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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In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...
Back in May, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki launched another political party. Despite consisting entirely of followers of their religion, they grandly called it "Coalition New Zealand", in a vain effort to suggest it was something broader. But when they applied for registration, submitters opposed the name, as ...
The following article is excerpted and translated from two articles in recent issues of Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the revolutionary workers group active in France. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in it – for instance, the 1956-62 war for independence involved rather more revolutionary forces than ...
The Pacific is on the front line of climate change, and if we don't cut emissions quickly, some countries are literally going to be underwater. Because of this, small Pacific states had tried to use this week's Pacific Islands Forum meeting to get Pacific countries to agree to ending coal ...
To Limit Another's Rights Is To Limit One's Own: Is it too much to expect senior members of our Government to be capable of explaining that we protect the rights of human-beings precisely because not even the most depraved act can cancel-out the fact that its perpetrator is also a ...
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...
This section builds on Part 1 of this series to provide a theoretical basis for the final instalment (part 3 – to come). Self-determination: law or resurgence — or both? International law promotes the principal of equal treatment and self-determination, which includes peoples’ rights to freely pursue their social, cultural and ...
Everyone was outraged yesterday to learn that the Christchurch shooting accused had been able to send mail from prison to his Nazi fans, apparently pushing more hate. "How could this possibly happen", people asked. Simple: because New Zealand is a civilised country, and so we let prisoners send and receive ...
If we are to avoid dangerous anthropogenic climate change, we need to rapidly decarbonise our transport fleet. The good news: its starting to happen:The number of electric vehicles on New Zealand's roads have nearly tripled in the past two years. There are currently 15,453 registered electric vehicles (EVs), up ...
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
AN OPEN LETTER FOR SIGN ON BY ORGANISATIONS AND MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE WORLD, ALLIED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INEQUALITY. This letter was released at the UN Political Forum on 9 July, where the Sustainable Development Goal on inequality was reviewed. The purpose of the letter is to call out the ...
We asked a young gay science student and critic of trans ideology and the trans activists’ assault on women’s and gay rights to outline his views on Redline. Thanks to him for his article. by Cian Ó Catháin Gender identity ideology (Gender ID) is ripping through western society at full ...
The Environment Committee is currently hearing submissions on the Zero Carbon Bill, and Stuff is reporting on the submissions. Today, they're covering yesterday they heard from "NZ" Steel:NZ Steel has told MPs it may be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if changes aren't made to ...
Students are striking against climate change on September 27. And this time, they're asking everyone to join them:Students are taking to the streets, beaches and parks on 27 September, and we're inviting everyone to join us. That's right, this is an intergenerational issue, and you're all invited to put pressure ...
Peter McKenzie has a piece on Newsroom this morning about how local body politics is awash with property developer cash. 70% of all the donations in the 2016 Wellington mayoral election came from property developers. And its pretty obvious what they want in exchange:That’s particularly important in local government, according ...
Source: Unknown, twitter user Recently, I wrote a (relatively) short paper titled as above, to explore what self-determination could like in a practical sense. Maybe I’m a bit of an international trade truther or something, but I absolutely believe trade is at the heart of achieving peace and self-determination. Since ...
In the 1960s, after I had graduated with a first-class Oxford postgraduate law degree, I joined the British Foreign Office as the top entrant of my year. There, I worked for a couple of years on European affairs and was eventually posted to the Embassy in Brussels. After this exposure ...
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...
I heard a 45 minute interview with Monica Lewinsky talking to TED’s Chris Anderson on BBC Radio 4 over the weekend, and have listened to it another two times out walking. I recommend it. Highly. Man, I am so impressed with how this woman has integrated her life experiences and ...
Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind: how good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure, London, Penguin, 2019, 352pp; reviewed by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s book The Coddling of the American Mind is a timely book, whose ...
