An economist was speaking on RNZ this morning about how everything was pretty spiffy for NZ this coming year and I thought “what planet is he on and who is paying him to say such rubbish”. Just the same old same old coming out of RNZ morning news for the coming year methinks.
Good luck with John Campbell though, looking forward to listening to him again.
Chris Tennent Brown is the Chief Economist for the ASB.
He appears utterly delusional.
It’s as if the ‘concerning backdrop’ of collapsing oil prices, container ships stationery, the Chinese economy imploding and world stocks sliding 20%’ is just irrelevant.
As soon as he said, ‘this sort of stuff happens fairly regularly’, I know he was on the radio to spin some bs for the banks. They are probably buying some time to sell off some of their own stock.
Did you notice that the RNZ’s business editor, Gyles Beckford, did not challenge any of the myths that the banker said?
Not one assumption that was challenged.
It’s as if Chris Tennent Brown was spouting the gospel that could not be questioned.
RNZ… an echo chamber for neo-liberal baking ideology.
Look like Chris ‘this sort of stuff happens fairly regularly’, Tennent Brown was wrong……
‘NZ shares open week sharply down
The New Zealand share market fell sharply in the opening minutes of trade this morning in response to weakness on the major markets last week, driven by ongoing concerns about the China’s economy and extremely low oil prices.
After 10 minutes of trading, the benchmark NZX50 index was down 85 points or 1.3 per cent at 6084.7.
The market has started 2016 on a weak note after finishing 2015 at a record 6324.26, and with the index having rallied by 13.2 per cent over the December quarter alone.
“Financial institutions were hit pretty hard in the overseas markets and that’s started to flow through there,” Forsyth Barr equity analyst James Bascand said.’
Gulf shares in free fall after oil rout, Iran deal
Kuwait City (AFP) – Share prices in the energy-rich Gulf states nosedived Sunday following the sharp decline in oil prices as Iran prepares to resume crude exports after the lifting of sanctions.
The plunge in the first day of trading in the Muslim week also follows heavy losses in global bourses on Friday, when Gulf exchanges were closed for the weekend.
The price of oil, which contributes more than 80 percent to Gulf states’ revenues, shed more than 20 percent this year to drop below $30 a barrel. This follows a plunge of 65 percent in the past two years.
The expected return of Iran to the oil market, following the implementation Saturday of its historic nuclear deal with world powers, will only worsen the production glut that has been the main reason for the oil price dive.
All seven Gulf bourses saw a wave of panick selling, sending indices to multi-year lows.’
9/11
Clearly there was a conspiracy, based on its definition.
It is clearly a conspiracy theory to believe that Obama Bin Laden organised 20 people to hijack 4 planes and bring down the Twin Towers.
conspiracy
kənˈspɪrəsi/Submit
noun
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
“a conspiracy to destroy the government”
synonyms: plot, scheme, stratagem, plan, machination, cabal;
Calling something a conspiracy theory is basically an intellectual scarlet letter. It’s a way of dismissing something you don’t like, of placing something outside the bounds of reasonable discourse. “That’s just a conspiracy theory” is a depressingly effective way of getting someone to plug their ears and turn their brains off.
I’m not sure why you point this out. Of course any concerted action by a group of people to achieve a particular end could be descibed as a ‘conspiracy’. What the term is generally used for in common parlance is to descibe complicated and secretative planning and actions by shadowy and ill defined groupings.
No that is only the way it is used by the likes of establishment types who fear for their own positions.
John Key, for example, conspires every single day, as does every politician and government, yet he has the gall to admonish others for conspiring to achieve ends.
He’s not admonishing anyone there for conspiring to achieve ends. He is stating the belief that he is attempting to do so in relation to the appointment of Ian Fletcher is a conspiracy theory.
Quite possibly correct but that is not that the same as admonishing others for conspiring to achieve ends which is what was alledged he did all the time.
Except your suggested use of the term is so broad as to make the term almost meaningless as it would mean ANY organised plan and action to achieve that plan could be classified as a conspiracy. The term only becomes useful when it is applied to a specific situation involving shadowy or ill defined people attempting to implement secret plans. These can be either real or imagined.
‘Calling something a conspiracy theory is basically an intellectual scarlet letter. It’s a way of dismissing something you don’t like, of placing something outside the bounds of reasonable discourse. “That’s just a conspiracy theory” is a depressingly effective way of getting someone to plug their ears and turn their brains off.’
ENVIRONMENTAL info:
On battery recycling – in the USA – from Google site. What do we do here with the millions of small batteries like the ones I am about to throw out? I will make enquiries first but I understand that they can be thrown in with ordinary rubbish when just a few, but any more, that creates a pocket of toxic stuff and they need to be handled separately. But I don’t know of anything like the USA system. We are so laid-back aren’t we, preferably on sun loungers, and we don’t bother with recycling many types of stuff because it’s not cost effective and the government might have to pay something to keep our environment as healthy as is possible. Too kostly.
http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/disposable.html
Recycling. Here’s another reason not to use alkalines: They’re harder to recycle than rechargeable batteries. Alkalines aren’t nearly as hazardous as NiCd’s, but they do contain useful metals, and it’s better for those metals to be reclaimed by recycling rather than strip-mining mountains.
In Europe recycling is easy—every store that sells batteries must take them back for recycling too. In the U.S. it’s tougher: while recycling for NiMH, NiZn, and NiCd is widespread (see RBRC), there just aren’t nearly as many places to recycle alkalines. That’s because the process just isn’t as cost-effective for the recyclers. A handful of retailers collect do collect them, though I don’t know of any who collect them at all their nationwide stores.
For most of us, that means our only option is to mail them to a recycling company, as well as pay a small fee to that company. I hope retailers who read this will start offering to collect alkalines from their customers as an extra service, and then ship the batteries to the recyclers by freight.
In California, all batteries are considered hazardous materials, so they can’t just be thrown in the trash. Check with your county government about collection facilities in your area.
Alkalines used to have a fair amount of toxic mercury, but Congress banned mercury in batteries except in trace amounts starting in 1996. (There’s an exception for button batteries, the circular kind that go in watches and calculators, which can still have mercury. Radio Shack accepts those for recycling.)
We really do need a law that ensures that all product is recycled. Sure, it will push the price up and may result in people using less of it but that’s actually what the pricing mechanism is for.
People who say that we shouldn’t have to do this are saying that we shouldn’t have to pay the full price thus negating the purpose of the pricing mechanism.
Instead of wasting time and effort attempting to disrupt the signing and ratification of the TPPa why don’t anti-TPPA people simply direct their efforts to promoting parties that will withdraw from the agreement if they gain control of the government benches?
The talks are going out to the burbs and regions in Wellington. We’ve got talks organised by TPP Free Wellington in Otaki, Newtown, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and in Johnsonville we are lucky enough to get guest speaker, Fletcher Tabuteau from NZ First. That one is at the Uniting Church in Dr Taylor Tce, J Ville, 7pm, Wednesday, 20th Jan.
I can’t find on online source for the dates and venues but if you live in any of those areas and want to attend, let me know and I can get the info out of my inbox.
I figure thats the responsibility of TPP Free Wellington, who I’m not involved with. I suspect they work closely with It’s Our Future anyway, going by the discussions I’ve had with one of the group.
We live in a representative democracy where we elect MP’s to represent our views. National campaigned on support for the TPPA at the last election and won enough votes to form a government. Therefore there is nothing undemocratic about the TPPA being ratified. If you wish to change the electoral system then campaign for it but don’t claim what we have is undemocratic.
I want international trade to have structure and rules so that the strong do not screw the weak. Whilst not perfect the TPPA goes a long way to allow this. The alternative is each nation jiust doing what is in their own best interests and smaller nations like NZ get shafted.
I want international trade to have structure and rules so that the strong do not screw the weak. Whilst not perfect the TPPA goes a long way to allow this.
The TPPA goes a long way to entrenching the power of the corporations over the people so, according to you, you should be opposing it with every fibre of your being.
The alternative is each nation jiust doing what is in their own best interests and smaller nations like NZ get shafted.
False dichotomy and NZ will be thoroughly shafted under the TPPA.
National was quite clear during the 2014 election campaign that they would sign TPP. They were easily able to form the government following the election.
Therefore the government has a democratic mandate.
In contrast the idea, promoted by Byran Gould and others, that the GG should seriously entertain a petition to not sign any laws required to implement the TPP is highly undemocratic.
If you want to change things all you have to do is get a govt elected that would withdraw from TPP. If people are as angry as you say that should not be too difficult.
Apparently the results of an election in a representative democracy such as NZ means nothing to hard core leftists like Draco. It is as if they think the elections only allow the party that wins to form the government but the policies they have to implement need to be assent4ed to individually.
It is as if they think the elections only allow the party that wins to form the government but the policies they have to implement need to be assent4ed to individually.
Don’t think that at all. I don’t think parliament should be government at all. Parliament should not be able to do whatever they like and need to be constrained to what the people want.
Doing it the way you and Wayne want gives us a dictatorship and not a democracy.
Instead of wasting the people’s time and resources whoring for foreign corporations, why doesn’t John the Traitor Key do what New Zealanders want for a change. We are a democracy – what we want is John’s job. And he’s absolutely useless at it. No growth, no jobs, no brains, no guts, no morals – and hordes of moran supporters.
