyle I'd imagine a labour pm would get a similar reception at a fair few places full of welloff drunks.
guessing they booed her because they don’t like what her government is doing.
At a guess. As for their political views – who knows only a moron would assume the views of an entire 50,000 person crowd (you being a perfect example of being said moron)
I would agree with MB that it was a very large %age of the crowd booing her.
I think you and Mickey Boyle imagined it, and if there was booing it was just you and your boof-head friends.
That's right facts dont matter when they hurt your feelings. Ardern got booed by thousands, I think it was out of line and embarrassing and I was there. It was all over talk back this afternoon. I suppose you're a flat earther too? Since you havent actually seen the earth from space right moron?
Simon Bridges was at the rugby on Saturday night. He was constantly ridiculed and made fun of. Stuff like "Hoi Soimun" and "where's ya Slushy Soimun". His wife looked a bit embarrassed, but drunken rugby buffheads will always take the piss.
You were there and saw this ?
I assume that you would be ok with people talking to Jacinda in the same manner ?
Yes I was there and saw this.
No, verbal abuse is never ok. You should know that James.
i do. That’s why I didn’t boo Jacinda along with the 000’s of people who did.
James, the head of your pin is very small.
He's got it the wrong way around, hence his hippy-hoppity behaviour.
James, you aren’t virtue-signalling, are you?
No.
Thanks for asking.
Have you condemned right wing shock jock Alan Jones for his misogynistic rant the other day?
I love how when people say things about Jacinda what lefties don’t like – they run right to the misogynistic card.
Predictable and weak.
Those people you mention, James: any of them say misogynistic things?
Alan Jones, does he say misogynistic things, do you know?
not necessarily Robert.
And I haven’t read the full Alan Jones column- I know it was far from complementary but have no idea if it was misogynistic or not.
I do think he has a point about the holier then thou “woke” comments however.
Perhaps muttonbirdbrain could point out the misogynistic comments he takes offence to?
"muttonbirdbrain"?
I see where you're coming from, James.
There are coloured swings and slides there and rubber safety-matting.
He's a bit of a pizzlenoggin though isn't he jimbo.
Jones said Scott Morrison should "shove a sock down the throat" of Jacinda Ardern.
Several advertisers have pulled sponsorship from his show. His employer, Macquarie Media, has issued a final warning about such comments. Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull have both condemned Jones, Turnbull calling him an "appalling misogynist" whose use of violent language against female politicians was disgraceful. Jones himself has been forced to apologise on air and in writing to the Prime Minister. Even Fiji hard-man, Frank Bainimarama, has slammed Jones.
Turnbull again, "I mean this is appalling language – and at a time when we are doing everything we can as a national priority to stamp out violence against women and children, you have this broadcaster who uses the language of violence against women as part of his regular rhetoric".
Yet this all seems to mean nothing to you, James, who is ever so quick to point the finger at commenters for not standing up to unacceptable speech. Or perhaps such speech directed at Jacinda Ardern is fine with you.
According to your own logic, you not condemning Jones the way politicians, advertisers and media both sides of the ditch and all over the Pacific have done means you endorse and agree with the latest utterances of that decrepit, far-right, woman hater.
With respect to a culture of violence against women, you sir appear to be part of the problem.
James has used the, "you didn't condemn x-behaviour/person, so that means you endorse/condone blah, blah" so many times that I find myself cheering Muttonbird on for his careful demolition of James's behaviour.
Robert – indeed I do do this – but I think you will find that I do this in regard to specific comments in a thread. – not normally to do with third party links
Very well said, cleanly, fairly, accurately.
You did see where I clearly said I hadn’t read it right?
So you want me to condem comments I haven’t read?
You must have read Muttonbird’s comment that you’re responding to yet you missed your opportunity to speak out and condemn the comments that Muttonbird was referring to!? Instead, you act all defensive and like a victim. BTW, your defence is pathetic IMHO.
Hippity-hoppity.
Jones needs to take his cock out of his mouth IMHO.
That sounds analogous to a Möbius strip in some kind of very disturbingly weird way.
Wasn't there a thing where John Key walked around a rugby field and got booed by the crowd, then got surroiunded by suckups in the corporate box?
Call that walking?
This might create a real upset. One Nation will oppose ScoMo cash ban
Insulting, although well intended. They are aware of the WEAG report that recommended IMMEDIATE increase to benefits. But part of the answer is a very National sounding "budget advice".
"As part of our work on homelessness we are expanding the Sustaining Tenancies programme. It ensures that tenants who may be at-risk of losing their tenancy receive practical support to help them get back on track."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115087754/government-annouces-54-million-for-homelessness-initiatives
Let’s imagine….you are a landlord, your tenant is behind in rent but pleads with you to hold back on giving them notice because they are getting budgeting advice. Pleeze. They are out on their ear because they are too poor and too stressed to home. Any landlord with a modest level of experience will know it is far easier to get someone else in rather than set themselves up to be owed thousands more in arrears.