When the Justice Committee reported back on the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill, free speech advocates breathed a sigh of relief. As originally introduced, the Bill reitered the ancient offence of "scandalising the court" - basicly, a special sedition law protecting judges from criticism. The select ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. Since then - crickets. Which raises the obvious question: are they actually going to do this, ...
Back in March, the Ministry of Justice conducted a public consultation exercise on whether to hold a review of the Official Information Act. 285 people submitted on it. Now, Stuff has trawled through those submissions, and the case for reform is strong:The Justice Ministry asked Kiwis what they thought was ...
National's prisoner voting ban has gone down as one of the worst laws in New Zealand history. Passed after a farcical debate (including this farcial speech from ACT MP Hilary Calvert), it has subsequently been found to be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act by the High Court, Court ...
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
What an extraordinarily depressing experience it is to be compelled to watch, at 12,000 miles distance, the contortions and machinations of the British political class as they set about their determined attempt to overturn the decision taken by the British people that they wish to leave the European Union. The ...
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...
by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
Since scientists started studying climate change, they have warned that it will reduce food production. And now, its happening:The climate crisis is damaging the ability of the land to sustain humanity, with cascading risks becoming increasingly severe as global temperatures rise, according to a landmark UN report compiled by some ...
The Abortion Legislation Bill just passed its first reading, 94-23. Its a far bigger margin than I expected, even allowing for the Winston factor, and it reflects the overwhelming support there is in this country for reform. but that support isn't a new thing - it has existed for literally ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Referendums Framework Bill. The Bill does what it says on the label - establishes a framework for referenda. Things you may want to address in your submission: Whether the bill should apply only at the 2020 election, or whether it should ...
The Thompson and Clark / MBIE spying scandal continues to result in fallout, this time in the form of a report on the implementation of MBIE's "Operation Exploration", its internal operation to enforce the infamous Anadarko Amendment which criminalised protests against the oil industry. MBIE's enforcement operation was tainted by ...
So, Winston Peters is defending his last-minute demand for a referendum on abortion by claiming he was "blindsided" by the bill. Really? The bill is a government bill. It has been working through the cabinet approval process since December last year. As part of that process, NZ First was consulted, ...
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has been provided with the soon to be released coronial data on suicide in New Zealand. The fact is the suicide rate has risen again and is out of control. The Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council (and former ...
Family First NZ is welcoming the Government’s intention to tackle the harms of pornography, and are also continuing to call for a truly independent Expert Panel to investigate and provide solutions for families. ...
"For too long central government has layered additional responsibilities onto local government with little consultation or acknowledgement of the essential work councils do. Combined with the lack of support and funding, this top down attitude ...
Joining local Green candidates at their campaign launch on Sunday at the Highbury Whanau Centre Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson will say, “I’m very proud to join Green candidates Teanau Tuiono, Renee Dingwall and Brent Barrett in calling ...
The Campaign for Better Transport ( CBT ) is pleased to hear the government has announced the start of train services from Hamilton to Papakura but is concerned about some of the features of the proposed service. ...
Family First NZ is supporting a call by the Police to raise the drinking age, which echoes previous calls by the NZ Medical Association, but says that other factors around price, availability, penalties and addiction services must be part of the ...
West Papua solidarity activists met yesterday and resolved to call on the Prime Minister to step up to help resolve the escalating crisis in West Papua. ...
Landmark Report Released into Maori Aging and Disabilities “Manaaki Pakeke” – New Zealand Maori Council calls for a policy shift and greater focus The New Zealand Maori Council has released a comprehensive policy statement challenging the ...
MANATŪ TAONGA MINISTRY FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE MEDIA RELEASE 25 August 2019 Privacy breach identified with the Tuia 250 Voyage Trainee website Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage is investigating a serious digital privacy breach involving ...
‘Original Sin’ of Land Confiscation at Ihumātao is a wrong that can be put right by Government says Justice & Peace Commission of Catholic Diocese of Auckland ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a press conference on August 19 that her government is likely to impose new restrictions on prisoners’ rights to send letters. She said the law could be changed in “weeks.” ...