Quote: The Big Six point out that they buy their fuel over extended periods, evening out fluctuations. But last summer the Competition Commission concluded that they were overcharging households by a staggering £1.2bn a year. An unofficial survey suggests it is now almost £3bn.
You would expect top-level outrage, wouldn’t you? But the Prime Minister merely said last week that bills were “not falling as fast as I would like”. Admittedly, an inquiry is due shortly to propose ways to increase competition, but the Government’s real ire has been reserved for comparatively blameless renewables.
Since the election, ministers have implemented, or announced, at least nine measures to restrict them, from ending subsidies for onshore wind to scrapping targets for zero-carbon homes; from ending tax breaks for community renewables projects to slashing feed-in tariffs for rooftop solar power. The reason given? To keep down household energy bills. Quote end
oh well its the same everywhere? All these people just simply not trying hard enough and expecting help from the government. Don’t they know that the government is not there too help? Really, what are they thinking.
The government helps the rich prey upon the poor which is why they’re getting rid of the renewables. Renewables would help the poor to become free of the rich and thus the rich would no longer be rich.
Further proof, if any was needed that capitalism is failing the people of the world.
Unless you are one of the elite 62.
Maybe the 1% isn’t an appropriate term to describe the elite.
It should be the 0.000001%.
‘World’s rich getting richer, poor are definitely poorer
Just 62 people own as much wealth as the poorer half of the global population, as the widening of the gap between the rich and poor accelerates.
As the business elite converge on Davos for the World Economic Forum, an Oxfam report shows wealth is becoming further concentrated, with the number of people owning the same amount as the bottom half of humanity falling from 388 to 62 in five years.
It says a “broken” economic model underpinned by deregulation, privatisation and financial secrecy has seen the wealth of the richest 62 people jump by 44 per cent in five years to US$1.76 trillion ($2.74 trillion).
In that time, the wealth of the poorest 3.6 billion people plunged by 41 per cent.’
RNZ enabling Matthew Hooton telling lies on Nine to Noon again 🙄
The other guy is quite good on calling him on some of it, the Labour stuff, but he really doesn’t get the GP.
Maybe RNZ should have various commentators on to discuss the whole spectrum from the whole spectrum’s perspective instead of only a couple of left/right of centre embeds.
the last paragraph: Melissa Mays says after Flint switched its water supply her sons went from being straight-A students to struggling with basic studies. “And I worry because they’re gonna need tutors,” Mays said. “Because I don’t want them to just be set aside and (told) ‘Well okay, your IQ’s a little lower.’ No. I want them to be where they were before this happened.” Yet Mays says there’s little money available for tutors. Daily life in Flint has drained her family’s savings.
“Our garbage disposal just corroded, so that’s another hundred bucks. Went through three water heaters and they’re $500 a pop. And that was…that was it. ‘Cause the rest of it’s gone towards medication. Me being off work and he’s had to miss work from time to time to take care of me and the kids. So yeah, we’re paycheck to paycheck at this point.”
Ironically Mays says her water bills have skyrocketed. Refuse to pay them and the city will shut off the taps. On top of that, Child Protective Services could remove any children living in a house with no running water.
——————————————————————————————————————-
surely this type of thing would never happen in gods own n’est pas?
this how you fix an angry man dont send male policemen to talk to him you send strong good looking policewomen why its all on the outside thats why
The cops still think that beating people up is how u fix angry men
Because they are conditioned to violence being the area of expertise and the law of paid thuggery still survives in the police culture
They really have to stop, the police that is being so dumb
Why do the police take particulars when u call they dont use them unless its a criminal situation and if you make a false statement to get them there quicker alleging a crime in in progress you become the target for them if you are a male but women do get away with it
You see the police are not civil servants they are a corporation that gets paid to keep the stats in favour of govt policy even though the police are blatantly underfunded by the taxpayer because of the expense of priorities like protecting the dodgy govt and those who have a real danger going on might as well swing for it
Police psychology in understanding people is a joke its just ridiculous the fact that crime prevention is at an all time low in govt police policy because of the rate of incarceration is so important to achieve the maximum payout for the corporations running the prisons to return an international success rating that will kept people believing all is good
absolute rot this system we have now will perpetuate rising crime and it will go undetected especially in theft because the police mostly deal with drugs and any thieved property is retrieved thru that and the daily theft of people’s money thru bad law governing financial institutions is a must especially when the govt is run by a very suspect member of that shall we say profession which it is not just a highly sophisticated theft ie tax policy that protects the rich no FTT BUT GST which is biased in favour of the rich and then theres the sharemarket and weve all seen that ponzi scheme and so it goes
Dont rely on the law for any help it just aint there
OK I kind of get your point, though I could barely breathe trying to read it.
Break it up with Paragraphs, use some comma’s and full stops, as it helps make what your saying, more readable and easier to comprehend.
Your diatribe on the police makes me feel you had a recent interaction with them. Never a good idea, they have not a lot of sympathy, as doing their job and filling the courts is what they do.
Get a lawyer, anyway possible, and ring him soon as whatever it is happens, the advice he will give you, will, I hope, help you out.
I can’t argue with them, I gave up many years ago. It’s the nature of bullies and the stupid, to work in that sort of employment.
Pedophiles want to work in childcare, Bashers want to work in the police force.
Never thought I’d say this, but: Bring Back Mike Williams.
Stephen Mills flattered to deceive last month; he’s just another politician. Political Commentators, RNZ National, Monday 18 January 2016, 11:10 a.m.
Lynn Freeman, Matthew Hooton, Stephen Mills
Lynn Freeman is a far better, more thoughtful and tougher host than Kathryn Ryan, but the basic problem remains: the “Left” person is dodgy, to say the least. Not long ago, I praised Stephen Mills as superior to Mike “I Agree With Matthew” Williams, who had a monopoly on the “Left” seat for much too long. [1] I was impressed by the no-nonsense way that Mills had taken on Matthew Hooton; it seemed that here was someone, finally, who had the guts to actually contest what Hooton said.
I’m sorry to say that my assessment of Mills was wrong. This morning, in the first program of the year, Hooton was immediately back into it; his little performance consisted of sneering at unions as “dinosaurs” and scoffing at the rise of politicians like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders.
For any principled and alert commentator, that would have been the perfect opportunity to point out that Corbyn and Sanders are not outliers, as the likes of Hooton always insist they are, but are firmly in the tradition of democratic, centrist, sensible thinking. Mills, however, decided to reiterate the Labour Party political leadership’s line. I sent the following email to Lynn Freeman….
Stephen Mills’ highly contentious claim about “most Labour voters”
Dear Lynn,
Stephen Mills (From the Left and Right) made the highly contentious assertion that “most Labour voters in New Zealand would support Hillary Clinton” and would regard a Jeremy Corbyn style leader as “inappropriate for New Zealand.”
New Zealand Labour supporters are probably not much different from British Labour supporters, who overwhelmingly voted for Corbyn as leader. And Bernie Sanders, who Stephen Mills chooses to portray as some sort of extremist, advocates moderate, sensible, humane policies that are pretty much the same as Labour has represented in this country, at least until the Douglasite faction took control.
The producers need to get a more rigorous and well informed representative of “The Left” for this program; we don’t need someone reiterating Matthew Hooton’s rhetoric like Mills did this morning.
Yours in concern at the standard of commentary on RNZ,
Renationalise railways to bring down fares. Franchises would be managed locally;
Locally owned energy suppliers, emulating the German model;
Integration of health and social care;
Creation of a lifelong education service that would help retrain and reskill workers;
Universal childcare;
Repeal the Tory Trade Union Act;
Fixed pay ratios for companies to stop top management earning many multiples more than lowest paid workers;
Restriction on dividend payments for firms that don’t pay the living wage.
People like Mills are the problem in the Labour Party. I have no doubt he actually supports Corbyn’s policies. But in the tiny, introspective bubble of Labour Party “strategy”, the only possible option is Blairite/Clarkite opportunism and “positioning”. The only views that matter for the likes of Mills, Stuart Nash, and whoever else is formulating “policy” for the Labour Party are the views of right wing political commentators like Hooton and the views of right wing business leaders.
Mills knows as well as anyone else that Corbyn is far more popular than the Blairite rump that dominates Labour Party discourse, and that it is Hillary Clinton, not Bernie Sanders, that is the extremist candidate for the Democrats.
I was very disappointed that he lacked the character to state that firmly and unequivocably this morning, instead opting for the nonsensical dogma of his Party leadership.
His problem is that the majority of the Scottish Labour Party sold out the Scottish people a long time ago, through years of Blairite treachery, so the Labour Party north of the border is toast.
No dear.
Somehow, having read some of your contributions(?) to reasoned(?) debate I wouldn’t regard you as a very good judge.
Just what part of the article didn’t you approve of?
Do you, or Morrissey, actually have anything to say about Corbyn and the way he differs from the SNP?
Or is your style of debate simply to make your childish remarks about people you don’t agree with because you are incapable of discussing things in a sensible manner?
Now just what part of the article didn’t you agree with?
And do you think that Corbyn will be able to get along with the SNP?
I have to go out in about 5 minutes so I can’t give this question the full attention it deserves.
My main objections are
(1) They lied to the people of Scotland about the referendum. They promised them that they could continue to use the pound. They promised that they would automatically become part of the EU. They promised that they would not have to take any responsibility for GB debts. They promised that things would be wonderful from the oil production. I don’t believe any of those were true.