They get a lot of ridicule and not much in the way of praise but the RNZAF deserve a big hand for their work in the Pacific.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/08/air-force-orion-s-chance-encounter-saves-18-lives.html
This search/rescue/patrol capability is vital and I think a core duty of New Zealand as a developed economy in the region.
The P8s should help establish an important presence for us in our region of responsibility.
Here's a RNZ news link on the RNZAF's C130 Hec's and yes its amazing that the Erk's/ techo's have managed to keep flying or from falling out of the sky.
And yes "They get a lot of ridicule and not much in the way of praise but the RNZAF deserve a big hand for their work in the Pacific."
BZ, 40SQN and to 5SQN.
BTW, they also hold the record for the shortest possible landing at Dili Airport. in Timor Leste by a C130 and 40SQN hold's a number of other 1st places IRT to the C130 operations incl finding a Sub during a Fincastle Comp in-conjunction with the 5SQN boys when their P3 went tits up and the funny thing is that 5SQN ending up wining the Comp as well which piss off the other Commonwealth Crews.
A wee bit of useless information if you get bored or stumped for a silly question for Trivial night.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396934/hercules-fleet-it-s-amazing-they-ve-managed-to-keep-them-flying
Check out this Twitter thread about a LL who asked to look through the tenants current property (not owned by LL, inspecting prior to accepting them as a tenant)
https://twitter.com/becs355/status/1162494593285230592
that's pretty fucked up. #culturechange
Exposing Australia's housing crisis | 60 Minutes Australia, screened this last week.
Because the world financial system is entering unknown territory, and our housing status isn't far from that in Australia, this 16 minute video makes for interesting viewing.
Boorish and the best lot of hogwash you have heard in a long time. With a background of angels and promises to high heaven.
https://www.indy100.com/article/brexit-news-latest-boris-johnson-vision-for-britain-video-reaction-9062441
And dissolution of Parliament rather than proroguing it is a real possibility in the Tory's minds according to this article. Boorish the Rogue should be his nom-de-gloom. Gina Miller 18/8/19 businesswoman and transparency activist writing for The Guardian.
MPs won’t be forgiven if they fail to stop Boris Johnson’s Brexit ploy
…Unsaid in the letter, but streaming through it like shafts of light through a broken roof, Johnson’s plan of action – doubtless guided by the arch-Brexiter svengali Dominic Cummings – is clearly to call an election and dissolve parliament as soon as the beginning of next month, with polling at some point after the existing Brexit day of 31 October.
He is gambling everything on Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity and a public which, at that point, will have yet to experience the full force of no-deal economic headwinds. He may even hold a pre-Brexit budget to lull the public into a false sense of security, bribing them with their own money, through a splurge of new spending promises and tax cuts funded by an increase in the national debt…
Our unwritten constitution has always been based on the assumption that no one as unscrupulous as Johnson or his chief adviser would ever come to reside in 10 Downing Street, but that is what we now have to face up to. A general election on their terms and timetable would guarantee their sacred no-deal Brexit, and assure him five years in office in which to turn the UK into a laboratory for experimenting with the most extreme rightwing ideology we have ever seen.
Brexit is their cloak to disguise political ambitions to change our country. Surrounded by individuals set on putting a torch to the old order, they are using propaganda to set the people against parliament and create chaos out of which will emerge a survivalist economy…
Poll after poll has shown that a no-deal Brexit is emphatically not what the public wants – whatever the Leave campaign-staffed No 10 press office may tell lobby correspondents. For all Dominic Raab’s protests, it was never the way Brexit was sold in the referendum of 2016. And keep in mind these two statistics: Johnson came into office with his talk of “do or die” Brexit on the back of just 92,153 Tory members’ votes. By contrast, more than 6.1 million citizens have signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/18/boris-johnson-brexit-ploy-extreme-rightwing-ideology-gina-miller
What could possibly go wrong with this pair at the helm.
https://twitter.com/brexit_sham/status/1162817313189576704
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-08-16/brexit-architect-cummings-has-radical-no-deal-plans
heh
https://twitter.com/mikegalsworthy/status/1162718929485205504
There was a saying that a UK person's home was their castle. Which was apparently about security of tenure and respect for the individual's property. What about your face? Does that belong to you? Would you allow people to have a mask of your face and wear it wherever they and you go, you could get trouble coming to you that they caused. Facial recognition is rife in the UK and has been for some time, done in secret and by private companies rather than official authorities.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/18/facial-recognition-is-now-rampant-implications-for-our-freedom-are-chilling
Stephanie Hare 18/8/2019 The Guardian
Cracking cover.
Rod Oram considers Fonterra.
"If Fonterra wants to recover from this low point in its history and thrive it needs a bold new and practical strategy, not a tidy up of its failed one. The obvious opportunity is to become one of the world’s leading exponents of dairy farming that’s healthy for the planet, while producing dairy nutrition that’s healthier for people.
Currently, that’s an oxymoron. Dairying is an extractive industry that always damages the climate, and often land and water too, unless it is done exceptionally well. But dairy farmers mustn’t feel picked on. Many ways we produce food globally are as damaging or worse, as a growing body of research details."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/08/18/756988/fonterra-last-chance#