Heart-warming images of House Speaker Trevor Mallard cradling a baby in Parliament have been welcomed around New Zealand, but the Public Service Association warns most families can only dream of such support in the workplace. ...
Applying New Zealand’s international human rights commitments, particularly those in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, can help in resolving the situation at Ihumātao, Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt says. ...
Climate campaigners impersonating bank staff have taken to the streets this week to expose ANZ Bank’s sponsorship of the fossil fuel industry. In the series of satirical actions in Wellington, Dunedin, and Auckland, the ‘bank staff’ promoted ...
Auckland Action Against Poverty joins the Children’s Commissioner , The Green Party , The New Zealand Drugs Foundation , Child Poverty Action Group and other organisations in the calls for an immediate end to the drug testing benefit sanctions. ...
Negotiations between Port Otago workers represented by the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) and the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and management failed today and the unions have issued notice of an overtime ban from Saturday 7th September. ...
Queenstown Lakes District Council’s comments that it has applied for a consent to pollute waterways to avoid 'prosecutions by the Otago Regional Council' are unacceptable,’ Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says. ...
On March 15, the real world impact of online hate became abundantly, horrifically clear. As a shooter opened fire at two Christchurch mosques, the online image board 8chan anticipated, celebrated and amplified his killing spree. ...
Friday, 23 August: Government delegates from around the world, including New Zealand, are meeting in New York for the third of four meetings at the United Nations to agree a Global Oceans Treaty that could help to protect 30% of our oceans by 2030. Greenpeace ...
The excuses about a reportedly unwanted $57,000 payrise for Dunedin City Council CEO Sue Bidrose are laughable, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance has launched the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” committing to no more than 2% annual rate hikes over the next Council term, and has written to all Mayoral and Council candidates asking them to sign. The pledge will ...
This Saturday, Pakuranga Hunt Day at the Ellerslie Racecourse will see anti-horse racing protesters demonstrating at the corner of Ascot Avenue and Greenlane East. ...
Mayoral candidate John Tamihere will meet with Pacific Island leaders and community elders today at Puhunui Reserve in South Auckland to commit to a Pasefika Cultural Centre. ...
Cruel and invalid Forced Swim Tests carried out at Victoria University of Wellington, will be exposed at the University Open Day today, so prospective students can be warned about the flawed and unethical research being conducted at the institute. ...
The organiser of the annual YWCA Equal Pay Awards has expressed her disappointment with the latest Gender Pay Gap figure for New Zealand workers. The figure rose slightly from 9.2% in 2018 to 9.3% for the quarter ended 30 June 2019. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to pass on information to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques now that the period for submissions has been extended to 27 September. ...
An application was filed in the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington today, seeking an injunction to prevent the Board of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation from removing the President from office. ...
The Government’s commitment to support literacy and numeracy training in the workplace is a strong signal from Government on recognising the importance of upskilling, reskilling and increasing productivity alongside their commitment to address the challenges ...
“The infrastructure sector sees a major role for the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission/Te Waihanga in lifting the nation’s sagging infrastructure performance,” says Paul Blair, incoming CEO of Infrastructure NZ. ...
The AA is calling on the Government to bring forward critical highway projects while time is spent properly developing the plans for a rapid transit system in Auckland. ...
Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, DHBs spent $280 million treating patients due to adverse drug reactions, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in its latest briefing paper on health productivity . ...
The Pay Equity Coalition Auckland (PECA) is pleased the gender pay gap has decreased slightly. Statistics released today show the gap is now 11.9%, nearly 2 percent less than last year. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to make sure they pass on any information they have to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques before submissions close tomorrow (Friday). ...
The big electricity companies consider solar energy “disruptive” and want pricing to suppress it. In contrast, advocates of local energy say that solar, energy efficiency, and other local energy solutions are the cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions. ...