(2) They waste the money they get from Great Britain on things to buy them popularity. Meanwhile, although University education may be free, less low income students (as a percentage) go to university in Scotland than they do in England.
(3) They try and dominate and suppress their opponents. I think they fit into the group of people, like the ones on this site, who would close down the NZ Herald because it is not faithful to what they believe. The Venezuelan Government would be proud of them.
(4) They want central control of all national affairs. All things are to be under the control of central government.
I suggest you read that article in the Economist I referenced. I agree with it.
The ‘funny’ bit about that segment of 9 to noon, was that Matthew Hooten was way more on to it in terms of what prospective Labour and Green voters are saying than was Mills.
Who is he by the way – this Stephen Mills? Ah….a pollster…a bear of few brains with lots of pieces of paper with conservative numbers on them in front of him – sigh.
He’s an improvement on Mike “I agree with Matthew” Williams, which I guess is something to be grateful for.
I thought that about Hooton as well except I thought it was all carefully crafted to sound like he was on to it and oh so reasonable 😉 Very little comes out of that man’s mouth that isn’t via his forked tongue.
Well, he (Hooton) is ‘on to it’ enough to read the more obvious social media sites. Now that’s a very fucking low bar. But it seems Stephen Mills cracks his numb, dumb skull on it nevertheless.
You seem to be conflating UK Labour *members* who elected Corbyn and their *voters* at the next election, a much larger group who may have different views. I imagine there has been polling about those.
The trickle down is failing to distribute the wealth required to sustain consumer demand, thus sustainable business growth and return. The consequences of which we are currently witnessing.
New Zealand has the combination of capital flight (returns heading off shore) negatively impacting on our current, ultimately leaving us with less, coupled with insufficient wealth distribution.
Yet, instead of addressing these problems, we exacerbate them. We continue to welcome offshore ownership and largely decimated the power of unions, which help keep incomes in check.
Since the 80’s there has been years of reforms, new trade deals etc, yet we’ve failed to put our current account into surplus and have made little to no improvements in inequality.
Local business leaders should be opposed to offshore ownership and supportive of unions. The more workers earn, the more they drive up consumer demand, thus business return.
Rest assured, if I had any spare they’d be going to a number of local politicians, their spin masters, and quite a few in the media. The ones they have must be nearing the end of their useful lives.
I’m not sure whether this will take …. I’m possibly banned for thinking wishfully
In November, MFAT issued a two-page summary of the estimated tariff and non-tariff trade gains from the TPP for the year 2030, when all agreed tariff changes should have been completed. In the column headed “Government treatment of results,” someone has slashed Goods NTBs in half, from $2,912 million to $1,456 million. This reduces the estimated total benefit to $2,704 million from $4,160 million. MFAT $$$ Summary Showing Arbitrary Cut
Such a reduction is surprising – the government normally hypes up the value of the TPP. However, what we see is a bold new theory of economics – if you don’t like a number, don’t understand it, or don’t have the political guts to accept professionally prepared data, then reduce it by 50.00000%. Problem solved! Now we know why the TPP negotiations were so secret. Even Bill English did not know about it or he would have cleared the Budget Deficit years ago.
In reality, of course, this 50% cut is completely arbitrary and completely dishonest because the Government is setting up to game us even further regarding the TPP. Readers might have noticed that recent government statements qualify the dollar benefits of the TPP by using use phrases such as “At least ….” . Rabbits out of hats will come.
I’m John key trust me, I’m a family man. So out of touch with the common man it makes me wince. A daughter in Paris doing quite frankly soft porn sex shows. A poser of a son with the model hanging off his arms for those exceptional good looking publicity shots. This is NZ now, US style press and publicity. Gawd!
Carefully scripted images. If he wasn’t taking them(max) I wonder which political publicist organized it thanks to the National party coffers.
How’s Prince Harry’s love life going? Or did he get married while I was busy with something important to me? Or did I miss the news that some culture vulture unearthed that he is gay. and not likely to wed someone with a train as long as the Northern Express (if that exists)?
We can’t let this homegrown mini-celebrity Max cut out our normal gossip lines.
Well bugger, me the Herald posted three of my comments to Rodney hide and I was not polite at all.(no swear words )
In all my days what happened did they get a new editor,,, and Frans piece attacking Messam has had the part where she called him Gormless removed. Think the lawyers may have been in touch there.
Roughans piece has opened to comments, getting another hiding to nothing. But Frans remains closed no comments posted. Hmmm Frans made a boo boo this time me thinks.
” One of the threats looming over the slowdown in China is the precarious state of a $2 trillion shadow banking system that grew up with the boom. If it crashes, the current Chinese stock market collapse could look like a picnic. ”
quote: Chinese police have arrested hundreds of people suspected of running underground banks that illegally transferred more than Rmb800bn ($125bn) out of China into foreign currencies…..
quote: Over the past year, officials have issued arrest warrants for 56 people, frozen 3,000 bank accounts, shut down 37 unlicensed financial institutions allegedly laundering money and reviewed over 1.3 million suspicious transactions, reported state media.
Police busted another 10 unapproved banks this week, allegedly linked to about 51.6 billion yuan ($8.1 billion) in illegal transactions.
this is just stunning, and I would expect this to happen globally not only china. China might just be the biggest or one of the biggest player in the game. Sometimes I wonder why we bother pretending.
Hairild. Second headline. Arrh Marr Gaaaaard Mar Gaaaaard !!! Me Brokin Brokin Brokin !!!……World’s to an end. Maxi Mini PM, and that girl, you know. OH NO !!! Faaaaark !!!
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One of the key voices in this extraordinary time in which we live is that of University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker. Philip Matthews did an an excellent job this weekend of capturing the way he became the man for this moment in a profile for The Press.But one ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...
Redline received this article from the KOE a Marxist party in Greece Our friends in the KOE describe here the mounting crisis in Greece and tensions on the Turkish border. As desperate people flee from their homelands which have been ruined after decades of imperialist wars and interventions the people ...
As the first week of Level Four lockdown unfolded, mounting questions grew as to just what was (and was not) allowed under its “rules”. Partly these were driven by some apparently contradictory messagesfrom different authority figures and explanations carried in the media. Partly they reflected a somewhat sketchy legal basis ...
. . April 3: Day 9 of living in lock-down… Another late-start to my work day. Everything is temporarily upended as clients are shuffled around so we can minimise our “bubble” by reducing the number of people we help. One of my colleagues has been removed from his clients; his ...
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 2: Day eight of living in lock-down… Today, my work day starts late. Our rosters and clients have been dramatically changed, lessening (theoretically) the number of people in our work “bubble”. If just one of us catches covid19 the impact could be considerable as Grey Base Hospital ...
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin Don’t we all know that feeling now.
Prospect Magazine alerted me to this particularly apt quote. It is a much more evocative quote than Hemingway’s “gradually then suddenly” which is also doing ...
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...
Brian Williamson1, Prof Nick Wilson2 (1Economic consultant, UK; 2University of Otago Wellington)In this blog, we outline how a win-win social contract could be forged to address the major dimensions of response to the COVID-19 pandemic when using a mitigation strategy: the particular need to protect older people from high ...
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...
No Free Society Without A Free And Functioning News Media: If we are to surrender our civil rights to the broader cause of defeating Covid-19, then foreign corporations must, likewise, surrender their right to inflict immense economic and cultural harm on New Zealanders simply because it improves their bottom line.I’M ...
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...
The swan politicians may be gliding on the water, occasionally snapping at one another. Meanwhile, as the Covid19 crisis illustrates, the officials are desperately paddling below providing the real locomotion. One of the most fatuous recent grandstanding comments (of about a week ago), adding to the public’s anxieties, was ...
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...
Today has felt surreal. I was all set to touch base online with my science communication students when a colleague shared the news that Bauer Media would be shutting down its publications immediately. The first link I saw implied it was Woman’s Weekly affected, and even that shocked me. But ...
Bogeymen, Real And Imagined: Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? ...
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Epidemic Response Committee today, who asked him for the rules police are using to enforce the lockdown. He refused:Police Commissioner Mike Bush has admitted the advice given to Kiwis about what they're able to do during the lockdown hasn't been clear enough. ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of my cat, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a pretty flower. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 1: Day seven of living in lock-down… This morning I had a brief chat with one of my neighbours, “D” (social distance between us, a good three or four metres). I learned he had resigned from his previous job and had been hired by another company – ...
Funnily enough, my thought as I start this post is whether it will be well written enough. Or should that be well enough written? Because so much of what I know about good writing came from my two stints at The Listener, which this morning was shut down due to ...
With normal democratic procedures in abeyance, there were two ways to go. First, it was open for the government to dissolve itself and invite the National Party to join a ministry of national salvation. That would have lessened the democratic deficit of the times by having a team of rivals without ...
Dr Kirsty Ross Children and young people can respond differently in times of distress. This also varies by age and developmental stage, with younger children having more magical and imaginative thinking, and older children having more awareness and knowledge of the issues our communities are facing (which brings up ...
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...
. . March 30: Day five of living in lock-down… Woke up still in darkness. Alarm hadn’t gone off. Turn to radio clock; it’s a few minutes after 6am… I lie there in the dark, waiting to drift off to sleep… but it ain’t happening. Clock ticks over to 6.55 ...
The story of Les Gray, the public sector psychologist who told the truth about his use of cannabis and set off a storm, has a special place in the lore of cannabis reform in New Zealand.When Paul Shannon interviewed Gray for the 'Dope and Hope' issue of Planet magazine in ...
by Phil Duncan For Marxists, a key concern about social trends is their context – not just their causes, but why they happen when they do. Events and phenomena have causes, but they also are time or period-specific. While much of the left have capitulated recently to postmodernism, most notably ...
Since the lockdown began, we've all suddenly been reminded who the actually essential workers in our society are: not the people at the top who pay themselves the big bucks and rort the perks, but the people at the bottom they screw over and squeeze: cleaners, warehouse staff, truck drivers ...
Kia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to extirpate the virus that causes COVID-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to “Level 4”. That means adapting to unprecedented restrictions on our personal freedoms, particularly to our rights to move freely and associate with friends and ...
When the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency last week, she handed the police powers to enforce it. And almost immediately, we started hearing about heavy-handed, arbitrary "enforcement" by police who (at best) cared more about order than law, or (more likely) had no idea what the rules were ...
. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denialGrist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 22, 2020 through Sat, Mar 28, 2020Articles Linked to on FacebookSun, Mar 22, 2020In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of Disasters by Chelsea Harvey, ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...
The Government’s wage subsidy to protect jobs and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown has now supported over a million New Zealanders, with $6.6 billion already paid out. “We’re supporting businesses to pay wages, and stay connected with their workers so that we are all in a better ...
The Government is stepping up efforts to help protect New Zealand’s Pacific communities in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will: Support Pacific health and disability services facing increased demand; Ramp up public health messaging ...
“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses. “But right now, my priority is our ...
Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...
A range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...
The New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...
Hospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stanley Shanapinda, Research Fellow, La Trobe University A conspiracy theory claiming 5G can spread the coronavirus is making the rounds on social media. The myth supposedly gained traction when a Belgian doctor linked the “dangers” of 5G technology to the virus during ...
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Even regional distribution, though South Island is worse. Chart by Keith Rankin. New Zealand now has sufficient case data to get a sense of its regional distribution of Covid19. Surprisingly, Auckland is not dominant, unlike the main business cities in other countries such as London, ...
Analysis by Bryce Edwards.Minister of Health, David Clark. Is David Clark the best possible Minister of Health to be leading New Zealand through the Coronavirus crisis? Confidence in Clark has plummeted with today’s revelation that the Health minister made another recreational trip during the lockdown that appears to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The High Court today quashed the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, who had originally been found guilty on a number of charges by a jury of 12 people. His ...
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Climie, Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Fitbit recently released data showing a global decrease in physical activity levels among users of its activity trackers compared to the same time last year. As we navigate the coronavirus ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Indigo Holcombe-James, Sessional academic, School of Media and Communications, RMIT University Museums, galleries and artist collectives around the world are shutting their doors and moving online in response to coronavirus. But engaging with audiences online requires access, skills and investment. My research ...
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...
The introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) now is totally unaffordable and wrong says Peter Malcolm spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc. A UBI or Universal Basic Income is a Government payout to all adults and some say for children ...
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hamilton, Visiting Fellow, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University No Australian government has ever spent A$130 billion so quickly. Last Tuesday, when the Prime Minister announced the government would subsidise six million jobs for ...
By Anita Roberts in Port Vila While the Vanuatu government is investing its resources in tackling the coronavirus pandemic threat, it is now stretching its resources to tackle other natural disasters posing threats to the lives of the people – Cyclone Harold still moving over the country after lashing ...
New Zealand has 54 new confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 1160, the Health Ministry has confirmed. Today’s new figure is down from the 67 new cases reported yesterday. With 65 people recovering in the past day, today is also the first ...
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...
Misinformation about adrenochrome and its supposed links to Covid-19 has gone into overdrive. But what is it? We separate the substance’s literary history from its real-world functions.If you’ve spent much time online lately, like everyone else in lockdown, you’ve probably fallen down some strange Covid-19 rabbit holes. One word you ...
ANALYSIS:By Sally Young of the University of Melbourne Many newspapers betrayed their readers during the Great Depression and now some are doing so again during the coronavirus pandemic. During the Depression, Australia’s major daily newspapers loudly resisted calls for economic stimulus to revive the economy. Even the tabloids ...
The locked-down residents of a Wellington rest home – including her mum – are treated to a live gig courtesy of historian and author Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki, Te Ātiawa).Ever since I was Dorothy in the New Plymouth Operatic Society’s production of The Wizard of Oz, I have wanted an international ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Perkiss, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong The coronavirus might make Easter celebrations a little subdued this year, but that doesn’t mean going without chocolate eggs. In fact, South Australia’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier reportedly said people should partake in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne The centerpiece of the Commonwealth government’s COVID-19 economic stimulus program is JobKeeper. Priced at A$130 billion, it will pay eligible employers $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee for up to six months. ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Mathews, Professor, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology The High Court today granted Cardinal George Pell special leave to appeal, and unanimously allowed the appeal. In other words, Pell won. His convictions were quashed and he will be released from ...
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University The unfolding COVID-19 situation has brought many changes to school education. NAPLAN tests have been cancelled for 2020 and most children are learning online. Education minister Dan Tehan is meeting with the states on ...
The way we buy our food has changed hugely since the lockdown began. Small New Zealand producers have taken a massive hit, closing stores and struggling with online demand. Here are some ways shoppers can help these businesses.In the first week of lockdown, shoppers panicked. It was a perfectly natural ...
Wellington, 7 April - The Government’s current wage subsidy scheme may insufficiently protect Kiwis from the worst effects of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new report from the New Zealand Initiative. Comparing New Zealand with Australia and Canada, ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...
New Zealand is seeking reciprocal transit arrangements with other nations after a decision to allow foreign nationals to use country's airports to get home. ...
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...
Powerplay - Health Minister David Clark stays in Cabinet after he breaches lockdown rules, but this could compromise the government's Covid-19 response and cause distractions for the prime minister at a crucial time, writes Jane Patterson. ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark answered questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling on the Government to postpone the report due date for Minister Andrew Little’s Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill. This Bill would allow prisoners with a sentence of three years or ...
Reverend Scottie Reeve on the meaning of Easter during the Covid-19 pandemic, and why we need to embark on a journey of collective repentance. On Wednesday while I was going for a walk, I came across a friend on the Wellington waterfront. We’ll call him David. David had no idea what ...
Our essential workers deserve more than a round of applause, but danger pay is not the answer, writes Kerry Davies from the Public Service Association.Did you shower this morning? Is the kitchen clean? Have you changed your sheets since we went into lockdown? Have you vacuumed? Are you taking that ...
The local government sector has banded together to open a helpline for all council drinking and waste water technicians, providing an accessible source of advice for small suppliers across New Zealand to lean on. While drinking and waste water infrastructure ...
This story first appeared in The Mercury Bay Informer and is republished here with permission. Roadblocks could be in place at entry points to the Coromandel this week as the local Civil Defence Controller moves to prevent unlawful travel to the Peninsula during the Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking to The Informer last ...
He Waka Eke Noa – We are all in this together, according to the Prime Minister. Except that we’re not…………………….. After pressure from employees, Fletcher Building executives have shown the way with their decision to take a 30 ...
New Zealanders in need during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to further benefit from a food charity’s distribution programme. KiwiHarvest, a national food rescue charity which collects food from retailers before it goes to waste and distributes it to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is slamming ATEED as completely out of touch with the economic reality of Aucklanders after the agency posted a job advertisement for a newly created role: a “Digital Content Specialist” . “ATEED should be ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. Today’s contentHealth minister demoted, Bridges defends commute 1News: ‘I got it wrong’ – David Clark says he’ll continue as Health ...
The Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) will challenge Parliament’s Health Select Committee tomorrow morning, saying the Government’s vaping bill in its current form runs the risk of protecting Big Tobacco. Director of AVCA, Nancy Loucas, says ...
How quickly the political landscape can change. A month ago, Deputy PM Winston Peters, along with PM Jacinda Ardern, was deep into a trans-Tasman sledging match after Ardern attacked Australia’s hardline deportation. But as the coronavirus crisis broadened, it was Peters on the line to Canberra seeking Australia’s assistance in ...
Today New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) President Captain Andrew Ridling said: “Yesterday NZALPA met several times with Air New Zealand CEO Mr Greg Foran and his executive team to continue our discussions on cost-cutting measures ...
Mr Davis, AWUNZ spokesman, said; “The Provincial Growth Fund needs a Union heart not only a commercial mind. Shane Jones needs to accept that work creation is the only goal. I don't mean generously-paid jobs either for the Wellington insiders" ...
BSA has today released a guidance note which it has prepared with a working group of broadcasters to guide broadcasters when reporting on terrorism, violent extremism and crisis events. The guidance note follows the issue of decisions by the BSA last ...
‘Paint is peeling from the old truck workshop walls. Some days you can taste rust on the autumn wind, like swallowing iron and blood and pollen.’Read more Lockdown Letters hereIT’S GONE BELLY UP FOR THE WORLD.I bet the doomsday preppers are feeling smug right now, locking down in their DIY ...
The National Iwi Chairs Forum welcomes the further clarity and guidance on Alert Level 4 rules during lockdown, issued by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield over the weekend. Speaking from the Wellington base of the National Iwi Chairs Forums ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark will be answering questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
There’s a desperate scramble to stop more major media companies failing. Duncan Greive explains what’s going on – and how it might play out.The most recent edition of the reigning newspaper of the year, the Sunday Star-Times, was a pearler. It opened with a substantial analysis from political editor Luke ...