The Earthquake Commission and Shine Lawyers are delighted to announce that EQC has reached an agreement with the Gibling family, agreeing to cover the cost of repairs of remaining earthquake damage on their property. ...
Four months into the inquiry, the Royal Commission is gathering significant information and continues to receive valuable submissions from the public, from current and former State servants, experts and community groups. ...
While Fish & Game New Zealand is pleased to see Federated Farmers Environment Spokesperson Chris Allen say that 'we all want good, fresh water', he conveniently overlooks some key facts. ...
What: Wellington demo “Save the Amazon Forest/Salve a Amazônia!” When: Friday, 6 September 2019 from 12:30-13:30 Where: Embassy of Brazil in Wellingtona ...
Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, welcomes the visit of His Excellency Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal. ...
A cross political Mental Health and Addictions Wellbeing group will be launched on Wednesday 28 August hosted by Sir John Kirwan and Moe Milne (ONZM) who have both been at the forefront of our country’s often difficult conversations about mental ...
Confirmation that the government will be progressing an independent Parliamentary Budget Office is great news for democracy and transparency, Federated Farmers says. ...
Ruby Porter on the first novel by acclaimed Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong. I came across Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds last year. I read it twice in one day. I was staying outside of New York, at the time, and taking the train in each morning. I ...
A War Story is one more attempt in a long line of art to make sense of 9/11 – this time from a uniquely Kiwi perspective.The coordinated terrorist attacks on September 11 2001 cut a razor-sharp divide between the relatively carefree time before and everything after, bleeding into ...
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 content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Privacy breach at Ministry for Culture and Heritage Audrey Young (Herald): How latest privacy breach ...
Auckland mayoral rival John Tamihere is pitching himself as a low-cost candidate but the incumbent Phil Goff says Mr Tamihere lacks a basic understanding of finances. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elyse Methven, Lecturer in Law, University of Technology Sydney As the state election loomed last year, the NSW government rushed through a new crime targeting drug suppliers. A person who supplies a prohibited drug for profit can now be prosecuted for homicide ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Talbot-Jones, Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington Last week, voter enrolment for the 2019 local government elections closed in New Zealand and concerns about low voter turnout resurfaced. During a panel discussion run by Auckland Council, the idea was raised to pay ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Dunk, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Last week, one of the world’s leading medical journals declared the medical community must act now to limit the health effects of climate change. In a stark editorial, readers of the New England Journal of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Goss, School Education Program Director, Grattan Institute Australia’s young high achievers are turning their backs on teaching. They want to make a difference in their careers, and they are interested in teaching, but when it comes to the crunch they choose ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carl Grodach, Professor and Director of Urban Planning & Design, Monash University Since 2000, planning authorities in Australia have overseen a massive rezoning of inner-city industrial land to make way for mixed-use residential development. They claim central industrial space is obsolete in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Owen, PhD Candidate, Monash University Last week, menstrual pad brand Libra launched their Blood Normal commercial in Australia, running it during prime time television shows including The Bachelor, The Project, and Gogglebox. Australia is a little late to the party: Blood ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt rejects idea to ban petrol car imports in 2035, firefighters say they’re facing a workforce crisis, and Tamihere pledges rate freeze.A strange sort of stoush erupted at the end of last week around petrol and diesel car sales. On Friday, Newsroom reported ...
Kiwi boxer Troy Garton, who defied medical advice to produce one of the most remarkable performances in NZ sport, now has her sights set firmly on the Tokyo Olympics. ...
Victoria University of Wellington's Anne Goulding discusses the paradox of New Zealanders wanting to safeguard our personal data, while frequently and freely giving it away. ...
Lisa McMillan is an adrenaline junkie. Instead of skydiving or driving race cars, she collects rooms full of naked strangers. Josie Adams went along to the Naked Dinner and found it stimulated all the wrong hormones.In a tealight-lit lounge in a rented Symonds Street flat, I milled around with 23 ...