CEAC again reviewed the NZTA National Land Transport Programme “2021–24 NLTP development” plan and CEAC is shocked that NZTA has assumed itself as “Transport Agency” - but is only a Gov’t designated “Road controlling authority” (RTA) ...
By RNZ News New Zealand’s Health Minister David Clark has revealed that he took a trip to the beach during the alert level 4 lockdown and has offered to resign. Dr Clark said he drove his family 20km from his house in Dunedin to Doctor’s Point Beach for a ...
As people across New Zealand and the Commonwealth are experiencing unprecedented changes to their lives, concerns for family and friends, and financial uncertainty, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I send my enduring thanks to those who continue ...
As New Zealanders lockdown in their bubbles, Neighbourhood Support New Zealand is launching the Good Neighbour Awards, recognising those who are helping others while staying safe. Launching today, the weekly Good Neighbour Award is about celebrating ...
Thousands of children and their families living in poverty in towns and rural communities across New Zealand will soon be receiving emergency food relief packages from KidsCan. The charity usually supplies food to 787 schools and 55 early childhood centres across ...
UK PM put into intensive care; US death toll over 10k; Trump tweets about 'fake news' as New York buries dead in parks; Germany and Israel tighten lockdownsBoris in intensive care: Shortly after Downing Street reported him to be in "good spirits", BBC political editor Laura Kuensberg tweeted that Prime ...
The Government is working on a way to get home the 79 New Zealanders in Vanuatu. Cyclone Harold, a powerful category 5 made landfall on Vanuatu island of Santo yesterday with destructive winds. ...
Today (Tuesday 07 April) Inland Revenue’s Working for Families customers receive their first payment for the new tax year and for some the amount they get may be different. The amount may have changed from what they received last month, based ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sanderson, Professor of Information Retrieval, RMIT University Wrapping your head around the scale of a global pandemic is not easy, and the volume of stats and data can be bewildering. What, for instance, are we to make of the fact Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Saeri, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University More Australians are worried about the longer-lasting, societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – specifically that the health system could be overburdened and the country could enter a recession – ...
Auckland Airport launches a $1.2b capital raising, but Auckland Council pulls out; Marsden Point cuts production again as Covid-19 hits fuel demand; Kiwi Property cancels dividend tooDown day: The NZ sharemarket lost ground yesterday following the announcement of a second major capital raising in as many days and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Meekan, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science It might surprise you to learn that nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War are now helping conserve whale sharks, the largest living fish. Growing up to 18 metres – longer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University The Australian summer just gone will be remembered as the moment when human-caused climate change struck hard. First came drought, then deadly bushfires, and now a bout of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many temporary Australian residents will be excluded from the JobSeeker Payment and Coronavirus Supplement to be provided to permanent residents. In this open letter to the prime minister, 40 leading Australian ...
For those keen to avoid the long and awkward queues at supermarkets, there may be a new technological solution.Long supermarket lines have become the bane of the lockdown era, with many people worried that the overcrowding and long wait times may burst their bubbles. Those concerns have prompted a Dunedin-based ...
David Clark has disclosed he took a trip to the beach with his family during lockdown and offered his resignation. The Prime Minister keeps him as Health Minister, but demotes him. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted Health Minister David Clark to the bottom of the Cabinet and stripped him ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Health minister David Clark suffers major demotion, government launches mental health tools, and more outline given on decision to leave lockdown.In breaking news, health minister David Clark has been severely demoted by the Prime Minister. Last week, a story came out ...
Open mike 18/01/2016 
Open mike is your post.
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...7 hours ago
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...11 hours ago
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...11 hours ago
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...12 hours ago
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ... 14 hours ago
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...1 day ago
Nick Wilson,1 Ayesha Verrall,1,2 Len Cook,3 Alistair Gray,3 Amanda Kvalsvig,1 Michael Baker,1 (1epidemiologists, 2infectious disease physician, 3statisticians) In this blog, we raise ideas for how New Zealand might optimise testing to both identify cases in the community as part of the COVID-19 elimination strategy, and to confirm when the virus ...1 day ago
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggests Research into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...1 day ago
As far as anyone can say, New Zeaand still has a general election scheduled for September 19 this year. The election will be accompanied by two referenda, one of which will ask voters:Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?The official campaign period for the cannabis referendum begins ...2 days ago
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...2 days ago
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ... 2 days ago
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...3 days ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...3 days ago
We must root out the traitors among us! ...4 days ago
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...5 days ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 7 days ago
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...7 days ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...1 week ago
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...10 hours ago
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...2 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...2 weeks ago
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...9 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stanley Shanapinda, Research Fellow, La Trobe University A conspiracy theory claiming 5G can spread the coronavirus is making the rounds on social media. The myth supposedly gained traction when a Belgian doctor linked the “dangers” of 5G technology to the virus during ...5 hours ago
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...5 hours ago
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...6 hours ago
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...6 hours ago
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...6 hours ago
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...6 hours ago
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...6 hours ago
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...7 hours ago
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...8 hours ago
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...9 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...10 hours ago
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...10 hours ago
Up to 400 Air New Zealand pilots look set to lose their jobs as part of the airline's plan to slash one third of its workforce. ...10 hours ago
This story first appeared in The Mercury Bay Informer and is republished here with permission. Roadblocks could be in place at entry points to the Coromandel this week as the local Civil Defence Controller moves to prevent unlawful travel to the Peninsula during the Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking to The Informer last ...11 hours ago
UK PM put into intensive care; US death toll over 10k; Trump tweets about 'fake news' as New York buries dead in parks; Germany and Israel tighten lockdowns Boris in intensive care: Shortly after Downing Street reported him to be in "good spirits", BBC political editor Laura Kuensberg tweeted that Prime ...14 hours ago
The Government is working on a way to get home the 79 New Zealanders in Vanuatu. Cyclone Harold, a powerful category 5 made landfall on Vanuatu island of Santo yesterday with destructive winds. ...14 hours ago
Auckland Airport launches a $1.2b capital raising, but Auckland Council pulls out; Marsden Point cuts production again as Covid-19 hits fuel demand; Kiwi Property cancels dividend too Down day: The NZ sharemarket lost ground yesterday following the announcement of a second major capital raising in as many days and the ...15 hours ago
David Clark has disclosed he took a trip to the beach with his family during lockdown and offered his resignation. The Prime Minister keeps him as Health Minister, but demotes him. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted Health Minister David Clark to the bottom of the Cabinet and stripped him ...15 hours ago
Covid 19 coronavirus lockdown: Health Minister David Clark demoted after driving 20km to beach, breaking lockdown rules; and Coronavirus. ...15 hours ago
The Herald is determined you don’t think there’s going to be a recession
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11575429
Or you could look at the facts
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/01/15/the-chart-that-explains-everything/
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/30570402/new-zealand-named-most-expensive-country-in-the-world-to-buy-property/?cmp=st#play
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/economic-collapse-2016.html
An economist was speaking on RNZ this morning about how everything was pretty spiffy for NZ this coming year and I thought “what planet is he on and who is paying him to say such rubbish”. Just the same old same old coming out of RNZ morning news for the coming year methinks.
Good luck with John Campbell though, looking forward to listening to him again.
Chris Tennent Brown is the Chief Economist for the ASB.
He appears utterly delusional.
It’s as if the ‘concerning backdrop’ of collapsing oil prices, container ships stationery, the Chinese economy imploding and world stocks sliding 20%’ is just irrelevant.
As soon as he said, ‘this sort of stuff happens fairly regularly’, I know he was on the radio to spin some bs for the banks. They are probably buying some time to sell off some of their own stock.
As they did in 2008.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/businessnews/audio/201785754/sharemarkets-have-copped-the-worst-of-it
Did you notice that the RNZ’s business editor, Gyles Beckford, did not challenge any of the myths that the banker said?
Not one assumption that was challenged.
It’s as if Chris Tennent Brown was spouting the gospel that could not be questioned.
RNZ… an echo chamber for neo-liberal baking ideology.
Look like Chris ‘this sort of stuff happens fairly regularly’, Tennent Brown was wrong……
‘NZ shares open week sharply down
The New Zealand share market fell sharply in the opening minutes of trade this morning in response to weakness on the major markets last week, driven by ongoing concerns about the China’s economy and extremely low oil prices.
After 10 minutes of trading, the benchmark NZX50 index was down 85 points or 1.3 per cent at 6084.7.
The market has started 2016 on a weak note after finishing 2015 at a record 6324.26, and with the index having rallied by 13.2 per cent over the December quarter alone.
“Financial institutions were hit pretty hard in the overseas markets and that’s started to flow through there,” Forsyth Barr equity analyst James Bascand said.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11575572
Gulf shares in free fall after oil rout, Iran deal
Kuwait City (AFP) – Share prices in the energy-rich Gulf states nosedived Sunday following the sharp decline in oil prices as Iran prepares to resume crude exports after the lifting of sanctions.
The plunge in the first day of trading in the Muslim week also follows heavy losses in global bourses on Friday, when Gulf exchanges were closed for the weekend.
The price of oil, which contributes more than 80 percent to Gulf states’ revenues, shed more than 20 percent this year to drop below $30 a barrel. This follows a plunge of 65 percent in the past two years.
The expected return of Iran to the oil market, following the implementation Saturday of its historic nuclear deal with world powers, will only worsen the production glut that has been the main reason for the oil price dive.
All seven Gulf bourses saw a wave of panick selling, sending indices to multi-year lows.’
http://news.yahoo.com/gulf-shares-free-fall-oil-rout-iran-deal-094848186.html#
‘Inflation tipped to drop to new low, mounting pressure on Reserve Bank to cut
This will see the NZ dollar drop.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75958884/inflation-tipped-to-drop-to-new-low-mounting-pressure-on-reserve-bank-to-cut
9/11
Clearly there was a conspiracy, based on its definition.
It is clearly a conspiracy theory to believe that Obama Bin Laden organised 20 people to hijack 4 planes and bring down the Twin Towers.
conspiracy
kənˈspɪrəsi/Submit
noun
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
“a conspiracy to destroy the government”
synonyms: plot, scheme, stratagem, plan, machination, cabal;
Calling something a conspiracy theory is basically an intellectual scarlet letter. It’s a way of dismissing something you don’t like, of placing something outside the bounds of reasonable discourse. “That’s just a conspiracy theory” is a depressingly effective way of getting someone to plug their ears and turn their brains off.
I’m not sure why you point this out. Of course any concerted action by a group of people to achieve a particular end could be descibed as a ‘conspiracy’. What the term is generally used for in common parlance is to descibe complicated and secretative planning and actions by shadowy and ill defined groupings.
No that is only the way it is used by the likes of establishment types who fear for their own positions.
John Key, for example, conspires every single day, as does every politician and government, yet he has the gall to admonish others for conspiring to achieve ends.
Who does John Key admonish for conspiring to achieve ends? I’m not sure I have seen him do this. do you have an example?
are you serious?
here is one – there are countless others
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10068990/Key-knocks-Campbell-conspiracy-theories
John Key conducts conspiracies – it is his m.o. as it is with most all politicians.
He’s not admonishing anyone there for conspiring to achieve ends. He is stating the belief that he is attempting to do so in relation to the appointment of Ian Fletcher is a conspiracy theory.
He was simply pointing out that Campbell was wrong again.
He was *claiming* Campbell was wrong, without supplying any evidence. Normal MO for this government, in other words.
Fisiani is a believer.
What Key says, he believes.
Evidence is not needed.
Quite possibly correct but that is not that the same as admonishing others for conspiring to achieve ends which is what was alledged he did all the time.
I am commenting on the hijacking of language for political ends.
Except your suggested use of the term is so broad as to make the term almost meaningless as it would mean ANY organised plan and action to achieve that plan could be classified as a conspiracy. The term only becomes useful when it is applied to a specific situation involving shadowy or ill defined people attempting to implement secret plans. These can be either real or imagined.
Did you read this bit?
‘Calling something a conspiracy theory is basically an intellectual scarlet letter. It’s a way of dismissing something you don’t like, of placing something outside the bounds of reasonable discourse. “That’s just a conspiracy theory” is a depressingly effective way of getting someone to plug their ears and turn their brains off.’
That may be related to the fact that many of the conspiracy theories out there are truly bizarre and rather unbelievable.
Oh you mean like John Key’s out there claim about the poor?
ENVIRONMENTAL info:
On battery recycling – in the USA – from Google site. What do we do here with the millions of small batteries like the ones I am about to throw out? I will make enquiries first but I understand that they can be thrown in with ordinary rubbish when just a few, but any more, that creates a pocket of toxic stuff and they need to be handled separately. But I don’t know of anything like the USA system. We are so laid-back aren’t we, preferably on sun loungers, and we don’t bother with recycling many types of stuff because it’s not cost effective and the government might have to pay something to keep our environment as healthy as is possible. Too kostly.
http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/disposable.html
Recycling. Here’s another reason not to use alkalines: They’re harder to recycle than rechargeable batteries. Alkalines aren’t nearly as hazardous as NiCd’s, but they do contain useful metals, and it’s better for those metals to be reclaimed by recycling rather than strip-mining mountains.
In Europe recycling is easy—every store that sells batteries must take them back for recycling too. In the U.S. it’s tougher: while recycling for NiMH, NiZn, and NiCd is widespread (see RBRC), there just aren’t nearly as many places to recycle alkalines. That’s because the process just isn’t as cost-effective for the recyclers. A handful of retailers collect do collect them, though I don’t know of any who collect them at all their nationwide stores.
For most of us, that means our only option is to mail them to a recycling company, as well as pay a small fee to that company. I hope retailers who read this will start offering to collect alkalines from their customers as an extra service, and then ship the batteries to the recyclers by freight.
In California, all batteries are considered hazardous materials, so they can’t just be thrown in the trash. Check with your county government about collection facilities in your area.
Alkalines used to have a fair amount of toxic mercury, but Congress banned mercury in batteries except in trace amounts starting in 1996. (There’s an exception for button batteries, the circular kind that go in watches and calculators, which can still have mercury. Radio Shack accepts those for recycling.)
We really do need a law that ensures that all product is recycled. Sure, it will push the price up and may result in people using less of it but that’s actually what the pricing mechanism is for.
People who say that we shouldn’t have to do this are saying that we shouldn’t have to pay the full price thus negating the purpose of the pricing mechanism.
I quite like the South Australia can method – include a fee in the sale price, to be refunded at the appropriate depots.
Instead of wasting time and effort attempting to disrupt the signing and ratification of the TPPa why don’t anti-TPPA people simply direct their efforts to promoting parties that will withdraw from the agreement if they gain control of the government benches?
Maybe you should find out
Auckland
Auckland Town Hall, 7pm Tuesday 26th January – including a panel of leading politicians
Wellington
Wellington St Andrews Church, The Terrace 7pm Wednesday 27th January
Christchurch
Christchurch Cardboard Cathedral, 7pm Thursday 28th January
Dunedin
Dunedin, Burns Hall, Morray Place at 7pm Friday 29th January
These are free events. Get there early – the venues will fill up quickly. Donations to cover costs would be appreciated.
The talks are going out to the burbs and regions in Wellington. We’ve got talks organised by TPP Free Wellington in Otaki, Newtown, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and in Johnsonville we are lucky enough to get guest speaker, Fletcher Tabuteau from NZ First. That one is at the Uniting Church in Dr Taylor Tce, J Ville, 7pm, Wednesday, 20th Jan.
I can’t find on online source for the dates and venues but if you live in any of those areas and want to attend, let me know and I can get the info out of my inbox.
Why don’t you forward to Its Our Future?
http://itsourfuture.org.nz/
I figure thats the responsibility of TPP Free Wellington, who I’m not involved with. I suspect they work closely with It’s Our Future anyway, going by the discussions I’ve had with one of the group.
Because we’re really pissed off that the government is signing against the peoples will. We are a democracy, not a dictatorship.
Every party should be against the TPPA because that is the will of the people.
Why do you RWNJs find dictatorship acceptable?
I thought libertarians like gosman would be anti the TPP.
Sadly, though, they seem just to be big corporations’ best friends.
This
We live in a representative democracy where we elect MP’s to represent our views. National campaigned on support for the TPPA at the last election and won enough votes to form a government. Therefore there is nothing undemocratic about the TPPA being ratified. If you wish to change the electoral system then campaign for it but don’t claim what we have is undemocratic.
I thought libertarians like you would be anti the TPP.
Sadly, though, you seem just to be big corporations’ best friend.
At the time of the election, the details of the TPP were secret.
How could people make an informed decision?
The TPP is not democratic.
Stop kidding yourself.
I want international trade to have structure and rules so that the strong do not screw the weak. Whilst not perfect the TPPA goes a long way to allow this. The alternative is each nation jiust doing what is in their own best interests and smaller nations like NZ get shafted.
‘I want international trade to have structure and rules so that the strong do not screw the weak. ‘
So you would be strongly opposed to the TPP then.
The TPPA goes a long way to entrenching the power of the corporations over the people so, according to you, you should be opposing it with every fibre of your being.
False dichotomy and NZ will be thoroughly shafted under the TPPA.
Which our MPs are failing to do.
Yes there is as the people don’t want the TPPA signed in their name.
If the present system brings about undemocratic results, which it does, then it is undemocratic.
Draco,
National was quite clear during the 2014 election campaign that they would sign TPP. They were easily able to form the government following the election.
Therefore the government has a democratic mandate.
In contrast the idea, promoted by Byran Gould and others, that the GG should seriously entertain a petition to not sign any laws required to implement the TPP is highly undemocratic.
If you want to change things all you have to do is get a govt elected that would withdraw from TPP. If people are as angry as you say that should not be too difficult.
Apparently the results of an election in a representative democracy such as NZ means nothing to hard core leftists like Draco. It is as if they think the elections only allow the party that wins to form the government but the policies they have to implement need to be assent4ed to individually.
Don’t think that at all. I don’t think parliament should be government at all. Parliament should not be able to do whatever they like and need to be constrained to what the people want.
Doing it the way you and Wayne want gives us a dictatorship and not a democracy.
No-one knew what was in the TPP.
Instead of wasting the people’s time and resources whoring for foreign corporations, why doesn’t John the Traitor Key do what New Zealanders want for a change. We are a democracy – what we want is John’s job. And he’s absolutely useless at it. No growth, no jobs, no brains, no guts, no morals – and hordes of moran supporters.
Please remind us again of how, when, where, and by whom the TPPA will be ratified in NZ.