Brazil’s rainforests are ablaze, and even from the distance of New Zealand, many of us are losing sleep. For the climate and for humanity, we can do something profound and simple, writes Kena DuignanI’ve asked my dad to look after my kids yesterday so I could write this, after a ...
Meng Foon has been a fixture in Gisborne local government for more than two decades. Today he starts a new role, as race relations commissioner. Alice Webb-Lidall heads over to his Gisborne home for dinner, to find out what he’ll miss as mayor, and how he’ll approach his new jobThis ...
In the final of our series on the loss of faith in free market economics we ask New Zealand business leaders how they’re grappling with the almighty power of a technology that barely existed 20 years ago. Hands up who’s read the Financial Markets Authority’s website. Come on, be honest.No, of ...
Is New Zealand in danger of becoming a bio-tech backwater because of our strict GE rules, or should we retain them to sell our clean image overseas? ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie Indonesia’s harsh policies towards West Papua ought to be scrapped. Whatever happened to the brief window of enlightenment ushered in by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2015 with promises of a more “open door” policy towards foreign journalists and human rights groups? They were supposed ...
The House - The grammar of being an MP is harder than you might think. MPs in Parliament choose their words with care, and it just got more complicated. ...
As a format it predates almost all reality TV, and that’s precisely why it works in 2019, writes Duncan Greive.There’s something deeply comforting about watching Celebrity Treasure Island. It is a very pure form of escapism, largely because it explicitly recalls a world without the internet, and before everything started ...
Residents in Los Angeles and Orange County warned to check for symptoms after an infected NZ teen visited theme parks including Disneyland and Universal Studios earlier this month.Californian health authorities have issued warnings to residents and visitors after a New Zealand teenager was found to have spent five days in ...
When you crave fresh, bright flavours but summer veges seem far away, throw together this simple salad.Growing up we often ate this salad, or one very similar to it. My mum is a fantastic cook and this dish is one she still makes to this day – though I must ...
Analysis of New Zealand media headlines reveals a lot of people slamming a lot of other people.Slamming is at epidemic levels in New Zealand news. Drawn from just the last month, we present a selection of slamming.On July 27A union boss slammed David ClarkOn July 29Police slammed a dangerous photographerOn ...
Vana Manasiadis wrote a collection of poetry in the wake of her mother’s death. In this essay, ahead of her appearance at the Going West festival, she argues that as a nation Aotearoa needs to learn to make space for mourning. When Mum died in Athens, I cried loudly and publicly ...
The giant hand that captivated, delighted and disgusted the nation is now settling into its new Wellington home. For City Gallery Wellington’s blog, Spinoff arts editor Megan Dunn talked to Ronnie van Hout, the man who made Quasi.“Quasi is in the wrong place,” wrote art critic Warren Feeney in 2016, ...
At school camp, the children are banned from having phones, laptops, lollies, chocolate, money, cotton clothing or independent thoughts. They, are, however, allowed home baking – but it’s gotta be hearty. How hearty are you? We are packing for a school camp. If you’re thinking that the middle of winter is ...
Phil Goff’s rival has already pledged an 0800-Jacinda homeless hotline and an 18-lane harbour bridge. What’s next? The two most important people in the 2019 campaign for the Auckland mayoralty faced each other down on Wednesday night across the desk in the NZME debate: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson. Correction: it ...
Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art is the exhibition that sparked a protest over issues of cultural appropriation and institutional representation. Theo Schoon is a divisive historical figure. But is his art any good? Martin Patrick reviews.British novelist L.P. Hartley once wrote that “the past is ...
Ahead of debuting her solo show at New Zealand Fashion Week, Korean-NZ couture designer Cecilia Kang talks about growing up ‘feminine’, being influenced by the LGBTQ+ community, and why an ‘administrative error’ at Fashion Week left her so shaken up. ‘I like something big,” says Cecilia Kang, gesturing to the giant ...
The Labour Party is distancing itself from one of its members who is strongly pro-Beijing and has caused controversy in the Chinese community by standing for local office in Auckland. ...