The signing on 4th Feb in Auckland by the 12
Apostles of GreedTrade Ministers and equivalent is just ashambolicsymbolic side show.people dying of cold. oh well, i guess that is what happens in countries that are slowly but surely turning into third wold status.
oh well, but i am sure it can’t happen here cause gods own and National will safe us.
link to support the statement. 🙂
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/energy-bills-the-big-six-and-the-scandal-of-people-dying-of-cold-in-their-own-homes-a6816796.html
Quote: The Big Six point out that they buy their fuel over extended periods, evening out fluctuations. But last summer the Competition Commission concluded that they were overcharging households by a staggering £1.2bn a year. An unofficial survey suggests it is now almost £3bn.
You would expect top-level outrage, wouldn’t you? But the Prime Minister merely said last week that bills were “not falling as fast as I would like”. Admittedly, an inquiry is due shortly to propose ways to increase competition, but the Government’s real ire has been reserved for comparatively blameless renewables.
Since the election, ministers have implemented, or announced, at least nine measures to restrict them, from ending subsidies for onshore wind to scrapping targets for zero-carbon homes; from ending tax breaks for community renewables projects to slashing feed-in tariffs for rooftop solar power. The reason given? To keep down household energy bills. Quote end
oh well its the same everywhere? All these people just simply not trying hard enough and expecting help from the government. Don’t they know that the government is not there too help? Really, what are they thinking.
The government helps the rich prey upon the poor which is why they’re getting rid of the renewables. Renewables would help the poor to become free of the rich and thus the rich would no longer be rich.
Further proof, if any was needed that capitalism is failing the people of the world.
Unless you are one of the elite 62.
Maybe the 1% isn’t an appropriate term to describe the elite.
It should be the 0.000001%.
‘World’s rich getting richer, poor are definitely poorer
Just 62 people own as much wealth as the poorer half of the global population, as the widening of the gap between the rich and poor accelerates.
As the business elite converge on Davos for the World Economic Forum, an Oxfam report shows wealth is becoming further concentrated, with the number of people owning the same amount as the bottom half of humanity falling from 388 to 62 in five years.
It says a “broken” economic model underpinned by deregulation, privatisation and financial secrecy has seen the wealth of the richest 62 people jump by 44 per cent in five years to US$1.76 trillion ($2.74 trillion).
In that time, the wealth of the poorest 3.6 billion people plunged by 41 per cent.’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/75977407/worlds-rich-getting-richer-poor-are-definitely-poorer
RNZ enabling Matthew Hooton telling lies on Nine to Noon again 🙄
The other guy is quite good on calling him on some of it, the Labour stuff, but he really doesn’t get the GP.
Maybe RNZ should have various commentators on to discuss the whole spectrum from the whole spectrum’s perspective instead of only a couple of left/right of centre embeds.
After Dirty Politics, Hooton should never have got another gig.
qft
Please list the candidates you think would be suitable.
Someone not compromised by his involvement in Dirty Politics.
Which would include who then?
I’d be up for it.
Bet I could elicit a stunned silence in a fair few listeners 🙂
This is an interesting link heavy diary from Daily Kos re Flint Michingan and how to poison a city.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/17/1466892/-Anatomy-of-a-community-poisoned-The-water-disaster-in-Flint-Michigan#read-more
the last paragraph: Melissa Mays says after Flint switched its water supply her sons went from being straight-A students to struggling with basic studies. “And I worry because they’re gonna need tutors,” Mays said. “Because I don’t want them to just be set aside and (told) ‘Well okay, your IQ’s a little lower.’ No. I want them to be where they were before this happened.” Yet Mays says there’s little money available for tutors. Daily life in Flint has drained her family’s savings.
“Our garbage disposal just corroded, so that’s another hundred bucks. Went through three water heaters and they’re $500 a pop. And that was…that was it. ‘Cause the rest of it’s gone towards medication. Me being off work and he’s had to miss work from time to time to take care of me and the kids. So yeah, we’re paycheck to paycheck at this point.”
Ironically Mays says her water bills have skyrocketed. Refuse to pay them and the city will shut off the taps. On top of that, Child Protective Services could remove any children living in a house with no running water.
——————————————————————————————————————-
surely this type of thing would never happen in gods own n’est pas?
this how you fix an angry man dont send male policemen to talk to him you send strong good looking policewomen why its all on the outside thats why
The cops still think that beating people up is how u fix angry men
Because they are conditioned to violence being the area of expertise and the law of paid thuggery still survives in the police culture
They really have to stop, the police that is being so dumb
Why do the police take particulars when u call they dont use them unless its a criminal situation and if you make a false statement to get them there quicker alleging a crime in in progress you become the target for them if you are a male but women do get away with it
You see the police are not civil servants they are a corporation that gets paid to keep the stats in favour of govt policy even though the police are blatantly underfunded by the taxpayer because of the expense of priorities like protecting the dodgy govt and those who have a real danger going on might as well swing for it
Police psychology in understanding people is a joke its just ridiculous the fact that crime prevention is at an all time low in govt police policy because of the rate of incarceration is so important to achieve the maximum payout for the corporations running the prisons to return an international success rating that will kept people believing all is good
absolute rot this system we have now will perpetuate rising crime and it will go undetected especially in theft because the police mostly deal with drugs and any thieved property is retrieved thru that and the daily theft of people’s money thru bad law governing financial institutions is a must especially when the govt is run by a very suspect member of that shall we say profession which it is not just a highly sophisticated theft ie tax policy that protects the rich no FTT BUT GST which is biased in favour of the rich and then theres the sharemarket and weve all seen that ponzi scheme and so it goes
Dont rely on the law for any help it just aint there
OK I kind of get your point, though I could barely breathe trying to read it.
Break it up with Paragraphs, use some comma’s and full stops, as it helps make what your saying, more readable and easier to comprehend.
Your diatribe on the police makes me feel you had a recent interaction with them. Never a good idea, they have not a lot of sympathy, as doing their job and filling the courts is what they do.
Get a lawyer, anyway possible, and ring him soon as whatever it is happens, the advice he will give you, will, I hope, help you out.
I can’t argue with them, I gave up many years ago. It’s the nature of bullies and the stupid, to work in that sort of employment.
Pedophiles want to work in childcare, Bashers want to work in the police force.
Actually you don’t use an apostrophe when you write commas as it is a plural.
🙂
Yeah perhaps pretending I was an engrish teacher was a bridge tooo far.
Thanks mate lolz.
Never thought I’d say this, but: Bring Back Mike Williams.
Stephen Mills flattered to deceive last month; he’s just another politician.
Political Commentators, RNZ National, Monday 18 January 2016, 11:10 a.m.
Lynn Freeman, Matthew Hooton, Stephen Mills
Lynn Freeman is a far better, more thoughtful and tougher host than Kathryn Ryan, but the basic problem remains: the “Left” person is dodgy, to say the least. Not long ago, I praised Stephen Mills as superior to Mike “I Agree With Matthew” Williams, who had a monopoly on the “Left” seat for much too long. [1] I was impressed by the no-nonsense way that Mills had taken on Matthew Hooton; it seemed that here was someone, finally, who had the guts to actually contest what Hooton said.
I’m sorry to say that my assessment of Mills was wrong. This morning, in the first program of the year, Hooton was immediately back into it; his little performance consisted of sneering at unions as “dinosaurs” and scoffing at the rise of politicians like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders.
For any principled and alert commentator, that would have been the perfect opportunity to point out that Corbyn and Sanders are not outliers, as the likes of Hooton always insist they are, but are firmly in the tradition of democratic, centrist, sensible thinking. Mills, however, decided to reiterate the Labour Party political leadership’s line. I sent the following email to Lynn Freeman….
Stephen Mills’ highly contentious claim about “most Labour voters”
Dear Lynn,
Stephen Mills (From the Left and Right) made the highly contentious assertion that “most Labour voters in New Zealand would support Hillary Clinton” and would regard a Jeremy Corbyn style leader as “inappropriate for New Zealand.”
New Zealand Labour supporters are probably not much different from British Labour supporters, who overwhelmingly voted for Corbyn as leader. And Bernie Sanders, who Stephen Mills chooses to portray as some sort of extremist, advocates moderate, sensible, humane policies that are pretty much the same as Labour has represented in this country, at least until the Douglasite faction took control.
The producers need to get a more rigorous and well informed representative of “The Left” for this program; we don’t need someone reiterating Matthew Hooton’s rhetoric like Mills did this morning.
Yours in concern at the standard of commentary on RNZ,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
[1] /open-mike-07122015/#comment-1105872
Here are some of Corbyn’s key policies.
Renationalise railways to bring down fares. Franchises would be managed locally;
Locally owned energy suppliers, emulating the German model;
Integration of health and social care;
Creation of a lifelong education service that would help retrain and reskill workers;
Universal childcare;
Repeal the Tory Trade Union Act;
Fixed pay ratios for companies to stop top management earning many multiples more than lowest paid workers;
Restriction on dividend payments for firms that don’t pay the living wage.
How Mills could refute Corbyn is beyond me.
People like Mills are the problem in the Labour Party. I have no doubt he actually supports Corbyn’s policies. But in the tiny, introspective bubble of Labour Party “strategy”, the only possible option is Blairite/Clarkite opportunism and “positioning”. The only views that matter for the likes of Mills, Stuart Nash, and whoever else is formulating “policy” for the Labour Party are the views of right wing political commentators like Hooton and the views of right wing business leaders.