Faced with staff shortages, equipment failures, cancer risks, and a jump in critical calls that can leave them traumatised, some firefighters are wondering if it’s time to hang up the hose. Gareth Shute reports on the dissatisfaction inside Fire and Emergency New Zealand.The state of our nation’s fire service is ...
“She comes over. You’re my mother, she says. Yes, I say. I don’t know you, she says”: a mother and child seaside story by Wellington author Jan Pryor. Photo by Peter Black. ...
On Monday the government announced its new five-year strategy to reduce the Māori prison population. Emilie Rākete looks at another ‘kaupapa Māori’ prison initiative that degrades prisoners and asks if Corrections are capable of seeing it through.On August 19th, the Department of Corrections announced Hōkai Rangi, its new strategy intended ...
By Michael Andrew The Indonesian media is contributing to resentment and racism toward Papuans, according to a human rights researcher and former journalist. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch Jakarta told Pacific Media Watch many Indonesian journalists either view Papuans as enemy “separatists” or deviants and their reporting tends to convey these ...
Analysis - The prime minister puts a stake in the ground over petrol prices, National balks at having its election promises costed and the government puts millions into helping the homeless. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Record fires are raging in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, with more than 2,500 fires currently burning. They are collectively emitting huge amounts of carbon, with smoke plumes visible thousands of kilometres away. Fires in ...
Open mike 18/01/2016 
Open mike is your post.
My wife and I have had dogs for the whole of our 52 years of married life – and that has meant sharing our lives with our little furry friends. Because we usually spend a good part of our evenings watching television, it also means that our dogs have learned ...1 day ago
. . Former Police, Corrections, and Justice Minister in the previous John Key government, Judith Collins, has been ridiculed on social media after posting a comment on Twitter that was patently untrue; . Wrong!! National did not remove Prisoners’ ability to vote. Parliament voted through a Private Member’s Bill ...2 days ago
Speaker Trevor Mallard was left to look after Jones, while his usual caretaker, Winston Peters, underwent surgery. A truly adorable scene from Parliament yesterday has gone viral, after Speaker Trevor Mallard cradled an extremely drunk Shane Jones in his arms while the House was in session. Loud “awwww”s could be ...3 days ago
Western media have defended their decision not to cover the fires so as not to give them any oxygen. Social media outrage continues to grow around the sentiment that mainstream western media is devoting too little coverage to an ongoing series of fires in the Amazon rainforest, and in doing ...3 days ago
A Long Time Ago, In A Parallel Universe Far, Far Away: The political journalist scratched his head in confusion. Only then did he notice the name of the building: ‘The Jacinda Ardern Presidential Library and Public Resource Centre’. Making his way inside to the information desk, he asked the librarian ...3 days ago
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Nothing from me tody - I'm off to Christchurch to pretend to be other people for a weekend. Normal bloggage should resume on Tuesday. ...3 days ago
Spark is bracing for a customer backlash as rugby fans all across the country struggle to get a picture on their wireless router. With the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, an elderly Taranaki couple are furious after being told that they still won’t be able to watch the tournament, even ...4 days ago
Several explosions have been reported across Auckland, as well-meaning environmentalists have already begun purchasing too much petrol Starting from next week, customers will no longer need a car to purchase petrol directly from the pump, a development that two major fuel providers are billing as an opportunity to help fight ...4 days ago
A new study claims to find that a mother’s exposure to fluoridated water during pregnancy may decrease the IQ of male children – but is it correct? (Photo: Getty Images) Anti-fluoride campaigners are promoting ... 4 days ago
by Jan Rivers More than 30 years ago a Commission of Inquiry was held in New Zealand to investigate, amongst other things, whether women with cervical cancer were aware that they had been part of a research project and whether they were properly informed of the treatment options ...6 days ago
Everyone Wants To Be Fuhrer: When fascist groups are discussed, the image conjured-up in the minds of most New Zealanders is one of pathetic misfits. This negative impression is reinforced by the latter’s idiotic embrace of the swastika. Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, the baleful legacy ...6 days ago
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...1 week ago
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...1 week ago
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...1 week ago
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Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...1 week ago