Mills knows as well as anyone else that Corbyn is far more popular than the Blairite rump that dominates Labour Party discourse, and that it is Hillary Clinton, not Bernie Sanders, that is the extremist candidate for the Democrats.
I was very disappointed that he lacked the character to state that firmly and unequivocably this morning, instead opting for the nonsensical dogma of his Party leadership.
They are scared people.
I wonder how Corbyn would be in dealing with the SNP, if what you say about his beliefs is correct?
“Franchises would be managed locally”
“Locally owned energy suppliers”
The SNP appear to want the opposite approach where they centralise control over everything. I suggest you have a look at this opinion piece.
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21674723-soft-autocracy-nationalist-scotland-cawdors-shadow
The SNP sounds like an organisation of the most rabid contributors to this blog and to WO.
His problem is that the majority of the Scottish Labour Party sold out the Scottish people a long time ago, through years of Blairite treachery, so the Labour Party north of the border is toast.
Alwyn, you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
No dear.
Somehow, having read some of your contributions(?) to reasoned(?) debate I wouldn’t regard you as a very good judge.
Just what part of the article didn’t you approve of?
He’s a great deal more lucid with you – why not just run along and play with the rest of juveniles on kiwiblog where you belong?
Do you, or Morrissey, actually have anything to say about Corbyn and the way he differs from the SNP?
Or is your style of debate simply to make your childish remarks about people you don’t agree with because you are incapable of discussing things in a sensible manner?
Now just what part of the article didn’t you agree with?
And do you think that Corbyn will be able to get along with the SNP?
Why are you so hostile to the SNP?
😱
I have to go out in about 5 minutes so I can’t give this question the full attention it deserves.
My main objections are
(1) They lied to the people of Scotland about the referendum. They promised them that they could continue to use the pound. They promised that they would automatically become part of the EU. They promised that they would not have to take any responsibility for GB debts. They promised that things would be wonderful from the oil production. I don’t believe any of those were true.
(2) They waste the money they get from Great Britain on things to buy them popularity. Meanwhile, although University education may be free, less low income students (as a percentage) go to university in Scotland than they do in England.
(3) They try and dominate and suppress their opponents. I think they fit into the group of people, like the ones on this site, who would close down the NZ Herald because it is not faithful to what they believe. The Venezuelan Government would be proud of them.
(4) They want central control of all national affairs. All things are to be under the control of central government.
I suggest you read that article in the Economist I referenced. I agree with it.
The ‘funny’ bit about that segment of 9 to noon, was that Matthew Hooten was way more on to it in terms of what prospective Labour and Green voters are saying than was Mills.
Who is he by the way – this Stephen Mills? Ah….a pollster…a bear of few brains with lots of pieces of paper with conservative numbers on them in front of him – sigh.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/10717323/The-future-for-Labour
He’s an improvement on Mike “I agree with Matthew” Williams, which I guess is something to be grateful for.
I thought that about Hooton as well except I thought it was all carefully crafted to sound like he was on to it and oh so reasonable 😉 Very little comes out of that man’s mouth that isn’t via his forked tongue.
Well, he (Hooton) is ‘on to it’ enough to read the more obvious social media sites. Now that’s a very fucking low bar. But it seems Stephen Mills cracks his numb, dumb skull on it nevertheless.
You seem to be conflating UK Labour *members* who elected Corbyn and their *voters* at the next election, a much larger group who may have different views. I imagine there has been polling about those.
What evidence do you have for your rather remarkable claim?
What’s remarkable about that statement?
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/money/news/just-62-people-now-own-the-same-wealth-as-half-the-worlds-population-research-finds/ar-BBokP7Q?ocid=spartandhp
62 people in the world own more than 3.6b of the poorest. trickle down working as expected I see.
A must read Oxfam study, ( Not sure of the quality of Oxfam research) But it makes you wonder for sure.
The trickle down is failing to distribute the wealth required to sustain consumer demand, thus sustainable business growth and return. The consequences of which we are currently witnessing.
New Zealand has the combination of capital flight (returns heading off shore) negatively impacting on our current, ultimately leaving us with less, coupled with insufficient wealth distribution.
Yet, instead of addressing these problems, we exacerbate them. We continue to welcome offshore ownership and largely decimated the power of unions, which help keep incomes in check.
Since the 80’s there has been years of reforms, new trade deals etc, yet we’ve failed to put our current account into surplus and have made little to no improvements in inequality.
Local business leaders should be opposed to offshore ownership and supportive of unions. The more workers earn, the more they drive up consumer demand, thus business return.
I thought, and pondered, and have come to the exactly the same conclusion. Mr Chairman. Thanks it reinforces my results.
An eminently sensible nutshell overview of the problem and one that should be given more airing! Thanks TC.
If you have any spare dildos, send them to these guys
Ha! Well spotted, Morrissey.
lol
“now’s the time for action”
hit the trip wire there you’d think – I spose they have outlived their usefulness now…
Rest assured, if I had any spare they’d be going to a number of local politicians, their spin masters, and quite a few in the media. The ones they have must be nearing the end of their useful lives.
I’m not sure whether this will take …. I’m possibly banned for thinking wishfully
You like being banned don’t you Once Was Tim? It adds a bit of spice to your life I
feel.
In November, MFAT issued a two-page summary of the estimated tariff and non-tariff trade gains from the TPP for the year 2030, when all agreed tariff changes should have been completed. In the column headed “Government treatment of results,” someone has slashed Goods NTBs in half, from $2,912 million to $1,456 million. This reduces the estimated total benefit to $2,704 million from $4,160 million. MFAT $$$ Summary Showing Arbitrary Cut
Such a reduction is surprising – the government normally hypes up the value of the TPP. However, what we see is a bold new theory of economics – if you don’t like a number, don’t understand it, or don’t have the political guts to accept professionally prepared data, then reduce it by 50.00000%. Problem solved! Now we know why the TPP negotiations were so secret. Even Bill English did not know about it or he would have cleared the Budget Deficit years ago.
In reality, of course, this 50% cut is completely arbitrary and completely dishonest because the Government is setting up to game us even further regarding the TPP. Readers might have noticed that recent government statements qualify the dollar benefits of the TPP by using use phrases such as “At least ….” . Rabbits out of hats will come.
Just because everyone is dying to know the details of the PM’s son’s life. It will be good when this stops.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/love-sex/75992633/max-key-splits-with-girlfriend-amelia-finlayson
It won’t
It’s clickbait.
I’m John key trust me, I’m a family man. So out of touch with the common man it makes me wince. A daughter in Paris doing quite frankly soft porn sex shows. A poser of a son with the model hanging off his arms for those exceptional good looking publicity shots. This is NZ now, US style press and publicity. Gawd!
Carefully scripted images. If he wasn’t taking them(max) I wonder which political publicist organized it thanks to the National party coffers.
This is John Keys world.
No need to attack his kids. Don’t sink to his level.
How’s Prince Harry’s love life going? Or did he get married while I was busy with something important to me? Or did I miss the news that some culture vulture unearthed that he is gay. and not likely to wed someone with a train as long as the Northern Express (if that exists)?
We can’t let this homegrown mini-celebrity Max cut out our normal gossip lines.
Well bugger, me the Herald posted three of my comments to Rodney hide and I was not polite at all.(no swear words )
In all my days what happened did they get a new editor,,, and Frans piece attacking Messam has had the part where she called him Gormless removed. Think the lawyers may have been in touch there.
Roughans piece has opened to comments, getting another hiding to nothing. But Frans remains closed no comments posted. Hmmm Frans made a boo boo this time me thinks.
Can Josie Pagani and Phil Quinn apply for jobs at DPMC now please?
DPMC?
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
….someone has to shovel out the bullshit else it piles up…
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Bernie Sanders’ new tax plan will push the top marginal rate for the wealthiest to above 60 percent.
The shadow Banking System worth two trillion. 🙂 obviously, why not?
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/60880
” One of the threats looming over the slowdown in China is the precarious state of a $2 trillion shadow banking system that grew up with the boom. If it crashes, the current Chinese stock market collapse could look like a picnic. ”
oh dear
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2015-11/23/content_22510699.htm
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/83387282-8f60-11e5-8be4-3506bf20cc2b.html#axzz3xZbpS5wl
quote: Chinese police have arrested hundreds of people suspected of running underground banks that illegally transferred more than Rmb800bn ($125bn) out of China into foreign currencies…..
http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/20/news/china-underground-banking/
quote: Over the past year, officials have issued arrest warrants for 56 people, frozen 3,000 bank accounts, shut down 37 unlicensed financial institutions allegedly laundering money and reviewed over 1.3 million suspicious transactions, reported state media.
Police busted another 10 unapproved banks this week, allegedly linked to about 51.6 billion yuan ($8.1 billion) in illegal transactions.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/01022e62-a207-11e4-aba2-00144feab7de.html#axzz3xZbpS5wl
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/94227492-8247-11e5-a01c-8650859a4767.html#axzz3xZbpS5wl
this is just stunning, and I would expect this to happen globally not only china. China might just be the biggest or one of the biggest player in the game. Sometimes I wonder why we bother pretending.
Hairild. Second headline. Arrh Marr Gaaaaard Mar Gaaaaard !!! Me Brokin Brokin Brokin !!!……World’s to an end. Maxi Mini PM, and that girl, you know. OH NO !!! Faaaaark !!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11575638