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...2 weeks ago
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...2 weeks ago
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...2 weeks ago
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...2 weeks ago
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...2 weeks ago
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ... 2 weeks ago
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...2 weeks ago
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...2 weeks ago
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...2 weeks ago
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...2 weeks ago
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...3 weeks ago
The New Zealand Maori Council has been provided with the soon to be released coronial data on suicide in New Zealand. The fact is the suicide rate has risen again and is out of control. The Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council (and former ...49 mins ago
The New Zealand sharemarket fell on opening in what is likely to be the first taste of the bumpy week ahead for global markets. ...21 mins ago
The National Party plans to scrap 100 regulations and a number of the current government's policies if voted into power next year. ...23 mins ago
Ruby Porter on the first novel by acclaimed Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong. I came across Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds last year. I read it twice in one day. I was staying outside of New York, at the time, and taking the train in each morning. I ...1 hour ago
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Lines company, Chorus, has seen its full year net profit drop, hit by lower revenue and increased interest costs to pay for the roll-out of fibre. ...2 hours ago
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
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Victoria University of Wellington's Anne Goulding discusses the paradox of New Zealanders wanting to safeguard our personal data, while frequently and freely giving it away. ...8 hours ago
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As a format it predates almost all reality TV, and that’s precisely why it works in 2019, writes Duncan Greive.There’s something deeply comforting about watching Celebrity Treasure Island. It is a very pure form of escapism, largely because it explicitly recalls a world without the internet, and before everything started ...22 hours ago
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Vana Manasiadis wrote a collection of poetry in the wake of her mother’s death. In this essay, ahead of her appearance at the Going West festival, she argues that as a nation Aotearoa needs to learn to make space for mourning. When Mum died in Athens, I cried loudly and publicly ...1 day ago
The giant hand that captivated, delighted and disgusted the nation is now settling into its new Wellington home. For City Gallery Wellington’s blog, Spinoff arts editor Megan Dunn talked to Ronnie van Hout, the man who made Quasi.“Quasi is in the wrong place,” wrote art critic Warren Feeney in 2016, ...2 days ago
At school camp, the children are banned from having phones, laptops, lollies, chocolate, money, cotton clothing or independent thoughts. They, are, however, allowed home baking – but it’s gotta be hearty. How hearty are you? We are packing for a school camp. If you’re thinking that the middle of winter is ...2 days ago
Phil Goff’s rival has already pledged an 0800-Jacinda homeless hotline and an 18-lane harbour bridge. What’s next? The two most important people in the 2019 campaign for the Auckland mayoralty faced each other down on Wednesday night across the desk in the NZME debate: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson. Correction: it ...2 days ago
Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art is the exhibition that sparked a protest over issues of cultural appropriation and institutional representation. Theo Schoon is a divisive historical figure. But is his art any good? Martin Patrick reviews.British novelist L.P. Hartley once wrote that “the past is ...2 days ago
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On Monday the government announced its new five-year strategy to reduce the Māori prison population. Emilie Rākete looks at another ‘kaupapa Māori’ prison initiative that degrades prisoners and asks if Corrections are capable of seeing it through.On August 19th, the Department of Corrections announced Hōkai Rangi, its new strategy intended ...2 days ago
By Michael Andrew The Indonesian media is contributing to resentment and racism toward Papuans, according to a human rights researcher and former journalist. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch Jakarta told Pacific Media Watch many Indonesian journalists either view Papuans as enemy “separatists” or deviants and their reporting tends to convey these ...3 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Record fires are raging in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, with more than 2,500 fires currently burning. They are collectively emitting huge amounts of carbon, with smoke plumes visible thousands of kilometres away. Fires in ...3 days 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